lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Sept 23, 2021 2:49:57 GMT
Day 1109 of World War II, September 23rd 1942Eastern FrontAt Stalingrad, Siberian troops of Soviet 284th Rifle Division cross the Volga River and are immediately thrown into the defense of the ferry landing area against German troops coming out of the Tsaritsa gorge. However, Germans capture the landing stage and split the Soviet defenses in two, with the bulk of 62nd Army North of the Tsaritsa gorge and a smaller contingent to the South. Photo: German soldiers in position Photo: German infantrymen in foxholes on the site of a destroyed industrial plant Air War over Europe During this prolonged period of bad weather, RAF Bomber Command sent out three small raids without Pathfinders on the night of 23/24 September. The first is to Wismar with 83 Lancasters dispatched; 54 bombed the target. This is judged to be a successful attack on the Baltic coastal town and the nearby Dornier aircraft factory. Many crews came down to less than 2,000 feet (610 meters). Numerous fires are seen including a large one in what is believed to be the aircraft factory. Wismar reports 32 houses and eight industrial buildings seriously damaged, 67 people killed and 109 injured. Four Lancasters are lost. The second raid is to the U-boat shipyards at Flensburg with 28 Halifaxes dispatched; 21 bombed the target. Five aircraft are lost. The third target is Vegesack with 24 Stirlings dispatched; five bombed the target with the loss of one. Other targets bombed by one or two aircraft are Ardorf Airfield, Bremen, Kiel, Lubeck, Oldenburg and Wihelmshaven. Three other RAF aircraft laid mines in the Heligoland Bight with the loss of one aircraft. One RAF Bomber Command aircraft laid mines in the Little Belt, the strait between the Danish island of Funen and the Jutland Peninsula. RAF Bomber Command aircraft laid mines off three ports: five aircraft laid mines off St. Nazaire, three off Lorient and two off La Pallice. Three RAF Bomber Command bombers lay mines in the Frisian Islands. Battle of the Atlantic North Atlantic. 200 miles East of the tip of Greenland, U-617 attacks convoy SC-100 from USA to Britain, sinking British tanker MV Athelsultan at 00.19 AM (51 killed, 10 survivors picked up by British corvette HMS Nasturtium and Canadian corvette HMCS Weyburn) and British SS Tennessee at 1.42 AM (15 killed, 20 survivors rescued by HMS Nasturtium and US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Ingham). At 00.26 AM 500 miles South of Greenland, U-211 torpedoes US tanker MV Esso Williamsburg carrying 110,043 barrels of Navy fuel oil, which explodes bowing the tanker apart (all 42 crew and 18 gunners lost, including several escapees in lifeboats who are never seen again). 580 miles Southeast of Newfoundland, U-582 sinks Norwegian MV Vibran (all 35 crew, 2 gunners and 11 passengers lost). U-177 has bad day in the Norwegian Sea 50 miles North of the Faroe Islands, while breaking out into the Atlantic on the first patrol (6 days out from Kiel, Germany). At 6.05 AM, Bootsmannmaat Erwin Henning is lost overboard and at 1.30 PM U-177 is bombed on the surface causing a crash dive (no damage). 40 miles off the coast of British Guyana, U-515 sinks Norwegian SS Lindvangen at 6.15 AM (15 killed, 8 survivors picked up by British examination vessel HMS Helene) and immobilises American SS Antinous at 11.03 AM (all 35 crew and 13 gunners abandon ship but reboard at 8 PM ). 380 miles Southwest of Freetown, Sierra Leone, U-125 chases British SS Bruyère for 8 hours and finally sinks her with 2 torpedoes at 11.34 PM (all 45 crew and 6 gunners in 4 lifeboats picked up by British corvette HMS Petunia, destroyer HMS Decoy and armed trawler HMS Sir Wistan between September 28 and 30). Overnight 185 miles North of Iceland, HMS Somali (torpedoed 3 days ago by U-703) breaks apart and sinks while under tow by HMS Ashanti (77 killed, 35 rescued by HMS Ashanti). Photo: Fleet Air Arm Trials, Aboard HMS Victorious. 23-25 September 1942 Black Sea campaign Soviet submarine M-60 hits a mine and sinks in the Black Sea, near Odessa, Ukraine. North African campaignA German He-111 leaves North Africa for Germany, with Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, Commanding General German-Italian Panzer Forces in Africa aboard; he is going home for medical treatment. General Georg Stumme takes command in Africa. General Wilhelm von Thoma is in command of the Armor. The newer high ranking brass brought in as replacements for causalities of the Afrika Korps do not fit in very well with the older hands. Photo: Men of the 51st Highland Division (known as "The Ladies from Hell") charging with fixed bayonets during a training exercise in the desert, 23 September 1942 Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN Weather causes a USAAF Eleventh Air Force mission to abort to Japanese-held Kiska Island; photo reconnaissance over Attu Island confirms its abandonment by the Japanese; a USN PBY Catalina escorted by two P-38 Lightnings lands off Amchitka Island with a scouting party which determines that the island is unsuited as an airfield; the P-38s also bomb a radio shack and sink a submarine at Amchitka Island. ENTRECASTEAUX ISLANDS Troops of the Australian 2/10th Battalion, 18th Brigade find only eight Japanese on Normanby Island. They are taken prisoner and the Australians board the Australian destroyer HMAS Stuart and return to Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. The D’Entrecasteaux Islands are located about 10 miles across Goschen Strait from the eastern tip of Papua New Guinea, in the Solomon Sea. Australian General Thomas Blamey arrives in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to take direct command of the New Guinea forces. Australian Lieutenant General Edmund F. Herring becomes commander, Advance New Guinea Force, succeeding Australian Major General Sidney F Rowell. Despite his position Blamey came into conflict with his commander, General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Command South West Pacific Area, who has become Australian Prime Minister Curtin's principle military advisor. U.S. forces are kept out of the Australian land commanders hands throughout the war in the Pacific but one historian wrote that Blamey's career is marked by “year upon year of wise decisions, stubborn determination to further the interests of Australia, and a deep concern for the well-being of his soldiers." On the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, the Australian 14th Field Regiment, Maroubra Force, continues bombarding the Japanese. Intelligence estimates that there are 600 Japanese west of Ioribaiwa. - The U.S. 128th Infantry, 32d Infantry Division, reaches Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, by air and is assigned to garrison force under operational control of Australian 6th Division. - In the air, USAAF Fifth Air Force P-40s, P-39 and P-400 Airacobras and B-17 Flying Fortresses hit tanks, buildings, and airfield at Buna, Wairopi bridge and targets of opportunity on the Buna-Kokoda Track, and Tau-Pota Mission near Goodenough Bay. SOLOMON CAMPAIGN On Guadalcanal, the 1st Marine Division begins a limited operation to the west of the Lunga perimeter to eliminate the Japanese within striking distance of Henderson Field: the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment is directed to advance along the northern slopes of Mt Austen, cross the Matamkau River, and push west to Kokumbona; the 1st Raider Battalion is to establish a patrol base at Kokumbona at a point where the inland trails intersect the coastal road. - Five SBD Dauntlesses of VMSB-141 arrives at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. These are the first aircraft from Marine Air Group Fourteen to serve on the island; reinforcements will arrive in small increments until the entire squadron arrives on 6 October. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA The movement of the 72d Bombardment Squadron to the SOPAC on 18 Sep, plus subsequent movement of other squadrons of the 5th BG to the SOPAC, makes it difficult for some time to maintain the minimum force of 35 heavy bombers considered necessary for the defense of the Hawaii; this situation is relieved by 90th BG (Heavy), which stops in Hawaii while enroute to the SWPA, and by the 307th BG (Heavy), which is assigned to the Seventh Air Force for a time. EAST TIMOR Australian destroyer HMAS Voyager runs aground at Betano Bay, East Timor, while maneuvering to disembark Australian 2/4th Independent Company. A high tide overnight fails to float her free, as the stern and propeller shafts are embedded in sand. Photo: HMAS VOYAGER - dawn reveals a sad scene in Betano Bay, Timor INDIAN OCEAN THEATRE - BATTLE OF MADAGASCAR (OPERATION STREAM LINE JANE) East African 22nd Infantry Brigade captures the capital of Madagascar, Tananarive (now Antananarivo).
