lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Aug 9, 2021 2:47:26 GMT
Day 1065 of World War II, August 9th 1942Eastern Front Case Blue - 4th Panzer Army reaches the Don Bend on the East side, threatening to surround Soviet 62nd and 64th Armies which are still holding German 6th Army West of the Don. Soviet cruiser Krasny Krym and destroyer Nezamozhnik make another run, evacuating troops from the Black Sea port of Novorossisk further South to Batum. Air War over Europe Overnight, 192 RAF bombers (91 Wellingtons, 42 Lancasters, 40 Stirlings & 19 Halifaxes) raid Osnabrück, Germany, just over the Dutch border (206 houses destroyed, 62 killed and 107 injured). 3 Halifaxes and 3 Wellingtons are lost. Battle of the Caribbean 450 miles East of Trinidad, U-155 sinks British tanker MV San Emiliano (36 crew and 4 gunners lost, 8 crew picked up by a US Army transport ship). Battle of the Atlantic 485 miles Southeast of the tip of Greenland, U-176 continues the attack on convoy SC-94 sinking British SS Radchurch which is drifting after being abandoned yesterday. 400 miles Southwest of Freetown, Sierra Leone, U-752 sinks Dutch SS Mendanau (16 Dutch crew escape in a motorboat, 69 killed in the explosion or drown - mostly Indian Lascar sailors). At 10.37 PM 750 miles West of Freetown, U-130 sinks Norwegian tanker SS Malmanger (2 killed, captain and chief engineer taken prisoner and sent to POW camp in France, 30 survivors reach West Africa in 2 lifeboats). German armed merchant cruiser Stier shells British freighter MV Dalhousie then sinks her with torpedoes after the crew of 37 are taken on board. Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (11th AF): 6 bombers fly armed reconnaissance over Kiska and Attu and hit Kiska. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CATF): In China, P-40s of the 23d Fighter Group continue to support Chinese ground forces by harassing the Japanese at Linchwan; 4 B-25s and 3 P-40s from the Kweilin-Hengyang area, staging through Nanning, bomb docks and warehouses at Haiphong, French Indochina, causing considerable damage and claiming a freighter sunk in the harbor; this is the first CATF raid over French Indochina. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th AF): B-17s bomb shipping and Lakunai Airfield and Gasmata. Lost is B-17E 41-2452. B-26s hit the harbor area at Salamaua. GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN Solomon Islands - After losing 4 cruisers overnight (plus another cruiser and 2 destroyers badly damaged), the commander of the Allied Fleet (American Admiral Richmond Turner) decides the risk from Japanese bombers and warships is too great. Turner withdraws his ships, but most of the heavy equipment, ammunition and food for the Marines on Guadalcanal has not been unloaded and is still aboard the transports. Photo: A U.S. Navy ships of the invasion force steaming out of the Guadalcanal-Tulagi area during the afternoon of 9 August 1942. Photographed from USS Chicago (CA-29), the view looks westward, with Guadalcanal island in the background. USS Crescent City (AP-40) is at the left. A Curtiss SOC "Seagull" floatplane is in the foreground, on Chicago's starboard catapult Photo: The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Chicago (CA-29) off Guadalcanal the day after the Battle of Savo Island, showing crewmen cutting away damaged plating to enable the ship to get underway. She had been torpedoed at her extreme bow during the night action of 9 August 1942. The view looks forward along her port side, with the No. 1 eight-inch gun turret in the upper right. Note the life rafts hung on the turret side and the destroyers in the distance Despite a 50-foot (15.24 meter) gash in her side, the USN destroyer USS Jarvis (DD-393), which was severely damaged by a torpedo yesterday off Guadalcanal, is considered seaworthy and ordered to proceed under cover of darkness to Efate, New Hebrides. Apparently unaware of the order, her captain, decided to steam to Sidney, Australia, for immediate repairs. Unnoticed by her own ships, USS Jarvis departed Tulagi at 0000 hours local and moved slowly westward through "Ironbottom Sound" and between Savo Island and Cape Esperance. At 0134 hours she passed 3,000 yards northward of Rear Admiral Mikawa's cruisers, steaming to meet the Americans at the Battle of Savo Island. Mistaking her for a cruiser of the New Zealand Achilles-class, they fired torpedoes, and destroyer Yunagi later engaged her briefly, all without effect. The destroyer, continuing to retire westward, had little speed, no radio communications, and few operative guns; but she refused aid from the destroyer USS Blue upon being sighted at 0325 hours. Photo: U.S. Navy destroyers remove the crew from the sinking Royal Australian Navy heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra (D33) after the Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942. USS Blue (DD-387) is alongside Canberra´s port bow, as USS Patterson (DD-392) approaches from astern Photo: The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Blue (DD-387) transferring survivors from the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra (D33) to the transport USS Fuller (AP-14) following the Battle of Savo Island Photo: Scene on the port bridge wing of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-7), during operations off Guadalcanal. Among those present are (from left to right, in the right center) Commander D.F. Smith (hatless); Captain Forrest P. Sherman, Commanding Officer (wearing helmet); Rear Admiral Leigh Noyes, Commander Task Group 61.1 (facing camera); and Lieutenant Commander Wallace M. Beakley, Commander Wasp Air Group, who is making his report to RAdm. Noyes. Note Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless scout bombers (one with a rather small national star painted on its fuselage) on the flight deck and .30 caliber machine gun mounted on the bridge bulwark After daybreak, a scout plane from the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga sighted her 40 miles off Guadalcanal, trailing fuel oil and down by the bow. That was the last time Americans saw her. The Japanese, however, still mistaking Jarvis for an escaping cruiser, dispatched 31 planes from Rabaul to search out and destroy her. Once discovered, the badly damaged destroyer was torpedoed and, according to Japanese records, "split and sank" at 1300 hours on 9 August with the loss of all hands. In support of operations in the Solomon Islands, USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses of the Allied Air Forces bomb shipping and airfields at Rabaul, New Britain Island and Gasmata Island off the southern coast of New Britain Island. Photo: The Royal Australian Navy light cruiser HMAS Hobart (D63) escorting troopships while attached to United States forces landing U.S. Marines in the Solomon Islands. Hobart was covering the withdraw of the transport force following the Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942 Photo: The Royal Australian Navy heavy cruiser HMAS Australia (D84) underway off the north shore of Guadalcanal as the invasion task force leaves the area on 9 August 1942, following the Battle of Savo Island. Savo Island is in the distance Map: Chart of the approach and departure of Mikawa's ships from the battle area NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN Kokoda Track, Papua - Overwhelming numbers of Japanese troops recapture Kokoda airfield from Australian 39th Battalion, Company A.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Aug 10, 2021 2:46:08 GMT
Day 1066 of World War II, August 10th 1942Eastern Front Case Blue - German 13th Panzer and 16th Motorized Divisions (1st Panzer Army) reach the Soviet oilfield at Maikop, having driven West 100 miles from Stavropol in 6 days. They capture Maikop unopposed due to a Brandenburger Commando unit (commanded by Baron Adrian von Fölkersam), dressed as NKVD, who order Soviet troops to retreat. Further East, other elements of 1st Panzer Army reach the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, covering 260 miles in 16 days, but the bulk of Soviet oil production lies on the other side of the mountains. Photo: Marshal Gunther von Kluge (in the center) while discussing the frontline situation with General Gustaw Fehn (right). The officers sit in the open space at the table above the map Battle of the Mediterranean Off the coast of Palestine. At 1.20 AM, U-77 sinks Palestinian sailboat Kharouf with the deck gun. 7 miles off Haifa, British anti-submarine trawler HMS Isley depth charges and sinks Italian submarine Scirè which is on a mission to launch “maiali” manned torpedoes (44 crew and 11 “maiali” operators killed). Battle of the Caribbean 50 miles East of Antigua, U-510 hits British MV Alexia with 3 torpedoes. Although badly damaged, MV Alexia does not sink and will be repaired and commissioned into Royal Navy in December 1943 as auxiliary escort carrier HMS Alexia. Battle of the Atlantic 1500 miles East of Trinidad, Italian submarine Reginaldo Giuliani sinks British MV Medon with the deck gun (all 64 hands escape in 4 lifeboats; rescued after 7 days by Norwegian MV Tamerlane, after 8 days by Panamanian SS Rosemount, after 35 days by Portuguese SS Luso and after 36 days by British SS Reedpool). U-boats continue to swarm over convoy SC 94, 500 miles West of Ireland. At midday, U-438 and U-660 attack simultaneously from both sides, while Allied escorts are busy chasing submarine contacts at the rear of the convoy. U-438 and U-660 sink 4 merchant ships, including Greek SS Condylis which is hit by torpedoes from both submarines. At 6.50 PM 150 miles Northeast of Paramaribo, Suriname, U-155 sinks Dutch MV Strabo with the deck gun (all 13 crew reach Paramaribo a week later). At 9.30 PM 140 miles East of Turks and Caicos Islands, U-600 stops British sailing ship Vivian P. Smith with a shot across the bow. After allowing all 11 crew to abandon ship (they reach Turks Island), U-600 sinks Vivian P. Smith with the deck gun. Battle of the MediterraneanOvernight, a British convoy of 13 freighters and American tanker SS Ohio, carrying 170,000 barrels of fuel oil, passes through the Strait of Gibraltar to make a final effort to resupply Malta (escorted by 4 aircraft carriers, 2 batttleships, 7 cruisers, 34 destroyers). This massive force does not go unnoticed by Italians and Germans who deploy submarines to intercept. United StatesPhoto: The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Whipple (DD-217) off Mare Island, California (USA), on 10 August 1942 Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN In the Aleutian Islands, the USAAF's 11th Air Force dispatches 5 B-17 Flying Fortresses and 3 B-24 Liberators to bomb Kiska Island targets; fighters and AA down 1 B-24. GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN In the Solomon Islands, the first aircraft lands on Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. The aircraft, a PBY-5A Catalina, is assigned to the Commander, South Pacific Force. Photo: Henderson Field on Guadalcanal in August 1942, soon after Allied aircraft began operating out of the airfield CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CATF): In China, B-25s bomb Hankow; afterwards the P-40 escorts, led by Colonel Robert L Scott, strike ammunition dumps and military warehouses at Sienning, causing heavy destruction of material which the Japanese have accumulated to use against Hengyang and other US bases in central China. NEW IRELAND Off New Ireland Island in the Bismarck Archipelago, the IJN's Cruiser Division 6, which had inflicted one of the worst defeats of the war on Allied surface ships in the Battle of Savo Island yesterday, are nearing Kavieng. At 0750 hours, the submarine USS S-44 (SS-155) sights the formation, four heavy cruisers, their track less than 900 yards (823 meters) away. At 0806 hours, the submarine fires four torpedoes at the rear ship, Kako, only 700 yards (640 meters) away. By 0808, all four torpedoes have exploded; heavy cruiser Kako is sinking, and S-44 has begun her escape. By 0812 hours, Japanese destroyers have started depth charging, without success; S-44 reaches Brisbane, Australia, on 23 August. Drawing: recognition drawing of Kako sister ship Furutaka
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Aug 11, 2021 2:48:15 GMT
Day 1067 of World War II, August 11th 1942Eastern Front German 6th Army crosses the River Don and meets up with 4th Panzer Army which has been moving South of the Don, capturing the town of Kalach. Further South in the Caucasus, German 1st and 17th Armies race across the flat Kuban plain towards the Black Sea coast, threatening the Soviet port of Novorossisk. Soviet exodus of ships, naval troops and supplies out of Novorossisk continues and many vessels are scuttled to prevent capture by the Germans. Air War over Europe Overnight, 154 RAF bombers (68 Wellingtons, 33 Lancasters, 28 Stirlings and 25 Halifaxes) raid Mainz, Germany, just across the Belgian border. The centre of Mainz is badly damaged (152 killed). 3 Wellingtons, 2 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster are lost. Battle of the Atlantic 870 miles West of Freetown, Sierra Leone, U-130 sinks Norwegian SS Mirlo (all 37 crew abandon ship in 3 lifeboats, picked up by British sloop HMS Banff, destroyer HMS Boreas and armed trawler HMS Canna on August 18 - 20). At 7.13 PM 1050 miles West of Freetown, U-109 sinks British tanker SS Vimeira (7 killed, 37 survivors in 2 lifeboats picked up by British SS Sylvia de Larrinaga on August 12 and British corvette HMS Crocus on August 22). Battle of the MediterraneanOperation Pedestal - In the Mediterranean, Italian and German aircraft and submarines converge on the Malta supply convoy. British aircraft carrier HMS Furious flies off 37 Spitfires to Malta, then turns back for Gibraltar. At 1.15 PM 70 miles South of Cape Salinas, Majorca, U-73 hits British aircraft carrier HMS Eagle with 4 torpedoes, which sinks in 4 minutes with 16 Sea Hurricane fighters depriving Pedestal of much-needed air cover (160 killed, 927 survivors picked up by British destroyers HMS Laforey and HMS Lookout and tug HMS Jaunty). 4 Sea Hurricanes are airborne at the time and land on other carriers. At 8 PM, Italian fighters and bombers attack in force but do little damage. Photo: The loss of HMS EAGLE and the first air attacks: A general view of the convoy under air attack showing the intense anti-aircraft barrage put up by the escorts. The battleship HMS RODNEY is on the left and the cruiser HMS MANCHESTER on the right Photo: HMS NELSON during the air battles on 12 August 1942 Photo: The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Eagle sinking after being torpedoed by the German submarine U-73, 11 August 1942. Eagle took part in operation "Pedestal", covering a convoy to Malta Photo: The salvage tug JAUNTY heads toward the sinking HMS EAGLE
Photo: On the horizon HMS EAGLE, is listing heavily to starboard. She is in the process of capsizing and sinking in the Mediterranean Sea, off Malta, 11 August 1942. A Dido Class Cruiser is heading towards EAGLE to rescue survivors
 Photo: HMS EAGLE lying on her beam ends while an unidentified destroyer drops a depth charge to discourage further submarine attacks Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (11th AF): In the Aleutian, 1 B-24 flies photo reconnaissance over W Semichi and the N coast of Attu . CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CATF): In China, P-40s hit airfields at Yoyang and Nanchang from which the enemy has been attacking Hengyang. ESPIRITU SANTO 98th Bombardment Squadron, 11th BG (Heavy), moves from Hickam Field, Oahu, Hawaii to Espiritu Santo ; they have been operating B-17s from Plaine Des Gaiacs, New Caledonia since 21 Jul. GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN On Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, 6 IJN A6M "Zekes," based on Rabaul, strafe US Marines working on Henderson Field. Photo: The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3), USS Enterprise (CV-6) in the left distance, operating near a rain squall in the Solomons Islands area, 11 August 1942 NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN Australian forces retreat 5 miles from Deniki toward Templeton's Crossing on the Kokoda Trail. They are approaching the summit of the Owen Stanley Mountains in their retreat towards Port Morsby, New Guinea.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Aug 12, 2021 2:47:09 GMT
Day 1068 of World War II, August 12th 1942Eastern Front Case Blue - The German drive into the Caucasus is weakened as General Erich von Manstein is sent (along with 4 Divisions of 11th Army) to command the ongoing siege of Leningrad (in its 339th day). Air War over Europe Overnight, 138 RAF bombers return to Mainz, Germany, badly damaging the city centre, including the railway station, and industrial areas (40 - 163 killed). The villages of Kempten and Gaulsheim, 15 miles West of Mainz, are each hit by a 4,000lb bomb (130 houses damaged in Kempten, 97 in Gaulsheim). 2 Lancasters, 1 Hampden, 1 Stirling and 1 Wellington are lost. Battle of the Mediterranean German and Italian aircraft, submarines and torpedo boats constantly attack the Pedestal convoy. At noon, two 500 pound bombs hit British aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable, rendering the flight deck unusable, leaving only 1 carrier HMS Victorious to defend the convoy. 10 miles off Bizerte, Tunisia, British destroyers HMS Ithuriel and HMS Pathfinder bring Italian submarine Cobalto to the surface with depth charges. HMS Ithuriel rams and sinks Cobalto (2 killed also 2 British sailors who attempt to board, 41 survivors taken POW by HMS Ithuriel), badly damaging HMS Ithuriel’s bow (under repair until October). At 8 PM, a salvo of 4 torpedoes from Italian submarine Axum sinks cruiser HMS Cairo (24 killed, 320 taken off by destroyer HMS Derwent) and damages cruiser HMS Nigeria (52 killed) and tanker SS Ohio. At dusk (9.30 PM), Italian torpedo bombers sink destroyer Foresight (4 killed, crew is taken off by destroyer HMS Tartar). Italian bombers or submarines sink 3 freighters and blow a huge hole in the bows of MV Brisbane Star. Photo: HMS Indomitable maneuvering astern of HMS Victorious Photo: A Hawker Sea Hurricane fighter taking off from HMS INDOMITABLE Photo: HMS Indomitable (92) on fire after being bombed. A Dido-class cruiser, HMS Charybdis (88), is screening the carrier Photo: HMS KENYA under air attack on her return voyage to Gibraltar Photo: A distant view of HMS NIGERIA stopped and on fire after being torpedoed. Admiral Burrough transferred to HMS ASHANTI leaving NIGERIA to return to Gibraltar
![]()  Photo: The score-board for the successes of HMS Indomitable's air group painted on the island. Indomitable's fighters claimed to have shot down 38 Axis aircraft Photo: Detailed photograph of the damage to HMS Indomitable's flight deck Photo: A bomb falling astern of MS Glenorchy, which was later sunk by air attack 50 miles Northwest of Algiers, Algeria, Italian submarine Dagabur approaches British aircraft carrier HMS Furious (returning to Gibraltar from Operation Pedestal after flying off Spitfires to Malta) but is detected on the surface by British destroyer HMS Wolverine, which rams and sinks Dagabur. HMS Wolverine’s bow is badly damaged (under repair until December). Battle of the Atlantic 10 miles South of Key West, Florida, U-508 sinks 2 small Cuban freighter SS Santiago de Cuba (10 killed, 19 survivors) and SS Manzanillo (23 dead). British submarines HMS Sturgeon and HMS Unshaken, patrolling separately 20 miles off the coast of Southern Norway, sink German freighters SS Boltenhagen and SS Georg L.M. Russ, respectively. At 5 PM, Churchill arrives in Moscow, having frown from Cairo, Egypt, via an overnight stop in Tehran, Iraq. At 7 PM, he meets Stalin for the first time, at the Kremlin, and informs him that there will be no “second front” in Europe in 1942 (Stalin has been counting on this to relieve German pressure on USSR). Churchill lifts Stalin’s gloom by informing him about the upcoming Anglo/American invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch) and also promising an invasion of France in 1943. YouTube (Mr Churchill In Moscow, 1942)United StatesThe US light cruiser USS Cleveland, operating in the Chesapeake Bay, demonstrated the effectiveness of the radio-proximity fuze against aircraft by destroying 3 radio-controlled drones with 4 proximity bursts fired from her 5-inch guns. This successful demonstration led to mass production of the fuze. Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (11th AF): In the Aleutian, 1 B-24 flies photo reconnaissance over Amlia and Atka . SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th AF): B-17s bomb shipping Simpson Harbor scoring damaging hits on 3 vessels. Five Allied transport aircraft tasked with dropping supplies to allied troops at Kagi, Kokoda and Wau. 71st Bombardment Squadron, 38th BG (Medium), moves from Batchelor Field to Breddan Field, Australia with B-25s; first mission is 15 Sep. (5th AF)Vanuatu - Americans build additional bases in New Hebrides to support Guadalcanal operation. GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN A PBY Catalina, piloted by Adm. McCain's aide, is the first aircraft to land at, the yet unfinished, Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. On a run from Guadalancal to Tulagi, 2 Higgins boats and tank lighter are attacked by a IJN I-boat. After sinking one Higgins boat the submarine is bracketed by Battery E of the 11th Marines and submerges. The US forces on Guadalcanal are placed on reduced rations of 2 meals per day. This relatively large ration is possible due to the captured Japanese food stuffs. After dark a patrol led by Col. Frank Goettge (G-2, 1st MarDiv) leaves the Marine Perimeter, by boat 3 miles east, for the mouth of the Matanikau River. Stories from the 3 survivors tell of the glint of swords or bayonets as the patrol is slaughtered. This incident will profoundly affect the US forces throughout the war in the Pacific. Photo: The U.S. Navy aircraft carriers USS Wasp (CV-7) (foreground), USS Saratoga (CV-3), and USS Enterprise (CV-6) (background) operating in the Pacific south of Guadalcanal on 12 August 1942 NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN Papua - Japanese troops move up Kokoda Track toward Deniki. Overnight, 3 transports land more Japanese troops at Buna.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Aug 13, 2021 8:09:46 GMT
