Action In The Atlantic & Med

MON 4 OCT 1943
Atlantic
Operation LEADER, the only U.S. Navy carrier operation carried out in northern European waters during World War II, causes "appreciable losses" to two convoys off the Norwegian coast and to shipping in the harbor of Bodo, Norway. Ranger (CV-4)'s TBFs (VT 4), SBDs (VB 4), and F4Fs (VF 4) sink Norwegian steamer Vagan and damage Norwegian steamer Topeka; sink German steamers Kaguir, LaPlata, and Rabat and transport Skramstad; and damage German tanker Schleswig and steamers Kerkplein and Ibis. German steamer Malaga is damaged by a dud bomb. Only two German planes approach the task force: both (JU 88 and HE 115) are shot down by combat air patrol F4Fs.

Planes (VC 9) from escort carrier Card (CVE-11) attack three German submarines--U 264, U-422, and U-455--rendezvousing with a milch cow, U-460, north of the Azores. U-460 and U-422 are sunk, 43°13'N, 28°58'W, and 43°18'N, 28°58'W, respectively. This action in the central Atlantic allows convoy UGS 19 to pass through the vicinity unmolested by the enemy.

PV-1 patrol bombers (VB 128) sink German submarine U-336, North Atlantic area, 60°40'N, 26°30'W, during operations to protect convoy ONS 204.

Mediterranean
German bombers attack convoy UGS 18; a near-miss damages U.S. freighter Hiram S. Maxim about 12 miles northwest of Cape Tenes, Algeria, 36°42'N, 01°17'E; abandoned by all but a skeleton crew of 7 merchant seamen and 6 Armed Guard sailors, the ship is towed to Algiers for repairs. Freighters Leslie M. Shaw and Harry Lane rescue the remainder of the crew (33 merchant and 22 Armed Guard). There are no casualties.