Today in World War II History—July 23, 1943

Patch of US Navy Squadron VP-63, the Mad Cats
80 Years Ago—July 23, 1943: Field Marshal Erwin Rommel assumes command of German Army Group E in Greece to defend against suspected Allied invasion.
First US naval air squadron to operate in Britain arrives in South Wales for antisubmarine duty over the Bay of Biscay—squadron VP-63 with PBY Catalinas, nicknamed the “Mad Cats” for their use of MAD (magnetic anomaly detection) gear to detect submarines.
Premiere of neoclassical ballet Suite en Blanc by Serge Lifar at the Paris Opéra Ballet.