Thursday, 16 July 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine Seadragon (SS-194), attacking Japanese convoy off coast of French Indochina, sinks merchant cargo ship Hakodate Maru north of Cape Varella, 12°55'N, 109°29'E.

ATLANTIC—Advanced Group, Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet (Rear Admiral Andrew C. Bennett) is established to conduct amphibious training in Great Britain.

            Unarmed U.S. fishing boat Gertrude is sunk (demolition charge or gunfire) by German submarine U-166 approximately 30 miles northeast of Havana, Cuba, 23°32'N, 82°00'E (see 19 July).

            U.S. freighter William F. Humphrey battles German auxiliary cruiser Michel (Schiffe 28) in the South Atlantic about 800 miles west of the mouth of the Congo River, 05°37'S, 00°56'E, but is sunk by gunfire and torpedoes (the latter fired by motor torpedo boat Elsan (LS 4) after a gallant fight. Of the seven man Armed Guard, two sailors are killed while a third is wounded; Michel recovers 26 merchant seamen and 3 Armed Guard sailors, but the rest of the survivors manage to avoid capture (see 22 July).

            U.S. steamship Fairport, in Persian Gulf-bound convoy AS 4, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-161 at 27°12'N, 64°30'W; destroyer Kearny (DD-432) rescues all hands: 43 man crew, 16 man Armed Guard, and 66 passengers.

            Survivors (17 crewmen and one passenger) from unarmed U.S. freighter Raphael Semmes, sunk by German submarine U-332 on 28 June, are rescued by U.S. freighter Explorer.

GULF OF MEXICO—U.S. tanker Pennsylvania Sun's master and three of his officers and a salvage party reboard their ship (torpedoed the previous day by U-571) and, aided by salvage vessel Willett (ARS-12) quell the remaining fires and save the ship, which is towed to port. Repaired, she subsequently returns to service.

CARIBBEAN—Survivors of U.S. freighter Tachira, sunk by German submarine U-129 on 12 July, reach Punta Herrera, Mexico.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

TENTH AF—4 B‑25’s from Kweilin, with P‑40 escort, bomb storage area at Hankow, starting a fire that is later reported to have burned 3 days. The Medium Bombers land at Hengyang during return flight to refuel, but are attacked by Japanese airplanes and have to take off immediately. Amidst the confusion a P‑40 pilot mistakes a B‑25 for a Japanese aircraft and shoots it down, the first bomber lost since CATF began operations in China. The crew is saved.

FIFTH AF—1 B‑17 bombs Salamaua.

SEVENTH AF—B‑17’s of 11th Bomb Group begin leaving Hickam Field for S Pacific.

US ARMY

UNITED STATES—Breaks off consular relations with Finland, effective 1 August 1942. General Harmon, with small forward echelon of USAFISPA, starts air journey from Washington to S Pacific.

PACIFIC—Admiral Ghormley issues Operation Plan No. 1-42, covering Task One of projected offensive. TF’s 61 and 63 are formed. TF 61, under Vice Admiral Frank J. Fletcher, is the Solomons Expeditionary Force, which includes Air Support Force under Rear Admiral Leigh Noyes and Amphibious Force commanded by Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner. TF 63, under Admiral McCain, consists of all Allied land based aircraft in S Pacific.

EGYPT—30 Corps of British Eighth Army enlarges salient W of El ‘Alamein with capture of ridge 3 miles W of railway station. 13 Corps exerts pressure against S flank of enemy.

US MARINE CORPS

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Wednesday, 15 July 1942

US NAVY

UNITED STATES—Naval Air Transport Service Squadron (VR 3) is established at Kansas City, Kansas, for operations in the U.S.

PACIFIC—Submarine Base, Midway Island, is established.

            Submarine Grunion (SS-216) sinks Japanese submarine chasers Ch 25 and Ch 27 west of Sredni Point, Kiska, Aleutians, 52°02'N, 177°42'E.

