17 Jun 1943
- In the last major air battle over Guadalcanal, Captain William D. Wells (US 8th Fighter Group) led his flight of P-39 Airacobra fighters into a formation of 30-35 Japanese Aichi Type 99 naval bombers and shot down four of them. ww2dbase [Guadalcanal Campaign | AC]
- Monterey was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Monterey | CPC]
- In a letter written to Winston Churchill, President Franklin Roosevelt expressed his conviction that General Charles de Gaulle was injuring the Allied war efforts and was "a very dangerous threat to us". ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | AC]
- USS S-35 departed Dutch Harbor, US Territory of Alaska for her sixth war patrol. ww2dbase [S-35 | Unalaska | CPC]
- The US Marine Corps 9th Defense Battalion was relieved of its responsibility in the defense of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands and was ordered to begin training for the upcoming New Georgia invasion. ww2dbase [Solomon Islands Campaign | Guadalcanal | CPC]
- Noor Inayat Khan landed in France via a Lysander aircraft before dawn. ww2dbase [Noor Inayat Khan | CPC]
- Captain Teruhiko Miyoshi's body was recovered from the wreck of battleship Mutsu in the Hashirajima anchorage, Japan. ww2dbase [Mutsu | Hashirajima, Hiroshima | CPC]
- The Royal Navy battleships HMS Nelson (flying the flag of Vice-Admiral Algernon Willis) and HMS Rodney plus a large squadron sailed from Scapa Flow to join the largest invasion fleet yet mustered in World War II - 280 warships, 320 merchantmen, 2,125 landing craft and smaller vessels - for Operation Husky, the Sicilian landings. ww2dbase [Invasion of Sicily and Italy's Surrender | Scapa Flow | Rodney | Scapa Flow, Scotland | AC]
- USS Yorktown (Essex-class) returned to Norfolk, Virginia, United States and began post-shakedown availability. ww2dbase [J. J. Clark | Yorktown (Essex-class) | Norfolk, Virginia | DS]
- USS S-44 departed Hampton Roads, Viginia, United States. ww2dbase [S-44 | Virginia | CPC]
- USS Whale arrived at Midway Atoll, ending her fourth war patrol. ww2dbase [Midway Bases | Whale | Midway | CPC]

17 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
Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this article with your friends: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
Search WW2DB & Partner Sites
News
- » Wreck of Samuel B. Roberts Found (27 Jun 2022)
- » Wreck of Jantina Found (4 Jan 2022)
- » WW2DB's 17th Anniversary (29 Dec 2021)
- » Wreck of Johnston Found (8 Apr 2021)
- » See all news
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,123 biographies
- » 334 events
- » 40,455 timeline entries
- » 1,185 ships
- » 341 aircraft models
- » 199 vehicle models
- » 368 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 238 facilities
- » 467 book reviews
- » 28,522 photos
- » 383 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue."Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, 16 Mar 1945
Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!