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• » 23 Dec 1943

• Guavina was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Guavina | CPC]

• 24 US Army Air Force bombers conducted an attack on Lakunai Airfield at Rabaul, New Britain, escorted by 48 US Navy F6F and US Marine Corps F4U fighters; 1 F6F and 2 F4U aircraft were shot down by ground fire during the bombing mission. Shortly after, 48 USMC F4U fighters and a number of USAAF P-38 fighters conducted a fighter sweep over Rabaul. 99 Japanese A6M fighters rose to defend against the sweep. USMC airmen claimed 21 Japanese shot down, and USAAF 8; Gregory Boyington of USMC squadron VMF-214 alone claimed 4; Japanese records would later reveal that only 6 aircraft were lost during the fighter sweep. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 3 | Rabaul, New Britain | CPC]

• 501st Bomb Squadron of USAAF 345th Bomb Group was transferred out of Dobodura Airfield, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Dobodura Airfield | Dobodura | CPC]

• 379 RAF aircraft (364 Lancaster, 7 Halifax, and 8 Mosquito) attacked Berlin, Germany; 16 Lancaster bombers were lost. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | Berlin | CPC]

• Barbers Point Naval Air Station: More of CASU-20 arrived. ww2dbase [Barbers Point Naval Air Station | Ewa, Oahu | DS]

• Galeazzo Ciano made his final diary entry at the prison at Verona, Italy. ww2dbase [Galeazzo Ciano | Verona, Veneto | CPC]
• In Italy, Candian troops attacked Villa Grande while Indian troops captured Vezzano and British troops attacked toward Orsogna. ww2dbase [Advance to the Gustav Line | Villa Grande, Abruzzo | CPC]

• British Home Fleet Admiral Bruce Fraser dispatched battleship HMS Duke of York, cruiser HMS Jamaica, and 4 destroyers (3 British and 1 Norwegian) north in anticipation of German interception of Allied convoy JW-55B, which was sailing toward Murmansk, Russia. ww2dbase [Battle of the North Cape | Bruce Fraser | CPC]

23 Dec 1943 Interactive Map