lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jun 25, 2021 6:51:39 GMT
Day 1021 of World War II, June 25th 1942Eastern FrontSiege of Leningrad Day 291 - Soviet 2nd Shock Army (starving in marshland on the Volkhov River, surrounded by Germans on and off since May 30) ceases organized resistance. As German artillery annihilates his men, General Vlasov orders them to break up into small parties and begin an uncoordinated breakout East. Of 180,000 Soviet troops in the “Volkhov Pocket”, only 120,000 will make it out over the next 3 weeks. Photo: light and medium armored personnel carriers (Sd.Kfz 250 and Sd.Kfz. 251) in a village, in the background burning buildingContinuation WarAxis naval action begins today on Lake Ladoga, against naval forces of the USSR. The 12th Flotilla, part of the Naval Detachment "K" under Finnish operational control, together with the German 31st Kuestminenboot Flotilla with four small KM boats (numbers 3, 4, 8, and 22) and the German Einsatzabt Fahre Ost with 7 heavy and 6 light armed motor pontoons, 8transport pontoons, and 7 small infantry transport boats. The only Finnish boat was the torpedo boat 'Sisu'. The German pontoons were supported by an air detachment of 15 fighters and 7 recon planes, and the Finnish Air Force allocated their 3rd Air Regiment (with Fokker and Fiat planes). The Italian Navy sent four torpedo boats (MAS 526 to 529) of 12th MAS Flotilla, commanded by Capitano di Corvetta (Lt-Comm) Bianchini, with four officers, 19 NCO's, and 63 other ranks. The target of the 12th Flotilla is the ramshackle Soviet flotilla on Lake Ladoga (estimated at 6 gunboats, 2 large and 5 small torpedo boats, 32 armed minesweepers, 9 armed transport ships, 17 armed tugboats and 1 submarine, plus another 25 other boats). The first day of operations, MAS 526 is rammed by the 'Sisu' and then run aground on Mokerikki islet. MAS 526 will be out of commission until October. Air War over Europe Overnight, 1,067 RAF Bomber Command and Coastal Command bombers (including 24 Bostons and 4 Mosquitos, previously sent only on daylight raids) attack Bremen, targeting the Focke-Wulf aircraft factory, shipyards and docks. Despite cloud cover, pathfinder planes equipped with Gee radio navigation drop incendiary bombs and the resulting fires guide waves of bombers dropping high explosives (572 houses destroyed, 6,108 damaged, 85 civilians killed, 497 injured, 2,378 made homeless). The Focke-Wulf factory is hit multiple times, with 7 buildings destroyed or seriously damaged. 53 RAF bombers are lost. The agreement signed on 21 June by Lieutenant General Henry H "Hap" Arnold, USAAF; Air Chief Marshall Sir Charles F Portal, RAF; and Rear Admiral John H Towers, USN dealing with US air commitments and provisions for a strong air force for Operation BOLERO (the buildup of US armed forces in the UK for an attack on Europe) is approved by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Battle of the Atlantic Overnight in the Atlantic 720 miles Northeast of St. Kitts, Windward Islands, U-153 sinks British MV Anglo-Canadian (1 killed). U-153 uses a spotlight to help lifeboats collect survivors in the water and gives them drinking water and cigarettes. 49 survivors reach St. Kitts. 75 miles off Cape Lookout, North Carolina, U-404 attacks a convoy of 10 ships, sinking Panamanian SS Nordal (all 32 hands survive) and badly damaging American SS Manuela. SS Manuela floods but remains afloat (2 killed, 40 survivors on 1 lifeboat and 3 rafts rescued by US Coast Guard ships CG-408 and CG-483). 1 wounded crewman accidentally left on SS Manuela is rescued by US Coast Guards who come aboard at 9 AM to prepare a tow. SS Manuela founders and sinks next day while in tow by CG-252. Photo: A division in a quarter line of three destroyers: (right - left) HMS Nonpareil (HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes), HMS Offa and HMS Norseman at Scapa Flow during preparations for the Second FrontNorth African campaignEgypt - Allied and Axis troops clash West of Mersa Matruh. Having lost confidence in General Ritchie's ability to command 8th Army, General Auchinleck (C-in-C Middle East Command) takes personal command of the defense of Egypt. He inspects the defenses at Mersa Matruh and decides to abandon Ritchie's plan to hold Rommel there. Auchinleck’s plan is to withdraw instead to the railhead at El Alamein to take advantage of the terrain and a shortened supply line. Photo: Italian anti-aircraft battery at Marsa Matrouh in June of 1942United States/United Kingdom relationsWashington - President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill conclude conference in Washington; decision reached for combined efforts to develop atomic bomb. United Kingdom Photo: Covenanter tank of 6th Guards Armoured Brigade, Guards Armoured Division, crossing a scisssors bridge laid down over an anti-tank ditch, Tilshead in Wiltshire, 25 June 1942Photo: Valentine tanks of 29th Armoured Brigade, 11th Armoured Division in the village of Rottingdean in Sussex, 25 June 1942Pacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (11th Air Force): 2 B-17s, 4 B-24s and 1 LB-30 fly bombing and weather missions over Kiska, bombing the N side of the harbor. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7th Air Force): Brigadier General William E Lynd becomes Commanding General VII Bomber Command. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-25s bomb Salamaua. Lost on a take offf accidnet at 12 Mile Drome is P-39 piloted by Rose. GUADALCANAL PBY-5 Catalinas of USN Patrol Squadron Seventy One (VP-71) based at Noumea, New Caledonia, bomb Japanese installations on Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands. JAPAN 60 miles south of Tokyo Bay, US submarine USS Nautilus sinks Japanese destroyer Yamakaze with 2 torpedoes (all 226 hands lost). Photo: Sinking of the Japanese destroyer Yamakaze
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jun 26, 2021 6:17:42 GMT
Day 1022 of World War II, June 26th 1942YouTube (Fall Blau Starts...or Does it?)Eastern Front At Sevastopol, German troops reach the North shore of Severnaya Bay, having silenced the last of the Soviet forts including anti-aircraft batteries. With control of the skies, Luftwaffe blasts out Soviet 386th Rifle Division dug in on Sapun Ridge to the East of the city. In the Black Sea 30 miles Southeast of Sevastopol, German Ju88 dive bombers sink Soviet destroyer Bezuprechny (320 killed) and submarine S-32 (all 45 hands lost). Soviet submarines D-6 and A-1 are scuttled at Sevastopol to prevent capture by the Germans. Photo: a column of German armored cars on the move Air War over Europe The RAF's third 1,000-bomber raid caused widespread devastation in Bremen last night. The Focke-Wulf aircraft works were badly hit and 27 acres of the business district were destroyed. It was also the most costly of these raids so far for the RAF. A total of 48 aircraft out of 1,067 despatched failed to return. This 5% loss, combined with damage to many other machines, leads some observers to conclude that the price of saturation bombing is too high. That view is not shared by Bomber Command's freshly-knighted boss, Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris. On earlier raids (Cologne 1,047 aircraft and Essen 956) training and conversion units were needed to make up numbers, while Coastal Command was absent, thanks to naval opposition. Tonight, because Bremen is a submarine base, Coastal Command gave 102 bombers. Dense cloud over the target area hindered accurate identification after a 500-mile flight, although the "Gee" blind-bombing equipment had its first major success and lead crews started accurate guiding fires. Moonlight reflecting off the clouds offered ideal conditions for enemy fighters, however. Battle of the Atlantic The German government announces unrestricted submarine warfare off the U.S. east coast. In the middle of the Atlantic 500 miles West of Bermuda, U-107 damages Dutch cargo/passenger ship MV Jagersfontein with a torpedo. MV Jagersfontein makes a run for Bermuda, forcing the U-boat to submerge with the 105mm gun, but sinks at 12.15 PM. All 108 crew, 14 gunners and 98 passengers (86 US Army officers and 12 civilians, among them women and children) abandon ship in 4 lifeboats and are rescued next day by Swiss steamer St. Cergue. U-203 sinks British MV Putney Hill with a torpedo and 53 rounds from the deck gun at 5.44 AM 450 miles Northeast of