SprueStack Zero Hour: WW2 day by day

31 October 1943

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

About this page

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.

8 sourced entries for this date.

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Entries

Italy

15th Army Group: U.S. Fifth Army takes control of Italian 1st Motorized Gp. In Br 10 Corps area, while 7th Armd and 46th Inf Divs continue attacks on M. Massico and M. S. Croce, 56th Div, on to Corps right flank, takes Teano.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
POA

Adm Turner’s Northern Attack Force (TF 52) begins rehearsals for GALVANIC-invasion of the Gilberts-off Hawaii. TF 31 units rendezvous W of Guadalcanal, then sail for Bougainville. Enemy airfields on S Bougainville are now unserviceable.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Heavy rains in Italy slow the Allied advance south of Rome.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
An F4U Corsair accomplishes the first successful radar-guided interception by a United States Navy or Marine Corps aircraft.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
Atlantic Ocean

Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War.

Source Wikidata (opens external site)
China-Burma-India Theater

THOR mission records show at least 28 Allied sorties (4 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1943-10-31, 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 142 Allied sorties (4 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1943-10-31, flown by USAAF 12th Air Force. Targets included ITALY.

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 44 Allied sorties (5 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1943-10-31, flown by USAAF 13th Air Force, USAAF 7th Air Force.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

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

Sources listed with each entry. Spotted an error? Tell us.

31 October in other years 1939 1940 1941 1942 1944

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31 October 1943

Entries

15th Army Group: U.S. Fifth Army takes control of Italian 1st Motorized Gp. In Br 10 Corps area, while 7th Armd and 46th Inf Divs continue attacks on M. Massico and M. S. Croce, 56th Div, on to Corps right flank, takes Teano.

Adm Turner’s Northern Attack Force (TF 52) begins rehearsals for GALVANIC-invasion of the Gilberts-off Hawaii. TF 31 units rendezvous W of Guadalcanal, then sail for Bougainville. Enemy airfields on S Bougainville are now unserviceable.

Heavy rains in Italy slow the Allied advance south of Rome.

An F4U Corsair accomplishes the first successful radar-guided interception by a United States Navy or Marine Corps aircraft.

Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War.

THOR mission records show at least 28 Allied sorties (4 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1943-10-31, flown by USAAF 10th Air Force. Targets included BURMA.

THOR mission records show at least 142 Allied sorties (4 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1943-10-31, flown by USAAF 12th Air Force. Targets included ITALY.

THOR mission records show at least 44 Allied sorties (5 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1943-10-31, flown by USAAF 13th Air Force, USAAF 7th Air Force.

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