World War II Database

• Home
• » Events
• » WW2 Timeline
• » 11 Aug 1943

• South African bomber pilot Flying Officer Lloyd Trigg attacked the German submarine U-468 in the South Atlantic off Senegal. On the first pass the submarine's anti-aircraft weapons seriously damaged the bomber. Instead of attempting a water landing, Trigg conducted a second attack run. As the bomber released depth charges, the Liberator aircraft was hit again and crashed into the sea 300 yards from the stricken submarine which also went down. Trigg and his entire crew all perished and only seven German sailors were rescued. Based on German survivor accounts, a report would later be filed detailing the gallant pilot's courage which led to the award of a posthumous Victoria Cross. ww2dbase [AC]
• The minesweeper USS Alchemy was transferred to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease act. ww2dbase [AC]
• Following the crushing defeat at Kursk, Russia, the German forces at Kharkov became in danger of being encircled. ww2dbase [AC]
• The construction of Akashi-class repair ships Mihara and Momotori at the Mitsubishi Yokohama Shipyard, Japan were canceled. ww2dbase [CPC]
• USS S-35 sighted a Japanese ship in the Pacific Ocean but failed to close in for attack. ww2dbase [S-35 | CPC]

• TBF-1 Avenger aircraft and F4F-4 Wildcats flying from USS Card in the mid-Atlantic attacked the surfaced German submarine U-525 using two depth charges and one Mark 24 FIDO acoustic homing torpedo. U-525 was lost with all 54 hands. ww2dbase [Mark XXIV | Card | F4F Wildcat | TBF Avenger | Conclusion of the Battle of the Atlantic | DS]

• US 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron detected a Japanese airfield at Wewak, Australian New Guinea. ww2dbase [Wewak | CPC]

• US Army Air Forces ground personnel began to arrive at Tsili-Tsili Airfield, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Tsili-Tsili | CPC]

• Admiral William Halsey received operational orders for the New Georgia region of the Solomon Islands, including the seizure of Vella Lavella island and the elimination of Japanese positions on Kolombangara island. Meanwhile, US Army and US Marine Corps forces continued to engage Japanese troops on New Georgia. ww2dbase [Solomon Islands Campaign | CPC]

• USS Ranger departed Halifax, Nova Scotia bound for Scapa Flow, Scotland. ww2dbase [Ranger | Halifax, Nova Scotia | DS]

• Jews from Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in occupied Czechoslovakia began to be transported to Auschwitz Concentration Camp in occupied Poland. ww2dbase [Theresienstadt Concentration Camp | Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | Terezín, Cechy | CPC]

• USS Finback damaged a Japanese ship in the South China Sea, hitting her with 1 of 7 torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Finback | South China Sea | CPC]

• Kamoi arrived at Singapore. ww2dbase [Kamoi | Singapore | CPC]

11 Aug 1943 Interactive Map