Thursday, 13 August 1942

US NAVY

GULF OF MEXICO—U.S. tanker R.M. Parker, Jr., en route to Port Arthur, Texas, is torpedoed, shelled, and sunk by German submarine U-171 at 28°37'N, 90°48'W. There are no casualties, and Coast Guard auxiliary cutter Pioneer rescues all 37 merchant seamen and the seven man Armed Guard.

ATLANTIC—U.S. freighter Cripple Creek is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-171 at 04°55'N, 18°30'W; one crewman is killed. The survivors take to three lifeboats (see 16 August).

            U.S. freighter Delmundo, in convoy TAW 12, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-600 in the Windward passage, 19°55'N, 73°49'W; five of the 41 man crew perish, as do three of the eight passengers. The survivors, including the 9 man Armed Guard, are rescued by British destroyer HMS Churchill [ex-U.S. destroyer Herndon (DD-198)].

MEDITERRANEAN—Operation PEDESTAL: German and Italian motor torpedo boats attack Malta-bound convoy before dawn; German S30 and S 36, and Italian MAS 554 and MAS 557 torpedo and sink British merchantman Wairangi and damage Rochester Castle (which will eventually reach Malta although she is damaged further by Luftwaffe JU 87s and JU 88s). U.S. freighter Almeria Lykes is torpedoed and is abandoned, 36°40'N, 11°35'E. The ship remains afloat, but is sunk by scuttling charge after daybreak. British destroyer HMS Somali rescues all hands: 51 merchant seamen, 15 man Armed Guard, and 39 passengers. Freighter Santa Elisa is torpedoed in the same attack, approximately 20 miles southeast of Cape Bon, 36°48'N, 11°23'E, and is abandoned when her cargo of aviation gasoline catches fire. Four of the 33 embarked army passengers are killed, but the 56 man merchant complement and the 11 man Armed Guard suffer no fatalities. British destroyer HMS Penn rescues the survivors and transports them to Malta; three Armed Guard sailors will be hospitalized there for burns suffered in the attack that leads to the ship's abandonment. Santa Elisa is finished off by bombs later that day. Three surviving British transports and the one tanker will reach Malta later this day; a fourth transport will reach the island on 14 August.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

FIFTH AF—Convoy, headed toward Basabua near Gona, with 3,000 construction troops, is attacked first by B‑17’s 76 mi NE of Gona, followed by B‑26’s 20-25 mi N of Gona, and another B‑17 attack as the convoy approaches landing position. Japanese ground forces attack at Deniki, driving Allied forces back about 5 mi and firmly securing Buna-Kokoda trail.

ELEVENTH AF—1 B‑24 flies photo reconnaissance over Kiska.

US ARMY

NEW GUINEA—Japanese convoy, with 3,000 construction troops embarked, reaches Basabua, a short distance from Gona. Japanese attack Maroubra Force at Deniki in strength, forcing it back beyond Isurava, 5 miles from Deniki. After this victory, which firmly secures Buna-Kokoda track, enemy pauses to consolidate.

JAPAN—Imperial General Headquarters orders 17th Army at Rabaul to take responsibility for ground operations on Guadalcanal.

MIDDLE EAST—Col Shingler becomes CO of Persian Gulf Service Command.

EGYPT—General Montgomery takes command of British Eighth Army.

USSR—Germans claim capture of Elista, in Kalmyk district S of Stalingrad.

US MARINE CORPS

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Wednesday, 12 August 1942

US NAVY

ATLANTIC—Light cruiser Cleveland (CL-55), on her shakedown cruise in Chesapeake Bay, tests the newly developed proximity fuzed antiaircraft projectiles for the first time under simulated combat conditions; she destroys all three target drones with four proximity bursts.

            Seven survivors of U.S. schooner Wawaloam, sunk by German submarine U-86 on 6 August, are rescued by steamship Irish Rose, which transfers them subsequently to British corvette HMS Campanula.

