April 23rd, 1943 (FRIDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: London: A joint Anglo-US command is set up to plan for a European landing; Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Morgan is appointed Chief of Staff Supreme Allied Command [COSSAC].
Submarine HMS Syrtis commissioned.
Submarine HMS Vagabond laid down.
GERMANY: Rastenburg: Himmler orders the SS to put down the Warsaw uprising with "the utmost severity."
U-237 was damaged in a collision with the German minesweeper M 403 off Hela in the Baltic Sea.
TUNISIA: Maj. John Thompson McKellar Anderson (1918-43), Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, led many attacks at the head of his battalion, which seized a key objective and 200 prisoners. (Victoria Cross)
Lt. Wilwood Alexander Sandys Clarke (b.1919), Royal North Lancs. Regt., knocked out three machine-gun posts and led his platoon to its goal, before he was killed tackling two sniper posts. (Victoria Cross)
NEW GUINEA: Australian troops occupy Mubo.
CANADA: Armed yacht HMCS Lynx paid off.
U.S.A.: The motion picture "The Outlaw" is released in the U.S. This controversial "sex western," is directed by Howard Hughes and stars Jane Russell, Walter Huston and Thomas Mitchell. This motion picture was filmed in 1941 and most of it was directed by Howard Hawks but Hughes took over and his interest in Jane Russell's bosom is evident even though the film is about Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett and Doc Holliday.
Destroyers USS Abbot, Kidd and Mullany commissioned.
Destroyer escort USS Reeves launched.
Destroyer escorts USS Laning and Loy laid down.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 1510, U-306 fired a spread of four torpedoes at Convoy HX-234 SW of Iceland and heard two detonations. The Silvermaple enroute from Matadi to Liverpool via Halifax with general cargo and military stores was hit in 59°05N/35°40W, but managed to reach port safely without casualties among her crew of 55 men and was repaired.
The milkcow U-461 was attacked in the North Atlantic by an RCAF Wellington with three bombs. The boat suffered slight damage and as a result left an oil trace.
U-453 fired at an RAF 500 Sqn Hudson, killing Pilot R Obee and heavily damaging the aircraft. It was flown home but crew bailed out and the aircraft crashed.
U-191 sunk SE of Cape Farewell, Greenland, in position 56.45N, 34.25W, by depth charges from destroyer HMS Hesperus. 55 dead (all hands lost).