Puerto Rico (3 killed, 35 survivors picked up after 10 days by British corvette HMS Saxifrage) and neutral Brazilian SS Pedrinhas with a torpedo and 22 rounds from the deck gun at 11.17 PM 150 miles closer to Puerto Rico (all 48 hands survive). North African campaignEgypt - British 8th Army begins to pull back to El Alamein, leaving a delaying force at Mersa Matruh. Rommel throws the full strength of Panzerarmee Afrika (German 15th and 21st Panzer and 90th Light Divisions, plus 3 Italian Divisions) South of Mersa Matruh after them. Photo: Vertical aerial-reconnaissance view of the landing ground at Sidi Barrani, Egypt, occupied by the Axis air forces following evacuation by the RAF on 26 June 1942. The photograph shows 15 Junkers JU 52s on the south-west boundary unloading, and 75 other aircraft dispersed around the perimeter, one of which is burnt out and another on fire Photo: A Grant tank on patrol near Mersa Matruh, 26 June 1942Photo: An RAF Lysander flies over a convoy of lorries during the retreat into Egypt, 26 June 1942United StatesThe first Grumman XF6F-1 Hellcat prototype, BuNo 02981, makes its first flight at Bethpage, Long Island, New York. Photo: The unpainted XF6F-1 prior to its first flight (1942)United kingdomPhoto: Morris-Commercial C8 'Quad' artillery tractor and 25-pdr field gun crossing a pontoon bridge at Slaght Bridge in Antrim, Northern Ireland, 26 June 1942Photo: Soldiers clambering across shattered rooftops during street fighting training in a bombed-out area in the East End of London, 26 June 1942Pacific War CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): Brigadier General Earl L Naiden becomes Commanding General 10th Air Force, succeeding Major General Lewis H Brereton who departs for the Middle East with Brigadier General Elmer E Adler, Commanding General X Air Service Command, and several other key subordinates. The aircraft and crews of the 9th Bombardment Squadron follow. This move leaves the 10th Air Force almost a skeleton. ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN In the Aleutians, five 11th Air Force B-24's drop incendiaries and fire bombs on Kiska Harbor installations. WAKE ISLAND In the Pacific on the night of 26/27 June, three 7th Air Force LB-30 Liberators bomb installations on Wake Island. The raid is staged through Midway Island.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jun 27, 2021 6:12:07 GMT
Day 1023 of World War II, June 27th 1942Air War over Europe Overnight, 144 RAF bombers (55 Wellingtons, 39 Halifaxes, 26 Stirlings, 24 Lancasters) return to Bremen, Germany. The Atlas Werke and the Korff refinery are damaged again (7 civilians killed, 80 injured). 4 Wellingtons, 2 Halifaxes, 2 Lancasters & 1 Stirling are lost. North African campaignEgypt - South of Mersa Matruh, Rommel’s Panzerarmee Afrika harasses the retreating British 8th Army. Private Adam Wakenshaw (Durham Light Infantry) wins the Victoria Cross for continuing to fire his 2-pounder anti-tank gun, despite being mortally wounded by German shellfire. At 7 PM, German 90th Light Division reaches the Mediterranean coast at Ras Hawala, 25 miles East of Mersa Matruh. 21st Panzer Division briefly surrounds New Zealand 2nd Infantry Division at Minqar Qaim, before the New Zealanders break out overnight with a bayonet charge that catches the German asleep. Photo: Eighth Army equipment and supplies being removed from Mersa Matruh, 27 June 1942YouTube (The British Retreat To Mersa Matruh - June 1942Battle of the Atlantic Allied Convoy PQ 17 (35 merchant ships, 3 rescue ships and 2 oilers) departs Hvalfjord, Iceland, for Arkhangelsk, USSR (escorted by destroyer HMS Middleton, minesweepers HMS Britomart, HMS Halcyon & HMS Salamander, anti-aircraft ships HMS Pozarica & HMS Palomares, CAM ship Empire Tide, 3 anti-submarine trawlers and submarine HMS P615). Photo: Escorts and merchant ships at Hvalfjord before the sailing of Convoy PQ-17. Behind the destroyer Icarus (1.03) is the Russian tanker AZERBAIJAN250 miles East of Trinidad, U-128 sinks American SS Polybius (10 dead, 34 survivors). 650 miles East of the Virgin Islands, U-153 sinks American SS Potlatch carrying 7500 tons of tanks, trucks and supplies from New York to British 8th Army in Egypt (8 killed, 47 survivors in 1 lifeboat reach an uninhabited island in the Bahamas after 26 days). 300 miles Southeast of Philadelphia, U-404 sinks Norwegian MV Moldanger (14 killed, 30 survivors some of whom float 1000 miles East towards the Azores until rescued on 14 August). Battle of the Caribbean In the Gulf of Mexico 50 miles North of Vera Cruz, Mexico, U-129 sinks Mexican tankers SS Tuxpam (8 dead, 31 survivors) and SS Las Choapas (4 dead, 28 survivors). 20 miles West of Barbados, U-126 sinks Norwegian tanker MV Leiv Eiriksson which catches fire and spreads burning oil on the sea (4 burned to death, 40 survivors). Operation PastoriusThe last 2 German saboteurs (Neubauer and Haupt, landed in Florida by U-584 on June 18) are arrested in Chicago by FBI. All 8 saboteurs, including the informant George Dasch, will be put on trial. United States Photo: View of the starboard side amidships of the U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Helena (CL-50), taken at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California (USA), 27 June 1942, following repair of combat damage and an overhaul. Note the ship's redesigned forward superstructure, including an open bridge and reduced lower bridge wings. The Mark 34 main battery gun director, with antenna for an FC gunfire control radar, is immediately in front of the foremast. The other director, just behind the open bridge, is a Mark 33, with antenna for an FD radar mounted on its front. The weight traversing gear on the main deck, between the forward superstructure and 6/47 gun turret # 3, indicates that Helena is undergoing an inclining experiment to determine her stabilityPacific War CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (10th Air Force): 16th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, moves from Karachi, India to Kunming, China with P-40s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): 22nd BG B-26s bomb Lae and Salamaua. PACIFIC US forces bomb Japanese air bases on Wake Island. PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII Photo: The U.S. Navy heavy cruisers USS Astoria (CA-34) and USS Minneapolis (CA-36) (left) moored near Aiea Landing, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in late June 1942
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jun 28, 2021 2:46:55 GMT
Day 1024 of World War II, June 28th 1942Eastern FrontCase Blue - Germans launch their much-delayed Spring offensive (Case Blue). While Stalin believes they will renew the attack on Moscow, Hitler has other plans. He intends to use his Southern 5 Armies (2nd, 6th & 17th, 4th Panzer & 1st Panzer) to swing South and capture the Caucasus oilfields, immobilising Soviet industry and the Red Army. The offensive starts with German 2nd Army and 4th Panzer Army attacking East towards Voronezh and North towards Orel, further convincing Stalin that the attack is aimed at Moscow. The Panzers are accompanied by Luftwaffe spotters radioing in airstrikes on any Soviet tanks that come out to meet them. Sevastopol - Overnight, Italian MAS fast torpedo boats fake a landing at Cape Fiolent, South of Sevastopol, to distract from German preparations to mount an assault from the North across Severnaya Bay. Soviet defenses are now concentrated on the Inkerman Heights, anticipating a German attack up the Chernaya River Valley, but unprepared for an attack across Severnaya Bay. In the Black Sea, Soviet Flotilla Leader (large destroyer) Tashkent is badly damaged by German bombers but manages to reach the Caucasus port of Novorossisk. Photo: Panzer IIIs, light and medium armored personnel carriers (Sd.Kfz. 250 and Sd.Kfz. 251) of the 24th Panzer Division in motion in undulating terrainPhoto: 2 cm anti-aircraft gun 30 on half-track vehicles, 1 ton tractor on the advance, observation of the airspaceAir War over Europe Weston-super-Mare was attacked again by the Luftwaffe. As on the previous night a similar number of bombers from the same units delivered 27 tonnes of HE and 20,096 IBs, the Weston AA guns engaging them between 01.59 and 02.24 hours. During this raid it was the main shipping centre that was chiefly affected with many shops and commercial premises being destroyed as a result of the large