20 Apr 1943
  • The British government announced a limited recruitment for women for the Home Guard. ww2dbase [TH]
  • World Jewish Congress representative in Geneva Gerhart Riegner outlined a plan to borrow local currency in Romania and France for efforts to rescue Jews in those countries. The loans were to be backed by US Dollars in Swiss bank accounts. This scheme was devised to provide funding in those countries without actually sending dollars into Axis-held territories, which would risk the funding being captured by the enemy, which would place the World Jewish Congress in a legal bind per United States wartime law. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • British troops captured the Enfidaville Airfield in Tunisia. ww2dbase [Conclusion of the Desert War | CPC]
  • USAAF aircraft attacked Japanese positions at Nauru. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • Company Sergeant Major Chhelu Ram was wounded rescuing his commanding officer in Tunisia. Taking command he then led a successful hand-to-hand assault in which he was wounded again, this time mortally. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. ww2dbase [AC]
  • Yekaterina Budanova was featured on the cover of the young adult political publication Ogonek. ww2dbase [Yekaterina Budanova | CPC]
  • USS Scorpion sank the Japanese converted gunboat Meiji Maru No. 1, hitting her with 1 of 3 torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Scorpion | CPC]
  • US Army B-24 bombers based at Funafuti, Ellice Islands attacked Tarawa, Gilbert Islands. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • Japanese troops under Koga attacked the British Maungdaw-Buthidaung line in Burma. ww2dbase [First Battle of Arakan | CPC]
  • Joseph Stilwell was invited to join in on the meeting already arranged between Franklin Roosevelt and Claire Chennault. ww2dbase [Joseph Stilwell | CPC]
  • Karl Burk was awarded the War Merit Cross 1st Class with Swords. ww2dbase [Karl Burk | CPC]
British Western Pacific Territories Hawaii India
  • Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", claimed a Hurricane fighter and a P-36 fighter over Imphal, India, but only the P-36 downing was confirmed, increasing his score to 32. ww2dbase [Satoru Anabuki | Imphal, Manipur | CPC]
Japan Newfoundland
  • Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier USS Bogue arrived at Argentia, Newfoundland. ww2dbase [Bogue | Argentia | DS]
Philippines
  • USAAF 851st Bombardment Squadron, operating B-18 Bolo bombers, arrived at Edinburgh Field in Trinidad. ww2dbase [Carlsen Field | Chaguanas | CPC]
United Kingdom
  • The most famous of all Lancaster bombers, ED888, was delivered to No. 103 Squadron RAF at RAF Elsham Wolds in Elsham, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom. ED888, which served as M-Mother (later adapted to Mother-of them-all) would, by the time it was retired early in 1945, have set a record of 140 completed operations to its credit. ww2dbase [Lancaster | Elsham, England | AC]
Photo(s) dated 20 Apr 1943
German Waffen-SS General Walter Krüger with a Tiger I heavy tank and an anti-aircraft gun vehicle of his 2nd SS Panzer Division German Waffen-SS General Walter Krüger with a Tiger I heavy tank of his 2nd SS Panzer Division 1Lt Charleton 1Lt Louis Zamperini, bombardier of this B-24D Liberator
See all photos dated 20 Apr 1943

20 Apr 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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Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, at Guadalcanal


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