World War II in Photographs
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1943
RIGHT
Japanese prisoners were very rare.
These, both badly wounded,
were taken when Gona fell.
BELOW
After expelling the Japanese from southern
New Guinea the Australians moved
northwards. In September 1943 the
Japanese strongholds of Lae and Salamua
were taken. Here US paratroops jump
into the Markham Valley in an effort to
block the Japanese escape from Lae.
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1943
ABOVE
New Zealanders had already played
a distinguished part in the war in the
Western Desert, and added to these laurels
in the Pacific. Here New Zealand troops
(in their distinctive "lemon-squeezer"
hats) land from US landing craft on
Vella Lavella in the Solomons.
ii i
Rabual, on the island of New Britain, was a
powerful Japanese air base. It was so heavily
defended that a decision to capture it was
reversed at the Quebec conference in August
1943, and it was so badly hammered from
air and sea that the Japanese substantially
scaled it down. Here a US aircraft attacks
with a white phosphorus incendiary bomb.
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1943
BELOW
On November 1, 1943, the Americans
landed on Bougainville, strategically placed
between MacArthur's and Nimitz's areas
of operations. The Japanese held a tiny part
of the island to the very end of the war, but
most of their positions had been taken in
this sort of knock-down drag-out fighting:
a flame thrower scorches a Japanese
bunker while riflemen give covering fire.
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1943
ABOVE
Almost all Japanese preferred
suicide to surrender. These infantrymen
on Tarawa have shot themselves in
the head, using a toe to pull the trigger.
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1943
ABOVE
This essence of the war at sea: a Japanese
torpedo-bomber is hit by short-range fire
from a US carrier, December 4, 1943.
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1943
DAMBUSTERS
617 Squadron RAF was formed in March 1943 to attack the
Mohne and Sorpe dams, which provided water to the Ruhr,
and the Eder, which helped keep canals at navigable depth.
A special bomb was developed for the mission by Barnes Wallis.
Dropped from low level, it bounced on the water before sliding
down the dam wall. On the night of May 16-17, the Mohne and
Eder dams were both breached, but although loss of life and
industrial dislocation were considerable, the damage was short-lived.
BELOW
Wing Commander Guy Gibson, commander
of 617 Squadron, boarding his Lancaster.
Eight of the nineteen bombers were lost.
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943
LEFT
The Barnes Wallis 9,250 Ib (4,195 kg)
bouncing bomb slung below a Lancaster.
BELOW
The breached Mohne
dam four hours after the raid.
FOLLOWING PAGE
Guy Gibson, photographed near RAF
Scampton on July 22 1943. Awarded
the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest
award for military valour, Gibson was
killed the following year at the age of 26.
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1943
258
ALLIED CONFERENCES
There were twelve major Allied conferences during the war, but it
was only at two - Tehran in 1943 and Yalta in 1945 - that Churchill,
Roosevelt and Stalin were all present. There were three conferences
in 1943, at Casablanca ("Symbol") in January, Quebec ("Quadrant")
in August and at Tehran ("Eureka") in November and December.
ABOVE
Churchill and Roosevelt meet the press at
Casablanca. The conference affirmed the
policy of "Germany first", identified Sicily
as the next Allied objective, and saw the first
use of the term "Unconditional Surrender."
LEFT
The shape of postwar Europe was discussed
at Tehran, reflecting Soviet fears of a future
German resurgence. The Stalingrad sword,
a gift from King George VI to the
people of Stalingrad, was presented
during the conference: here Marshal
Voroshilov shows the sword to
Roosevelt while Stalin and Churchill (the
latter dressed as an air commodore) look on.
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1943
THE SICILIAN CAMPAIGN
Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, sought to weaken the
German army, make the Mediterranean safe for Allied shipping and
put pressure on Italy in the hope of driving her out of the war.
Eisenhower was in command, and Alexander's 15th Army Group
included Lieutenant General George S. Patton's US 7th Army and
Montgomery's British 8th. Amphibious and airborne landings began
on July 9-10, and although the latter fared badly (with the war's
worst friendly fire incident when transport aircraft overflew the Allied
fleet) the operation was a success, although it went more slowly than
had been hoped. Axis forces were slickly evacuated in mid-August.
ABOVE
US troops landing near Licata
on July 10. The night landings were
hampered by high winds and a heavy swell.
RIGHT
A British Bren-gun carrier (an open-topped
light armoured vehicle with a variety of
uses) coming ashore in Sicily.
= OLLOWING PAGES
A US Sherman tank rolling into
Palermo, July 26. Bedsheets and white
flags denote what the original caption
calls "surrender and a welcome peace."
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