2 Jun 1943
  • Soviet aircraft attacked Kiev, Ukraine and Roslavl, Russia; their counterparts, Luftwaffe bombers, attacked Kursk, Russia. ww2dbase [TH]
  • USS Finback damaged a Japanese ship east of Philippine Islands, hitting her with 1 of 3 torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Finback | CPC]
  • USS Flying Fish departed for her sixth war patrol with a new commanding officer, Captain Frank Watkins. ww2dbase [Flying Fish | CPC]
  • Peter Drummond was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. ww2dbase [Peter Drummond | CPC]
Australian Papua
  • Five B-17 bombers were launched from Port Moresby, Australian Papua at 2330 hours to attack Rabaul, New Britain. All bombers would abandon their missions due to poor weather. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
British Western Pacific Territories
  • B-17 bomber "Old 666" conducted a camera mapping mission over the Buka Passage between Buka and Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Buka | CPC]
China
  • Elements of the Chinese 23rd, 55th, 98th, and 121st Division surrounded the rearguard forces of the Japanese 13th Division in the Hubei-Hunan border region in China, inflicting heavy casualties before the Japanese could break out of the envelopment. ww2dbase [Battle of Exi | CPC]
Hawaii Italy
  • USAAF 99th Fighter Squadron made its combat debut with its P-40L fighters, strafing Italian positions on Pantelleria island southwest of Sicily, Italy. ww2dbase [Pantelleria, Sicilia | CPC]
Japan
  • Shokaku arrived at Kure, Japan. ww2dbase [Shokaku | Kure, Hiroshima | CPC]
  • Captain Kanzo Miura was named the commanding officer of Settsu. ww2dbase [Settsu | CPC]
Russia
  • Mariya Dolina's aircraft was hit by an anti-aircraft artillery over the Kuban region of southern Russia prior to reaching her target, disabling an engine and causing a fire. She opted to press on with the bombing run. On the way back to base, without escort, she was attacked by two Fw 190 and four Bf 109 aircraft; her tail gunner shot down one one of each type. ww2dbase [Krasnodar Krai | CPC]
United Kingdom
  • Bruce Fraser was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. ww2dbase [Bruce Fraser | CPC]
United States
  • Rear Admiral Monroe R. Kelly was named the commanding officer of New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York, United States. ww2dbase [New York Navy Yard | Brooklyn, New York | CPC]
US Pacific Islands

2 Jun 1943 Interactive Map

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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Famous WW2 Quote
"With Germany arming at breakneck speed, England lost in a pacifist dream, France corrupt and torn by dissension, America remote and indifferent... do you not tremble for your children?"

Winston Churchill, 1935


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