            Salvage party, transported to Akutan Island in district patrol vessel YP-72, continues salvage of ZERO fighter discovered on 10 July.

ATLANTIC—German submarine U-576 attacks convoy KS 520, torpedoing U.S. bulk carrier Chilore about 20 miles east of Okracoke Inlet, North Carolina, 34°45'N, 75°29'W, as well as Panamanian freighter J.A. Mowinkel and Nicaraguan merchantman Bluefield. Chilore later blunders into a U.S. minefield, fouling two mines and receiving further damage. Two of her 42 man crew are lost when a lifeboat capsizes; there are no casualties among the 9 man Armed Guard. U-576's time to savor her triple triumph, however, is short, for an OS2U (VS 9) and U.S. merchant vessel Unicoi combine to sink that U-boat off the North Carolina coast, 34°51'N, 75°22'W. Chilore later capsizes and sinks at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay.

GULF OF MEXICO—U.S. tanker Pennsylvania Sun is torpedoed by German submarine U-571 about 125 miles west of Key West, Florida,

            24°05'N, 83°42'W; the crew (42 merchant seamen and the 17 man Armed Guard) abandon the burning ship. Destroyer Dahlgren (DD-187) rescues the survivors and transports them to Key West (see 16 July).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s strike harbor and ships at Bengasi during 15/16 Jul.

TENTH AF—India-China Ferrying Command is activated to replace Assam-Burma-China Command.

ELEVENTH AF—3 B‑24’s on a bombing mission to Kiska turn back due to weather.

US ARMY

SOUTH WEST PACIFIC AREA—Plan is drawn up for Operation PROVIDENCE, occupation by Allied forces of Buna area on N coast of New Guinea.

CHINA BURMA INDIA—India-China Ferry Command is activated.

EGYPT—In tank-supported counterattack, enemy recovers part of ground lost in Ruweisat Ridge area.

USSR—Russians admit loss of Boguchar and Millerovo. German Army Group A continues rapidly toward Rostov, 1st and 4th Pz Armies reaching Kamensk, on the Donets.

US MARINE CORPS

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Tuesday, 14 July 1942

US NAVY

ATLANTIC—Last 13 survivors (a 14th man had perished in the interval between the loss of the ship and the survivors' making landfall) from U.S. freighter Thomas McKean, sunk by German submarine U-505 on 29 June, reach the Dominican Republic.

NORTH RUSSIA—German submarine U-376 comes upon survivors of U.S. freighter Carlton (sunk by U-88 on 5 July). While the German offer of medical help is turned down, the U-boat sailors give the Americans rations, blankets and cigarettes (see 24 July). One boat full of survivors of U.S. freighter Alcoa Ranger, sunk by German submarine U-255 on 7 July, reaches Cape Kanin, USSR. Russian patrol craft subsequently take all of the survivors to Archangel.

PACIFIC—Unarmed U.S. freighter Arcata, steaming from Bethel, Alaska, to Seattle, Washington, is shelled and sunk by Japanese submarine I-7 at 53°35'N, 157°40'W. Seven of the 29 man crew perish; three Navy and one civilian passenger survive the attack. I-7 machineguns the life rafts; one sailor suffers mortal wounds. Destroyer Kane (DD-235) rescues 11 of Arcata’s survivors; fishing boat Yukon picks up 14.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

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US ARMY

PACIFIC—Maj General Millard F. Harmon is named commander of U.S. Army Forces in South Pacific Area (COMGENSOPAC). In preparation for invasion of the Solomons, ships from SWPA (TF 44) leave Brisbane, Australia, for New Zealand, where all except 1 CA, which becomes part of Air Support Force, are assigned to Solomons Amphibious Force. TF 42 (submarines) is to interdict enemy shipping in Rabaul area. Admiral Ghormley alerts 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, on Samoa to be prepared to sail for the Solomons on 4 days’ notice.