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Sept 24, 2021 1:50:42 GMT
Day 1110 of World War II, September 24th 1942Eastern Front At Stalingrad, German 94th Infantry and 24th Panzer Divisions wipe out the Soviet defenders in the pocket in South of the city. Furious at the delay in taking Stalingrad and lack of success reaching oilfields in the Caucasus, Hitler dismisses General Halder as OKH Chief of Staff, replacing him with General Kurt Zeitzler. Battle of the Atlantic In the North Atlantic 300-500 miles East of the tip of Greenland, U-432 sinks American SS Pennmar at 1.44 AM (1 man is crushed between a raft and the ship and another drowns, 59 survivors picked up later in the day by US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Bibb), U-617 sinks Belgian SS Roumanie at 1.58 PM (36 crew and six British gunners killed, chief engineer Suykerbuyk is found on a raft and taken prisoner by U-617) and U-619 sinks American SS John Winthrop with 5 torpedoes and the deck gun (all 39 crew and 13 gunners lost). Off the coast of British Guyana, South America. American SS Antinous (torpedoed yesterday by U-515) is taken in tow by British rescue tug HMS Zwatre Zee (most powerful tug in the world at 4200 Horse Power) but is sunk at 6.25 PM by U-512. At 9.24 AM, U-175 sinks American SS West Chetac (22 crew and 9 gunners drown trying to abandon ship, 17 crew and 2 gunners on 3 rafts picked up on October 1 20 miles off Trinidad by US destroyer USS Roe and landed at Port of Spain). Photo: Fleet Air Arm Trials, Aboard HMS Victorious. 23-25 September 1942 - A Martlet fighter being wheeled on to the accelerator carriage Photo: Fleet Air Arm Trials, Aboard HMS Victorious. 23-25 September 1942 - A Fairey Barracuda the Fleet Air Arm's latest torpedo-bomber taking off Battle of the Mediterranean Greek submarine RHS Nereus sinks small Italian freighter Fiume 7 miles Southwest of Rhodes. At 11.35 PM 36 miles Southwest of Tiros, Lebanon, U-561 sinks Egyptian Sailing ship Sphinx with 22 rounds from the deck gun. United KingdomPhoto: The Jam Saheb saluting the quarterdeck on leaving HMS NELSON. Comment: the background is a turret with twin BL 6-inch Mk XXII guns Photo: The Navy's new hospital ship, Tjitalengka at Liverpool, Setember 24th 1942 Pacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN Eleventh Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb the Main Camp, storage dumps, and dock areas on Japanese-held Kiska Island, starting several fires. EAST TIMOR A Japanese fighter spots Australian destroyer HMAS Voyager beached at Betano Bay, East Timor. At 4 PM, Japanese bombers return and damage HMAS Voyager beyond recovery (no casualties) but the 400 Australian commandos (2/4th Independent Company) have already landed safely. SOLOMON CAMPAIGN On Guadalcanal, Japanese General Kawaguchi has regrouped 4000 troops (following the failed assault on Edson’s Ridge 10 days ago) in the Matanikau Valley, 5 miles West of the US positions at Henderson Field. US Marine General Vandegrift sends out 2 battalions to ‘mop up’ what he believes are only 400 Japanese in Matanikau Valley (Colonel ‘Chesty’ Puller 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment will go inland over 1200-foot high Mont Austen while 1st Raider Battalion under Colonel Samuel Griffith takes the coastal route into the Valley). US bombers Douglas Dauntless dive bombers from Henderson Field (Marine squadron VMSB 231 and Naval squadron VS 3) attack Japanese destroyers Umikaze and Kawakaze on a “Tokyo Express” run, bringing troops and supplies to Guadalcanal from Shortland Island at the Western end of the Solomon Islands. Umikaze is damaged by a near miss (8 killed) forcing the convoy to abort landings and causing Umikaze to be repaired Truk. USAAF B-17 bombers raid the Japanese naval base on Shortland damaging Japanese seaplane carrier Sanuki Maru. GILBERT ISLANDS Japanese troops land on Maiana Island, 26 nautical miles (48 kilometers) south of Tarawa Atoll. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN In Papua New Guinea, the Japanese receive an order from headquarters on Rabaul to withdraw the troops on the Kokoda Track to the Buna-Gona area. This order results from a Japanese High Command decision to give Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands priority at the expense of the campaign in New Guinea. The Japanese 144th Regiment is chosen to perform a rearguard action at Ioribaiwa with two battalions while its other battalion and the 41st Regiment withdraws. USAAF Fifth Air Force P-40s and A-20 Havocs hit Mubo in Northeast New Guinea. In Papua New Guinea, B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb a wrecked vessel at Gona and P-40s hit the airfield at Kokoda and targets along the Kokoda-Wairopi trail, including a bridge at Wairopi. MADAGASCAR British destroyer HMS Nizam sinks a Vichy French merchant ship Southwest of Madagascar. INDIA 220 miles West of the tip of India, Japanese submarine I-165 sinks US freighter Losmar (3 killed, 14 survivors rescued by British ship Louise Moller on October 5 and another 7 survivors reach the West coast of Ceylon on October 17). SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): The 72d Bombardment Squadron, 5th BG (Heavy), arrives at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides from Hawaii with B-17s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (Fifth Air Force): B-17s bomb shipping at Rabaul. P-40s and A-20s hit Mubo while B-17s bomb wrecked vessel at Gona; P-40s hit the airfield at Kokoda and targets along the Kokoda-Wairopi trail, including a bridge at Wairopi.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Sept 25, 2021 13:35:33 GMT
Day 1111 of World War II, September 25th 1942YouTube (Stalingrad, Factory by Factory, Room by Room)Eastern FrontPhoto: Three German soldiers (one of them with an MG-34 rifle) in a trench among rural buildings near Stalingrad Air War over EuropeDuring the night of 25/26 September, RAF Bomber Command sends ten Wellingtons on a minelaying mission in the Frisian Islands without loss. Four RAF Bomber Command Mosquito Mk. IVs of No. 105 Squadron set off from Leuchars, Scotland, to attack Gestapo Headquarters in Oslo. This raid is intended to be a morale raiser for the Norwegian people and is timed to coincide with a rally of Norwegians who supported the Germans. Vidkun Quisling, the Nazi puppet ruler of occupied Norway, was to give a rally at the Gestapo headquarters in Oslo. Four Mosquito B.IVs of RAF No. 105 Squadron were assigned to break up the party. The four aircraft are intercepted by Fw 190s on their low-level bombing run and one Mosquito is shot down. Four bombs hit the Gestapo headquarters but three passed right through the building without exploding and the fourth, which remained inside the building, also failed to explode. The mission was successful, if expensive. Uffz. R. Fenten and Uffz. E. Klein from 2./JG 5 both made claims for a Mosquito destroyed. North African campaign
US Army, Middle East Air Force B-24s bomb Bengasi. Photo: Rear view, with the turret doors open, of a Bishop 25-pdr self-propelled gun, 25 September 1942 Battle of the Atlantic German submarine 'U-253' (Type VIIC) reported for the last time on 24 September in the Denmark Strait in the approximate position 67.30N, 21.00W while operating against convoy OP.14 (Northern Russia to Iceland). She is ordered into the Atlantic Ocean today. There is a strong possibility that the boat is lost today to a mine in the submarine minefields SN 11 or SN 71A off the Icelandic coast. These fields are laid on 1 June and 21 August 1942 and crossed 'U-253's' route to the Atlantic. This is the first patrol for this boat and she had no victories. Battle of the MediterraneanUS Army, Middle East Air Force B-24s fail to locate a shipping convoy south of Crete and return without bombing. United StatesThe US Maritime Commission announces that 488 cargo ships have been built in the past year. Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN The USAAF Eleventh Air Force dispatched nine B-24 Liberators, a B-17 Flying Fortress, and a B-24 photo reconnaissance airplane, escorted by 11 P-39 Airacobras and seven P-40s, to fly the first of two missions to Japanese-held Kiska Island; 11 RCAF Kittyhawks participate in this first combined Canadian-American mission of the Eleventh Air Force; two Zeke's are shot down, one by the RCAF and the other by the USAAF. Later two B-24s and a B-17, escorted by 15 P-39s, bomb Little Kiska and Kiska Islands; radar installations at Little Kiska are destroyed and explosions and fires are caused in the Main Camp area; other targets include shipping, stores, and tents; the P-39s also strafe two submarines; two Japanese float planes are downed; five to eight biplanes are probably destroyed on the water; a large transport vessel is hit and lists badly; and 150 personnel are believed killed. CHINA USAAF China Air Task bombers fly 11 missions during the remainder of September and early October to support Chinese ground forces attempting to hold the Japanese on the west bank of the Salween River. EAST TIMOR Australian destroyer HMAS Voyager goes aground whilst landing reinforcements for the Australian garrison on Portugese Timor and is attacked by Japanese aircraft. As she cannot be refloated, she is thoroughly wrecked by her own crew and abandoned. Location: Off the south coast Timor Island at 09 11S 125 43E. FRENCH INDOCHINA Four B-25 Mitchells of the USAAF China Air Task, with an escort of ten P-40s, attack Hanoi; the strike force is intercepted by ten Japanese fighters but the B-25's place several bombs on the runway at Gia Lam Airfield; the P-40's claim at least six fighters shot down. GILBERT ISLANDS Japanese troops land on Beru Island located 265 miles (426 kilometers) southeast of Tarawa. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN In Papua New Guinea, the 25th Brigade, Australian 7th Division, opens a counteroffensive, attacking strongly towards Ioribaiwa, to drive the Japanese back along the Port Moresby-Kokoda trail. On the Kokoda Track, B Company of the Australian 2/25th Battalion attacks the Japanese north of Imita Ridge and gains some ground and captures weapons. Australian General Thomas Blamey, Commander of the Allied Land Forces South West Pacific Area and Commander in Chief Australian Military Force, flies to Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, where he informs Australian Major General Cyril Clowes, General Officer Commanding Milne Force, that the 2/10th Battalion will be airlifted to Wanigela, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) to the northwest, where it would advance towards Buna. Photo: Australian 39th Battalion after the Kokoda Track campaign, 6 September 1942 In the air, USAAF Fifth Air Force P-40s again bomb the bridge at Wairopi, Papua New Guinea, scoring a direct hit on the northeastern end, which is demolished. SOLOMON CAMPAIGN On Guadalcanal, the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment joins the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, on the northwest slope of Mt. Austen to continue the attack against the Japanese in the Matanikau-Kokumbona area. Two companies of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, return to the Lunga perimeter. A patrol of the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, reconnoiters Koli Point without incident. Lieutenant General Kawaguchi Kiyotake, commanding the 35th Brigade, has ordered his troops to higher ground. He has received orders to seize the east bank of the river to prepare for the arrival of the 15 centimeter (5.9 inch) artillery. These units will be found the next day. In the air, four USAAF B-17s attack Japanese warships in Tonolei Harbor in the Shortland Islands while other B-17s attack shipping in Buka Passage and strafe the seaplane base at Rekata Bay on Santa Isabel Island. INDIAN OCEAN THEATRE - BATTLE OF MADAGASCAR (OPERATION STREAM LINE JANE) The East Africa 22nd Brigade establishes contact with the 29th Independent Brigade, giving the British control of the central part of the island. The British Foreign Office announced that Madagascar had been placed temporarily under military jurisdiction; "in order to ensure law and order and to provide for the administration [in Madagascar] pending the establishment of a friendly regime."
