At the Quebec Conference, which ended on this date, Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt announced important progress in curbing German submarine activity. “In the first six months of 1943 the number of ships sunk by U-boats was only half that of the last six months in 1942, and one-quarter that of the first six months of 1942.” Figures subsequently released by the Office of War Information (Nov. 29, 1944) revealed that the tonnage of Allied and neutral merchant ships lost through enemy action between Sept. 1939 and Jan. 1, 1944, aggregated 22,161,000 gross tons. This was replaced by the output of U.S. shipyards alone, which launched 4,308 ships with a deadweight tonnage of 44,082,000 in the same period.
When the Germans attempted to seize the Danish naval vessels anchored in the navy yard at Copenhagen, the crews scuttled 29 of the 48 ships. Some of the smaller craft, 13 in all, escaped to Sweden, and six fell into German hands.
With air and naval support ALLIED FORCES CROSSED THE STRAITS OF MESSINA AND LANDED IN SOUTHERN ITALY. This marked the first successful amphibious invasion of continental Europe in the course of the war.