Day 1069 of World War II, August 13th 1942Battle of the Atlantic 400 miles Southwest of Freetown, Sierra Leone, U-752 sinks American SS Cripple Creek carrying 7500 tons of war supplies from USA to British 8th Army in Egypt (1 killed, 38 crew and 13 gunners in 3 lifeboats rescued after 4 days by British armed trawler HMS St. Winstan). 1400 miles West of Freetown, Italian submarine Reginaldo Giuliani sinks American SS California with the deck gun and torpedoes (1 killed, 35 survivors). Continuation warPhoto: Luftflotte 1 Commander, Colonel-General Alfred Keller arrives at Mensuvaara Airport to inspect German artillery ferries. Rear of the Heinkel He-111 aircraft Photo: a Luftwaffe (Einsatzstab Fähre Ost) heavy duty Siebel ferry (143 tonnes) at Lahdenpohja Battle of the Caribbean U-600 and U-658 attack as 2 USA-South America convoys pass the strait between Cuba and Haiti. At 5.07 AM, U-658 sinks Dutch SS Medea in convoy WAT 13 (5 killed, 23 rescued by convoy escorts). At 9.48 AM, U-600 sinks Latvian SS Everelza (23 killed, 14 rescued by convoy escorts) and American passenger/cargo ship SS Delmundo (8 killed including 3 passengers, 50 survivors including 5 passengers picked up by British destroyer HMS Churchill) in convoy TAW 12. In the Gulf of Mexico 25 miles off the coast of Louisiana, U-171 stops US tanker SS R.M. Parker Jr. with 2 torpedoes and finishes her off with the deck gun (all 37 crew and 7 gunners rescued 8 hours later by US Coast Guard auxiliary craft USS Pioneer). Battle of the Mediterranean At midnight in the Strait of Sicily between Tunisia and Sicily, 7 German and 8 Italian torpedo boats attack the Pedestal convoy sinking freighters MV Wairangi, MV Glenorchy, SS Almeria Lykes and SS Santa Elisa. At 1 AM 4 miles off Kellibia, Tunisia, Italian torpedo boats MAS16 and MAS22 immobilise British cruiser HMS Manchester (10 killed in the explosion, 122 drown abandoning ship, 312 rescued by destroyers HMS Pathfinder and HMS Eskimo, 300 survivors reach Tunisia and are interned by the Vichy French authorities) which is later sunk by torpedoes from HMS Pathfinder. Dive bombers attack at dawn, sinking freighters SS Waimarama (80 killed in an explosion of fuels drums on deck) and MV Dorset. Tanker SS Ohio (damaged yesterday by a torpedo) is bombed all day and brought to a standstill by bomb hits, near misses and 2 crash-landing dive bombers; Ohio is abandoned overnight, although her fuel tanks are mostly intact. RAF fighters from Malta arrive and chase off the bombers, allowing freighters MV Rochester Castle, MV Port Chalmers and MV Melbourne Star to reach Malta between 5.30 and 6.30 PM (all 3 captains are awarded the Distinguished Service Order). 6 Italian cruisers and 17 destroyers (which sortied yesterday from Messina, Sicily, to intercept the Pedestal convoy) return to base for lack of German air cover. 21 miles North of Capo d'Orlando, Sicily, British submarine HMS Unbroken torpedoes cruisers Bolzano (run aground to prevent sinking, towed to La Spezia for repairs) and Muzio Attendolo (loses 60 feet of her bow, towed to Naples for repairs). Photo: The Malta-going convoy under air attack showing the intense anti-aircraft barrage by the escorts. The battleship HMS Rodney is on the left and the cruiser HMS Manchester on the right Photo: Italian MAS (Motor Torpedo Boat) boat attacks, HMS Dido firing at night against Italian MAS boats Photo: The merchant ship Wairangi explodes after being bombed Photo: Arrival of the first ships at Malta: The Port Chalmers secured at her moorings in Grand Harbour, Valletta Photo: Arrival of the first ships at Malta: A Maltese priest watches Melbourne Star come to her moorings YouTube (Malta Convoy - Further Pictures, 1942)United Kingdom
Photo: Churchill III tank of 33rd Army Tank Brigade near Brockenhurst in the New Forest, 13 August 1942 Photo: Churchill tanks of 33rd Army Tank Brigade manoeuvre en masse near Brockenhurst in the New Forest, 13 August 1942. A Churchill Mk I, with hull-mounted 3-inch gun, can be seen leading the column North African campaignPhoto: A Grant tank loaded onto a Diamond T transporter, 13 August 1942
 Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (11th AF): 1 B-24 flies photo reconnaissance over Kiska . SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th AF): A Japanese convoy, headed toward Basabua near Gona, with 3,000 construction troops, is attacked first by B-17s 76 mi NE of Gona, followed by B-26s 20-25 mi N of Gona and another B-17 attack as the convoy approaches landing position. Lost is B-26 40-1492. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN Papua - Japanese harass Australians at Deniki to precipitate a retreat without resorting to a full attack, firing their single field gun at Australian positions and probing around the edge of the defenses. Japanese also land more troops at Buna to reinforce the attack along the Kokoda Track.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Aug 14, 2021 14:48:06 GMT
Day 1070 of World War II, August 14th 1942YouTube (No Soviet Oil for Hitler)Eastern Front Case Blue. German 6th Army and 4th Panzer Army burn forests to smoke out and annihilate remnants of Soviet 62nd Army (8 rifle divisions and 5 artillery regiments) who have been surrounded on the West bank of the Don Bend since the Germans captured Kalach 3 days ago. Other elements of 4th Panzer Army capture Elista in the middle of the Caucasus plain, North of the River Don. Further South in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, 1st Panzer Army reaches the oil town of Grozny which sends oil along a 384 mile pipeline to the Black Sea port of Tuapse. Photo: German troops attack in the area of the river and lake Orel. PzKpfw 38 (t) Ausf E / F tanks visible
 Battle of the Atlantic 700 miles Southwest of Cape Verde Islands, Italian submarine Reginaldo Giuliani sinks British SS Sylvia de Larrinaga (3 killed). On board are 17 survivors rescued 2 days ago from British tanker SS Vimeria, who get back in their lifeboat from SS Vimeria and will be picked up by Norwegian MV Siranger on September 11, after drifting for 28 days. South of St. Helena, German armed merchant cruiser Michel sinks British freighter SS Arabistan with 6 inch shells and machinegun fire from point blank range (23 British crew and 43 Indian Lascars killed, 1 survivor Chief Engineer Edwin Goodridge is picked up next morning clinging to wreckage). Battle of the Mediterranean Operation Pedestal - Tanker SS Ohio, which is carrying a crucial cargo of fuel to Malta, is still afloat despite listing badly with her back broken. SS Ohio, abandoned overnight, is reboarded and taken in tow by British destroyers HMS Penn, HMS Bramham & HMS Ledbury, and minesweeper HMS Rye. SS Ohio is hit by several more bombs, causing many breaks in the tow line, but she is held together and buoyed up by the warships lashed to her. Despite an enormous hole in the bow caused by a torpedo 2 days ago, British freighter MV Brisbane Star reaches Malta at 4.15 PM (Captain Frederick Neville Riley is awarded the Distinguished Service Order). Photo: HMS Nigeria listing after being hit by a torpedo Battle of the Caribbean 50 miles Northeast of Pueto Padre, Cuba, U-598 attacks convoy TAW-12 sinking British freighter SS Michael Jebsen (7 killed, 40 survivors picked up by a US patrol boat) and British tanker SS Empire Corporal (6 killed, 49 survivors picked up by US motor torpedo boat PT-498) and damaging British tanker MV Standella (6 killed, 52 survivors). United States Photo: The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Woodworth (DD-460) off Mare Island, California (USA), on 14 August 1942. She was under repair at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard from 6 to 16 August 1942 and again from 20 August to 31 August 1942 Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (11th AF): In the Aleutians, a B-24 trying to fly photo reconnaissance over Tanaga and Adak aborts over Kiska due to weather. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th AF): B-17s attack shipping off Gona, New Guinea. Lost on a recon mission is B-17E "Chief Seattle" 41-2656. BORNEO US submarine USS Seawolf sinks Japanese passenger-cargo ship SS Hachigen Maru in the Sibitu Passage, just off the Northeast tip of Borneo. US submarine USS S-39 is stuck after grounding on submerged rocks off Rossel Island, 380 miles East of Guadalcanal. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN Papua - Japanese harassment of Australian positions and rumours of Japanese infiltration to the rear cause Major Cameron to withdraw Australian 39th Battalion from Deniki (Australian losses 5 killed, 8 wounded; Japanese losses 3 killed, 6 wounded). They retreat 4 miles to the Eora Creek at Isurava. Japanese also land 3000 troops of the 14th and 15th Naval Construction Units at Buna to build a major base for operations. GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN 3 IJN G4M "Betty" bombers from Rabaul circle and photograph Henderson Field just above the range of the Marines 90 mm AA guns.
