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SprueStack Zero Hour: WW2 day by day
20 November 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 of 11 sourced entries for this date, chosen by the editor.
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Entries
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Gilbert IS.
U.S. forces invade Makin and Tarawa Atolls (Operation GALVANIC), opening series of amphibious operations in Central Pacific aimed ultimately at invasion of Japan. Air and naval gunfire bombardment precede and closely support assault teams.
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Makin Atoll
TF 52’s landing force (27th Div’s 165th Inf reinf by 3d Bn of 105th, tanks of 193d Tank Bn, and other supporting units), under Maj Gen Ralph C. Smith, invades Makin.
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Overview Operation Galvanic, the U.S. invasion of the Gilbert Islands, was undertaken to provide a stepping stone to the strategically located, Japanese-occupied Marshall and Marianas island chains in the central Pacific.
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British troops under Montgomery continue their slow advances on the eastern side of Italy.
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Operation Galvanic begins - United States Marines land on Tarawa and United States Army forces assault Makin atoll in the Gilbert Islands and take heavy fire from Japanese shore guns.
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Battle of Tarawa (Operation Galvanic) begins: United States Marines land on Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands and suffer heavy fire from Japanese shore guns and machine guns.
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Eydehavn
Operation Company 1943 sabotage.
The full list for this date is being cleaned and will return soon.
Sources listed with each entry. Spotted an error? Tell us.
20 November in other years 19391940194119421944
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