MEDITERRANEAN—Operation PEDESTAL: attacks by German and Italian aircraft continue on large British convoy (which includes within its composition U.S. freighters Almeria Lykes and Santa Elisa), bound for Malta (see 13 August).

PACIFIC—Submarine Pickerel (SS-177) is damaged by depth charges off the Marianas, 16°19'S, 145°23'E, but remains on patrol.

            USAAF B-17s damage Japanese oiler Matsumoto Maru.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

INTERNATIONAL—Churchill and British COS, along with Harriman of US, arrive in Moscow for conference with Stalin. Stalin is told about plan for TORCH. Talks, which end on 16 Aug, also include discussion of Second Front in Europe.

EIGHTH AF—31st Fighter Group at Westhampnett is declared fully operational and ready for combat operations under RAF—control until it gains enough experience to be able to fight as a group. This is first US fighter unit in UK to reach this operational status.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s bomb shipping at Rabaul, scoring damaging hits on 3 vessels.

ELEVENTH AF—1 B‑24 flies photo reconnaissance over Amlia and Atka.

US ARMY

NEW HEBRIDES—Elements of original Guadalcanal invasion force (1,390 of 2d Marines) debark at Espiritu Santo.

GUADALCANAL—TF 63, under Admiral McCain, is given responsibility for getting aviation supplies, ammunition, and ground crews from Espiritu Santo to Guadalcanal. First U.S. plane, a PBY, lands on airfield, called Henderson Field after Midway hero Maj Lofton Henderson. Patrol led by 1st Marine Division Intelligence Officer embarks at Kukum to make contact with enemy in Matanikau area; upon landing, night 12–13, is wiped out, except for 3 persons, by enemy.

EGYPT—Lt General Sir Bernard L. Montgomery, who is to head British Eighth Army, arrives from U.K.

USSR—Prime Minister Churchill arrives in Moscow where, during a 4-day visit, he discusses the subject of a second front in Europe with Marshal Joseph Stalin. On central front, local Soviet attacks against Rzhev reach their climax without achieving a decisive victory. Elements of German Army Group A, driving toward the Kuban in region E of Sea of Azov, reach Slavyansk.

US MARINE CORPS

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Tuesday, 11 August 1942

US NAVY

MEDITERRANEAN—Operation PEDESTAL: large British convoy (which includes in its composition U.S. freighters Almeria Lykes and Santa Elisa), bound for Malta, its presence determined by Axis aerial reconnaissance, comes under attack from Luftwaffe JU 88s and HE 111s (see 12-13 August).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—Referring to TORCH, General Spaatz informs General Arnold that, in his opinion, UK remains the only base from which air supremacy over Germany can be established.

TENTH AF—P‑40’s hit airfields at Yoyang and Nanchang from which the enemy has been attacking Hengyang.

ELEVENTH AF—1 B‑24 flies photo reconnaissance over W Semichi Islands and N Attu coast.

US ARMY

UNITED STATES—Admiral Leahy makes the first of many suggestions that Burma Road be reopened.

NEW GUINEA—U.S. Advanced Base in New Guinea, a logistical agency, is established by USASOS with HQ at Port Moresby, which is to become a large supply and communications center. Maroubra Force abandons Kokoda airfield, night 11–12, since it is untenable.

MEDITERRANEAN—Enemy U-boats heavily attack Malta-bound convoy and sink HMS Eagle (aircraft carrier).

MIDDLE EAST—Iran-Iraq Service Command is redesignated Persian Gulf Service Command (PGSC); remains directly under Hq USAFIME.

USSR—Threat to Stalingrad increases as German Army Group A eliminates Soviet bridgehead in Don bend near Kalach.

US MARINE CORPS

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Monday, 10 August 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine S-44 (SS-155) sinks Japanese heavy cruiser Kako near Kavieng, 02°15'S, 152°15'E, as Kako retires from the Battle of Savo Island.