fires which took hold in the Regent Street, High Street, South Parade, Waterloo Station and Boulevard areas. Railway services in and out of Weston were also suspended, and at the station the waiting room and goods shed were destroyed by fire as were 12 passenger coaches. Once again German losses were small, and from the 3 aircraft which crashed in France on the return only 3 men were killed and 1 injured. Battle of the Atlantic Royal Navy Home Fleet (British aircraft carrier HMS Victorious, British battleship HMS Duke of York, US battleship USS Washington and escorting cruisers and destroyers) leaves Scapa Flow, Scotland, to provide distant cover to convoy PQ-17 from Iceland to Arkhangelsk, USSR. Photo: The covering forces of the PQ-17 Convoy (British and American ships) at anchor in the harbor at Hvalfjord, Iceland, May-June 1942Photo: The covering forces of the PQ-17 Convoy (British and American ships) at anchor in the harbor at Hvalfjord, Iceland, May-June 1942. USS Washington (BB 56) in foreground loading supplies with HMS Norfolk in the rear. USS Wichita (CA 45) is in the middlePhoto: The covering forces of the PQ-17 Convoy (British and American ships) at anchor in the harbor at Hvalfjord, Iceland, May-June 1942. Upper left, USS Washington then USS Wichita. Middle: HMS Victorious. Bottom: HMS Norfolk. Right Middle: HMS London
Battle of the CaribbeanU-154, U-203, U-332, U-505 and U-701 each sink 1 American freighter or tanker on the US East coast or in the approaches to the Caribbean. Battle of the Mediterranean 14 miles Southwest of Haifa, U-97 attacks a 3 ship convoy from Port Said to Cyprus, sinking British SS Zealand (14 dead, 19 survivors) and Greek SS Memas (8 killed, 17 survivors). North African campaignEgypt - British 8th Army continues its fighting withdrawal to El Alamein, pursued by Panzerarmee Afrika. On the coast, German 90th Light Division reaches Fuka, 45 miles East of Mersa Matruh. YouTube (The Battle Of Egypt, 1942)United KingdomPhoto: Thousands of people gather on the banks of the Clyde to see the recently constructed British battleship HMS HOWE, towed out by tugs to join the FleetYouTube (New British Battleships: World War II (1942) | British Pathé)Pacific War SOLOMONS A detachment of the USN's Patrol Squadron Fourteen based at Noumea, New Caledonia with PBY-5 Catalinas, bombs the Japanese base at Tulagi Island, Solomon Islands. ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN In the Aleutians, an 11th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress weather aircraft flies over Kiska Island but a solid weather front cancels bombing. On this and the following day US advanced reconnaissance parties land on Adak Island from submarines. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force) 11th Bombardment Squadron, 7th BG (Heavy), based at Kunming, China, sends a detachment to operate from Dinjan, India with B-25s. NEW GUINEA Four Australian platoons land and attack Japanese position at Salamaua, killing about 100 enemy troops, bringing back three trucks and a portable bridge. Allied morale is boosted, but the attack fails to gain any signifigant ground from the Japanese.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jun 29, 2021 2:50:11 GMT
Day 1025 of World War II, June 29th 1942Eastern Front Sevastopol - Luftwaffe and German artillery lay down a barrage on Soviet defenses South of Sevastopol as a distraction, while, at 1 AM, German 16th and 65th Infantry Regiment in 130 rubber assault boats cross 600 yard-wide Severnaya Bay from the North. They land behind the main Soviet defenses on the Inkerman Heights. Soviets are caught completely unaware and do not respond until 2 PM, after German troops secure and rapidly expand a bridgehead on high ground. Case Blue - Soviet 40th Army falls back in disarray and is in danger of being surrounded by German 4th Panzer Army attacking from Kursk towards Voronezh. Fearing that the German offensive is the start of a drive on Moscow, Stalin rushes in forces from nearby Southwest front and the Stavka reserve. 7 Soviet tank corps (1st, 2nd, 4th, 11th, 16th, 17th, 24th) comprising 1000 tanks converge on Voronezh for a counterattack. Air War over Europe Overnight, 253 RAF bombers (108 Wellingtons, 64 Lancasters, 47 Stirlings, 34 Halifaxes) return to Bremen, Germany, damaging Focke-Wulf aircraft factory and A.G. Weser U-boat construction yard. 4 Stirlings, 4 Wellingtons, 3 Halifaxes are lost. North African campaignEgypt - Pushing East, German 90th Light Division reaches Sidi Abd el Rahman, only 20 miles from El Alamein, where British 8th Army has begun preparing a defensive line on the narrow coastal strip between the Mediterranean and the Qattara Depression which is impassable by tanks due to fine powdery sand, salt lakes, high cliffs and escarpments. Mussolini flies to Libya, piloting his own aircraft carrying his white horse, in preparation for a triumphant parade into the Egyptian capital, Cairo. British fleet at Alexandria evacuates submarine depot ship HMS Medway, escorted by cruiser HMS Dido and 7 destroyers, towards Haifa, Palestine. Photo: Bersaglieri entering Mersa Matruh on the 29 June, 1942Photo: Soviet armoured train No.2 "Yuzhnouralskiy Zheleznodorozhnik" (South-Ural Railroad Man), of 38th Armoured Train Unit, Briansk front, abandoned at Marmyzhi 29 June 1942 (OB-3 type)Battle of the Atlantic U-754 sinks British passenger/cargo ship MV Waiwera 400 miles Northwest of the Azores (6 crew and 2 military personnel lost, 72 crew, 7 gunners and 18 military personnel picked up by freighter Oregon Express and landed at New York). Battle of the Mediterranean 100 miles North of Tobruk, Libya, British submarine HMS Thrasher sinks Italian freighter Diana, carrying supplies to Rommel. Italian motor torpedo boats attack unsuccessfully with 17 depth charges. Battle of the Caribbean 50 miles Southwest of Barbados, U-126 shells Canadian sailing ship Mona Marie after all 8 crew abandon ship. U-67, U-153, U-158 and U-505 each sink 1 Allied freighter or tanker on the US East coast, in the Gulf of Mexico or in the approaches to the Caribbean, including American SS Thomas McKean heading to Iran with 9000 tons of Lend-Lease supplies for USSR (including tanks and 11 aircraft). United KingdomPhoto: American M3 Grant tanks being unloaded from ships at a British port, 29 June 1942Pacific War CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): Colonel Robert C Oliver assumes command of the X Air Service Command. 9th Bombardment Squadron, 7th BG (attached to USAMEAF) departs India for Palestine with B-17s. Ground echelon leaves from Lahabad, India and air echelon leaves from Baumrauli, India. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-17s hit Lakunai Airfield and Lae Airfield during the night of 28/29 Jun. 35th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, moves from Port Moresby to Woodstock with P-39s. CHINA China's Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek requests that the U.S. transfer, or at least commit to sending, U.S. infantry divisions to China. He also requests the transfer of 500 combat aircraft and a monthly allotment of 5,000 tons of supplies by air from India. UNITED STATES The USN's Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Ernest J. King, asks the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff to authorize a large-scale offensive against the Japanese naval base on Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands. MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL In the Mozambique Channel, Japanese submarine I-10 sinks British merchant ship Queen Victoria. PHILIPPINE SEA In the Philippine Sea, between Guam and the Philippines, US submarine USS Stingray attacks a Japanese convoy and sinks gunboat Saikyo Maru.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jun 30, 2021 2:51:31 GMT
