SprueStack Zero Hour: WW2 day by day

4 January 1943

What happened on this day in the Second World War, from 1939 to 1945, with a source for every entry.

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Each day we list events from the Second World War that happened on that date, from 1939 to 1945. Every entry names its source and links to it, so you can read further. Entries are sourced and machine-screened before they go up, a subset is human-reviewed, and we add more over time.

6 sourced entries for this date.

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Entries

N Pacific

Adm Nimitz replaces Adm Theobald with Adm Kinkaid as commander, TF 8. Rear Adm Charles H. McMorris relieves Adm W. W. Smith as commander of strike group.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
New Georgia

U.S. cruiser-DD force bombards Munda airfield night 4-5. NEW GUINEA-Japanese overrun outpost near Tarakena, forcing patrol there to swim for Siwori Village.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Guadalcanal

Japanese are ordered to withdraw from Guadalcanal to New Georgia Is. Final echelon of 25th Div (RCT 161) arrives. 2d Mar Div hq and 6th Marines, reinf, also land, bringing 2d Mar Div nearly up to full strength.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
China-Burma-India Theater

THOR mission records show at least 9 Allied sorties (2 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1943-01-04, flown by USAAF 10th Air Force. Targets included BURMA.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.
Mediterranean Theater

THOR mission records show at least 46 Allied sorties (8 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1943-01-04, flown by USAAF 12th Air Force. Targets included TUNISIA.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.
Pacific Theater

THOR mission records show at least 13 Allied sorties (3 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1943-01-04, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force. Targets included NEW GUINEA.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.

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4 January in other years 1940 1941 1942 1944 1945

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4 January 1943

Entries

Adm Nimitz replaces Adm Theobald with Adm Kinkaid as commander, TF 8. Rear Adm Charles H. McMorris relieves Adm W. W. Smith as commander of strike group.

U.S. cruiser-DD force bombards Munda airfield night 4-5. NEW GUINEA-Japanese overrun outpost near Tarakena, forcing patrol there to swim for Siwori Village.

Japanese are ordered to withdraw from Guadalcanal to New Georgia Is. Final echelon of 25th Div (RCT 161) arrives. 2d Mar Div hq and 6th Marines, reinf, also land, bringing 2d Mar Div nearly up to full strength.

THOR mission records show at least 9 Allied sorties (2 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1943-01-04, flown by USAAF 10th Air Force. Targets included BURMA.

THOR mission records show at least 46 Allied sorties (8 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1943-01-04, flown by USAAF 12th Air Force. Targets included TUNISIA.

THOR mission records show at least 13 Allied sorties (3 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1943-01-04, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force. Targets included NEW GUINEA.

Talk about it