MEDITERRANEAN—Operation PEDESTAL: British convoy, WS 21S, formed around 13 transports and cargo ships (which include U.S. freighters Almeria Lykes and Santa Elisa) and one tanker transits Straits of Gibraltar, bound for Malta. Royal Navy cover and escort forces include a total of two battleships, four aircraft carriers, seven light cruisers and 25 destroyers (see 11-13 August).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

TENTH AF—B‑25’s bomb Hankow. Afterwards the P‑40 escorts, led by Col Robert L Scott, strike ammo 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.

ELEVENTH AF—5 B‑17’s and 3 B‑24’s bomb Kiska targets. Fighters and AA down 1 B‑24. Only its pilot is saved.

US ARMY

NEW IRELAND—U.S. submarine sinks Japanese cruiser Kako off the island.

NEW GUINEA—Maroubra Force counterattacks toward Kokoda with 3 companies One seizes Kokoda airfield, but the others are unable to advance.

EGYPT—General Alexander receives directive calling for destruction of Rommel’s army in Egypt and Libya.

USSR—Soviet resistance in foothills of Caucasus range is increasing, but forward elements of German Army Group A reach Pyatigorsk.

US MARINE CORPS

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A visit to the Oklahoma National Guard Museum

I recently attended a two week class for work in Oklahoma City, intending to visit the Oklahoma Railroad Museum on my enforced weekend away from home.  Poor planning on my part failed to notice that it was closed on Sunday prior to my making other Saturday plans.  This was serendipitous though, as across the street was the newly opened Oklahoma National Guard Museum.  Located on the northeast side of Oklahoma City, just off Interstate 35 on NE Grand Boulevard, its so new that the satellite view in Google Maps shows it as a vacant field with a bulldozer starting the grading.

 

Google Maps Satellite View captured 9 August 2026

Have no fear though, that is far from the well laid out modern structure that greeted me on my arrival.  I was so impressed with the “Gate Guards”, I failed to snap a photo of the building.  It can be partially seen in the background.  Lots of WWII flat car loads await.

 

M114 155mm Howitzer

F-86D Sabre Dog

No, the Saber Dog won’t make a flat car load, but I’m a pilot and the Sabreliners I flew had an F-86 wing with a biz jet fuselage.  Most of the rest of the photos will be of crawly things, suitable for rail transport. 

M2A2 105mm Howitzer

 

Ma Duce, GMC CCKW 2.5 ton truck

 

The ubiquités M4 Sherman

 

M4 Halftrack with 81mm Mortar

 

37mm Anti-Tank Gun & Jeep

 

Interpretive Panel showing rail loading in automobile box car

Most exhibits are no touch, but fitting into the Ford GPW is encouraged.  The museum’s deputy director, Ted Hibbard, snapped this photo of me.  It’s a tall step from the ground and not much clearance on the steering wheel. 

 

Ford GPW “Jeep”

 

There’s lots of other displays, a DUCK, Command Car, Dodge 1.5 ton Truck, Korean War ambulance and more.  Uniforms and flight suits from various OK Guard veterans are accompanied with their personal stories.  One historical tidbit was learning that the Marine’s Navajo Code Talkers weren’t the first.  Turns out the OK Guard’s 142^nd Infantry, 36^th ID used Choctaw talkers in the First World War to secure comms from Germans tapping into their phone lines. 

Choctaw Code Talkers

All in all, an informative visit that yielded numerous detail photos for my open top cars carrying equipment to the San Francisco Port of Embarkation for shipment to the Army forces in the Pacific.

 

John Barry

Lovettsville, VA

9 August 2026

 

81 years to the day after the “We have more than one” strike that pushed Hirohito to surrender.