EGYPT—British Eighth Army makes limited attack along and to S of Ruweisat Ridge and gains some ground.

USSR—German Army Groups B and A continue rapidly toward Stalingrad and Rostov, respectively. 4th Pz Army is assigned to Army Group A for operations S of Rostov.

US MARINE CORPS

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Bx-11/12 Raised Roof Renumberings

 The Santa Fe modified most of its Bx-11 and Bx-12 fleet during the early years of WWII to increase capacity.  The initial design raised the roof by six inches, increasing cubical capacity of the modified cars from 3550 to 3712, equivalent to the Bx-27/28/31 all steel cars.  Inside height increased from 9’5 to 10’.  An unknown number of Bx-11 received this original mod, along with 39 Bx-12 which are listed below:

 

Bx-12 with 6 inch sidewall extension

 

126118, 126205, 126247, 126296, 126410, 126529, 126675, 126816, 126855, 126930, 126938, 127156, 127472, 127535, 127599, 127769, 127867, 127956, 128047, 128065, 128113, 128119, 128175, 128181, 128294, 128319, 128346, 128375, 128553, 128735, 128736, 128782, 128840, 129114, 129228, 129255, 129288, 129290, 129372

 

Source: ATSF Freight Car Folio 211/4, Sheet B-10, dated November 29, 1948

 

Raising the roof was a good idea and a success, but the standard for new and rebuilt cars on the Santa Fe had increased to 10’6.  The upgrade program shifted to an even taller side panel extension that raised the roof by a foot.  All of these conversions took place in 1941-1944 when sheet steel was in short supply.  Santa Fe increased cubic capacity even further with this greater roof raising, to 3898, slightly larger than the Bx-37 and later steel rebuilds of the Bx-2.  At least 961 Bx-11 and 3213 Bx-12 received this modification.  Initially, the cars retained their original numbers and were not broken out in the ORER listing.  Starting in 1945, Santa Fe re-numbered cars with the 12 inch extensions into the 210000-211049 (Bx-11) and 211051-214549 (Bx-12) series.  211050 was a Bx-12 experimentally re-sheathed in plywood, increasing cubical capacity to 3942 with the thinner side walls.

  

Up to 250 Bx-12s were not rebuild with either raised roof.  If a Bx-12 not in the 39 listed above still had it’s original number after 1952, it had the original roof height.  Here’s an example that Stan Kistler caught in LA in 1968.  With a 1953 reweigh date, it hadn’t been in revenue service since the mid-50’s, but it was soldiering on for the RR in it’s original form.  

 

Monday, 13 July 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine S-16 (SS-121) is accidentally damaged by USAAF plane off coast of Panama.

            Submarine Seadragon (SS-194) sinks Japanese auxiliary vessel Shinyo Maru 10 miles northeast of Cape Varella, French Indochina, 13°05'N, 109°29'E.

            PBYs (VP 71) attempt daylight bombing of Japanese base at Tulagi-Gavutu, but bad weather forces a second straight cancellation of the mission.

            Japanese transport No.3 Mikage Maru is sunk in collision three miles south of Tsuru Jima, Japan, 33°00'N, 133°00'E.

            Japanese Combined Fleet is reorganized in the wake of the disastrous defeat suffered at Midway.

ATLANTIC—Naval Air Facility, Grand Cayman, British West Indies, is established.

            German submarine U-153, damaged by submarine chaser PC-458 and USAAF plane off coast of Panama, is sunk by destroyer Lansdowne (DD-486), 09°56'N, 81°29'W.

            Unarmed U.S. freighter Oneida, straggling from convoy NG 359, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-166 approximately two miles north of Cape Maysi, Cuba, at 20°17'N, 74°06'W. Six crewmen perish; the 23 survivors reach the Cuban coast in two life rafts.

            Survivors from U.S. freighter Andrew Jackson, sunk by German submarine U-84 the day before, reach Vavendero, Cuba, by life boat.