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Post by lordroel on Aug 15, 2021 3:01:05 GMT
Day 1071 of World War II, August 15th 1942Eastern Front Case Blue - At 4.30 AM, German 6th Army launches an offensive against the remnants of Soviet 4th Tank Army who are surrounded on the West bank of the Don Bend. Further South in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, 1st Panzer Army attacks the oil town of Grozny which is defended by Soviet 9th and 37th Armies. Stalin has decided to defend the oil supply and to stop the Germans at the Caucasus Mountains. Air War over Europe Overnight in bad weather, 131 RAF aircraft inaccurately bomb Düsseldorf, Germany. A 4000lb bomb causes much damage in the nearby town of Neuss (1 killed; 13 injured). 2 Lancasters, 1 Hampden & 1 Wellington are lost. Battle of the Atlantic 570 miles West of Ireland, U-705 attacks convoy SC 95, sinking American SS Balladier (13 killed, 32 survivors in 1 lifeboat, 2 rafts and a float rescued by another convoy SC 95 vessel, American SS Norluna). Battle of the MediterraneanMap: route of Il-Konvoj ta' Santa Marija (Santa Maria Convoy) At 7 AM, tanker SS Ohio arrives at Malta, carrying crucial fuel for the island (Captain Dudley Mason is awarded the George Cross). SS Ohio is kept afloat by British destroyers HMS Penn and HMS Ledbury, and this cluster of ships is protected from further air attacks by Spitfires while coastal batteries chase off U-boats and torpedo boats. SS Ohio finally sinks in Valetta Harbour after her cargo of kerosene and fuel oil is quickly pumped out. Operation Pedestal has cost aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, cruisers HMS Manchester and HMS Cairo, destroyer HMS Foresight and 9 freighters. However, the fuel and 32,000 tons of supplies save Malta from being starved out of the war and subsequent RAF and Royal Navy actions prevent supply ships reaching Rommel in Libya. Photo: The arrival of the OHIO at Malta: The damaged tanker OHIO, with destroyers alongside, moving slowly through the minefield outside Grand Harbour, Valletta Photo: The damaged tanker Ohio, supported by Royal Navy destroyers, approaches Malta Photo: Arrival of the Brisbane Star in the Grand Harbour at Valetta, Malta. Bristane Star had been torpedoed and damaged on 12 August. She proceeded independently to Malta where she arrived on 15 August United StatesPhoto: The USS Indiana at the Norfolk Naval Station in 1942 Pacific War GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN On Guadalcanal, 10,819 US Marines have little equipment and enough food for 17 days at 2 meals per day. However, help is at hand. The unfinished Japanese airfield at Lunga Point is completed with capture Japanese equipment, declared open and renamed Henderson Field after Marine Major Lofton Henderson (killed in the Battle of Midway). US transport ships Colhoun, Gregory, Little and McKean arrive with supplies. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th AF): 65th Bombardment Squadron, 43d BG (Heavy), moves from Williamstown to Torrens Creek, Australia with B-17s; first mission is 12 Nov.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Aug 16, 2021 2:50:08 GMT
Day 1072 of World War II, August 16th 1942Battle of the Atlantic Kriegsmarine believes Allied ships are moving up the East coast of South America in the safety of the neutral Brazilian coastal waters. In a blatant act of aggression, U-507 sinks 3 Brazilian passenger ships SS Baependy (55 crew and 215 passengers, including 145 troops, killed; 36 survivors), MV Araraquara (66 crew and 65 passengers killed, 11 survivors) and SS Annibal Benévolo (67 crew and 83 passengers killed, 4 survivors) between midnight and 9.13 AM off Aracaju, Brazil. 620 miles West of Ireland, U-596 stops neutral Swedish MV Suecia but discovers a cargo of steel, phosphate, tobacco and pulp from USA to Britain. U-596 sinks MV Suecia with a torpedo after all 35 crew and 12 passengers abandon ship (1 man falls overboard and drowns, 46 survivors escape in 3 lifeboats but 8 men in 1 boat are never found). Battle of the Mediterranean Operation Baritone - British aircraft carrier HMS Furious departs Gibraltar carrying 32 Spitfire fighters for Malta, escorted by cruiser HMS Charybdis and destroyers HMS Antelope, Bicester, Derwent, Eskimo, Keppel, Laforey, Lookout, Lightning, Malcolm, Somali, Venomous and Wishart. The Spitfires arrived from Britain in crates on the freighter Empire Clive and have been assembled ashore. Of the coast of Palestine, U-77 continues wreaking havoc on small fishing boats, sinking Palestinian sailboat Daniel with the deck gun. Photo: HMS Mauritius, a Fiji Class Cruiser at Sea. August 1942 United States The 35,000-ton South Dakota Class battleship USS Alabama is commissioned at the U.S. Navy Yard in Norfolk, Virginia. Alabama is the last of four battleships to be completed this year; the others are South Dakota, Indiana and Massachusetts. Pacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN In the Aleutians, a US 11th Air Force B-24 Liberator aborts a photo reconnaissance flight over Adak Island because of mechanical failure. The IJA 32nd Independent Field Anti-aircraft Battery arrives on Attu Island. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN Papua - 3 Japanese transports escorted by cruiser Tatsuta and two destroyers land more troops at Buna. GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN Japanese aerial reconnaissance of Guadalcanal 4 days ago spotted few US troops and no large ships offshore; they are convinced that most of the Marines have been withdrawn and that the island is lightly held. Japanese 28th Infantry Regiment under Colonel Kiyonao Ichiki is sent to retake Guadalcanal. 916 troops (Ichiki Detachment) leave Truk naval base for an immediate landing aboard 6 Japanese destroyers, while the remainder of the Regiment follows on slower transports for the journey 1200 miles South.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Aug 17, 2021 2:54:00 GMT
Day 1073 of World War II, August 17th 1942Air War over Europe Overnight, 139 RAF bombers attack Osnabrück, Germany, just across the Dutch border (77 houses and 4 military buildings destroyed, 7 killed, 15 injured). 3 Wellingtons, 1 Lancaster are 1 Stirling are lost. The USAAF's VIII Bomber Command in England flies Mission 1. Twelve B-17E Flying Fortresses of the 97th Bombardment Group based at Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire, takeoff at 1527 hours. The lead aircraft of the first flight of six is named "Butcher Shop" and is piloted by Colonel Frank A. Armstrong, the group commander; the co-pilot is Major Paul W. Tibbets, (the pilot of the B-29 "Enola Gay" which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in August 1945.)The lead aircraft of the second group is "Yankee Doodle" and this aircraft carries Major General Ira C. Eaker, Commanding General, VIII Bomber Command. The B-17s rendezvous with four squadrons of RAF Spitfire Mk. IXs and proceed to the target, the Sotteville marshalling yard at Rouen France. A second diversion force of six B-17s took off at 1512 hours from Polebrook, Northamptonshire, headed for France but then turned around and returned to base. All 12 aircraft bomb at 1739-1746 hours; the bombing was reasonably accurate with about half the bombs falling in the general target area. The escorts kept Luftwaffe fighters at bay but one Bf 109 got within range and was claimed as damaged by a ball turret gunner. The main force returns to base shortly after 1900 hours. Photo: Rouen-Sotteville target assessment photograph Photo: A B-17E Flying Fortress (serial number 41-2578) nicknamed "Butcher Shop" of the 97th Bomb Group, photographed 17 August 1942 Arctic naval operationsBetween 5.26 and 9.20 AM off Matveev Island in Pechora Sea, U-209 attacks a Soviet convoy with gunfire, sinking tugs Komsomolec & Komiles and barges Sh-500 & P-4 (305 crew, port workers and political prisoners killed, 23 survivors picked up by tug Nord and minesweepers T-54 & T-62). Battle of the Atlantic U-507 continues attacking neutral ships close to the coast of Brazil, sinking Brazilian SS Itagiba which is carrying 121 passengers, mainly soldiers, at 3.49 PM (36 killed, 145 survivors) and Brazilian SS Arará (20 dead and 16 survivors) as she stops to pick up survivors from Itagiba at 6.03 PM. 200 miles Northeast of the Azores, U-566 sinks Norwegian MV Triton (all 40 crew, 2 gunners and 1 passenger picked up after 30 minutes by British SS Baron Dunmore in the same convoy). At 10.44 PM 200 miles off French Guiana, U-108 sinks US tanker MV Louisiana after a running battle lasting 6 hours (all 49 hands lost). Battle of the Caribbean In the Windward Passage, West of Haiti, U-658 attacks convoy PG-6 sinking Egyptian SS Samir and British SS Fort la Reine (3 killed, 41 survivors rescued by British corvette HMS Pimpernel and a US patrol boat) and damaging British MV Laguna (no casualties). Battle of the Mediterranean 40 miles off the Peloponnese peninsula, Greece, British submarine HMS Turbulent torpedoes Italian transport ship Nino Bixio which is carrying 3200 Allied POWs from Libya to Italy (336 killed mostly POWs, Nino Bixio is towed to shore with the survivors by convoy escorts, Italian destroyers Nicoloso da Recco and Saetta). 