Day 1026 of World War II, June 30th 1942Eastern FrontCase Blue - Soviet Bryansk Front collapses in front of Voronezh in the face of the onslaught from German 2nd Army & 4th Panzer Army. Slightly to the South, German 6th Army moves forward, helping 4th Panzer Army complete the entrapment and annihilation of Soviet 40th Army. Sevastopol - a heavy artillery barrage and Luftwaffe bombardment of Soviet positions allows Germans to reinforce the bridgehead on the South side of Severnaya Bay. Soviet resistance begins to wither as Stalin orders top commanders, party officials and administrators to be brought out by submarine. North African campaignEgypt - Rommel's forces arrive in front of El Alamein to find the British 8th Army dug in across the 35 mile wide coastal strip. Derna - resting Afrika Korps soldiers watched with amazement today as two Italian aircraft landed on the airport here. One disgorged the immaculate, bemedalled Benito Mussolini, Il Duce himself. The other carried a white Arab charger upon which the Italian leader proposes to lead his victorious army through the streets of Cairo in the next few days. Such is the confidence of the Axis as Rommel's army nears the fleshpots of Egypt. Battle of the Atlantic 550 miles West of Ireland, U-458 sinks Norwegian MV Mosfruit (all 36 hands escape in 1 lifeboat and rescued on July 8 by British MV Empire Hope 40 miles off the coast of Ireland). 650 miles Northeast of the island of St. Martin, Italian submarine sinks Dutch MV Tysa (all hands escape and reach St. Martin). 150 miles West of Bermuda, a Martin PBM Mariner flyingboat (piloted by Richard Schreder, Navy Squadron VP-74) sinks U-158 with depth charges (all 54 hands lost). Battle of the Mediterranean 62 miles Northeast of Alexandria, U-372 sinks British submarine depot ship HMS Medway evacuating to Haifa, Palestine (30 killed, 1105 survivors rescued by cruiser HMS Dido and 7 destroyers). The sinking temporarily brings British submarine activities in the Mediterranean to a standstill, although 47 of the 90 torpedoes and other equipment on board will be recovered. United KingdomPhoto: heavy cruiser HMS Suffolk under tow on the TynePacific WarUNITED STATES The US Navy now has 5,612 ships and district craft and 843,096 personnel consisting of 640,570 sailors; 143,528 Marines; and 58,998 Coastguardsmen. CHINA A Japanese attempt to destroy Communist headquarters in south-eastern Shansi, is defeated. ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (11th Air Force): A B-17 flies weather reconnaissance over Kiska. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): 11th Bombardment Squadron, 7th BG (Heavy), based at Kunming, China, sends detachments to operate from Kweilin, Hengyang and Nanning, China with B-25s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-17s attack Dili and Koepang on Timor and Kendari; B-25s and 22nd BG B-26s hit Lae. 36th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, moves from Port Moresby, New Guinea to Townsville, Australia with P-39s. CHINA 70 miles Southeast of Shanghai, US submarine USS Plunger sinks Japanese steamer No 5 Unkai Maru. MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL Japanese submarine I-10 sinks American SS Express (13 killed) and I-20 sinks British tanker Steaua Romana.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 1, 2021 2:46:55 GMT
Day 1027 of World War II, July 1st 1942Eastern FrontCase Blue - German 4th Panzer Army rolls on towards Voronezh where the Red Army is preparing a counterattack. Germans declare Sevastopol to be in their hands, although sporadic Soviet resistance will continue for several days. Since the siege began on October 30, 1941, Soviet losses are 18,000 killed, 95,000 taken prisoner and 5000 evacuated out by ship sick and wounded. Germans have 5786 killed and 21,626 wounded while Romanian losses are 1874 killed and 6571 wounded. YouTube (Operation Barbarossa Time-Lapse Map - Eastern Front 1941-1942)Continuation WarPhoto: A Finnish amphibious assault vehicle T-38 in action, crossing a small riverPhoto: Finnish at-rifle team with Wz. 35 anti-tank rifleAir War over Europe The first B-17 Flying Fortress, assigned to the USAAF 8th Air Force's 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy), lands at Prestwick, Scotland. This is the first aircraft of the BOLERO air movement across the North Atlantic route to reach the UK. In July the Luftwaffe's activities were mainly directed against ports and targets of the British armaments industry, starting with an unsuccessful attempt on the harbour installations at Bristol during the night in which I, II and III./KG 2 and II./KG 40 took part. Over the target it was a moon-lit night, but there was thick haze and cloud at 1200 metres. 46 German aircrew claimed to have successfully attacked with 20 tonnes of HE, but due to the poor visibility, no bombs whatsoever fell on the docks, although widespread bombing occurred in the South and Southwest coasts in South Wales. In fact, the nearest any bombs came to Bristol that night were those reported falling at Brean Down at 02.10 hours. One raider subsequently landed back in France with 1 crewman killed and 1 injured, the result of a RAF night-fighter attack. North African campaignFirst Battle of El Alamein - Rommel plans to ‘bounce’ British 8th Army with speed and daring, betting that the Allied positions are not prepared and the troops are ready to quit. Things go wrong from the beginning. 90th Light Division advances at 3 AM but strays into the minefields of the heavily defended coastal “box” manned by 1st South African Division. 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions attack further inland but are stopped by massed artillery fire and lose 18 tanks. Despite this, the Panzers overrun 18th Indian Infantry Brigade at Deir el Shein but are then repelled by an attack from British 1st Armoured Division, held as a mobile reserve. British have 2 advantages at El Alamein; first, being able to concentrate their artillery across the narrow front between the sea and the impassable Qattara Depression; second, a constant supply of ammunition brought up by rail from Alexandria. Photo: Indian Army prisoners of war captured at Tobruk await deportation on 1 July 1942
Battle of the Atlantic 250 miles East of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, U-202 torpedoes US passenger/cargo ship SS City of Birmingham en route to Bermuda (7 crew and 2 passengers lost). 106 crew, 5 gunners and 263 passengers abandon ship in 5 minutes as SS City of Birmingham sinks (rescued 2 hours later by escort destroyer USS Stansbury). Battle of the Mediterranean 66 miles East of Port Said, Egypt, U-97 torpedoes British SS Marilyse Moller igniting the cargo of aviation fuel from Beirut to Port Said for British 8th Army (35 killed in the explosion, 4 survivors rescued by British anti-submarine trawler HMS Burra which counterattacks U-97 unsuccessfully with 3 depth charges). Photo: Italian bomber being refueled in Sicily for next attack on MaltaBattle of the Caribbean US Navy cargo ship USS Luckenbach, carrying 1/6 of the world’s supply of tungsten, hits 2 mines and sinks in a US minefield 10 miles South of the Florida Keys (later salvaged to recover the tungsten, valued at $1,500,000). In the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, U-129 sinks Norwegian SS Cadmus (2 killed, 20 survivors in 2 lifeboats reach the coast of Mexico after 5 days). 125 miles East of Trinidad, U-126 sinks American SS Warrior heading to Iran with 10,080 tons of Lend-Lease supplies and fuel for USSR (7 killed, 49 survivors rescued 4 hours later by US destroyer USS Herbert). Arctic naval operationsIn the Barents Sea, U-456 spots Allied convoy PQ 17 from Iceland to Arkhangelsk, USSR, and begins shadowing the convoy. United States Photo: The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Helena (CL-50) off the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California (USA), following battle damage repairs and overhaul, 1 July 1942. This image has been retouched to censor radar antennas from the gun directors and mastsPhoto: USS South Dakota (BB-57) during her shakedown period, July 1942Pacific War PHILIPPINE ISLANDS The USN submarine USS Sturgeon sinks the unmarked 7,267-ton Japanese transport SS Montevideo Maru about 65 miles west of Luzon, Philippine Islands. The transport had sailed from Rabaul, New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago, on 22 June 1942 destined for Hainan Island carrying 1,250 Australian civilians and POWs of the 2/22 Battalion. The only survivors of the sinking are 18 Japanese seaman. ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (11th AF): The XI Bomber Command (Provisional) comprising the 28th Composite Group and its assigned squadrons is activated, Colonel William O Eareckson in command. A B-17 flies weather reconnaissance over Kiska, Aleutian and lands early due to weather. WESTERN US DEFENSE (4th AF): 4th, 7th, 18th and 391st Bombardment Squadrons, 34th BG (Heavy), move from Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona to Geiger Field, Washington and continue flying ASW patrols with B-24s. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th AF): In China, 4 B-25s from Hengyang, escorted by P-40s, bomb docks at Hankow; bad weather handicaps the bombardiers, and the effects of the raid are inconsequential. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th AF): B-26's bomb Salamaua. Other medium and heavy bomber strikes abort due to bad weather. MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL Japanese submarine I-16 sinks Swedish MV Eknaren and I-18 sinks Dutch vessel De Weert. AUSTRALIA Photo: Garbutt Airfield Townsville, July 1942 - Aircraft in the foreground is a Lochheed Lighning F4 Photo Reconnaissance plane probably with the 8th Photo Recon. Squadron, USAF based in Townsville