GULF OF MEXICO—U.S. tanker R.W. Gallagher is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-67 approximately 80 miles from Southwest Pass, Louisiana, 28°32'N, 90°59'W, and abandoned. Eight of the ship's 40 man merchant complement die in the attack, as do two of the 12 man Armed Guard. Coast Guard cutter Boutwell (WPC-130) rescues survivors; two men later die of their injuries.

NORTH RUSSIA—Survivors of U.S. freighter Carlton (sunk by U-88 on 5 July) receive rations dropped by a British plane (see 14 and 24July).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—During 13/14 Jul, B‑17’s bomb Tobruk harbor, and B‑24’s hit ships and harbor at Bengasi. Heavy AA fire accounts for loss of Island B‑24.

US ARMY

PACIFIC—Operation Plan TULSA-II A is drawn up. U.S. 32d Division begins movement from Adelaide to camp near Brisbane, Australia. Maj General George C. Kenney, CG of Fourth Air Force, is directed to take command of Allied Air Forces, replacing General Brett.

US MARINE CORPS

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Sunday, 12 July 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine Seadragon (SS-194) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Nichizan Maru off Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina, 13°47'N, 109°33'E.

            Salvage party from VP 41, transported to Akutan Island in district patrol vessel YP-151, begin salvage of ZERO fighter discovered on 10 July. Their initial efforts reveal more work will be required (see 15 July).

ATLANTIC—Twelve survivors from U.S. freighter Thomas McKean, sunk by German submarine U-505 on 29 June 1942, reach Antigua (see 14 July).

            U.S. freighter Andrew Jackson is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-84 approximately 20 miles off Cardenas, Cuba, 23°32'N, 81°02'W. Three of the 38 man crew perish; there are no casualties among the 11 man Armed Guard (see 13 July).

CARIBBEAN—U.S. freighter Tachira, en route to New Orleans, Louisiana, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-129 at18°15'N, 81°54'W. Four of the 32 man crew perish, as does one of the six man Armed Guard; U-129 briefly interrogates survivors and then provides medical assistance and directs them toward the nearest land (see 16 July).

ARCTIC—Survivors from U.S. freighter Peter Kerr (sunk on 5 July) are rescued by Russian motor torpedo boat and taken to Murmansk. Russian whaler rescues survivors of U.S. freighter Washington (also sunk on 5 July). Toward the end of their journey in lifeboats, Washington's survivors (one of whom dies of exposure on 28 July at Archangel) had subsisted on rations scrounged from U.S. freighter Winston-Salem that had been beached by her crew and abandoned on the shores of Novaya Zemlya. British armed trawler HMS Ayrshire rescues survivors from U.S. freighter Fairfield City, (dispersed from convoy PQ 17 and sunk on 5 July) from Novaya Zemlya.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—6 Bostons flown by US crews attack Abbeville/Drucat airfield.

ELEVENTH AF—3 B‑24’s dispatched on weather, photo, and bombing missions to Kiska abort due to weather.

US ARMY

AUSTRALIA—U.S. 41st Division, which has been training near Melbourne, starts to Rockhampton.

NEW GUINEA—Company B, Australian 39th Battalion, advancing overland from Port Moresby, reaches Kokoda.

US MARINE CORPS

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Saturday, 11 July 1942

US NAVY

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US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—First formal decoration ceremony held in Eighth AF takes place when General Spaatz pins DSC on Maj Charles C Kegelman for extraordinary gallantry and heroism during the raid of 4 Jul.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s attack harbor and shipping at Bengasi during 11/12 Jul.

ELEVENTH AF—4 B‑24’s taking off for weather, bombing and photo mission to Kiska are attacked by seaplane fighters. No losses. A cruiser is bombed with unobserved results.

US ARMY

USSR—Continuing drive on Rostov, Army Group A overruns Lisichensk, on the Donets.

US MARINE CORPS

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