10 miles South of Sardinia, British submarine HMS Safari sinks Italian sailboat Ausonia with the deck gun. At 2.08 PM 50 miles North of Port Said, Egypt, U-83 sinks Canadian troopship SS Princess Marguerite carrying British troops from Port Said to Cyprus. Despite explosions of the fuel tanks and ammunition locker, only 5 crew and 44 troops are killed (129 crew and 954 troops picked up by convoy escorts, British destroyers HMS Hero and HMS Kelvin). In Operation Baritone, British aircraft carrier HMS Furious flies off 32 Spitfires to Malta, but 2 crash on takeoff (1 pilot killed). Churchill returns to Cairo, Egypt, by air from Moscow via Tehran, Persia. Photo: Supplies being distributed - Malta's Brave Visage- Everyday Life on the George Cross Island. 17 August 1942 B-25s of the 81st Bombardment Sqdn. (Medium) hit stores, depot and tank repair shops at Matruh, Egypt. This marked the debut of the B-25s of the 12th Bombardment Group in the Middle East. Pacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (11th AF): 1 B-24 flies photo reconnaissance over Buldir, Kiska and Amchitka despite heavy rain. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CATF): Unit moves in China: 16th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, from Kunming to Chungking with P-40s; 75th Fighter Squadron, 23d Fighter Group, from Hengyang to Chanyi with P-40s. GILBERT AND MARSHALL ISLANDS CAMPAIGN - RAID ON MAKIN ISLAND In Makin Atoll, Gilbert Islands, Companies "A" and "B," 2d Marine Raider Battalion (Lieutenant Colonel Evans F. Carlson, USMC), land on Butaritari Island. The purpose of this raid is to destroy Japanese installations, take prisoners, gain intelligence on the area and divert Japanese attention and reinforcements from the Solomon Islands; Intelligence estimates that there are 45 Japanese on the island. The Marines had been transported in the submarines USS Nautilus and USS Argonaut, each of which could carry a company. The submarines surfaced in heavy rain and high seas and Carlson changed the plans; originally, the two companies were to land on widely separated beaches but the new plan has them landing together. One platoon did not get the word and ended up landing alone in what became the enemy rear. The two companies crossed the island and then turned southwest towards the known Japanese positions and a fire fight soon ensued. The Japanese launched two banzai attacks which were easily dispatched; unknown to the Americans, these attacks nearly wiped out the Japanese garrison. At 1130 hours, two enemy aircraft appeared and they dropped bombs, none of which hit the Marines. Two hours later, 12 aircraft appeared, several of them seaplanes. Two large seaplanes landed in the lagoon and were fired upon by the Marines; one burst into flames and the other crashed on takeoff. The remaining aircraft bombed and strafed the island for an hour. The natives on the island reported that Japanese reinforcements had landed from the seaplanes and two small ships in the lagoon. Colonel Carlson believed there was a sizeable Japanese force on the island and it was decided to evacuate the troops in their rubber boats. However, a heavy surf soaked the outboard engines making them inoperative, boats capsized and equipment was lost. Several boatloads of troops made it to the submarines but Carlson and 120 men ended up on the shore where they remained into the next day. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th AF): A single B-17 bombs Kavieng. Japanese bomb 7-Mile Drome and destroys several aircraft on the ground including: DC-5 Tail Code VH-CXA. Damaged are C-49 Dakota 44-83228.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Aug 18, 2021 2:44:54 GMT
Day 1074 of World War II, August 18th 1942Eastern Front Case Blue - German 1st Panzer Army captures Krasnodar in the Kuban. Further South, 1st Panzer enters the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, moving towards the Black Sea oil port of Tuapse, resisted by Soviet 46th Army. Photo: German infantry is crossing the river in the Kuban area. The soldiers cross the river ford, one of them (1st left) is holding an MG-34 machine gun with a drum magazine on his shoulder
 Air War over Europe Overnight, in the first use of the Path Finder Force, 31 flare-carrying aircraft (7, 35, 83 and 156 Squadrons) lead 87 RAF bombers to Flensburg in Northern Germany on the Baltic Sea. They miss the target and mistakenly bomb the towns of Sønderborg and Abenra 25 miles further North in Denmark (26 houses destroyed, 660 houses damaged, 4 Danish civilians injured). 2 Wellingtons, 1 Halifax and 1 Stirling are lost. Battle of the Atlantic U-214, U-333, U-406, U-566, U-590, U-594 & U-653 (wolfpack Blücher) approach convoy SL-118, 565 miles West of Portugal. At 6.52 PM, U-214 fires 4 torpedoes sinking Dutch SS Balingkar (2 killed, 91 survivors) and British SS Hatarana (88 survivors picked up by Corabella and 20 by British corvette HMS Pentstemon) and damaging convoy escort, armed merchant cruiser HMS Cheshire (no casualties). A B-24 Liberator bomber (RAF 120 Squadron from Cornwall, England) seriously damages U-653, which returns to base at Brest, France (Matrosengefreiter Willi Pröhl is washed overboard as U-653 dives but is rescued by a British destroyer). Battle of the Caribbean 10 miles off the Southeast coast of Cuba, U-553 attacks convoy TAW-13, sinking British MV Emipre Bede carrying cotton from Egypt to USA (2 killed, 43 survivors picked up by British corvette HMS Pimpernel), American SS John Hancock carrying 10,517 tons of sugar from Hawaii via the Panama Canal (all 38 crew and 11 gunners in 4 lifeboats picked up after 3 hours by a British corvette) and Swedish MV Blankaholm (5 killed, 23 survivors). Battle of the Mediterranean British submarines disrupt Rommel’s supply lines across the Mediterranean, demonstrating the significance to the British of maintaining Malta. 45 miles South of the Italian island of Pantellaria, HMS United attacks a convoy from Trapani, Sicily, to Tripoli, sinking Italian transport MV Rosolino Pilo (previously damaged by motor torpedo boats). MV Rosolino Pilo explodes causing significant damage to HMS United. 10 miles South of Sardinia, HMS Safari sinks Italian freighter SS Perseo. Battle of the Baltic Sea Off Västervik, Sweden, Soviet submarine L3 sinks Swedish steamer C. F. Liljevalch loaded with 6000 tons of iron ore from Luleå, Sweden, to Germany (33 killed, 7 survivors rescued by Swedish destroyers escorting the convoy). United KingdomPhoto: British S class submarine HMSM Splendid underway off Sheerness on August 18, 1942, ten days after entering service United States Photo: The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CV-4) underway in Hampton Roads, Virginia (USA), on 18 August 1942. Her after elevator is partially lowered. She is painted in Camouflage Measure 12 (Modified) Pacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN A B-24 takes oblique photos of Amchitka and Tanaga ; Heavy fog over Kiska and Attu precludes armed reconnaissance. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th AF) Major General Clayton L Bissell becomes Commanding General 10th Air Force, relieving Brigadier General Earl L Naiden who now devotes full time to command of India-China Ferry Command under the 10th Air Force CATF: 76th Fighter Squadron, 23d Fighter Group, moves from Kweilin to Kunming, China with P-40s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th AF): For a second consecutive day a single B-17 attacks Kavieng Airfield; bombs fall in the airfield dispersal area. GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN The 900 men of the IJA 28th Regiment are landed at Taivu Point, east of the US Marine perimeter at Lunga Point on Guadalcanal. These men are commanded by Col. Ichiki. His orders are to attack the estimated 3,000 marines on Guadalcanal. If not successful in overrunning the airfield, he is to continue harrassing raids to prevent completion of the field, while awaiting the arrival of further reinforcements. Col. Ichiki plans to attack on his second night and requests permission to occupy Tulagi. He is a member of the "Bamboo Spear Tactics" school within the Japanese Army. Photo: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. 18 August 1942: Captain W.F. Martin Clemens (left, with beard), Coastwatcher and District Officer on Guadalcanal being debriefed by Lieutenant Colonel Buckley (second from left), Commanding Officer Division 2 (Intelligence), United States 1st Marine Division. Other identified personnel are: Lieutenant F. Kidd (third from left), Division 2, United States 1st Marine Corps, Flight Lieutenant Charles Widdy (right), RAAF, a guide with the 1st Marine Division. Obscured on the right is a Sergeant of the Division 2 Staff taking notes
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Aug 19, 2021 2:51:13 GMT