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Sept 26, 2021 6:29:33 GMT
Day 1112 of World War II, September 26th 1942Air War over Europe During the night of 26/27 September, two RAF Bomber Command aircraft lay mines in the Little Belt, a strait between the Danish island of Funen and the Jutland Peninsula. During the night of 26/27 September, 25 RAF Bomber Command aircraft laid mines in the Frisian Islands. The USAAF Eighth Air Force flies Mission 12: 75 B-17 Flying Fortresses and 36 P-38 Lightnings are dispatched to attack Maupertus Airfield in Cherbourg and Porjeau Airfield in Morlaix; 16 execute diversionary missions but the remainder are recalled due to adverse weather. During the night of 26/27 September, RAF Bomber Command sent 28 Halifaxes to bomb the U-boat yards at Flensburg. A recall is made but two aircraft went on to bomb the target area; one is lost. Two mining missions are also flown: six aircraft laid mines off Kattegat and two laid mines in Kiel Harbor; one aircraft is lost. Battle of the Atlantic The British destroyer HMS 'Veteran' (D 72) is struck by the first of two torpedoes at 0736 hours GMT fired by German submarine U-404. The destroyer sinks about 596 nautical miles (1 103 kilometers) west of Galway, County Galway, Eire. HMS 'Veteran' is escorting eight shallow-draft passenger vessels in Convoy RB-1 (St. John's, Newfoundland to Londonderry, County Derry, Northern Ireland). The convoy is attacked by three German wolf packs totaling 17 U-boats. The destroyer is struck while rescuing survivors from the U.S. passenger ship SS 'Boston' and the British ship SS 'Yorktown.' All crewmen on the destroyer and 78 suvivors of the merchant ships are lost. 12 merchant ships reached the safety of Loch Ewe, Scotland after a week of battles with U-boats and German aircraft. They were the survivors of convoy QP-14 which left the Russian port of Archangel on 13 September. Three merchant ships were lost as were three escort vessels. Three ships were sunk in a matter of minutes on 22 September, after a U-boat penetrated the convoy's defensive screen at a time when it lacked air support. Battle of the Mediterranean Three squadrons of US Army, Middle East Air Force B-24 Liberators are sent on shipping strikes fail to locate targets. North African campaignThe US Army Middle East Air Force dispatched B-24 Liberators of 3 squadrons on shipping strikes but they failed to locate targets. United StatesPhoto: Launch of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-16) at the Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts (USA), on 26 September 1942 Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (Eleventh Air Force): 1 destroyer and 1 freighter are bombed N of Atka at 53-30N 174-20E; 2 near misses are scored on the freighter. BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO USAAF Fifth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses strike shipping and an airfield at Rabaul on New Britain Island. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN On the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, the Australian 2/25 Battalion is holding the center with the 2/31st Battalion on the left and the 2/33rd Battalion on the right. The 2/14th and 2/16th Battalions are relieved by the 36th Battalion and leave for Port Moresby; when these two units had started out on the Track in August, they had approximately 550 men each; now the 2/14th is down to 101 men and the 2/16th has 143 men. In the air over Papua New Guinea, USAAF Fifth Air Force A-20 Havocs bomb and strafe Japanese forces north of Ioribaiwa and along the Efogi-Menari trail in support of the Australian counteroffensive and a B-17 Flying Fortress, along with RAAF aircraft, bomb Buna Airfield. PACIFIC OCEAN In the Bering Sea, USAAF Eleventh Air Force bombers attack a destroyer and a freighter north of Atka Island, Aleutian Islands; two near misses are scored on the freighter. SOLOMON CAMPAIGN On Guadalcanal, Colonel Lewis "Chesty" Puller leads the 2d Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, and elements of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, as they reach the upper Matanikau River and push north along the east bank, encountering Japanese fire from the vicinity of Matanikau village. Artillery and aircraft are employed against the Japanese position. The 1st Raider Battalion passes through 5th Regiment sector to join in attack. In the air, eight USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses attack shipping in Tonolei harbor in the Shortland Islands. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): 4 B-25s devastate the village of Luchiangpa in SW China.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Sept 27, 2021 2:45:54 GMT
Day 1113 of World War II, September 27th 1942Eastern Front Units of the German 6.Armee succeed in capturing most of the strategic Mamayev Kurgan Hill at Stalingrad, and penetrating the heavily defended Red October and Barricades housing estates. The survivors of the 92nd Naval Infantry Brigade crossed to the island of Golodnyy. Here a composite battalion was formed out of the survivors. Battle of the Atlantic The German submarine U-165 is sunk in the Bay of Biscay about 5 nautical miles (9 kilometers) north of Lorient, France, probably by air-laid mines. All 51 hands on the U-boat are lost. The U.S. Liberty Ship SS 'Stephen Hopkins' sinks the German auxiliary cruiser HK 'Stier' (Schiffe 23 or Raider "J"). 'Stephen Hopkins' engages HK 'Stier' (Schiffe 23) and supply ship 'Tannenfels' in a surface gunnery action in the central South Atlantic on the shipping lane between Capetown, South Africa, and Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana. 'Stier', with six 5.9-inch (15 centimeter) guns, opened fire at 0854 hours and quickly reduced the lumbering American ship to a hulk. But 'Hopkins' hit back with her single 4-inch (10,2 centimeter) gun and hit 'Stier' 15 times, including two shots that knocked out her steering gear and started a fire in the engine room at 0905 hours. 'Stier' ceased fire at 0918, and 'Hopkins' sank at 1000 about 1,294 nautical miles (2 396 kilometers) east-southeast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the loss of 42 crew. With his own ship ablaze, the 'Stier's' captain gave the order to abandon ship and 'Stier' sank at about 1140. 'Tannenfels' returned to La Verdon, France, with the 320 survivors of the battle. The 19 survivors of the 'Stephen Hopkins' gathered in one lifeboat, which had little food and water, and began a 2,200 nautical mile (4 074 kilometer) 31-day journey to Brazil. Fifteen men, ten crewmen and five Armed Guards, survived. North African campaignUS Army, Middle East Air Force B-24 Liberators are dispatched to attack an 8,000-ton vessel at Bengasi. No bombs hit the target but several straddle a jetty in the harbor. United StatesPhoto: The U.S. Navy destroyer USS William D. Porter (DD-579) before her launch at the Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas (USA), on 27 September 1942. Another five Fletcher-class destroyers are either under construction or fitting out in the background Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN Shore and harbor areas of Japanese-held Kiska Island are bombed by the USAAF Eleventh Air Force: eight B-24 Liberators and a B-17 Flying Fortress, escorted by a P-38 Lightning, 13 P-39 Airacobras and four P-40s take off first, and are followed by six unescorted B-24s; weather turns back 13 of the fighters; an LB-30 Liberator flies a photo-weather reconnaissance over Attu, Buldir, the Semichi, Agattu, and Amchitka Islands. CHINA Four USAAF Tenth Air Force's China Air Task Force B-25 Mitchells over southwestern China attack Mengshih, claiming about 30 trucks and 400 troops destroyed; The B-25s also bomb Tengchung, leaving it aflame; three flights of P-40s strafe targets of opportunity along the Burma Road, claiming 15 trucks destroyed and five barracks groups damaged. GILBERT ISLANDS Japanese troops land on Kuria Island. This island is located about 75 nautical miles (139 kilometers) south-southeast of Tarawa. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN In Papua New Guinea, the Japanese begin their withdrawal back down the Kokoda Track as the Australians begin their attack. While Japanese positions are under artillery fire, the Australian 2/31st and 2/33rd Battalions begins attacking the Japanese flanks while the 2/25th Brigade moves forward. - USAAF Fifth Air Force A-20 Havocs continue to attack forces north of Ioribaiwa in the area between Kagi and Efogi and in the Myola and Menari. SOLOMON CAMPAIGN In the combined 1st Raider Battalion, 1st Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment attack across the Matinakau River, at the One Log Bridge, on Guadalcanal, Major Kenneth Bailey is killed. Awarded the Medal for action on Bloody Ridge, he is the Executive Officer of the Raiders. Battles at both the One Log Bridge and the mouth of the Matinakau River are fierce and the Marines make no headway. Three companies of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment are ordered to land west of the river mouth by boat. These Marines are cut off through quick reaction by Japanese Colonel Oka, commander of the 124th Infantry Regiment. Having no radio, they use their "T" shirts to spell out help. Marine Colonel Lewis "Chesty" Puller, Commanding Officer 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, takes the destroyer USS Monssen and several landing craft to evacuate them. Using the firepower of the destroyer, the Japanese are pushed back and the Marines are evacuated under heavy fire. Painting: U.S. Coast Guard landing craft crews covering the evacuation of U.S. Marines under fire near Point Cruz, Guadalcanal on 27 September 1942 After two-weeks of bad weather, Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft renew air attacks on Guadalcanal. Eighteen"Betty" bombers escorted by 27 "Zeke" fighters are engaged by 16 USMC and 18 USN F4F Wildcats. The Americans shoot down six "Bettys" and two "Zekes" an SBD Dauntless is destroyed on the ground and three SBDs and five TBF Avengers are damaged. Aviation Pilot First Class Lee P. Mankin, an F4F Wildcat pilot assigned to the USN's Fighting Squadron Five (VF-5), shoots down an A6M "Zeke" and becomes the only U.S. enlisted ace in WWII. Photo: A U.S. Navy Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat of Fighting Squadron 5 (VF-5) during a flight out of Guadalcanal. VF-5 had been based aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3). Most of her air group was flown to Guadalcanal after the carrier had been torpedoed on 27 August 1942. VF-5 operated 24 Wildcats from Guadalcanal but, after five weeks, only five aircraft remained operational
