Sunday, 6 September 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—District patrol craft YP-74 is sunk by collision with merchant vessel Derblay off the Aleutian Islands, 54°23'N,164°10'W.

            Battleship South Dakota (BB-57) is damaged when she fouls a coral reef in Lahai Passage, Tonga Islands.

            Japanese submarine I-11 is damaged by gunfire, location unspecified.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

USSR—Germans announce capture of Novorossisk, key Soviet port on Black Sea since fall of Sevastopol.

EIGHTH AF—30 B‑17’s strike Avions Potez aircraft plant at Meaulte, while a smaller force bombs 2 airfields near Saint- Omer. 12 DB‑7’s attack Abbeville/Drucat airfield. 2 B‑17’s are shot down over Meaulte by fighters, marking VIII Bomber Command’s first loss of aircraft in combat.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—P‑40’s fly offensive sweep over battle area near Rayil Dayr Ar Depression, claiming 3 Ju-87’s shot down. P‑40’s also escort RAF bombers and fly 2 interceptor missions.

FIFTH AF—P‑400’s, A‑20’s, and B‑17’s strafe and bomb positions, troops, and shipping at Myola, Mubo, Kokoda, Myola Lake, Eora Creek, and Milne Bay. Australian ground forces continue to clear enemy from Milne Bay area while Australian troops in the Owen Stanley Range fall back to vicinity of Efogi Spur beyond Gap Mountain where defensive positions already established.

ELEVENTH AF—A B‑24 flying patrol and armed reconnaissance over Tanaga sinks a mine layer and strafes a tender as well as nearby tents and buildings.

US ARMY

NEW GUINEA—Australian 18th Brigade continues to clear enemy from Milne Bay against light, scattered resistance.

            In Owen Stanley Range 2/14th and 2/16th Battalions of 21st Brigade, Australian 7th Division, fall back to Efogi Spur, beyond The Gap, where 2/27th Battalion of same brigade is already established.

EGYPT—13 Corps, British Eighth Army, continues offensive, making slow progress southward against firm opposition.

USSR—Germans announce capture of Novorossisk, leading port on E coast of Black Sea. Fierce fighting continues around Stalingrad.

US MARINE CORPS

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Saturday, 5 September 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Japanese troops are withdrawn from their tenuous beachhead at Milne Bay.

            High speed transports Gregory (APD-3) and Little (APD-4) are sunk by Japanese destroyers Yudachi, Murakumo, and Hatsuyuki off Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, 09°20'S, 160°01'E.

            Submarine Seal (SS-183) sinks Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Kanju Maru southeast of Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina, 11°00'N, 109°32'E.

ATLANTIC—British steamship City of Capetown rescues 19 survivors of U.S. freighter California, sunk by Italian submarine Reginaldo Giuliani on 13 August 1942 (see 14 September 1942).

            One lifeboat with 28 survivors of U.S. tanker Jack Carnes, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-705 on 30August 1942, reaches Terceira, Azores. The other 28 survivors (18 merchant seamen and 10 Armed Guard sailors) are never recovered.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—Because of General Spaatz’s convincing protests, General Eisenhower changes his mind concerning his recent orders to suspend Eighth AF operations from UK in order to devote total air effort to support of Twelfth AF and the forth coming African campaign. General Eisenhower informs General Marshall that he considers air operations in UK and in Africa mutually complementary. 31 B‑17’s bomb the locomotive depot at Rouen-Sotteville marshalling yard. This is largest force of Eighth AF Heavy Bombers to attack to date. Almost 1/5 of the HE bombs burst within the marshalling yard.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s strike shipping and dock area in Candia Bay. P‑40’s escort RAF bombers over battle area SE of Alam-el-Halfa ridge near Rayil Dayr Ar Depression as enemy offensive falters and is pushed back.

FIFTH AF—General Walker becomes CG V Bomber Command. P‑400’s strafe Kokoda, Kaile, Isurava, Alola, Buna, Sanananda, and Buna-Kokoda trail. airfield at Buna is strafed and bombed by P‑400’s and A‑20’s. As Japanese withdraw from Milne Bay area, Australian ground forces capture Wagga Wagga supply dump.

ELEVENTH AF—3 B‑24’s abort bombing of Kiska due to overcast.

US ARMY

U.S.-U.K.—Final decision is made that TORCH is to include landings at Algiers and Oran in Algeria and at Casablanca, Morocco.