Day 1075 of World War II, August 19th 1942Eastern FrontSiege of Leningrad Day 346 - Soviets launch the Sinyavino Offensive to liberate Leningrad. Leningrad Front capture several bridgeheads across the Neva River to help close a 10 mile gap between them and troops of the Volkhov Front. However, Volkhov Front does not start its part of the offensive for several days. Western Front - Dieppe RaidAllies raid Dieppe, Northern France, to gather intelligence, capture prisoners, destroy coastal batteries and port facilities. Overnight, 5000 Canadian troops (2nd Canadian Infantry Division), 1000 British Commandos and 50 US Rangers cross the English Channel in 9 landing ships, escorted by 8 destroyers (HMS Albrighton, Berkeley, Bleasdale, Brocklesby, Calpe, Fernie, Garth and Polish ORP Ślązak), gunboat HMS Locust, minesweepers and numerous motor gun boats, steam gun boats and motor launches. Map: Dieppe Raid
 Photo: Troops in landing craft preparing to go ashore during Operation JUBILEE, the raid on Dieppe  At 3.50 AM, they exchange fire with a German convoy (steam gun boat SGB5 is set on fire and German UJ1404 is sunk) which alerts the shore defenders. At 5 AM, Allied troops come ashore at 6 beaches around Dieppe with 58 Churchill tanks, covered by 48 squadrons of RAF Spitfires and 8 squadrons of Hurricanes, but naval bombardment is minimal to prevent French civilian casualties. British No. 4 Commando (including the 50 US Rangers) destroys a battery of six 150 mm guns near Varengeville. Elsewhere, British and Canadian troops are trapped on the beaches and slaughtered by German machinegunners (1179 killed). German bombers sink British destroyer HMS Berkeley (33 landing craft are also lost to various causes), while destroyers HMS Calpe, HMS Brocklesby and HMS Fernie are damaged by bombers or shore batteries (550 killed or wounded). With the raid an evident failure, the beaches are evacuated between 11 AM and 2 PM but 2190 Allied troops are taken POW by the Germans and all of the tanks are destroyed or left behind. RAF loses 106 aircraft. German casualties are 311 killed and 48 aircraft lost by the Luftwaffe. Captain Patrick Porteous (No. 4 Commando), Reverend John Foote (Royal Hamilton Light Infantry) and Canadian Colonel Charles Merritt (South Saskatchewan Regiment) win the Victoria Cross (Foote and Merritt taken POW). Landing craft in the distance passing a destroyer on their way inshore during the Combined Operations daylight raid on Dieppe Photo: Light naval craft covering the landing during the Combined Operations daylight raid on Dieppe. MGB 321 is in the foreground whilst submarine chaser Q 014 can be seen in the middle distance Photo: A submarine chaser laying a smoke screen during the Combined Operations daylight raid on Dieppe Photo: Shells bursting among the shore batteries during the naval bombardment that was part of the Combined Operations daylight raid on Dieppe Photo: Daimler Dingo armoured car and two Churchill tanks bogged down on the shingle beach. The nearest Churchill tank has a flame thrower mounted in the hull, and the rear tank has lost a track. Both have attachments to heighten their exhausts for wading through the surf Photo: Dieppe's chert beach and cliff immediately following the raid on 19 August 1942. A Dingo Scout Car has been abandoned Photo: Two of the landing craft, one containing a Bren-carrier, come alongside a destroyer after returning from the beaches during the Combined Operations daylight raid on Dieppe. The landing craft mechanised are (left to right) LCM (1) 169 and LCM (1) 2 Photo: HMS BERKELEY settling down in the water after being bombed during the Combined Operations daylight raid on Dieppe. One of the destroyers boats is still alongside, empty but still attached to its davits Photo: The last men leaving HMS BERKELEY as she settled down in the water after being bombed during the Combined Operations daylight raid on Dieppe Photo: HMS BERKELEY being torpedoed by our own forces after being bombed during the Combined Operations daylight raid on Dieppe. Note how the plume of water caused by the explosion dwarfs the destroyer Photo: Commandos returning to Newhaven in their landing craft (LCAs) YouTube (The Dieppe Raid | Narrated by Alex Trebek)
Battle of the Atlantic10 miles off the coast of Brazil, U-507 stops Brazilian barque Jacyra with 2 rounds from the deck gun. Jacyra is sunk at 8 AM with scuttling charges after all 6 crew abandon ship in a lifeboat. 200 miles off the coast of French Guiana, U-510 sinks British MV Cressington Court (8 killed, 26 crew and 10 gunners picked up on September 10 by Dutch tanker MV Woensdrecht which is attacked 2 days later by U-515). 450 miles West of Portugal, U-406 torpedoes British SS City of Manila in convoy SL-118 (1 killed, 84 crew and 11 gunners rescued) which breaks apart and sinks next day. Battle of the Caribbean40 miles West of Grenada in the Caribbean, U-162 and U-564 attack convoy TAW(S). At 4.37 AM, U-162 sinks American SS West Celina (1 killed, 43 survivors). At 10.07 AM, U-564 sinks British SS Empire Cloud (3 killed, 51 survivors) and British tanker SS British Consul (2 killed, 40 survivors). 75 miles Southeast of Bonaire, U-217 mistakes khaki overalls of oil workers for military uniforms and shoots up British sailboat Sea Gull D. which is taking the workers to Aruba (3 killed, 71 rescued by Greek SS Kassos). Pacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN Mechanical failure prevents a US 11th Air Force B-24 Liberator from flying reconnaissance over Tanaga Island. GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN At 1 AM, Japanese destroyers Kagero, Kagikaze, Maikaze, Urakaze, Isokaze and Hamakaze land 916 troops (Ichiki Detachment) at Taivu Point, 22 miles East of the US positions at Lunga Point. Colonel Ichiki leaves 100 troops as a rear guard and leads 800 men towards the Marines. At dawn, they halt 9 miles East of the Lunga perimeter but send forward a patrol of 38. As a diversion from the landings, Japanese aircraft attack the US airstrip at Henderson Field. However, Australian coastwatchers warn the Americans of the landings and Captain Charles Brush leads a patrol of 60 Marines and 4 native scouts to investigate. At noon, the patrols meet at Koli Point (Japanese lose 33 killed, Marines have 3 dead and 3 wounded). US B-17 bombers attack the Japanese destroyers off Guadalcanal. A bomb hits Hagikaze destroying No. 3 (“Y”) gun turret and damaging the rudder and prop-shafts (33 killed, 13 wounded). Hagikaze proceeds at 6 knots to Truk for emergency repairs. SOLOMON CAMPAIGN General Nishino, with the Kawaguchi Detachment, approaches Guadalcanal by sea. His men read a training manual that says, "Westerners -- being very haughty, effeminate, and cowardly -- intensely dislike fighting in the rain or mist or in the dark. They cannot conceive night to be a proper time for battle -- though it is excellent for dancing. In these weaknesses lie our great opportunity. " Colonel Kiyamo Ichiki's First Echelon of 917 men arrives at Guadalcanal' s Taivu Point at 0100 hours local. The men unload and start marching in the dark nine miles to Tetere, where they take a break. Early in the morning, Martin Clemens is asked to provide native guides and scouts to locate the Ichiki force. Daniel Pule is assigned to a Marine patrol, and police Sergeant Major Jacob Vouza leads a native patrol of his own. Early that day, Marine Captain Charles H. Brush hits the trail with a patrol of 60 men from Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines. They run an encounter a 38-man patrol from Ichiki's detachment. A jungle firefight ensues, and the Marines kill all but five of the Japanese. Brush notes that the bodies of four Japanese officers and 29 men wear the star insignia of the Imperial Army as opposed to the chrysanthemum of the Imperial Navy on their fresh clothes. Obviously this is a new force. Their large amounts of communications equipment suggest a large unit. Their maps show the Japanese know the Marine positions. Brush immediately returns to headquarters. The Japanese survivors return to Ichiki's force and although his patrol has been annihilated, Ichiki presses on through the jungle. Marine General Vandegrift studies the captured maps, and realizes that the Japanese are coming and know his dispositions. His officers urge a counterattack but Vandegrift wisely decides to await the Japanese within his perimeter. The Marines will dig in along Alligator Creek, which Martin Clemens has named after its inhabitants, which are actually crocodiles. The Marines think the sluggish waterway is actually the Tenaru River. Three Japanese destroyers, Kagero, Hagikaze and Maikaze, shell Tulagi. Allied Air Forces B-17s, flying from Espiritu Santo, bomb the destroyers and one aircraft scores direct hits on the Hagikaze's stern, killing 33 and wounding 13. Hagikaze limps home. Photo: The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS San Juan (CL-54) coming alongside the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-7) on 19 August 1942 HAWAII Photo: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, aerial view on 19 August 1942 looking towards Navy Yard area at center and left, top, and over Ford Island at right. Note salvage operations in progress on the overturned USS Oklahoma (BB-37). Two battleships are moored along Ford Island, protected by prominent anti-torpedo nets. The nearer battleship is USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), the other is either USS Colorado (BB-45) or USS Maryland (BB-46)