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Sept 28, 2021 2:49:42 GMT
Day 1114 of World War II, September 28th 1942Eastern Front Russian forces cross the Volga River near Rzhev in the central sector. United StatesLieutenant General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, Commanding General U.S. Army Air Forces, gives the highest priority to the development of two exceptional aircraft, the Northrop B-35 Flying Wing and the Consolidated Vultee B-36 Peacemaker, intended for bombing runs from bases in the United States to targets in Europe. Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN The USAAF Eleventh Air Force flies two bombing missions to Japanese-held Kiska and Attu Islands by an LB-30 and seven B-24s and a B-17s escorted by 17 fighters. Installations on Kiska Island and a freighter nearby are bombed; one of the B-24s and the LB-30 bomb the village and Chichagof Harbor on Attu Island and on returning silence antiaircraft guns on a freighter; a "Zeke" fighter and two "Rufes" are shot down with the loss of a P-39 Airacobra. HAWAIIAN ISLANDS The Combat Intelligence Unit at Pearl Harbor issues a prediction that the Japanese would try to recapture the southern Solomon Islands and to extend their control on New Guinea. They also note that because the Allies are having good success with copying our communications methods and therefore 'we will continue to be unable to read his mail, i.e., use cryptanalysis, to any great extent." PACIFIC OCEAN AREA The 394th Bombardment Squadron, 5th BG (Heavy), moves from Hickam Field to Bellows Field, Territory of Hawaii with B-17s. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN The main body of the U.S. 126th Infantry Regiment, 32d Infantry Division, arrives at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and is assigned to the New Guinea Force to join the Australian advance on Wairopi. USAAF Fifth Air Force P-40s and P-400 Airacobras bomb and strafe Wairopi bridge, the village of Kagi, Myola Lake area, and targets of opportunity along the Buna-Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea while a B-17 bombs Lae Aerodrome, Northeast New Guinea. SOLOMON CAMPAIGN On Guadalcanal, Major General Alexander Vandegrift, Commanding General 1st Marine Division, writes of the recent action on the banks of the Matanikau River: "The great lesson however is to be found embodied in the passage in the Field Service Regulations which warns against 'drifting aimlessly into action' for in last analysis it is to be observed that this battle was unpremeditated and was fought without definite purpose other than the natural one of closing with the Americans at once and upon every occasion." The Japanese Navy dispatches 27 "Betty" bombers escorted by 42 A6M "Zeke" fighters to bomb Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. All 19 USMC and 15 USN F4Fs intercept the incoming force; four "Bettys" are shot down and three later ditch in the sea returning to base. No US aircraft are lost. US reinforcements in the form of six USN SBDs, three from Scouting VS-3 and three from VS-71, and four TBFs from Torpedo VT-8 arrive at Henderson Field. NEW CALEDONIA Photo: The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Pensacola (CA-24) at anchor in Nouméa, New Caledonia, on 28 September 1942. A fleet oiler is visible in the left distance. Pensacola arrived at Nouméa on 26 September, and departed with the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) on 2 October
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Sept 29, 2021 2:46:50 GMT
Day 1115 of World War II, September 29th 1942Eastern Front German pressure in Stalingrad was again stepped up as the 6.Armee struggled desperately to clear Stalingrad. Obstlt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob of 9./JG 54 shot down a Russian LaGG-3 to bring his score to fifty kills. United KingdomPhoto: Close up of the Commander in Chief Home Forces, General Sir Bernard Paget, spending a day with the 42nd Armoured Division during the large scale exercise near Malton in Yorkshire Photo: The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Anthony Eden and the Commander in Chief Home Forces, General Sir Bernard Paget watching the 42nd Armoured Division exercises Photo: The Commander in Chief Home Forces, General Sir Bernard Paget, with the Division Commander, Major General M C Dempsey, DSO, MC, watching the exercise from a Crusader tank Air War over Europe During the night of 29/30 September, RAF Bomber Command Lancasters on minelaying missions in the Baltic Sea: six lay mines off Sassnitz and two lay mines off Swinemünde. One aircraft was lost. Photo: Avro Lancaster R5740/'KM-O' taxis out at Waddington, Lincolnshire for air-to-air photography. At the controls is Squadron Leader Pat Burnett, the B Flight Commander of No 44 Squadron RAF Photo: Three Avro Lancaster B Mark Is of No 44 Squadron, Royal Air Force based at Waddington, Lincolnshire, flying above the clouds. Left to right: W4125, `KM-W', being flown by Sergeant Colin Watt, Royal Australian Air Force; W4162,`KM-Y', flown by Pilot Officer T G Hackney, (later killed while serving with No 83 Squadron); and W4187, `KM-S', flown by Pilot Officer J D V S Stephens DFM, who was killed with his crew two nights later during a raid on Wismar In England, U.S. pilots who had been members of the three RAF Eagle Squadrons (Numbers 71, 121 and 133 Squadrons) are taken over by the USAAF Eighth Air Force's VIII Fighter Command and organized into the 4th Fighter Group as the 334th, 335th and 336th Fighter Squadrons respectively; the group HQ and all squadrons move from Bushy Park, Hertfordshire, to Debden, Essex, with Spitfires Mk. Vs. A lone German raider dived out of the cloud at Petworth, Sussex and dropped its bombs from near-rooftop height on a council school, which was completely demolished with 85 boys inside it. Thirty-one children were dead, with two of their teachers. Parents in this town of 2,500 inhabitants in south-east England came running to the school and began digging in the wreckage with their bare hands. Rescuers dug out 28 boys alive but injured. During the night of 29/30 September, three RAF Bomber Command Lancasters laid mines off the Bornholm Islands. Battle of the MediterraneanUS Army, Middle East Air Force B-24 Liberators hit harbor installations at Suda Bay. North African campaignUS Army, Middle East Air Force P-40s fly an offensive sweep over the battle area, and carry out an interception mission against Luftwaffe Ju 87 Stukas over the frontline near El Alamein, Egypt. Germany Berlin: Hitler ordered five "flak towers" to be built in Germany to boost defenses against Allied air attacks. United StatesFor the second time this month, a Japanese Navy “Glen” (Yokosuka E14Y, Navy Type 0 Small Reconnaissance Seaplane) is launched from the submarine I-25 off the west coast, drops four 167.5 pound incendiary bombs on a forest in southern Oregon. Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN A morning armed reconnaissance mission is flown by a USAAF Eleventh Air Force LB-30 Liberator over Semichi and Japanese- held Attu Islands where it strafes a ship and three B-24 Liberators bomb and strafe a sea transport, scoring no hits. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN On the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, the Australians begin offensive patrols pushing toward Nauro. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (Fifth Air Force): B-17s bomb AA positions at Buna and Salamaua Airfield; a single A-20 bombs the Menari area. HQ 22d BG (Medium) and 33d Bombardment Squadron move from Woodstock to Iron Range, Australia with B-26s. In Northeast New Guinea, USAAF Fifth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb antiaircraft positions at Buna and Salamaua Airfields and a single A-20 Havoc bombs the Menari area. SOLOMON CAMPAIGN The troop strength of the Guadalcanal garrison is now 19,261 and 3,260 troops are on Tulagi. During the afternoon, 26 Japanese Navy “Zeke” fighters are intercepted over Guadalcanal by 14 USN F4F Wildcats; three “Zekes” are shot down with the loss of one F4F. INDIAN OCEAN THEATRE - BATTLE OF MADAGASCAR (OPERATION STREAM LINE JANE) Continuing south from Tananarive on Madagascar, British forces occupy Fianarantsoa. Two companies of the Pretoria Regiment and a few armoured cars from Diego Suarez land on the southwest coast at Tulear in order to secure the port, airfield, and seaplane base site for patrolling the Mozambique Channel. EMPRESS AUGUSTA BAY, BOUGAINVILLE Photo: The Japanese destroyer Akizuki under attack by U.S. Army Air Force Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress bombers on 29 September 1942 off Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville. The destroyer escaped unharmed
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Sept 30, 2021 2:50:20 GMT
Day 1116 of World War II, September 30th 1942
Eastern Front
The Russians crossed the Volga to the North west of Moscow and recaptured 25 villages.