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 2, 2021 1:50:03 GMT
Day 1028 of World War II, July 2nd 1942Eastern Front With Sevastopol mostly under German control, Luftwaffe turns its attention to the Soviet Black Sea Fleet in the Caucasus port of Novorossisk, sinking Soviet destroyers Bditelny and Tashkent (which is under repair from damage inflicted by German bombers in the Black Sea on June 28). Several other warships are damaged including 2 destroyers and cruiser Komintern (which is moved 250 miles Southeast to the port of Poti for repairs). Photo: Destroyed harbor of SevastopolAir War over Europe Overnight, 325 RAF bombers (175 Wellingtons, 53 Lancasters, 35 Halifaxes, 34 Stirlings, 28 Hampdens) return to Bremen, Germany, damaging 1000 houses and 4 small industrial firms (5 civilians killed, 4 injured). In the port, 3 cranes and 7 ships are damaged with 1,736-ton steamer Marieborg sunk. 8 Wellingtons, 2 Hampdens, 2 Stirlings & 1 Halifax are lost. United KingdomIn Parliament, British Prime Minister Churchill faces a vote of no confidence following the series of defeats by Japan in the Far East and now by Rommel in Libya. The proposers of the vote, Conservative MPs Sir John Wardlaw-Milne & Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes plus National Liberal MP Leslie Hore-Belisha (previously Chamberlain’s Secretary of State for War), present a half-baked case for censure. Churchill, closing the debate, responds “if democracy and Parliamentary institutions are to triumph in this war, it is absolutely necessary that Governments resting upon them shall be able to act and dare, that the servants of the Crown shall not be harassed by nagging and snarling”. He wins the confidence of Parliament comfortably, 475 to 25. Battle of the Atlantic Kriegsmarine battleship Tirpitz, cruiser Admiral Hipper, 4 destroyers and 2 torpedo boats depart Trondheim to intercept Allied convoy PQ 17, which is being shadowed by submarines and Blohm & Voss BV 138 Seedrache (Sea Dragon) flying boats. Seven He115 seaplanes attack the convoy unsuccessfully with torpedoes. Photo: The U.S. Navy cruiser USS Wichita (CA-45) and HMS London (69) formed the covering force for PQ17, together with USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) and HMS Norfolk (78)Photo: Atlantic Convoy at sea, June 1942. USS Washington (BB 56) Battle of the Caribbean In the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, U-129 sinks Norwegian MV Gundersen (1 killed, 25 survivors in 2 lifeboats picked up after a few hours by Norwegian SS Dea). North African campaignFirst Battle of El Alamein - Rommel tries the same tactics with the same result. 90th Light Division fails to make progress against the coastal “El Alamein box”, again stopped by British artillery and RAF bombing. 10 miles inland, 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions are stopped by "Robcol" (field artillery, light anti-aircraft guns and an infantry company under Brigadier Robert Waller) which occupies the dominating high ground at Ruweisat Ridge. In late afternoon, British 4th and 22nd Armoured Brigades attack both Panzer Divisions and drive back the German tanks, capturing 2,000 prisoners and 30 field guns. Photo: A Valentine in North Africa, carrying British infantryPacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (11th AF): In the Aleutian , 7 B-24s and 1 B-17 fly photo and bombing missions to Attu , which appears deserted, and to Kiska and Agattu; near misses are scored on a transport and a destroyer at Agattu. WESTERN DEFENSE COMMAND (4th AF): 48th Bombardment Squadron, 41st BG (Medium), moves from Minter Field to NAS Alameda, California and continues flying ASW patrols with A-29s and B-18s. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th AF): B-25s and P-40s hit the Hankow dock area for the second consecutive day. This raid, more successful than the first, causes considerable damage. The Japanese retaliate during the night by attacking Hengyang but fail to hit the airfield. UNITED STATES The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff define three stages for the occupation of New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago. The first phase is the occupation of the eastern Solomon and Santa Cruz Islands; second, an advance through the rest of the Solomons and along the northeastern coast of New Guinea; and finally, the liberation of New Britain and New Ireland Islands and further advances in northeastern New Guinea. The first offensive will be the occupation of eastern Solomons with the code name Operation WATCHTOWER assigned to the invasion of Tulagi Island scheduled for 1 August 1942. CHINA 80 miles East of Shanghai, China, US submarine USS Plunger sinks Japanese transport ship Unyo Maru No.3.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 3, 2021 8:09:22 GMT
Day 1029 of World War II, July 3rd 1942YouTube (Fall Blau Begins, Stalin Caught off Guard Again)Eastern FrontCase Blue - German 4th Panzer Army crosses the Don River near Voronezh but meets stiffening resistance from Soviet forces. Hitler flies to Poltava, Ukraine, to discuss the slow progress of the operation with General von Bock, commander of Army Group South. They argue over the next steps, with Hitler wanting to stick to the plan and advance South to the oilfields while von Bock worries about the Soviet forces gathering on his flank and insists on securing Voronezh. Photo: Crossing of German troops through the Don. A column of PzKpfw III Ausf J tanks from the 24th Panzer Division enters the bridge. Battle of the Atlantic 186 miles East of Chatham, Cape Cod, U-215 sinks American SS Alexander Macomb on her maiden voyage carrying 9000 tons of military equipment, tanks, planes and explosives to USSR (4 crew and 6 gunners killed, 37 crew and 20 gunners rescued by British anti-submarine trawler HMS Le Tiger and Canadian corvette HCMS Regina). HMS Le Tiger then counterattacks and sinks U-215 with depth charges (all 48 hands lost). Kriegsmarine pocket battleships Lutzow and Admiral Scheer and 6 destroyers depart Narvik to meet battleship Tirpitz, cruiser Admiral Hipper and their escorts, prior to foraying against convoy PQ 17. Lutzow and 3 destroyers run aground. 9 British and 7 Soviet submarines deploy to intercept the German battlegroup. Soviet submarines D-3 and M-176 are lost in German minefields. Battle of the Caribbean U-161 approaches the harbour at Puerto Limón, Costa Rica, and sinks Panamanian SS San Pablo at the pier, unloading a cargo from New Orleans (most of the crew are ashore but 1 crewman and 23 stevedores working in the holds are killed). 50 miles North of Trinidad, U-126 badly damages US tanker SS Gulfbelle (2 killed). Although most of the crew abandon ship, SS Gulfbelle does not sinks and is towed by British destroyer HMS Warwick to Port of Spain, Trinidad (then towed to Mobile, Alabama, for repairs, arriving on September 8, and returned to service in July 1943). North African campaignFirst Battle of El Alamein - Overnight, British reinforce Ruweisat Ridge (the force is now known as “Walgroup", still under Brigadier Robert Waller). Rommel attacks Ruweisat Ridge again with 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions, adding Italian XX Motorised Corps, but they are held by Waller’s artillery and RAF bombing. New Zealand 2nd Division advances from the Qattara “box”, near the Qattara Depression, to break up the Axis attack and routs Italian Ariete Division which loses 531 troops (350 taken prisoners), 36 artillery pieces, 6 tanks and 55 trucks. By the end of the day, Afrika Korps has only 26 operational tanks while Ariete Division has 5. Photo: A South African Marmon-Herrington armoured car crew stops to take a compass bearingUnited States Photo: U.S.S. Iowa (BB61) in the New York Navy Yard looking forward from about amidships (July 3, 1942)Pacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (11th AF): In the Aleutian, 7 B-24s and 2 B-17s bomb Kiska and Near , encountering neither fighter opposition nor AA; results are not observed. WESTERN DEFENSE COMMAND 46th Bombardment Squadron, 41st BG (Medium), moves from NAS Alameda to Hammer Field, California with A-29s and B-18s and continues flying ASW patrols. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th AF): In China, 10th AF aircraft bomb and strafe the airfield at Nanchang, the probable base of the preceding night's raiders on Hengyang; several parked aircraft are destroyed; during the night Japanese aircraft again strike at Hengyang and once more fail to hit the airfield. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th AF): B-17s attack the barracks area at Koepang, Timor and airfield at Lae. 1 A-24 (SBD) bombs Tulagi. JAPANESE OCCUPIED NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES The RN submarine HMS Truant sinks a Japanese army cargo ship off the coast of Sumatra west of Kuala Lumpur.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 4, 2021 6:20:48 GMT
Day 1030 of World War II, July 4th 1942Eastern Front Case Blue - General von Bock wins his argument with Hitler to commit 4th Panzer Army to the conquest of Voronezh. At the same time, Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army is committed to the defense of Voronezh. Hitler, however, orders the infantry of General Paulus’ 6th Army to march South without tank support down the “Donets corridor” (between the Donets River and the Don River) to Stalingrad. Photo: Crossing of German troops. A column of motorcyclists on a wooden bridge, vehicles and supplies abandoned by the Soviet army in the backgroundContinuation warPhoto: Heavy coastal cannons are loaded. (Pictured is Mäkiluoto eight-inch coastal cannon, 203/45 C or 203/50 VC) Location: MäkiluotoAir War over Europe The second 8th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress arrives in the UK via the North Atlantic ferry route. US air operations over Europe began when the 15th (Light) Bombardment Sqdn, flying 4 American-built A-20 havocs belonging to RAF No. 226 Sqdn, were sent to attack airfields in Holland in coordination with other British raids. The aircraft attacked De Koog, Bergen/Alkamaar, Haanstede and Valkenberg airfields. They went in low and unescorted to surprise the Germans. Three of the four aircraft were shot down, 2 by flak and 1 by an Fw 190 over the Channel. One of the planes hit by flak went down over the airfield it was attacking and the other as it was lining up on the bomb run. Uffz. Johannes Rathenow of 10./JG 1 claimed a "Boston" over Den Helder for his first victory. The aircraft flown by Captain Charles C Kegelman, Squadron Commander, is severely damaged, but Kegelman succeeds in bringing it back to base at Swanton Morley, Norfolk. North African campaignFirst Battle of El Alamein - British General Auchinleck (C-in-C Middle East Command), in command of 8th Army, estimates that German and Italian forces are at the end of their advance, exhausted and out of supplies. Auchinleck also believes that he enjoys a numerical superiority in tanks. Parts of 1st South African and 2nd New Zealand Divisions attack to clear out the open desert between El Alamein and Ruweisat Ridge, overrunning German positions and capturing 600 prisoners (who are left unguarded and promptly march back to their own lines). Photo: El Alamein 1942: British troops dig in at El Alamein during the first battleArctic naval operationsIn the Barents Sea 90 miles Northeast of Bear Island, German He115 torpedo bombers harass Convoy PQ 17 from dawn at 3 AM until 6.30 PM, sinking British SS Navarino. American SS William Hooper (3 dead and 55 survivors) and SS Christopher Newport (3 dead and 47 survivors) are badly damaged, abandoned and sunk later in the day by U-334 and U-457, respectively. Battle of the Caribbean In the Caribbean, U-129 sinks Soviet tanker MV Tuapse which had left the Black Sea in January to avoid German dive bombers (8 dead, 36 survivors) and U-575 sinks American SS Norlandia (9 killed, 21 survivors). Battle of the Mediterranean Following the success of the Afrika Korps in capturing the British stronghold of Tobruk on 21 June, the Luftwaffe resumed its assault on Malta. During July, Axis air units flew 2,851 sorties against the island, during which they dropped 695 tonnes of bombs and 2,300 IBs. Luftwaffe attacks were concentrated on Malta's airfields in an attempt to destroy its air defense fighters on the ground and wrest air superiority from the RAF. During the attacks, 37 Luftwaffe aircraft and 36 Spitfires of the RAF were shot down. Attacks slacked off around 14 July but resumed their former intensity during 23-27 July. United States
Photo: USS Cincinnati (CL-6) view on deck, looking aft from the ship's bow, showing her forward 6/53 gun turret and superstructure. Photographed at the New York Navy Yard, 4 July 1942. Recent alterations are marked and identified. Note Mark XXXII Mod. 1 Rangefinder on the bridge wingsPacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN While escorting seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru (damaged yesterday by US bombers) 5 miles south of Agattu Island in the Aleutians, Japanese destroyer Nenohi is torpedoed by US submarine USS Triton, then capsizes and sinks in 7 minutes (188 killed, 38 survivors rescued by Japanese destroyer Inazuma). INDIAN OCEAN In the Indian Ocean 1500 miles East of Madagascar, German armed merchant cruiser Thor stops Norwegian tanker MV Madrono (in ballast from Melbourne, Australia, to Abadan, Iran). MV Madrono is renamed Rossbach and sent to Japan with most of her crew on board, arriving on August 5. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th AF): CHINA AIR TASK FORCE (CATF): CATF is activated under command of Brigadier General Clare L Chennault. This new command is the successor to Chennault's American Volunteer Group (AVG) which had attained 300 confirmed victories over Japanese aircraft at a cost of less than 50 aircraft and only 9 pilots. Only 5 pilots and a few ground personnel of the AVG choose to join the USAAF, although 20 other pilots agree to stay until replacements arrive in Kunming, China. Combat elements of CATF are: 1. HQ 23d Fighter Group at Kunming with Colonel Robert L Scott, Jr in command and 74th and 76th Fighter Squadrons at Kunming with P-40s and 75th Fighter Squadron at Hengyang with P-40s; all units were activated today. 2. 16th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group attached to 23d Fighter Group, at Kunming with P-40s. 3. 11th Bombardment Squadron, 7th BG (Heavy), at Kunming and a detachment at Kweilin, Hengyang and Nanning with B-25s; Colonel Caleb V Haynes is in command. In air action in China, 5 B-25s, with fighter escort, heavily damage buildings, runways and parked aircraft at Tien Ho Airfield. P-40s over Kweilin intercept a formation of fighter-bombers, claiming 13 destroyed; the Japanese fail to bomb the target. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th AF): B-17s, B-26s and B-25s bomb airfields at Lae and Salamaua. 19th Bombardment Squadron, 22d BG (Medium), moves from Townsville to Woodstock, Australia with B-26s. Lost during an interception over Port Moresby is P-400 AP 378.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 5, 2021 2:46:58 GMT
