Friday, April 23, 1943. Good Friday.

Today was Good Friday in 1943. 

Churchgoers leaving Methodist Church after Good Friday service in San Augustine, Texas, April 23, 1943.

While church attendance on Good Friday is not required in the Catholic or Orthodox churches on Good Friday, or any other Christian church of which I'm aware, it is a day of fast and abstinence from meat.  In the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, it's one of only two such days all year long, the other being Ash Wednesday.

Today in World War II History—April 23, 1943: Allied Combined Chiefs of Staff establishes COSSAC (Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander) for planning the invasion of western Europe (D-day).

From Sarah Sundin's blog.

She also reports that the US commenced its final drive in Tunisia.

Yesterday we reported

The Battle of Longstop Hill commenced in Tunisia.

Bringing down the wounded at Longstop Hill.  Note Churchill tank in the background.

Churchill tanks played a critical role in the battle, which ended on April 23 and oddly contributed to the Allied war effort in an odd way.  A Churchill disabled a Tiger I, Tiger 131, which was then captured and heavily studied.

Tiger 131.

Of note, in this late stage of the war in North Africa armor upgrades were becoming a significant factor.  Earlier much of the fighting had been done with late pre-war tanks, but now it was being done by tanks developed during the war itself, including the new heavy tanks.

That battle concluded on this day.

The SS commenced burning the buildings in the Warsaw Ghetto.

The Oregon coast was buffeted by a strong, unusual April windstorm.