The Soviet 92nd Naval Rifle Brigade was sent to the vicinity of the Barrikady Plant at Stalingrad. After heavy fighting the battalion, which had 147 men left, was moved to the city center to reinforce the 37th Rifle Division. All day the seamen fended off the savage attacks by the Germans. During the night seamen crossed to the left bank of the Volga, to the settlement of Rybachiy. Here, replenished by Pacific Fleet seamen, the battalion once again became a brigade, which returned to combat in early November. The fighting was especially fierce in the vicinity of the Krasnyy Oktyabr', Barrikady,and Traktornyy plant, in the defense of which the 92nd Brigade and the 308th Rifle Division participated. Repulsion of the numerous attacks and the daily bomb runs and artillery bombardment thinned the ranks of the 92nd Brigade.
Battle of the Atlantic
U-596 was attacked by an aircraft in the North Atlantic and suffered heavy damage. She managed to reach base at St. Nazaire on 3 October.
U-125 sank SS 'Empire Avocet' and 'Kumsang'. The master and a machinist from 'Empire Avocet' were captured.
U-506 sank SS 'Siam II'.
U-516 sank SS 'Alipore'.
North African campaign
While thousands of British troops were undergoing training in desert warfare in the rear lines, watched by their new chief, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery, the British Eighth Army set out to probe the defences of the Afrika Korps, also - while Rommel is in Germany for medical treatment - under a new chief, General Georg Stumme. The 44th Division - just two brigades - then mounted a very small action to assess the strength of German positions in the Munassib Depression. Today's battle took place to the south of the Alamein line, with heavy casualties on both sides.
Pacific War
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN
(Eleventh Air Force): Of 9 B-24s off to bomb Kiska and Attu , 2 turn back; the others blast the Attu Camp area, and at Kiska Harbor score at least 1 direct hit and near misses on a ship; 8 fighters intercept over Kiska and Little Kiska but inflict no losses; the detachment of the 57th Fighter Squadron, 54th FG operating from Elmendorf Field, Anchorage moves to Kodiak with P-39s (the squadron is based at Harding Field, Louisiana).
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA
(Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, B-17s, A-20s, and P-40s pound occupied areas at Menari, Myola Lake, Kagi, and Efogi and a bridge at Wairopi. HQ 38th BG and the 405th Bombardment Squadron moves from Breddan Field to Townsville, Australia with B-25s.
SOLOMON CAMPAIGN
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz travels from Noumea to Guadalcanal via B-17 bomber to:
(1) to determine if the island can be held.
(2) to award decorations.
The plane becomes lost, and Commander Ralph Ofstie navigates to Henderson Field using a map from National Geographic. Nimitz views the mud of Henderson Field, since it has been raining. He tours Edson's (Bloody) Ridge and the perimeter with General Vandegrift and leaves tomorrow.
The Japanese Navy changes their entire communications system. Many useful tools are lost, to the US, in the radio intelligence war.
NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN
The US forces attacking Buna make their first significant gains.
BURMA
The British 123rd Brigade's advance reaches Bawli Bazar, Burma in the Arakan Valley. The weather, which would normally clear during November, has not cooperated thus making the advance extremely difficult.
JAPAN
The German surface Raider "Thor" is destroyed by fire in the Yokohama, Japan Harbor. From January through October, 1942 the Thor sank 10 merchant ships for 56,000 tons.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Oct 1, 2021 5:40:32 GMT
Day 1117 of World War II, October 1st 1942Eastern Front Bitter fighting continues within and near Stalingrad throughout October, German Heeresgruppe B making limited progress against determined resistance. Soviet Army efforts to relieve the besieged city, which is under severe air and artillery bombardment, prove futile. The drives of German Heresgrupe A are virtually halted by Soviet resistance and the Soviet Army contains attacks toward the Grozny oil fields. In the northwest sector of this front, fierce battles occur in the Novorossisk- Tuapse area along the Black Sea coast. The German offensive is steadily losing momentum because of fuel shortage, heavy losses in manpower, difficult terrain, and firm opposition. Air War over Europe During the night of 1/2 October, RAF Bomber Command initiates three small raids in difficult weather conditions and without Pathfinders: (1) 62 of 78 Lancasters dispatched to bomb Wismar hit the target with the loss of two aircraft: (2) 23 of 27 Halifaxes bomb Flensburg with the loss of 12 aircraft; and (3) 20 of 25 Stirlings bomb Lubeck with the loss of three aircraft. Battle of the MediterraneanUS Army, Middle East Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb shipping in Pylos Bay, Greece, claiming two direct hits and several near misses on a large vessel; other B-24s dispatched to bomb a convoy at sea fail to find the target. Battle of the CaribbeanPhoto: The U.S. Navy destroyer tender USS Altair (AD-11) moored at Port of Spain, Trinidad, on 1 October 1942. The four ships alongside are (from left to right): USS Spry (PG-64); USS Bainbridge (DD-246); USS Goff (DD-247); and Dutch minelayer/patrol vessel Jan van Brakel (M80). Note the Measure 12 (modified) camouflage on most of these ships. The photo was taken from the seaplane tender USS Pocomoke (AV-9) North African campaignThe British Eighth Army forces the Axis from positions in region of El Alamein. Photo: A mine explodes close to a British truck as it carries infantry through enemy minefields and wire to the new front lines Photo: Kittyhawk Mark III, FR241 LD-R, of No. 250 Squadron RAF, taxying at LG 91, Egypt, during Operation LIGHTFOOT, the first phase of the Alamein offensive United States The first American turbojet aircraft, the Bell Model 27 XP-59A-BE Airacomet, msn 27-1, USAAF s/n 42-108784, makes its first flight at Muroc Army Air Base, Muroc, California. The flight was made with the landing gear in the down position and at 25 feet off the ground. Three more flights were made today in this aircraft. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ends two-week trip to war plants across U.S. Photo: U.S. Army Air Forces Bell YP-59A-BE Airacomet (s/n 42-108774) in flight near the Muroc Flight Test Base (North Base) Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN A Japanese reconnaissance airplane over Adak Island establishes U.S. occupation of the island. Seven USAAF Eleventh Air Force B-24 Liberators on a search-attack and photo reconnaissance mission over Japanese-held Kiska Island hit hangars and ramps, starting several fires; four Japanese fighters appear and are engaged; one probable victory is claimed; two other B-24s take off, after a USN PBY Catalina sights a transport, but cannot locate it. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN General Headquarters issues a plan for the encirclement and reduction of the Buna-Gona beachhead. Upon securing Kumusi River line from Wairopi southeastward, Goodenough Island, and the north coast from Mime Bay to Cape Nelson, concerted assault is to be made on the Buna-Gona area. The advance will be along three routes: Kokoda Trail, where Australians are now pursuing the Japanese; from the south coast to Jaure along either the Rigo or Abau track, both of which are being reconnoitered; and northwest along the coast from Milne Bay. Photo: Australian troops plough through the mud at Milne Bay, New Guinea, shortly after the unsuccessful Japanese invasion attempt Photo: New Guinea. Australian militia forces successfully overcame a Japanese attempt to land at Milne Bay. This picture shows one of two Japanese type 95 Ha-go light tanks that became bogged on the track near the Gama River and were abandoned during the Japanese attack - A U.S. force is to move over the Kapa Kapa Trail to join the Australians on the Kokoda Trail to cut the Japanese retreat at the Kumusi River. In Papua New Guinea, soldiers of the Australian 25th Brigade advance northward on the Kokoda Track from Nauro toward Manari. - In Papua New Guinea, USAAF Fifth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses and P-400 Airacobras attack Japanese forces and communications in the Owen Stanley Range, hitting Menari, Kagi, Myola Lake, the Kokoda area, Wairopi bridge, and the Buna-Wairopi trail. PACIFIC OCEAN In the South China Sea, the 7,053 ton Japanese transport vessel SS Lisbon Maru, is sailing from Hong Kong, China, to Japan carrying 1,816 British and Canadian POWs. The prisoners are contained in three holds which soon became foul with the stench of sweat, excreta and vomit. Many POWs become unconsciousness through thirst, lack of fresh air and extreme heat. Men are reduced