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Aug 20, 2021 2:10:15 GMT
Day 1076 of World War II, August 20th 1942Eastern Front The Russians counter-attacked to the north of Stalingrad, but elsewhere German troops reached the Volga. The German 48.Panzerkorps attacked northeast from Abganerovo, but could not break clear of the Russian defenses in the hills of Tundutovo. On their northern flank, 4.Korps was also facing resolute Russian resistance. The titanic struggle for Stalingrad had begun. Photo: Elements of 24th Panzer Division advance towards Stalingrad in August 1942 Air War over Europe Overnight, Luftwaffe bombers mount a small raid on Portsmouth on the South coast of England. In England, the principle of coordinated day and night bombing receives its first formal definition in the "Joint British/American Directive on Day Bomber Operations involving Fighter Cooperation. " The emphasis is placed on achieving continuity in the bombing offensive from the UK. The US Eighth Air Force flies Mission 3; 11 B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb Longeau marshalling yard at Amiens, France at 1801 hours without loss. Battle of the Atlantic250 miles West of the Faroe Islands, a US Catalina flying boat (squadron VP-73) catches U-464 (a supply U-boat on the first patrol) on the surface. At 5.30 AM, the Catalina drops 5 depth charges, badly damaging U-464 which can make 8 knots but not dive (2 killed). Icelandic trawler Skaftfellingur takes off 51 survivors and, at 8.15, U-464 is scuttled. At 8.45 AM, the survivors are turned over to British destroyer HMS Castleton. United States The USN redesignates its "Jeep" carriers from Aircraft Escort Vessel (AVG) to Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier (ACV). In the U.S., the entire West Coast is ordered to dim city lights at night. Searchlights crisscrossing the sky at Hollywood movie premieres are extinguished for the duration. Limits have also been placed on movies studios relating to the amount of cloth they could use in costumes, the quantity of new construction they could devote to sets, and the amount of film stock they could purchase. Hollywood directors must learn to limit the number of "takes" when filming movies. Pacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN A US 11th Air Force B-24 Liberator flies photo reconnaissance over Kiska Island; a patrol is also flown over Shumagin Island. GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN Overnight, Japanese Colonel Ichiki moves his 770 troops forward to within a few miles of Henderson Field, stopping at 4.30 AM. Ichiki is still fooled by intelligence reports that a minimal American presence holds the airfield. However, after the clash of patrols at Koli Point yesterday, US Colonel Clifton Cates deploys 1st and 2nd battalions 1st Marine Regiment, plus two 37mm anti-tank guns loaded with canister shot, along the West bank of the Tenaru River (known as Alligator Creek to the Americans), while 75mm and 105mm artillery range their guns on the East side of Alligator Creek. In addition, US auxiliary carrier USS Long Island flies off 19 Grumman Wildcat fighters (VMF 223) and 12 Douglas Dauntless dive bombers (VMSB 232) to Henderson Field. In the evening, Colonel Ichiki moves forward to attack Henderson Field. At midnight, they are surprised to run into the US Marine defenses at Tenaru River (Alligator Creek). SOLOMON CAMPAIGN Late in the afternoon, the USN's Task Group 2.6, comprised of the auxiliary aircraft carrier USS Long Island the light cruiser USS Helena and destroyers USS Aylwin and USS Dale, reaches a point 190 miles southeast of Guadalcanal. USS Long Island is carrying 31 aircraft of two squadrons of Marine Aircraft Group Twenty Three. The 31 aircraft and the squadrons are: (1) 19 F4F-4 Wildcats of Marine Fighting Squadron Two Hundred Twenty Three and (2) 12 SBD-3 Dauntlesses of Marine Scout Bombing Squadron Two Hundred Thirty Two. The aircraft, the first U.S. aircraft to be based on the island, begin landing on Henderson Field at 1700 hours local. Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Thomas, operations officer of the 1st Marine Division, will later attributes to this event a boost in morale matched by no other event during the campaign. Henderson Field goes into operation after being captured from the Japanese, and completed by US forces. By this date, there are 10,000 American, 3,600 Japanese troops on the island. First fighter aircraft arrive on Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. Marine Fighter Squadron 223 and Scout Bombing Squadron 232, delivered by the escort carrier Long, initiated operations from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal (20 Aug) and were joined within a week by AAF fighter elements and dive bombers from the Enterprise, and by other elements as the campaign progressed. HAWAII Photo: The U.S. Navy fleet tug USS Vireo (AT-144) at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (USA), following repairs and overhaul, on 20 August 1942
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Post by lordroel on Aug 21, 2021 4:32:23 GMT
Day 1077 of World War II, August 21st 1942YouTube (Swastika Raised on Highest Point in Europe)Eastern Front Case Blue - At dawn, German 6th Army crosses the River Don at several points in inflatable boats and begins constructing pontoon bridges. On the Black Sea coast, German9th Infantry Division breaks through defences at Abinskaia and pushes on South towards Novorossiysk. In the Caucasus Mountains, German 4th Mountain Division troops reach the highest peak, Mount Elbrus, and raise the Nazi flag. Air War over Europe The USAAF attacked the Wilton shipyards at Rotterdam with 12 B-17s from the 97th BG. As 25 Bf 109s along with Fw 190s from II./JG 1, led by Oblt. Detlev Rohwer, attacked the formation, the bombers were recalled because of a lack of fighter escort. Despite the bombers turning around, the Focke-Wulfs pressed home their attack and succeeded in inflicting the first combat fatality of the war upon the US 8th AF, although the damaged B-17 made it back to England with 1 airman killed and 5 wounded. The fighters of II./JG 1 suffered 2 aircraft damaged as a result of the battle. Battle of the Atlantic100 miles Southwest of Freetown, Sierra Leone, U-506 sinks British SS City of Wellington carrying 2000 tons of copper ore, 500 tons of chrome ore and 5000 tons of general cargo from South Africa to Britain (7 killed, 61 crew and 5 gunners picked up by British destroyer HMS Velox). Battle of the MediterraneanB-24s from 2 US squadrons hit a convoy southwest of Crete, claiming 2 ships probably sunk. Luftwaffe fighters attacked a straggling B-24 and forced it to crash-land at sea. United StatesPhoto: Broadside view of Sepulga (AO-20) off Mare Island Navy Yard, 21 August 1942 Photo: USS Washington (BB-56) off New York City, New York, 21 August 1942. Note barge alongside amidships and OS2U floatplane afloat off her stern Pacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN In the Aleutians, a US 11th Air Force B-24 Liberator trying to fly reconnaissance over Kiska Island aborts due to weather. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN Japanese 41st Infantry Regiment (Yazawa Detachment) lands at Buna. General Tomitarō Horii's South Seas Force, charged with crossing the Kokoda Track through the Owen Stanley mountain range to Port Moresby, now consists of 8,000 infantry, 450 SNLF Marines and 3000 naval construction troops. At the Eastern tip of Papua, Australian 18th Infantry Brigade (veterans of the Siege of Tobruk) arrives at Milne Bay bringing Australian General Cyril Clowes’ Milne Force to 7,459 Australian and 1,365 US troops and 600 RAAF personnel. GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN - BATTLE OF THE TENARU Japanese Colonel Ichiki believes only a few Americans defend Henderson Airfield along the Tenaru River. At 1.30 AM, he sends 100 troops across the Tenaru River, supported by machineguns and mortars, but 2500 Marines mow them down with machinegun fire and anti-tank guns firing canister shot. At 2.30 AM, Ichiki sends another wave of 150 to 200 troops but they are also wiped out. Marine artillery and mortars find their range and wreak havoc as Ichiki's troops regroup between each attack. At 5 AM, Ichiki sends another wave along the beach but Marines turn their machineguns and artillery to stop them also. At 7 AM, the Marines counterattack inland and surround the remaining Japanese on the coast, who are then eliminated by five M3 Stuart tanks and strafing from US fighters. Japanese casualties are 740 dead, including Colonel Ichiki who is killed or commits suicide, and 15 taken prisoner (only 30 survivors escape back to the landing site at Taivu Point). US Marine lose 44 killed. Map: Map of the battle of August 21 The Japanese send G4M "Betty" bombers and A6M "Zeke" fighters to attack Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. The Marines have been warned by coastwatchers and the incoming raid is met by F4F Wildcats of VMF-223. The"Zekes" block the Marines attempt to attack the bombers and the G4Msbomb Henderson Field; 3 "Zekes" are shot down and 1 F4F and 1 SBD is destroyed.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Aug 22, 2021 6:05:49 GMT
