20 Oct 1943
  • The United Nations War Crimes Commission was established. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • Vatutin's attacked out of Bukrin, Ukraine were rebuffed with heavy Soviet casualties. ww2dbase [TH]
  • Lieutenant Commander Shohei Matsumoto relieved Lieutenant Commander Shoichi Oyamada as the commanding officer of destroyer Yuzuki. ww2dbase [Yuzuki | CPC]
  • Louis Mountbatten departed China for India. On the same day, Chiang Kaishek sent a message to King George VI, complimenting the new supreme commander. ww2dbase [Louis Mountbatten | CPC]
  • Chuichi Nagumo stepped down as the commanding officer of Kure Naval District, Japan and was given command of the First Fleet. ww2dbase [Chuichi Nagumo | CPC]
  • USS Haddock departed for her seventh war patrol. ww2dbase [Haddock | CPC]
British Western Pacific Territories
  • US Marine Corps squadron VMF-214 was officially relieved from front line duty in the Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [CPC]
Dutch East Indies
  • Patrol Boat No. 102 arrived at Balikpapan, Dutch East Indies and took on fuel and provisions. At 1225 hours, she departed to escort Genyo Maru and Azuma Maru for part of the way to Truk in the Caroline Islands; en route, she spotted a periscope and attacked with depth charges. ww2dbase [Stewart | Balikpapan, Borneo | CPC]
French Morocco
  • Escort carrier USS Card and her task group departed Casablanca and resumed their anti-submarine patrols in the mid-Atlantic. ww2dbase [Card | Casablanca | DS]
Japan United Kingdom
  • Captured German Tiger I heavy tank "131" arrived at the village of Chobham, Surrey, England, United Kingdom via a Scammell 100-ton truck. ww2dbase [PzKpfw VI Ausf. E 'Tiger I' | Chobham, England | CPC]
  • The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Duren, Germany but aborted half way to the target due to bad weather. ww2dbase [RAF Thurleigh | Thurleigh, England | DS]
United States US Pacific Islands

20 Oct 1943 Interactive Map

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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"With Germany arming at breakneck speed, England lost in a pacifist dream, France corrupt and torn by dissension, America remote and indifferent... do you not tremble for your children?"

Winston Churchill, 1935


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