to licking the condensation from the sides of the ships hull. A bucket of liquid is lowered by the guards and thirsty men rush to grab it, only to find it was filled with urine. On the top deck are 778 Japanese military men on their way home to Japan. At 0700 hours, a torpedo fired by the USN submarine USS Grouper strikes severely damaging the ship but causing no casualties among the prisoners. Soon a Japanese ship, the freighter SS Toyukuni Maru comes alongside and takes off all the Japanese soldiers but none of the Allied prisoners. The SS Lisbon Maru is then taken in tow heading for Shanghai, China, but some hours later the ship, now low in the water, begins to sink by the stern. Prisoners in Number 3 hold are unfortunately below the waterline and now beyond rescue. Some prisoners in the other two holds manage to break free but are shot down as they emerge. Lisbon Maru sinks about 107 nautical miles SE of Shanghai, China, in position 29.57N, 122.56E. Another four Japanese ships appear on the scene and some escaped prisoners, swimming in the water, manage to reach the dangling ropes and start to climb aboard only to be kicked back into the water when within a few inches from the deck. Eventually, most of the surviving prisoners are taken on board the four ships and taken to Shanghai where 35 sick and wounded are unloaded. A few however, managed to swim away from the Lisbon Maru and are rescued by Chinese fishermen and taken to a group of small islands nearby. At Shanghai, a roll call accounted for 970 men, a total of 846 had perished, 154 were from the Middlesex regiment. Of the 970 survivors, some 244 died during their first winter in the Japanese camps. SOLOMON CAMPAIGN Japanese Navy Destroyer Division 11, (Fubuki, Shirayuki, Hatsuyuki, and Muakumo), make a Tokyo Express Run to Guadalcanal. Major General Nasu and the 4th Regiment are landed. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC In New Guinea, B-17s andP-400s pound forces and communications in the Owen Stanley Range, hitting Menari, Kagi, Myola Lake, the Kokoda area, Wairopi bridge, and the Buna-Wairopi trail; and the 71st Bombardment Squadron, 38th BG (Medium), moves from Bredden Field, Australia to Port Moresby with B-25s. Photo: A USAAF Boeing B-17F-10-BO Flying Fortress (s/n 41-24457) leaving the target after a strike against Japanese shipping off Gizo Island, Solomon Islands, in October 1942. The B-17F 41-24457 (nickname "The Aztec's Curse") was assigned to the 31st Bombardment Squadron, 5th Bomb Group, and was written off after a crashlanding due to brake failure on 23 April 1943
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Oct 2, 2021 13:40:10 GMT
Day 1118 of World War II, October 2nd 1942YouTube (This is Russia, The Soviet Thermopylae)Battle of the Atlantic The British antiaircraft cruiser HMS 'Curacoa' is engaged in convoy escort duties with the passenger liner RMS 'Queen Mary'. While both ships are zigzagging, the 'Curacoa' crossed the 'Queen Mary's' bow with insufficient clearance. The 'Queen Mary' knifed into her at a speed of 28 knots, cutting the 'Curacoa' in two. Separated by about 100 yards 991 meters), she sank instantly about 56 nautical miles (104 kilometers) north-northwest of Londonderry, County Derry, Northern Ireland, with 338 casualties. The 'Queen Mary' did not falter or slow down, despite the fact of a 40 foot (12 meter) gash in her bow, for fear of German submarines. The convoy behind picked up 26 survivors. The 'Queen Mary' is transporting some of the subordinate units of the U.S. 29th Infantry Division including the 116th Infantry Regiment and 111th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm Howitzer, Truck-Drawn) from the US to Britain. (Ric Pelvin, Alex Gordon and Jack McKillop) German submarine U-512 is sunk about 114 nautical miles (211 kilometers) north of Cayenne, French Guinea, by depth charges from a USAAF B-18A Bolo of the 99th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) based at Zandery Field, Dutch Guinea; only one of the 52 crewmen on the U-boat survived. Air War over Europe The Me 262V-2 prototype, also powered by Jumo-004As, was delivered. Despite all the delays and problems, the RLM had already ordered fifteen preproduction Me-262s in May 1942, and added thirty more to the order in October 1942. The He 280 was inferior in performance and the Me 262 was clearly the better option, but there was still no commitment to put the Me 262 into full production. The RLM was waffling between production of the Me 262 and the "Me 209", an improved version of the piston-powered Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter. The head of the RLM, Erhard Milch, was conservative and favored the Me 209 over the much more radical Me 262. During the night of 2/3 October, RAF Bomber Command dispatched 188 aircraft, 95 Wellingtons, 39 Halifaxes, 31 Lancasters and 23 Stirlings, to bomb Krefeld; seven aircraft, three Halifaxes, two Wellingtons, a Lancaster and a Stirling, are lost, 3.1 per cent of the force. The Pathfinders encountered dense haze and their marking is late. The raid which developed is dispersed and not expected to cause much damage. Only three streets in the northern part of the town are mentioned as being hit. The USAAF Eighth Air Force flies Mission 13: 61 bombers and 54 fighters are dispatched to attack three targets in France; one fighter is lost: (1) 32 B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb the Avions Potez aircraft factory at Meaulte; they claim 4-9-5 aircraft; escort is provided by 31 P-38 Lightnings; a P-38 is lost. (2) Six B-17s fly a diversionary missions to Longuenesse Airfield at St Omer; they claim 5-4-4 aircraft. Escort is provided by 23 Spitfires; they claim 4-0-1 aircraft. (3) Eleven unescorted DB-7 Bostons attack a ship in a dock at Le Havre without loss. Intercepted by fighters from JG 2 and JG 26, the fighters of JG 26 lost their first Fw 190 to the four-engined bombers when a Focke-Wulf from 4./JG 26 was hit by fire from the bombers and force-landed at base. The pilot died later at hospital. The bombers returned to England without loss although six B-17s were damaged. Several escorting fighters were shot down including the twenty-eighth victory for Oblt. Fulbert Zink of 2./JG 26, who claimed what he called an Airacobra downed north-west of Cap Blanc Nez. First victories went to Uffz. Hans-Joachim Stoller of 2./JG 26, a P-38 near Calais and a Spitfire for Lt. Helmut Hoppe of 6./JG 26 destroyed over Sommemündung. A Spitfire was also credited to Obgefr. Vikto Hager of 7./JG 26 for his third victory. Ofw. Josef Wurmheller and Fw. Willi Morzinek from 1./JG 2 each claimed a Spitfire. During the night of 2/3 October, RAF Bomber Command sent three Wellingtons to lay mines in the Frisian Islands. Vichy France Former Fench prime minister and president of the chamber of deputies Edouard Herriot is arrested by the Vichy police. He challenged the legality of the 1940 parliamentary vote establishing the Vichy regime. Herriot is deported to German in 1944 but survived and re-entered French politics in 1945. United KingdomPhoto: A jeep negotiates a steep incline at an RASC driving and maintenance school at Keswick in the Lake District, October 1942 Photo: Infantry of 46th Division marching on the South Downs in Sussex, 2 October 1942 North African campaignPhoto: A Lee tank in the Western Desert, 2 October 1942 Photo: A Crusader II tank in the Western Desert, 2 October 1942 Pacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN Eleven USAAF Eleventh Air Force B-24 Liberators and 6 P-39s bomb two Japanese cargo ships in Japanese held Kiska harbor; no hits observed, drop demolition charges throughout the Main Camp area, and hit a hangar south of the seaplane ramp; four floatplanes and a biplane are shot down. Japanese aircraft bomb the U.S. held Adak Island airfield without inflicting damage. BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO USAAF Fifth Air Force B-17s bomb shipping and airfield at Rabaul on New Britain Island, damaging Japanese light cruiser HIJMS Tenryu. ELLICE ISLANDS The U.S. Marine Corps 5th Defense Battalion from Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands, occupies Funafuti Atoll in the Ellice Islands. Funafuti is located about 699 nautical miles SSE of Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN Australian troop continue moving north on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea. At Nauro, the bodies of two Australians are found; one is bound to a tree and the second is decapitated. In the Owen Stanley Range of Papua New Guinea, USAAF Fifth Air Force A-20 Havocs bomb and strafe Japanese campsites around Myola and hit several trails in the area, while P-400 Airacobras strafe bridges at Sirorata and Wairopi and a village northeast of Wairopi. INDIAN OCEAN THEATRE - BATTLE OF MADAGASCAR (OPERATION STREAM LINE JANE) British forces take Antsirabe in the center of the island of Madagascar.
