09/01 Wed. Army troops land on Baker Island supported by naval task force (Rear Adm. W. A. Lee). Navy assumes full responsibility for airborne anti-submarine operations by United States forces in Atlantic. Naval Air Station, Kahului, Maui, T. H., is established. 09/02 Thu. Submarine BOWFIN (SS-287) delivers supplies and evacuates certain personnel from Binuni Pt., Mindanao, P. I. Japanese naval vessel sunk: Frigate MUTSURE, by submarine SNAPPER (SS-185) Caroline Islands area, 08 d. 40' N., 151 d. 31' E. 09/03 Fri. British troops, with naval and air support, land on the Italian mainland. Allies sign armistice with Italy. Japanese submarine sunk: I-168, by destroyer ELLET (DD-398), South Pacific area, 13 d. 10' S., 165 d. 28' E. 09/04 Sat. United States naval force (Rear Adm. D. E. Barbey) lands Australian troops on Huon Peninsula, near Lae, New Guinea. United States naval vessels damaged: Destroyer CONYNGHAM (DD-371) by dive bomber, eastern New Guinea, 07 d. 28' S., 147 d.44' E. LST 471 and LST 473, by torpedo and dive bombers, eastern New Guinea area, 07 d. 45' s., 148 d. 01' E. 09/07 Tue. Japanese aircraft bomb Nanumea, Ellice Islands. United States naval vessels sunk: PT-118 and PT-172, damaged by grounding, Solomon Islands area, 07 d. 34' S., 165 d. 35' E.; sunk by United States forces. 09/08 Wed. Four United States destroyers bombard Lae, New Guinea. 09/09 Thu. Italian mainland is invaded in force. Under protection of the Western Naval Task Force (Vice Adm. H. K. Hewitt, USN), the Allied Fifth Army (Lt. Gen. M. W. Clark, USA) lands on the assault beaches in the Gulf of Salerno. United States naval vessel sunk: Tug NAUSET (AT-89), by dive bomber, Italian landings, 40 d. 38' N., 14 d. 38' E. United States naval vessels damaged, Italian landings: LST 336, LST 375, and LST 385, by coastal defense batteries, and LST 386, by mine, 40 d. 40' N., 14 d. 44' E. LST 389, by coastal defense batteries, 40 d. 22' N., 14 d. 59' E. Japanese submarine sunk: I-182, by submarine TROUT (SS-202), Philippine Islands areas, 10 d. 33' N., 125 d. 31' E. 09/11 Sat. Italian Fleet surrenders to the Allies. German submarine lays mines off Charleston, S. C. United States naval vessels sunk: Destroyer ROWAN (SS-405), by torpedo from surface craft, Italian area, 40 d. 07' N., 14 d. 18' E. Tug NAVAJO (AT-64), by explosion, east of the New Hebrides Islands. United States naval vessels damaged, Italian landings: Light cruiser PHILADELPHIA (CL-41), by radio controlled bomb, 40 d. 24' N., 14 d. 51' E. Light cruiser SAVANNAH (CL-42), by radio controlled bomb, 40 d. 21' N., 14 d. 55' E. Japanese naval vessel sunk: Minesweeper No. 16, by aircraft, Southwest Pacific area. 09/12 Sun. United States naval vessel damaged: LST 455, by dive bomber, eastern New Guinea area, 08 d. 59' S., 149 d. 10' E. 09/13 Mon. United States naval vessel damaged: Submarine chaser SC-666, by collision, Italian landings, 40 d. 40' N., 14 d. 44' E. 09/15 Wed. Fleet Air Wing 17 is commissioned in Brisbane, Australia, for operations in southwestern Pacific area. Japanese submarine sunk: RO-103, by naval land-based aircraft (VP-23) and destroyer SAUFLEY (DD-465), Solomon Islands area, 10 d. 57' S., 163 d. 56' E. 09/17 Fri. United States naval vessel sunk: PT-136, damaged by grounding, eastern New Guinea area, 05 d. 55' S., 148 dl 01' E.; sunk by United States forces. 09/18 Sat. Carrier aircraft (Rear Adm. C. A. Pownall) bomb Tarawa, Makin, and Abemama, Gilbert Islands. 09/19 Sun. United States naval vessel sunk: Submarine CISCO (SS-290) departs Port Darwin, Australia, to patrol South China Sea and is never heard from again. 09/22 Wed. United States naval force of destroyers and landing craft (Rear Adm. D. E. Barbey) puts Australian troops ashore at Finschhafen, New Guinea. 09/25 Sat. United States naval vessel sunk: Minesweeper SKILL (AM-115), by submarine torpedo, Italian area, 40 d. 20' N., 14 d. 36' E. United States naval vessel damaged: LST 167, by dive bomber, Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands, 07 d. 45' S., 156 d. 30' E. 09/26 Sun. United States Naval Operating Facility, Natal, Brazil, is established. Japanese naval vessel sunk: Motor torpedo boat KASASAGI, by submarine BLUEFISH (SS-222), Netherlands East Indies area, 05 d. 50' S., 121 d. 57' E. 09/27 Mon. German submarine sunk: U-161, by naval land-based aircraft (VP-74), off Brazil, 12 d. 30' S., 35 d. 35' W. 09/28 Tue. Submarine GROUPER (SS-214) lands personnel and supplies on south coast of New Britain. United States naval vessel damaged: Salvage vessel BRANT (ARS-32), by collision, Italian area, 40 d. 30' N., 14 d. 40' E. Japanese naval vessel sunk: Minelayer BOKO, by aircraft, off New Britain. 09/29 Wed. United States naval vessels damaged: Destroyers PATTERSON (DD-392) and MCCALLA (DD-488), by collision, Solomon Islands area, 07 d. 36' S., 157 d. 12' E. 09/30 Thu. Submarine BOWFIN (Ss-287) delivers supplies and evacuates certain personnel from vicinity of Siquijor Island, P. I. United States naval vessels sunk: Submarine GRAYLING (SS-209), Pacific Ocean area, reported as presumed lost. PT-68, damaged by grounding, eastern New Guinea area, 05 d. 56' S., 147 d. 18' E.; sunk by United States forces. PT-219, foundered, Attu, Aleutian Islands, sometime during September. United States Coast Guard vessel sunk: Cutter WILCOX (YP-333), by foundering, off Cape Hatteras, N. C. United States naval vessels damaged: LST 334, by dive bombers, Solomon Islands area, 07 d. 43' S., 156 d. 40' E. PT-126, accidentally by United States naval gunfire, Solomon Islands area, 07 d. 50' s., 157 d. 05' E.