Day 1031 of World War II, July 5th 1942Eastern Front Armoured units of 4. Panzerarmee (Hoth) reached the Don at Voronezh. Arctic naval operationsOvernight, British Admiralty orders Convoy PQ 17 to scatter and simultaneously instructs the covering force of cruisers and destroyers to return to Britain. The Admiralty has information about imminent U-boat attacks and also fears the arrival of German battleships Tirpitz, Lutzow & Admiral Scheer and cruiser Admiral Hipper. The German heavy ships never arrive but the scattered Allied merchant ships fall easy prey to U-boats and aircraft. During the course of the day, torpedo bombers sink 5 merchant ships and British rescue ship Zaafaran while several others are damaged. U-88 and U-703 each sink 2 while U-334 and U-456 sink 1 each, including several vessels damaged or stopped by the bombers. Photo: An enemy plane, hit by anti-aircraft fire, crashes into a U.S. merchant vessel causing her to explode. The vessel at right is turning to avoid the conflagration, July 1942 Photo: U.S. merchant vessel is hit by enemy aerial torpedo. Anti-aircraft fire from the 20 mm. gun at right is visible, July 1942Battle of the AtlanticBritish minesweeper HMS Niger leads Convoy QP 13 (empty ships returning from USSR to Iceland and Scotland, running at the same time as PQ 17) into a British minefield 10 miles North of Iceland, due to a navigation error in bad weather. HMS Niger hits a mine and sinks (149 killed including naval passengers returning from USSR). 6 merchant ships hit mines and 5 sink. British minesweeper HMS Hussar eventually obtains an accurate fix on land and leads the remaining 30 merchant ships to safety, arriving at Reykjavik on July 7. Battle of the Baltic Sea Off Memel, Latvia, Soviet submarine ShCh-320 sinks German coastal freighter SS Anna Katrin Fritzen. North African campaignFirst Battle of El Alamein - Rommel decides to halt his offensive. He knows he is low on supplies (due to RAF bombing his supply columns from Benghazi), almost out of tanks and, most importantly, out of luck. He also acknowledges that British General Auchinleck “deploys his forces with considerable skill”. Auchinleck further strengthens his hand by bringing the experienced Australian 9th Division back into the line (following a rest in Palestine and Syria after their defense of Tobruk during the siege). Photo: South African engineers preparing mines for laying, EgyptPacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN At Kiska Island in the Aleutians, US submarine USS Growler attacks Japanese destroyers in Kiska Harbour. USS Growler blows the bow off Kasumi (10 killed, towed back to Japan and under repair until July 1943), damages Shiranuhi (3 dead) and sinks Arare (104 killed, 42 survivors rescued by lifeboats from Shiranuhi). SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th AF): B-17s and 22nd BG B-26's attack Lae and Salamaua. HQ 22d BG (Medium) moves from Townsville to Woodstock, Australia.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 6, 2021 2:48:21 GMT
Day 1032 of World War II, July 6th 1942Eastern FrontCase Blue - 4th Panzer Army reaches the outskirts of Voronezh, despite counterattacks by of columns Soviet tanks which are thwarted by ferocious Luftwaffe bombing ahead of the Panzers. As General Paulus’ 6th Army reaches Ostrogozhsky, 70 miles South of Voronezh (clearly heading down the “Donets corridor” between the Donets and Don rivers), the German plan becomes apparent. Stalin realizes that the thrust is not towards Moscow but South into the oilfields of the Caucasus. He determines that Voronezh must be held, in order to control a vital North-South railway for moving troops into the Caucasus and also to prevent an encirclement of Timoshenko’s Southwest Front who will be allowed to withdraw East over the Don River. Arctic naval operationsU-boat and bomber attacks on Convoy PQ 17 continue. U-255 sinks American SS John Witherspoon (1 killed, 49 survivors float in lifeboats for 3 days in the freezing water) and American SS Pan Atlantic is sunk by the Luftwaffe. Battle of the Atlantic Overnight in the Bay of Biscay 250 miles West of France, U-502 is caught charging her batteries on the surface by an RAF Wellington that approaches using radar. The bomber illuminates U-502 with a high-powered spotlight (Leigh Light) and then sinks her with depth charges (all 52 hands lost). Use of the Leigh Light forces U-boats to start charging batteries during the day. 90 miles East of the Azores, U-201 sinks British passenger/cargo ship SS Avila Star (84 killed, 112 escape in 4 lifeboats). 73 survivors in 3 lifeboats are picked up after 2 days by Portuguese destroyer Lima but 1 lifeboat with 39 aboard drifts until July 25, when 29 survivors are rescued by Portuguese sloop Pedro Nunes (1 dies aboard Pedro Nunes and 2 more die in hospital in Lisbon, Portugal). 10 miles Southeast of Cap Chat, Quebec, Canada, U-132 (which arrived in the St. Lawrence River, on July 3) attacks convoy QS-15, sinking Belgian SS Hainaut (1 dead, 44 survivors) and Greek SS Anastassios Pateras (3 dead, 26 survivors). U-132 torpedoes British SS Dinaric which remains afloat on her cargo of timber until July 9 (4 killed). Canadian minesweeper HMCS Drummondville attempts to ram and drops depth charges, causing minor damage to U-132, before rescuing 28 crew and 6 gunners in a lifeboat from SS Dinaric. Battle of the Caribbean At 6.37 PM in the Yucatan Channel 20 miles off the Yucatan Peninsula, U-154 sinks tiny Panamanian fishing boat MV Lalita with shellfire. At 6.57 PM in the Gulf of Mexico 45 miles South of Pascagoula, Mississippi, U-67 sinks Norwegian MV Bayard (11 killed, 21 survivors picked up by a Hall PH-2 flyingboat from US Coast Guard Air Station Biloxi). Battle of the Mediterranean 20 miles Southwest of Haifa, Palestine, U-375 sinks Norwegian SS Hero which disintegrates and sinks within 50 seconds (31 killed, 13 men on deck blown overboard and rescued by an escort ship). United StatesPhoto: U.S. Navy Lieutenant John A. Leppla (right) shakes hands with Radioman 3rd Class John Liska in front of a Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California (USA), on 6 July 1942. During the Battle of the Coral Sea they were pilot and gunner of a SBD-3 from Scouting Squadron 2 (VS-2), based onboard the aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-2), and were credited with shooting down five Japanese planes during one air action. Leppla joined Fighter Squadron 10 (VF-10) and was killed during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October 1942Photo: The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Raleigh (CL-7) off the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California (USA), 6 July 1942, following repair of combat damage and an overhaulPacific War MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL Japanese submarine I-10 sinks Greek merchant Nymphe in the Mozambique Channel.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 7, 2021 2:45:50 GMT
Day 1033 of World War II, July 7th 1942Arctic naval operationsConvoy PQ 17 - U-457 uses shellfire from the 88mm gun to sink British fleet oiler RFA Alderdale which had been bombed and abandoned 2 days ago. U-355 sinks British SS Hartlebury (8 killed in the explosion, 32 drown in the freezing water, 20 survivors). U-255 sinks American SS Alcoa Ranger (all 40 hands abandon ship in 3 lifeboats). Air War over Europe A series of small Luftwaffe raids took place at Billingham, Middleborough, West Hartlepool, Gateshead and Seaton Carew, in addition bombs also fell near Scarborough. Oil storage tanks at Billingham Reach Wharf were hit by HE bombs and set on fire. 49 houses were destroyed or demolished and 45 were seriously damaged. Battle of the Atlantic 10 miles off Miami, Florida, U-571 sinks British SS Umtata, in tow by American tug Edmund J. Moran (all 92 crew picked up by the tug). SS Umtata is under tow to Port Everglades for repairs after being torpedoed in Port Castries harbour, St. Lucia on March 10 by U-161. 50 miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, U-701 surfaces to ventilate stagnant air, CO2 and heat due to damage to air-circulators sustained on June 27 by depth charges from US armed yacht USS St. Augustine. U-701 is spotted by US Army Hudson A-29 which drops 3 depth charges and sinks U-701 with 2 direct hits (29 drowned, 17 escape through the conning tower hatch). The survivors drift for 2 days off Cape Hatteras in a raft dropped by the A-29 but only 7 are found alive by a US Coast Guard floatplane on July 9. United KingdomPhoto: Men of the Royal Indian Navy, at Stamshaw Training Camp, Portsmouth. 8 July 1942North African campaignPhoto: Grant and Lee tanks of 'C' Squadron, 4th (Queen's Own) Hussars, 2nd Armoured Brigade, El Alamein position, Egypt, 7 July 1942Pacific War HAWAII Carrier Saratoga, followed by carrier Enterprise, each with supporting ships, sails from Pearl Harbor for S Pacific. Elements of the Enterprise support force leave main force at sea and proceed to New Caledonia to embark 1st Raider Bn. AUSTRALIA Adm Ghormley arrives in Australia and confers with Gen MacArthur on coming offensive. NEW GUINEA Co B, Aus 39th Bn, leaves Port Moresby for Kokoda, traveling on foot along tortuous trail over Owen Stanley Range.