Sunday, 9 August 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Battle of Savo Island: Japanese force of seven cruisers and one destroyer (Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi) approaches west of Savo Island, Solomons, undetected. The defeat is one of the worst ever inflicted on the U.S. Navy. Allied ships depart Guadalcanal area. Japanese vessels temporarily control waters around Guadalcanal. Heavy cruiser Astoria (CA-34) is sunk by gunfire of Japanese heavy cruisers Chokai, Aoba, Kinugasa, and Kako. Quincy (CA-39) is sunk by gunfire of heavy cruisers Aoba, Kako, and Furutaka and light cruiser Tenryu and is torpedoed by light cruiser Yubari. Vincennes (CA-44) is sunk by gunfire and torpedo from heavy cruiser Chokai, and gunfire from Kako, Aoba, and Kinugasa, and light cruiser Yubari. The fourth Allied ship lost off Savo is Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra which, badly damaged by Japanese gunfire, is scuttled by destroyer Selfridge (DD-357).

            U.S. ships damaged are heavy cruiser Chicago (CA-29) by Kako; destroyer Ralph Talbot (DD-390) by Furutaka, Yubari, and Tenryu; and destroyer Patterson (DD-392) by Yubari and Tenryu. U.S. gunfire damages Chokai (from Quincy and Astoria); Kinugasa (by Vincennes); Aoba (by Quincy) and Tenryu (by Chicago and Patterson).

            Destroyer Jarvis (DD-393), damaged the previous day, is mistaken as an "Achilles-class cruiser" and attacked by Japanese land attack planes (Misawa Kokutai) and torpedoed 200 nautical miles southeast of Tulagi, 09°42'S,158°59'E. Jarvis puts up a stout fight, splashing two of the attacking planes; a third ditches due to battle damage. There are, however, no survivors from the destroyer, which is lost with all hands.

ATLANTIC—German submarine U-98 completes laying mines off mouth of St. Johns River, east of Jacksonville, Florida.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

TENTH AF—P‑40’s of the 23d Group continue to support Chinese ground forces by harassing the Japanese at Linchwan. 4 B‑25’s and 3 P‑40’s from Kweilin-Hengyang area, staging through Nanning, bomb docks and warehouses at Haiphong, causing considerable damage and claiming a freighter sunk in the harbor; this is first CATF raid over Indochina.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s bomb shipping and airfields at Rabaul and Gasmata while B‑26’s hit harbor area at Salamaua.

ELEVENTH AF—6 bombers fly armed reconnaissance over Kiska and Attu and hit Kiska.

US ARMY

SOLOMON ISLANDS—Amphibious and Air Support Forces of TF 61 retire, former with more than half the 60 days’ supplies and elements of landing force still embarked. Of the original landing force of over 19,000, almost 17,000 are now ashore. Guadalcanal beachhead is being consolidated and work is begun on uncompleted airstrip, where air warning system is established. During 8 and 9, 2d Marines completes northern attack with occupation of Mbangai, Makambo, and Kokomtambu islets.

NEW GUINEA—Maj General Sydney F. Rowell, CG Australian I Corps, is designated to command New Guinea Force.

USSR—Krasnodar and Maikop fall to German Army Group A.

US MARINE CORPS

Battle of Savo Island forces U. S. ships to retire from Guadalcanal area, leaving control of waters temporarily to Japanese.

Saturday, 8 August 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Marines wrest control of Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tanambogo, Solomons, from tenacious Japanese resistance. Unfinished airstrip on Guadalcanal is captured and named "Henderson Field" in honor of the late Major Lofton R. Henderson, USMC, who was killed while leading VMSB 241 in the gallant but unsuccessful attack on Japanese carrier Hiryu at Midway on 4 June 1942. Coastwatchers report incoming raid. During fierce Japanese aerial assault by land attack planes (4th and Misawa Kokutais) on invasion shipping: destroyer Jarvis (DD-393) and transport George F. Elliott (AP-13), 09°10'S, 160°10'E are torpedoed. The latter, also crashed by a Japanese plane, is later scuttled by destroyer Hull (DD-350). Another crashing bomber damages transport Barnett (AP-11), 09°13'S, 160°01'E.