SOUTH WEST PACIFIC AREA—U.S. 32d and 41st Divisions are assigned to General Eichelberger, CG U.S. I Corps.

NEW GUINEA—Japanese continue evacuation of Milne Bay under cover of darkness. About 1,300 of original force of some 1,900 are withdrawn by sea. Australians, following withdrawal closely, capture supply dump at Waga Waga.

EGYPT—Enemy opposition to 13 Corps, British Eighth Army, as it continues battle to close gap in mine field is unabated.

US MARINE CORPS

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Friday, 4 September 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine Growler (SS-215) sinks Japanese ammunition ship Kashino in Formosa Straits, about 50 miles northeast of Keelung, Formosa, 25°43'N, 122°38'E.

            Submarine Guardfish (SS-217), operating off northeast coast of Honshu, sinks merchant cargo ships Kaimei Maru and Chita Maru at 40°14'N, 141°51'E, and passenger cargo ship Tenyu Maru at 40°12'N, 141°49'E, off Kuji Bay, Iwate Prefecture, Japan.

            Submarine Pompano (SS-181) sinks guard boat No.27 Nanshin Maru northeast of Honshu, Japan, 35°22'N, 151°40'E.

            Japanese merchant cargo ship Suki Maru is sunk by mine in Bangka Strait, N.E.I.

ATLANTIC—Unidentified German U-boat comes across one boat containing 19 survivors of U.S. freighter California, sunk by Italian submarine Reginaldo Giuliani on 13 August 1942 and provides rations and navigational assistance before departing (see 5 and 14 September 1942).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s, in conjunction with RAF and RN, attack convoy at sea. 2 merchant ships are reported sunk and 1 left burning. B‑25’s and RAF Bostons, repelling counterattacks during Alam-el-Halfa battle, hit troop concentrations and vehicles, while P‑40’s, operating with RAF, escort bombers and engage in combat over battle area, claiming 1 fighter destroyed.

FIFTH AF—P‑40’s bomb and strafe forces in Milne Bay area at Goroni, Wagga Wagga, Ahioma, and N of Lilihoa. Australian ground forces pushing E along Milne Bay reach Goroni; Japanese begin evacuation of the area.

ELEVENTH AF—2 bombers and 1 P‑38 bomb and patrol Nazan and Kuluk Bays, but bombing of Kiska is canceled due to weather.

US ARMY

SOLOMON ISLANDS—1st Raider Battalion patrols Savo Island., finding it free of enemy, and returns to Guadalcanal. U.S. destroyer-transports Little and Gregory are sunk by enemy warships in Sealark Channel, night 4–5.

NEW GUINEA—Continuing E along Milne Bay, Australians reach Goroni. After nightfall, Japanese place wounded on board ship for withdrawal.

EGYPT—13 Corps, British Eighth Army, is still strongly opposed as it attempts to close gap in mine field.

US MARINE CORPS

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Thursday, 3 September 1942

US NAVY

ATLANTIC—Transport Wakefield (AP-21) is extensively damaged by fire while en route from River Clyde to New York in convoy TA 18. Light cruiser Brooklyn (CL-40), destroyers Mayo (DD-422), Madison (DD-425), Niblack (DD-424) and Charles F. Hughes (DD-428) provide assistance; all hands (1500 men) are saved. Niblack stands by with a salvage party. Wakefield will not return to service until February 1944.

PACIFIC—Japanese minelayer Tsugaru is damaged by aircraft, Solomons area.

            Submarine Seal (SS-183) damages Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Kanju Maru southeast of Cape Kanji Indochina, 11°00'N, 109°00'E.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s attack convoy at sea. B‑25’s hit troop concentrations, vehicles, and airfield installations in battle area of Alam-el-Halfa and behind enemy lines. P‑40’s, mostly operating with RAF, escort bombers and engage fighters in combat, claiming at least 1 shot down.

TENTH AF—1 B‑25 dumps bombs and pamphlets on Hanoi in first US raid against that city. Munitions, supplies, and several parked aircraft are destroyed or damaged. 9 interceptors pursue the Medium Bomber for about 30 mi but fail to make contact. For the next 3 weeks, bad weather and inaccurate Chinese weather forecasts severely limit bomber operations.

