Today in World War II History—January 5, 1943
Thursday, January 5, 2023 by Sarah Sundin

Cutaway and exploded view of a typical VT Fuze (VT Fuze Mk 53 Mod 5), 1950s (US Navy diagram)

Patch of the US Fifth Army, WWII
80 Years Ago—Jan. 5, 1943: US Fifth Army is established in Oujda, Morocco, under Lt. Gen. Mark Clark.
In the Solomon Islands, light cruiser USS Helena is the first ship to use Mk. 32 VT proximity-fuzed 5-in shells in combat, shooting down a Japanese D3A bomber with second salvo.
Scientist George Washington Carver dies in Tuskegee, AL, age 81.