            Submarine Narwhal (SS-167) sinks Japanese crab boat Bifuku Maru southeast of Shiriya Zaki, at northeast tip of Honshu. 41°14'N, 141°32'E.

            Submarine S-38 (SS-143), despite presence of escorting minesweeper W.21, sinks Japanese transport Meiyo Maru at southern entrance of St. George Channel, between New Britain and New Ireland, 04°52'S, 152°42'E.

            Submarine Silversides (SS-236), attacking Japanese convoy emerging from Kobe harbor, torpedoes and sinks merchant cargo ship Nikkei Maru in Kii Suido, near Ichiya Zaki, 33°33'N, 135°23'E.

            Destroyers Mustin (DD-413) and Morris (DD-417) are damaged in collision during night maneuvers in Hawaiian Operating Area.

ATLANTIC—German submarine U-98 mines waters off Jacksonville, Florida.

            U.S. freighter Kaimoku, en route to Liverpool in convoy SC 94, is torpedoed and sunk by shellfire of German submarine U-379 at 56°32'N, 32°15'W. Two of the 36 man crew die in the attack, as do two of the 14 man Armed Guard. Canadian corvette HMCS Battleford rescues survivors.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

TENTH AF—B‑25’s hit Canton area, bombing Tien Ho airfield and other targets in the vicinity and claiming 2 interceptors shot down.

FIFTH AF—P‑400’s dive-bomb Kokoda and Yodda. B‑17’s, B‑25’s and B‑26’s bomb runways and targets of opportunity at Lae and Salamaua.

SOUTH PACIFIC—From this date through 23 Aug, B‑17’s fly search mission covering the lower Solomons in order to detect any attempt to make surprise attack on the forces consolidating the Guadalcanal beachhead.

ELEVENTH AF—1 LB-30, 3 B‑24’s, and 8 P‑38’s on photo and bombing missions over Kiska cannot attack but Navy Catalinas also operating over and off Kiska hit freighters and transport, claiming 1 transport sinking, and score many hits on North Head and Main Camp.

US ARMY

ALLIED COMMAND—President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill agree on General Eisenhower, CG ETO, as commander of TORCH.

SOLOMON ISLANDS—Japanese planes continue to attack Allied shipping, destroying USS George F. Elliott (AP) and damaging USS Jarvis (DD). Jarvis heads for Noumea but is never heard from again. Abandoning thrust toward Mt Austen on Guadalcanal, 1st Marine Division advances W in 2 columns. 1st Battalion of 5th Marines crosses Lunga River and secures coastal village of Kukum. To S, 1st Battalion of 1st Marines takes airfield and reaches E bank of Lunga River. Both Kukum and the airfield are found to have been hastily evacuated. On Tulagi, 1st Raider Battalion and 5th Marines finish clearing the island by 1500. On Gavutu-Tanambogo, 1st Parachute Battalion, assisted by 3d Battalion of 2d Marines from division reserve, completes capture of Gavutu-Tanambogo.

BATTLE OF SAVO ISLAND—During night 8–9, Japanese naval force of cruisers and DD’s attacks Allied warships off Savo Island. and inflicts heavy damage before retiring to Rabaul. As a result of the action, HMAS Canberra and USS Astoria, Quincy, and Vincennes are lost and other vessels are damaged.

EGYPT—General Alexander flies to Cairo, where he learns that he is to relieve General Auchinleck as CinC MEF. Lt General W. H. E. Gott, CG of British 13 Corps, who was to have been given command of British Eighth Army, is killed in airplane accident.

USSR—Surovikino, W of Stalingrad, falls to German Army Group B.

US MARINE CORPS

1st MarDiv wins control of Tulagi, Gavutu, Tanambogo and captures airfield on Guadalcanal.