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Post by lordroel on Oct 3, 2021 6:18:21 GMT
Day 1119 of World War II, October 3rd 1942Eastern FrontPremier Joseph Stalin stated, in a personal letter to the representative of the Associated Press in Russia, that Allied aid has so far been of little effect compared with the aid the Soviet Union as giving by drawing upon itself the main German forces. Units of the German 6.Armee continue to push the decimated Soviet 62nd Army further back toward the Volga River in the center of Stalingrad with heavy losses on both sides. On the Caucasian front, German Heeresgruppe A captures Elkhotovo, within 7 miles (11 kilometers) of Darg Kokh. GermanyThe A-4 (V-2) rocket is launched for the first time at Peenemunde and reaches an altitude of 53 miles (85 kilometers) and crashes in the Baltic 118 miles (190 kilometers) away. The brainchild of the brilliant young scientist Wernher von Braun and General Walter Dornberger, the station head, who have been working on rocketry since 1932, the A-4 was 46 feet in height and weighed 13 tons. Dornberger and von Braun had to convince the armaments minister, Albert Speer, that it warranted full-scale production. Battle of the MediterraneanThe US Army Middle East Air Force dispatches B-24 Liberators to attack shipping in Pylos Bay during the night of 3/4 October; they claim two fighters shot down. North African campaignPhoto: Men of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders firing rifles and a Bren gun during desert training, 3 October 1942 Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (Eleventh Air Force): 6 B-24s, 4 P-38s, and 8 P-39s bomb and strafe7 vessels in and around Kiska Harbor hitting a beached cargo vesseland the camp; the fighters down 6 float fighters attempting interception; the enemy bombs Adak Airfield but inflicts no damage. The 77th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 28th Composite Group, moves from Elmendorf Field to Adak (the squadron continues to operate from Umnak Island with B-25s and B-26s until Dec 42). The U.S. Navy announced that Army and Navy forces have occupied the Andreanof Islands, only 125 miles (201 kilometers) east of Japanese-held Kiska Island. INDIA AIR TASK FORCE The IATF is activated at Dinjan, India to support Chinese resistance along the Salween River by hitting supply lines inC and S Burma; the new task force, commanded by Colonel Caleb V Haynes,includes all AAF combat units in India, all based at Karachi-the 7th BG (Heavy), the 51st FG, and the 341st BG. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): HQ 347th Fighter Group and the 339th Fighter Squadron are activated on New Caledonia with P-38s, P-39s, and P-400s (a detachment of the 339th begins operating from Guadalcanal); the 67th, 68th and 70th Fighter Squadrons are transferred to the 347th FG; the 67th is based on New Caledonia with P-39s and P-400s but is operating from Guadalcanal; the 68th is based on Tongatabu, Tonga with P-39s and P-40s; and the 70th is based in the Fiji with P-39s. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN In Papua New Guinea, Australian troops begin clearing an area for aerial drops at Nauro while other troops began to move forward from Ower's Corner. USAAF Fifth Air Force A-20 Havocs bomb and strafe Efogi and Myola Lake, P-40s strafe the Efogi-Buna trail, B-25 Mitchells hit a bridge at Wairopi, and a lone B-17 Flying Fortress bombs a camp on the Kumusi River. SOLOMON CAMPAIGN Major General Maruyama Masao, commander of the Sendai Division of the Japanese Army, lands on Guadalcanal to lead the next offensive against the Marines. He learns that of 9,000 men already landed, 2,000 are dead and 5000 are too weak to fight and many units have no equipment. SBD Dauntlesses of Scouting Squadrons VS-3 and VS-71 and Marine Scout Bombing Squadrons VMSB-141 and VMSB-231 plus TBF Avengers of Torpedo Squadron Eight VT-8 from Henderson Field attack a Japanese a supply convoy en route to Guadalcanal, damaging seaplane carrier Nisshin.
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Post by lordroel on Oct 4, 2021 2:47:42 GMT
Day 1120 of World War II, October 4th 1942Eastern FrontThe fourth major offensive of the German forces at Stalingrad begins. The 14.Panzerkorps launched an attack in force to capture the Tractor Factory in the northern part of the city. Their street fighting capabilities have been strengthened with the addition of police and combat-engineer units. This will be the longest of the German offensives and will result in the fiercest fighting. The Soviets have prepared the ground better, attempting to funnel the German drives into specially prepared "killing fields." The end result of this offensive will be to seriously deplete the Germans in both morale and reserves. North African campaignPhoto: 3 inch Anti-Aircraft Gun in a well protected gun pit, Egypt, October 1942 Pacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN Three B-24s abort weather, bombing and photomissions over Kiska due to weather and instead attack a cargo vessel;the ship's rudder is probably damaged; 1 B-24 is damaged. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN In Papua New Guinea, Australian forces continue to advance along the Kokoda Trail capturing Efogi; natives report that the Japanese have retreated to Kokoda. Australian troops complete the drop zone at Nauro located 7.6 miles S of Efogi. In the air,USAAF Fifth Air Force P-40s strafe forces and occupied areas at Myola Lake, Kokoda, Wairopi, Yodda, and Buna. A U.S. reconnaissance party from the 126th Infantry Regiment, 32d Infantry Division reaches Jauri, completing a reconnaissance of the Kapa Kapa-Jauri trail, which is found to be difficult but practicable for use as a route in a contemplated offensive against the Buna-Gona area. PACIFIC OCEAN The U.S. tanker SS Camden is sunk by Japanese submarine I-25 about 34 nautical miles WNW of North Bend, Oregon, at position 43.42N, 124.52W. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): The 72d Bombardment Squadron, 5th BG (Heavy), based on Espiritu SantoIsland, New Hebridess with B-17s, begins operating from Guadalcanal.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Oct 5, 2021 2:51:03 GMT
Day 1121 of World War II, October 5th 1942Eastern Front The Soviet submarine "Sch-320" of the Baltic Fleet, Ladoga and Onega Flotillas is sunk in Finland Gulf. This sinking is made by Finnish submarine 'Vetehinen' (Kapteeniluutnantti Antti Leino) by ramming. 'Vetehinen' is also damaged, but manages to get back to base for repairs. Josef Stalin, premier and dictator of the Soviet Union, fires off a telegram to the German/Soviet front at Stalingrad, exhorting his forces to victory. "That part of Stalingrad which has been captured must be liberated.Air War over Europe During the night of 5/6 October, RAF Bomber Commands sends 257 aircraft, 101 Wellingtons, 74 Lancasters, 59 Halifaxes and 23 Stirlings, to bomb Aachen; 184 aircraft bomb the target with a loss of ten bombers, five Halifaxes, two Stirlings, two Wellingtons and a Lancaster, 3.9 per cent of the force. A further six aircraft crash in England, possibly in thunderstorms. The weather continues to be bad over Germany. There is little Pathfinder marking at Aachen and most of the bombing falls in other areas. Aachen reports that the raid is carried out by an estimated ten aircraft and that the centre of the attack appears to be in the southern suburb of Burtscheid. Five people are killed and 39 injured. Many of the bombs intended for Aachen fall in the small Dutch town of Lutterade, 17 miles (27 kilometers) away from Aachen, and it seems that most of the Pathfinder marking are over this place. More than 800 houses are seriously damaged; 83 people are killed, 22 are injured and 3,000 are made homeless. Battle of the Atlantic Two German submarines are sunk by Allied aircraft in the North Atlantic south of Reykjavik, Iceland. A PBY-5A Catalina of USN Patrol Squadron Seventy Three (VP-73) based at NAF Reykjavik, depth charges and sinks U-582 about 317 nautical miles (588 kilometers) south of Reykjavik. All 46 hands on the sub are lost. U-619 (Type VIIC) is sunk about 330 nautical miles (610 kilometers) south of Reykjavik, by four depth charges from an RAF Hudson Mk. II or III of No. 269 Squadron based at Kaldadarnes, Iceland. All hands on the U-boat, 44 men, are lost. North African campaignPhoto: A German Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf.L being blown up near El Alamein on 5 October 1942 United States Photo: The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Wanderer (I74) off the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia (USA), on 5 October 1942. This ship underwent a major conversion to a "long range escort" beginning in January 1943. Wanderer' pennant number had been changed from "D74" to "I74" in May 1940 to conform to alterations of identities for RN warships Pacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN Six USAAF Eleventh Air Force B-24s, three P-38s and three P-39s abort a bombing, weather, and photographic mission over Kiska Island due to weather. BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO USAAF Fifth Air Force B-17s bomb airfields at Rabaul on New Britain Island. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN In Papua New Guinea, on the Kokoda Track, the main body of the 3rd Battalion, "Maroubra Force" reaches Menari. In the air, the USAAF Fifth Air Force airlifts the Australian 2/10th Battalion to Wanigela and is formed as "Hart Force" B-25s attack a convoy off Buna; A-20s hit antiaircraft positions at Sananda Point and bomb the village of Sananda; and B-17s bomb airfields at Buna. INDIA AIR TASK FORCE The 9th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th BG (Heavy), returns to Karachi, India from Lydda, Palestine. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (Fifth Air Force): B-25s attack a convoy off Buna; A-20s hit AA positions at Sanananda Point and bomb the village of Sanananda; B-17s bomb airfields at Buna and also hit airfields at Rabaul. Lost is B-17E 41-9196. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA B-17F "Aztec's Curse" 41-24457 bombs Gizo. SOLOMON CAMPAIGN An American offensive raid against the Japanese bases and shipping at Shortland Island in the northern Solomons is launched by Vice Admiral Rober L. Ghormley, Commander, South Pacific Area and Commander, South Pacific Force. The aircraft carrier USS Hornet is moved west of the base and the aircraft are launched early. The clouds and weather of the approaching cold front impede the attack. The formation unravels in the low cloud and rain. Hornet crews claim eight planes and two more during their withdrawal. The simultaneous raids by USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses against Buka and the Cactus Air Force against Rekata Bay are also derailed by the weather. In a second raid, SBDs of Scouting Squadrons VS-3 and VS-71 and Marine Scout Bombing Squadron VMSB-141 from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, attack a Japanese convoy, damaging destroyers Minegumo and Murasame 150 miles from Guadalcanal. TONLEI HARBOR Two F4F Wildcats from TF-17 CV Hornet, piloted by Lt. Cdr. H. G. Sanchez and Lt. (jg) W. V. Roberts Jr were escorting SBD's TBD's bombing Tonlei Harbor, flew 20 miles south to Faisi (Korovou) in the Shortlands. They straffed 2 lines of Type 97 (Mavis) flying boats moored in the channel. Sanchez estimated there were 10 aircraft and they probably destroyed 4. He noted they didn't burn so hadn't been refuelled. The main strike of Avengers arrived less than an hour later and destroyed or damaged a number of ships in the harbour. This later strike was attacked by up to 11 Type 2 floatplanes (Rufe) but either due to very bad weather (squalls) or good fortune very few of these seaplane fighters were able to engage the carrier bombers so no losses were reported by US forces. Japanese reports put JNAF losses at 3 Type 97 (Mavis) flying boats badly damaged and 1 Type 0 (Jake) floatplane destroyed. HAWAII Photo: The damaged U.S. Navy destroyer USS Drayton (DD-366) at Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii (USA), on 5 October 1942. Drayton had collided with USS Flusser (DD-368) during exercises in the Hawaiian area the day before. The heavy cruiser USS Portland (CA-33) and the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3) are partially visible in the background
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Oct 6, 2021 2:51:21 GMT
Day 1122 of World War II, October 6th 1942Eastern Front The German III. Panzerkorps (Armored Corps) captures the oil city of Malgobek in the bend of the Terek River in the Caucasus Mountains while units of Heeresgruppe Mitte (Army Group Center) capture Brjansk on the road to Moscow. Air War over Europe During the day, three RAF Bomber Command Mosquitos attack the Stork diesel-engine works at Hengelo. During the day, two RAF Bomber Command Mosquitos bomb Bremen and one each bombs Munster and Saarbrucken. During the night of 6/7 October, RAF Bomber Command sends 237 aircraft, 101 Wellingtons, 68 Lancasters, 38 Stirlings and 30 Halifaxes, to bomb Osnabrück; 216 bomb the target. Six aircraft, two Halifaxes, two Lancasters and two Stirlings, are lost, 2.5 per cent of the force. The Pathfinders succeeded in illuminating the Dummer See, a large lake northeast of the target which is used as a run-in point. The town of Osnabrück is then found and marked. The bombing is well concentrated, with most of the attack falling in the center and the southern parts of the target. Osnabrück's report shows that 149 houses are destroyed, 530 are seriously damaged and 2,784 lightly damaged. Six industrial premises are destroyed and 14 damaged. Sixty five people are killed, 45 civilians, 16 policemen or servicemen and four foreign workers, and 151 are injured. Battle of the Atlantic German submarine U-116 sends its last message when the boat is located about 1,125 nautical miles (2 084 kilometers) west of Brest, France. The sub is never heard from again; all 56 crewmen are lost. North African campaignBritish General Bernard Law Montgomery, General Officer Commanding Eighth Army, issues instructions for the El ‘Alamein offensive in the Western Desert. US Army, Middle East Air Force B-24 Liberators hit Bengasi harbor, scoring a large number of near misses but no direct hits; a B-24 bombs Bardia during the return flight. Antiaircraft is heavy and accurate and fighters attack six B-24s over the target; two B-24s are lost. United States/Soviet Union - Lend LeaseThe Second Protocol for U.S. aid to the U.S.S.R., covering the period to 1 July 1943, is signed in Washington, D.C. A total of 4.4 million tons (4 million metric tonnes) are to be sent to the Soviet Union, 3.3 million tons (3 million metric tonnes) by the northern Soviet ports and 1.1 million tons (1 million metric tonnes) by the Persian Gulf route. United Kingdom Photo: HMS Stonecrop under way Pacific War ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN The USAAF Eleventh Air Force dispatches eight B-24s, a B-17s, ten P-39s, and eight P-38s to fly bombing and weather missions over Japanese-held Kiska Island; a large transport is bombed in the harbor which is left sinking; hits are scored on a corvette and on a large freighter at Gertrude Cove and on a hangar in Main Camp; the radio station is damaged; and a float fighter is strafed and set afire and 6 Zekes are hit on the water NEW CALEDONIA Major General Millard F. Harmon, Commander U.S. Army Forces in the South Pacific Area (USAFISPA), recommends to Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley, Commander South Pacific Area and Commander of the South Pacific Force, that the projected invasion of Ndeni Island in the Santa Cruz Islands, scheduled to follow the capture of Tulagi and Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, be postponed and that Guadalcanal be reinforced; that naval operations in the Solomons be increased; and that adequate airdrome construction personnel and equipment be sent to Guadalcanal. Admiral Ghormley decides to proceed with the plan to occupy Ndeni as a landing field site and agrees to reinforce Guadalcanal with an Army regiment and to improve airdrome facilities. The 164th Infantry Regiment of the Americal Division is chosen to reinforce Guadalcanal and the 147th Infantry Regiment (less 2 battalions) to occupy Ndeni. NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN On the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, the Australian 2/25th Battalion is advancing towards Efogi while the 2/1st Battalion advances northward from Ower's Corner. Meanwhile, units of the U.S. 32nd Infantry Division begin to advance over the Kapa Kapa Trail, 25 miles southwest of the Kokoda Track. This route over the Owen Stanley Mountains is through even worse terrain than that of the Kokoda Track. In the air, USAAF Fifth Air Force aircraft complete the movement of the reinforced Australian 18th Brigade to Wanigela on the peninsula between Dyke Acland and Collingwood Bays on the east coast of Papua; this is part of the move aimed at capture of the Buna-Gona area. The channel from Mime Bay to Cape Nelson has now been charted in order to permit shipment of supplies by water.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Oct 7, 2021 2:48:32 GMT
Day 1123 of World War II, October 7th 1942Eastern Front The Tractor Factory at Stalingrad is the scene of fierce fighting. Battle of the MediterraneanUS Army, Middle East Air Force B-24s score 7 direct hits on a tanker and 8 on fuel installations at Suda Bay. North African campaign66 P-40s escort bombers over the battle area west of El Alamein. United States Photo: USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) underway on 7 October 1942 Photo: Tinosa (SS-283) is launched at Mare Island Navy Yard on 7 October 1942 Pacific WarALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN 3 Eleventh Air Force B-24s taking off to bomb Kiska Island and patrol Near Island abort mission due to mechanical failure and instead fly reconnaissance over Agattu, Attu, and Semichi Islands with negative results. SOLOMON CAMPAIGN The 3rd Battalion 5th Marines advance west from the Lunga Perimeter on Guadalcanal. They meet the Japanese defenders on the east bank of the Matanikau River. Marine reinforcements arrive during the day and push the Japanese back against the river bank. Japanese commanders remain unaware, all day, of the actual situation and issue orders which are unrealistic. SOUTH PACIFIC Photo: The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Duncan (DD-485) underway in the South Pacific on 7 October 1942
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