Posthumous Medal Of Honor For Ensign John J. Parle, U.S.N.R.

FRI 9 JUL 1943
Pacific
Destroyer Aylwin (DD-355), on Kiska blockade patrol, bombards Japanese positions in the Gertrude Cove area, drawing light and inaccurate return fire.

Four U.S. destroyers bombard Lambert Plantation near Munda, New Georgia, Solomons.

Submarine Permit (SS-178), believing her quarry to be a Japanese trawler, shells Soviet oceanographic vessel Seiner No.20 27 miles off Kaiba To. Once the mistake is realized, Permit comes alongside the blazing vessel and rescues the survivors before the Russian craft sinks. The Soviet sailors are taken to Akutan, Alaska.

Submarine Thresher (SS-200) lands men, stores, and ammunition on west coast of Negros.

Atlantic
PBY (VP 94) sinks German submarine U-590 at mouth of Amazon River, Brazil, 03°22'N, 48°18'W.

Two boats of survivors from freighter James Robertson, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-185 on 7 July 1943, reach the Brazilian coast, one at Fortaleza and the other at Cascavel.

Mediterranean
Ensign John J. Parle, USNR, officer-in-charge of small boats from tank landing ships LST-375 off the island of Sicily, as preparations for Operation HUSKY proceed, becomes aware of the accidental ignition of a smoke pot in one of LST-375's landing craft. Although fully aware of the hazards, Parle enters the boat, extinguishes a burning fuze and when unable to put out the burning smoke pot, seizes it and throws it over the side, thus saving the ship from serious damage and preventing the premature disclosure of the impending landings. For his bravery, Ensign Parle, who succumbs to his injuries on 17 July 1943, is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.

Indian Ocean
Royal Indian Navy RINS Bengal fails in attempt to tow damaged freighter Alcoa Prospector, torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-27 on 5 July 1943 (see 10 July 1943).

U.S. freighter Samuel Heintzelman en route from Fremantle, Australia, to Colombo, Ceylon, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-511 at 09°00'S, 81°00'E. There are no survivors from the 42-man merchant complement, the 27-man Armed Guard and six passengers.