Day 1078 of World War II, August 22nd 1942Eastern Front Case Blue - At midday, pontoon bridges begin carrying German 16th Panzer Division across the River Don. The way to the Volga and Stalingrad lies open. In the Black Sea, Soviet submarine M3 disappears near Odessa, Ukraine, presumably sunk on a German mine. Battle of the AtlanticOvernight in dense fog 225 mile South of Halifax, Nova Scotia, New Zealand troop transport HMNZS Awatea rams US destroyer USS Buck (escorting convoy AT-20), wrecking her keel and stern (7 killed). Primed depth charges are dislodged from USS Buck and explode under HMNZS Awatea causing damage. US destroyer USS Ingraham arrives to assist but collides with US Navy oiler USS Chemung. Again, primed depth charges on USS Ingraham explode and rip the ship apart (218 killed, 11 survivors rescued by USS Chemung). USS Chemung tows USS Buck to Boston and HMNZS Awatea is escorted to Halifax for repairs. 12 miles off the coast of Brazil, U-507 sinks Swedish MV Hammaren with the deck gun and 5 torpedoes (6 dead, 25 survivors in 1 lifeboat reach Brazil). Brazil declares war on Germany due to these attacks in Brazilian waters by U-507 that have killed over 600 people from neutral countries in a week. Battle of the CaribbeanIn the afternoon, 185 miles North of the Panama Canal, a Douglas B-18 Bolo bomber (US 45th Bombardment Squadron, from Howard Field in the Canal Zone) spots U-654 running at periscope depth and sinks her with depth charges (all 44 hands lost). Battle of the Mediterranean5 miles West of Tobruk, Italian torpedo boat Generale Antonio Cantore sinks on a mine (laid on August 12 by British submarine HMS Porpoise). B-25s hit tank and motor repair shops and storage dumps at Matruh, Egypt. A B-25 was mistakenly shot down by an RAF Beaufighter. German occupied France Japanese submarine I-30 departs Lorient, France, to return to Japan after her refit by the Germans. I-30 carries 50 top secret "T-Enigma" coding machines for communication between Kriegsmarine and Japanese Navy, plus other German technical developments (blueprints of the Würzburg air defense ground radar, 5 G7a aerial torpedoes and 3 G7e electric torpedoes, torpedo data computers, 200 20-mm anti-aircraft guns and Zeiss fire control systems) and industrial diamonds. Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (11th AF): A photo reconnaissance mission over Kiska is aborted due to overcast. Photo: Four U.S. Navy Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina aircraft in flight over a glacier in the Alaskan coast, 22 August 1942, the wartime censor has tried to erase the squadron code on the first PBY, which appears to be "43-P-16". VP-43 operated from Nazan Bay, Atka Island, against the Japanese on Kiska and Attu Islands PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7th Air Force): First AAF aircraft, 5 P-400s of the 67th Fighter Squadron, 58th Fighter Group, based on New Caledonia , arrive at Henderson Field, joining USMC aircraft which arrived earlier; these P-400s, which operate under control of Marine Aircraft Wing One (MAW-1), prove no match for Japanese Zekes or bombers at high altitudes. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th AF): B-17s bomb airfields at Lae and Lakunai Airfield. GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN US and Japanese warships contest control of Savo Sound off Guadalcanal. At 3.59 AM, Japanese destroyer Kawakaze torpedoes destroyer USS Blue, wrecking her engines and steering gear (9 killed, 21 wounded). Despite attempts to tow her, USS Blue will be scuttled at 10.21 PM next day. US aircraft counterattack Kawakaze without success (1 man wounded by machinegun fire). USAAF 67th Fighter Squadron with Bell P-400 Airacobra fighters arrives at Henderson Field. Photo: Five U.S. Army Air Force Bell P-400 Airacobra fighters of the 67th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group, after having arrived at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, on 22 August 1942. These planes were the first U.S. Army personnel or aircraft to reach Guadalcanal. The "P-400" was a modified P-39D originally built for the Royal Air Force. The first aircraft in line carries the British serial "BW167" Photo: Aerial view of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, on 22 August 1942, looking south-east. The buildings to south of runway "were intended for shops. They have 7/8 inch steel roofs." The aircaft visible on the field are Grumman F4F-4 Wildcats NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN The 18th Australian Brigade lands at Milne Bay. Allied troops in the Milne Bay area now numbered more than 8,800 and the fighting at Milne Bay resulted in the first defeat of a Japanese amphibious landing during the war. US 5th Air Force bombers attack Japanese bases at Lae, New Guinea, and Rabaul, New Britain. FORMOSA 25 miles North of Taipei, Formosa (Taiwan), US submarine USS Haddock sinks Japanese transport ship Tatsuho Maru carrying 10,000 gallons of aviation fuel to Dutch East Indies (12 crew and 26 passengers killed).
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Aug 23, 2021 5:36:10 GMT
Day 1079 of World War II, August 23rd 1942Eastern Front Case Blue - Having crossed the River Don yesterday, tanks of German 16th Panzer Division (part of 6th Army) race 40 miles across the hard, flat ground and reach the River Volga at Erzovka, 10 miles North of Stalingrad. Meanwhile, Luftwaffe bombers (General Wolfram von Richthofen’s Luftflotte 4) pulverise Stalingrad with high explosive bombs and incendiary canisters, burning 3/4 of the city to the ground (40,000 civilians killed). 115 miles Northeast at Chebotarevskiy on the River Don, 700 Italian saber-wielding cavalry overrun a Soviet artillery position (2000 troops) in a surprise attack, capturing 4 artillery pieces, 10 mortars, 50 machineguns and 500 POW's. In the Black Sea 40 miles off the Danube Delta, Soviet submarine M-36 sinks German tug Ankara. Arctic naval operationsIn lieu of the suspended merchant convoys, US cruiser USS Tuscaloosa arrives at Murmansk, USSR, escorted by US destroyers USS Rodman and USS Emmons and British destroyer HMS Onslaught, carrying two RAF Bomber Command squadrons, torpedoes, ammunition and medical supplies. Battle of the Atlantic At 11.37 PM 150 miles Southwest of Freetown, Sierra Leone, U-506 torpedoes British SS Hamla which sinks rapidly on the cargo of manganese ore (all 38 crew and 2 gunners lost). United StatesPhoto: USS Parrott (DD-218) departing Mare Island on 23 August 1942 Photo: Aerial starboard side view of the U.S. Navy troop transport USS West Point (AP-23) (ex America). Note the paravane wires trailing from the bow Pacific WarHAWAII (7th AF): 333d Fighter Squadron, 18th Fighter Group, is activated at Bellows Field, Hawaii and equipped with P-39s. GILBERT ISLANDS Japanese light cruiser Yubari, accompanied by four destroyers and supporting ships, shells Nauru Island in preparation for landings there. GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN - BATTLE OF THE EASTERN SOLOMONS US Admiral Fletcher with TF 61 and Japanese Admiral Nagumo with the units of the IJN begin skirmishes which will result in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons. The US force built around 3 fleet carriers and the IJN force is built around 2 fleet carriers and one escort carrier. These units of the IJN are charged with a mission of delivering additional troops and supplies in a convoy to Guadalcanal. This will develop into the 3rd carrier vs. carrier battle of the war. 1411 Japanese troops (the remainder of Colonel Ichiki’s 28th Infantry Regiment) and several hundred Japanese SNLF Marines in 3 transports, escorted by 5 cruisers and 8 destroyers, steam from Truk naval base for landings on Guadalcanal. A larger force (aircraft carriers Ryūjō, Shōkaku and Zuikaku, 2 battleships, 11 cruisers, 17 destroyers and seaplane carrier Chitose) follows with orders to engage the US carrier fleet when they come out to contest the landings. At 9.50 AM North of Guadalcanal, a US PBY Catalina flying boat (from the Santa Cruz Islands) spots the troop convoy, which quickly turns back to avoid expected air strikes. At 2.10 PM, US aircraft take off from aircraft carrier USS Saratoga and Henderson Field on Guadalcanal but fail to find the convoy. Overnight, Japanese destroyer Kagero bombards Henderson Field from Savo Sound without success. AUSTRALIA Between noon and 12.45 PM, American P-40 Warhawk fighters (USAAF 49th Fighter Group) shoot down 7 IJN bombers and 8 Zero fighters over Darwin, Australia.
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