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Post by lordroel on Jul 8, 2021 2:49:19 GMT
Day 1034 of World War II, July 8th 1942Continuation War Overnight in the Gulf of Finland, Soviet troops land from 30 patrol boats and torpedo cutters on the Finnish-held island of Someri. Finnish defenders on the island hold out until dawn when Finnish gunboats, patrol boats and torpedo boats arrive to land reinforcements and harass the Soviet flotilla. 3 Soviet torpedo cutters are sunk by the Finnish boats and coastal batteries. Despite this, Soviet ships also manage to land reinforcements. Photo: Dugout shelter in continuation war July 1942Air War over Europe Overnight, 285 RAF bombers (137 Wellingtons, 52 Lancasters, 38 Halifaxes, 34 Stirlings, 24 Hampdens) attack the docks at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Most bombs fall in open country West of Wilhelmshaven (25 civilians killed, 170 injured). 3 Wellingtons, 1 Halifax & 1 Lancaster are lost. Arctic naval operationsConvoy PQ 17 - U-255 sinks American SS Olopana (7 killed, 34 survivors float on 4 rafts for 2 days many suffering from frostbite). The commander of Convoy PQ 17, Commodore John Dowding, gathers up 5 freighters, 3 minesweepers, 3 corvettes, 3 anti-submarine trawlers, anti-aircraft ships HMS Pozarica & HMS Palomares and rescue ship Pozarica to proceed in convoy through the Matochkin Strait to Archangelsk. Operation PastoriusIn the Department of Justice Building, Washington, a special military commission (7 US Army officers appointed by President Roosevelt) begins the trial of 8 German saboteurs from Operation Pastorius, including the informant George Dasch. The trial will end on August 4. Battle of the Caribbean 4 miles off the Florida Keys, U-571 torpedoes US tanker MV J.A. Moffett, Jr. which runs aground and is a total loss (1 killed, 42 survivors US Coast Guard auxiliary craft Mary Jean and Southbound and cutter USCGC Nike). Battle of the Baltic Sea10 miles off the South coast of Sweden, Soviet submarine ShCh-317 sinks German SS Otto Cords. North African campaignRommel in Egypt is desperate for supplies. Convoy Siena departs Suda Bay, Crete (5 freighters escorted by Italian destroyer Mitragliere, German destroyer ZG-3, Italian torpedo boats Sirio and Cassiopea plus German submarine chasers UJ-2104 and UJ-2107). The convoy will arrive safely at Tobruk, Libya. Photo: Afrika Korps tank hunters with an Sd.Kfz. 232 armoured car in frontUnited StatesPhoto: USS Cincinnati (CL-6) underway off New York City, 8 July 1942Pacific War RABAUL In the South Pacific 20 miles Northwest of Rabaul, US submarine S-37 sinks Japanese transport Tenzan Maru. Japanese submarine chaser Ch30 depth charges S-37 without success. SOLOMON ISLANDS US Admiral Chester Nimitz issues orders for the Marines to invade the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. Admiral Ernest King, Commander in Chief US Navy, has President Roosevelt's approval for the offensive over the objections of the US Army who insist on a “Germany first” policy. The objectives are Tulagi (sheltering a Japanese seaplane base) and Guadalcanal (where the Japanese are constructing a large airfield at Lunga Point for deploy 45 fighters and 60 bombers to threaten the sea lanes from USA to Australia). MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL Japanese submarine I-10 sinks British SS Hartismere, carrying 8000 tons of general cargo from Philadelphia to Alexandria (all hands reach Portuguese East Africa) and Dutch freighter Alchiba, carrying 4000 tons of ammunition from Durban to Aden, at 6 PM (5 killed). HAWAII Photo: The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Astoria (CA-34) operating in Hawaiian waters during battle practice, 8 July 1942. She appears to be recovering floatplanes from off her starboard side. Note the booms rigged below the forward superstructure to tow aircraft recovery mats, and the starboard crane swung outPhoto: The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS New Orleans (CA-32) underway during exercises off Hawaii, 8 July 1942Photo: The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Vincennes (CA-44) underway during tactical exercises in Hawaiian waters, 8 July 1942
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 9, 2021 8:41:11 GMT
Day 1035 of World War II, July 9th 1942
Eastern Front
Case Blue - German 4th Panzer Army captures Voronezh, despite strong Soviet resistance, while 6th Army reaches Rossosh 100 miles South of Voronezh. 1st Panzer Army joins the fray, attacking from Kharkov and crossing the Donets River. Soviet Southwest and Southern Fronts begin strategic withdrawals to the South and East; the first such retreat authorized by Stalin.
Continuation War
Finns counterattack the Soviet beachhead on the island of Someri in the Gulf of Finland, supported by shellfire from German and Finnish minesweepers. The minesweepers also prevent the landing of more Soviet reinforcements, sinking 4 Soviet torpedo cutters and a patrol cutter. By midday, Soviet troops surrender (126 killed, 149 taken POW).
Battle of the Atlantic
Overnight, a Luftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft spots Convoy WP 183 (merchant ships sailing from various Welsh ports to destinations on the South coast of England). At 1 AM, 7 German torpedo boats attack the convoy off Lyme Bay, Dorset. S67 sinks British tanker Pomella. S48, S109 and S70 sink Norwegian freighters SS Kongshaug (8 killed), SS Røsten (5 killed) and SS Bokn (12 killed). S50 sinks Dutch SS Reggestrom. S63 sinks a convoy escort, British armed trawler HMT Manor (19 killed, 1 survivor). Luftwaffe bombers also attack and sink British SS Gripfast (7 killed including 2 survivors from SS Røsten). Survivors from most ships are picked up by British destroyer HMS Brocklesby.
Arctic naval operations
Convoy PQ 17 - German Ju88 bombers damage Panamanian freighter El Capitan (all 67 hands survive) and American SS Hoosier (all 53 hands escape). The ships start arriving at Archangelsk, USSR.
Battle of the Mediterranean
Off Beirut, Lebanon - Italian submarine Perla fires torpedoes which miss British corvette HMS Hyacinth. HMS Hyacinth counterattacks with depth charges, forcing Perla to dive to 250 feet before losing control and rapidly surfacing (1 man killed by being blown out by the internal pressure as he opens the hatch, 25 crew taken prisoner). Perla is towed to Beirut, repaired and briefly commissioned into Royal Navy as P.712, then transferred to the Greek Navy on December 5 1942 as HHMS Matrozos (decommissioned in 1954).
Battle of the Caribbean
In the Gulf of Mexico 50 miles North of Havana, Cuba, U-571 sinks Honduran SS Nicholas Cuneo with 43 shells from the deck gun.
Battle of the Baltic Sea
Soviet submarine S-7 attacks Swedish coastal freighters 10 miles off the East coast of Sweden, missing SS Noreg at 4.17 PM and sinking SS Margareta (carrying coal from Germany, 14 killed) at 7.58 PM.
Pacific War
KWAJALEIN ATOLL
Near Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, US submarine USS Thresher sinks Japanese torpedo recovery vessel Shinsho Maru. Japanese counterattacks with depth charges and bombs are unsuccessful.
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