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• » 23 Sep 1944

• Franklin Roosevelt denounced Republican Party attacks during a speech at the Teamster's Union dinner; the Republicans had accused Roosevelt of inappropriately using a US Navy destroyer to fetch his pet dog Fala, abusing his presidential powers. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
• The tiny republic of San Marino in northern Italy declared war on Germany after its 300-man army was rounded up by a mere platoon of German soldiers. ww2dbase [AC]
• Canadian troops formed a bridgehead across the Escaut Canal in Belgium. ww2dbase [TH]
• The Republic of China established the Order of Loyalty and Diligence. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Patrick Hurley asked Chiang Kaishek to accept communist assistance in the war against Japan; Chiang rejected the request. ww2dbase [Patrick Hurley | CPC]

• USS Ray departed Fremantle, Australia for her sixth war patrol. ww2dbase [Ray | Fremantle, Western Australia | CPC]

• Jewish prisoners of concentration camp in Kluga, Estonia were massacred. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | Kluga | CPC]

• After a six-day siege, Canadian troops forced the German troops at Boulogne, Pas-de-Calais, France to surrender. The Canadians suffered 634 casualties and captured 9,500 prisoners (many driven from their bunkers by driving flame down the ventilation shafts). ww2dbase [Normandy Campaign, Phase 2 | Boulogne, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | AC]

• Destroyer USS Shaw departed Guam for Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Shaw | Apra | DS]

• Soviet and Romanian forces entered Hungary just beyond Arad, Romania. Hungarian Baron Ede Atzel led a delegation across the Soviet front lines in an attempt to negotiate an armistice. ww2dbase [Budapest Strategic Offensive Operation | TH, CPC]

• Kamoi refueled submarine chaser CH-30 and submarine chaser CH-33 at Coron Bay, Palawan, Philippine Islands. ww2dbase [Kamoi | Coron Bay, Palawan | CPC]
• Irako dropped anchor between Tangat Island and Lusong Island just off the southern coast of Busuanga, Philippine Islands. ww2dbase [Irako | Busuanga, Palawan | CPC]

• Allied convoy JW-60 arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | Murmansk | CPC]

• No. 56 Squadron RAF was transferred out of RAF Newchurch in southern England, United Kingdom; the field ceased operations upon No. 56 Squadron's exit. ww2dbase [RAF Newchurch | Newchurch, England | CPC]
• A V-1 flying bomb over flew the town of Newmarket, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom and crashed near Burwell in Cambridgeshire. The pilot, at the rank of flight officer, of the 501 Squadron had been chasing the bomb and had reached overtaking speed when the engine of his Tempest aircraft seized up. He had seconds to gain a little height and turn to the west to avoid the marshlands and bale out. He saw the aircraft crash into a barn and explode whilst he landed in a cherry tree outside the Leather Bottle Inn. It was there that he was rescued by a Royal Engineer Officer before being held in a Police Station for 2 hours awaiting proper identification. The fault in the Tempest aircraft was traced to an air lock when fuel tanks were switched over. ww2dbase [Tempest | V-Weapons Campaign | Burwell, England | HM]

• Joseph Rochefort was promoted to the rank of captain. His superior Joseph Redman sent him a three-word letter "Delivered with congratulations" for this occasion. ww2dbase [Joseph Rochefort | CPC]
• USS Boarfish was commissioned into service with Commander Royce L. Gross in command. ww2dbase [Boarfish | CPC]
• USS Charr was commissioned into service at 1030 hours at the US Submarine Base, New London, Connecticut, United States with Commander Francis Boyle in command. ww2dbase [Charr | New London, Connecticut | CPC]

• USS Croaker completed her refitting at Midway and began her second war patrol. ww2dbase [Croaker | Midway Bases | Midway | CPC]

23 Sep 1944 Interactive Map