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• Construction began for the first nuclear reactor at the Hanford Site of the Manhattan Project in Washington, United States. ww2dbase [Operation Trinity and Manhattan Project | CPC]
• German forces captured Kos in the Dodecanese Islands. ww2dbase [Dodecanese Campaign | TH]
• The French occupation of Corsica was completed. ww2dbase [TH]

• A TBF Avenger patrol aircraft with Composite Squadron VC-9 from Hunter-Killer escort carrier USS Card discovered German submarines U-264, U-422, and U-455 refueling from “Milchkau” U-460 on the surface of the Atlantic 440 miles north of the Azores. Attacking with aerial depth charges and one Mark 24 FIDO acoustic homing torpedo, U-422 was sunk immediately while the other three submarines submerged. As more aircraft and escort ships arrived in the area, a hunt for the other submarines ensued resulting in U-460 being sunk by aerial depth charges about seven miles away. U-264 and U-455 got away but U-264 was damaged. By breaking up this gathering of submarines, Convoy UGS-19 and its 102 merchant ships was able to safely pass through this area and complete its crossing from the United States to North Africa. ww2dbase [Mark XXIV | Card | U-460 | Conclusion of the Battle of the Atlantic | TBF Avenger | F4F Wildcat | DS]

• Submarine USS Growler departed Brisbane, Australia on her seventh war patrol. ww2dbase [Growler | Brisbane, Queensland | DS]

• Gregory Boyington led 8 US Marine Corps squadron VMF-214 F4U fighters to escort USAAF bombers over Kahili Airfield on Bougainville island; US Army Air Forces also launched P-38 fighters for escort duty. Boyington claimed 3 Japanese shot down while the USAAF claimed 4 more. Japanese records would later reveal that only 1 fighter was shot down and 2 were written off from heavy damage. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 3 | Kahili Airfield | Buin, Bougainville | CPC]
• Shortly after midnight, destroyers Nicholas, USS O’Bannon, and USS Chevalier fired on a small Japanese gunboat in the New Georgia Sound (The “Slot”) between Kolombangara and Choiseul Islands, Solomon Islands. The gunboat broke in two and sank. The destroyers then returned to Tulagi. ww2dbase [Nicholas | Solomon Islands Campaign | Kolombangara, Solomon Islands | DS]

• The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Frankfurt, Germany. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | RAF Thurleigh | Frankfurt | DS]

• USS Flying Fish departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her seventh war patrol with Lieutenant Commander Glynn Donaho in command. ww2dbase [Flying Fish | Pearl Harbor Navy Base and Ford Island Naval Air Station | Pearl Harbor, Oahu | CPC]
• Barbers Point Naval Air Station: Officers and men of ACORN-14 arrived on board. Ten men of ARGUS-12 arrived on board. ww2dbase [Barbers Point Naval Air Station | Ewa, Oahu | DS]

• German 16th Panzer Division attacked the newly gained bridgehead on the Biferno River near Termoli, Italy on the eastern end of the Volturno Line. ww2dbase [Advance to the Gustav Line | Termoli, Molise | CPC]

• Irako departed Yokosuka, Japan as a part of convoy No. 3002 with Tokyo Maru, escorted by destroyer Shiratsuyu. ww2dbase [Irako | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]

• The American aircraft carrier, USS Ranger, launched her air group to attack German shipping at Bodø, Norway as part of Operation Leader. The Ranger's Dauntless and Avenger aircraft sank or damaged ten ships for the loss of five aircraft. This action would be the only carrier strike to be conducted by the US Navy in Northern European waters. ww2dbase [Ranger | Bodø, Nordland | AC]

• Heinrich Himmler talked openly about the Final Solution at a meeting in Posen, Reichsgau Wartheland, Germany (Poznan, occupied Poland), noting that he cared little about the livelihood of Czechoslovakians, Russians, and other peoples in occupied Eastern Europe since the conquered people were mere slaves to Germany. He warned his lieutenant, however, that this task would not be written in history despite its importance in German history. ww2dbase [Heinrich Himmler | Poznan | CPC]

• Marcel Albert, flying a Yak-9 fighter, shot down a Hs 126 aircraft over Krasny, Smolensk, Russia. ww2dbase [Krasny, Smolensk | CPC]

• USS Harder arrived at Midway Atoll. ww2dbase [Harder | Midway Bases | Midway | CPC]

4 Oct 1943 Interactive Map