FIFTH AF—General Kenney assumes command of Fifth AF in Brisbane, where the Fifth’s HQ is remanned. General Kenney retains command of Allied AF. P‑400’s bomb and strafe Kokoda Pass area, hitting airfield at Kokoda and in the vicinity of Alola, Isurava, and Missima. B‑25’s and A‑20’s pound Mubo-Busama-Salamaua area. A B‑ 17 strafes seaplanes at Faisi Island.

ELEVENTH AF—The 21st Bomb Group arrives at Umnak. Of 6 bombers and 5 P‑38’s off to bomb Kiska and flying air cover over Kuluk Bay, 5 bombers and 3 fighters abort due to weather. The others strafe seaplanes and boats in Kiska Harbor and nearby installations. Between 1 and 4 seaplanes are claimed destroyed on the water. This is the longest over-water attack flight thus far in World War II. The 2 fighters which reach the target area return from the 1,260 mi round trip with only 40 gals of fuel.

US ARMY

SOUTH WEST PACIFIC AREA—General Kenney, Commander Allied Air Forces, makes Fifth Air Force, the U.S. component, a separate command in order to achieve greater efficiency. Fifth Air Force is given responsibility for operations in NE area; RAAF is to defend the Australian continent, particularly the Darwin area.

EGYPT—Aircraft continue to harass enemy, who begins to fall back, concentrating on supply transport, which Axis can ill afford to lose. During night 3–4, attack of 13 Corps to close gap in mine field is begun by New Zealand 2d Division, reinforced, and evokes furious opposition.

USSR—Germans continue to push toward Stalingrad, Grozny, and Novorossisk against stubborn resistance; are reported at W suburbs of Stalingrad.

US MARINE CORPS

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Wednesday, 2 September 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Transport William Ward Burrows (AP-6) is damaged by grounding off Tulagi, Solomons on Southern Cross Reef.

            Submarine Flying Fish (SS-229) is damaged by depth charges off Truk and ends her patrol, 07°46'N, 151°57'E.

            Submarine Guardfish (SS-217) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Teikyu Maru (ex-Danish Gustav Diederickson) 13 miles southeast of Chikyu Mizaki, Hokkaido, Japan, 42°08'N, 141°15'E.

ATLANTIC—Storm separates the four rafts upon which survivors of U.S. freighter West Lashaway (sunk by German submarine U-66 on 30 August 1942) have gathered (see 13, 18 and 24 September 1942).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

TWELFTH AF—Col Claude E Duncan becomes CO XII Bomber Command.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s hit docks and jetties at Tobruk harbor. B‑25’s bomb aircraft and landing ground and, with RAF, attack troops and vehicles in battle area around Alam-el-Halfa ridge. P‑40’s fly escort and sweep missions over battle area in conjunction with RAF.

TENTH AF—P‑40’s hit barges and junks carrying rice in the Poyang Bake region, strafe HQ and runways at Nanchang airfield, attack railroad stations and warehouses at Hua Yuan, and sink a launch, damage 4 junks, and wreck a train on Wuchang Peninsula.

FIFTH AF—P‑400’s bomb and strafe forces in Kokoda and Alola areas as Japanese continue to push toward Port Moresby.

SOUTH PACIFIC—The mission of the 67th Fighter Squadron P‑400’s on Guadalcanal is shifted from air defense to close support for Marine ground forces and attacks on shipping, tasks for which they are better suited.

ELEVENTH AF—6 bombers and 12 P‑38’s fly cover and photo reconnaissance over Nazan and Kuluk Bays, and Amchitka and Semisopochnoi Islands.

US ARMY

SAMOA—7th Marines and part of 5th Defense Battalion embark for New Hebrides.

NEW GUINEA—Australians continue to clear N coast of Milne Bay but are unable to stem Japanese drive toward Port Moresby. About 1,000 Japanese reinforcements from Rabaul land at Basabua, night 2–3.

EGYPT—Massing armor S of ‘Alam el Halfa ridge, enemy halts to await frontal counterattack, but British armor remains in prepared positions.

USSR—Army Group A continues to press toward Novorossisk and Grozny. Threat to Novorossisk increases as German and Rumanian forces from the Crimea cross Kerch Strait and join other Axis forces in the area.

US MARINE CORPS

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Tuesday, 1 September 1942

US NAVY

JAPAN—Japanese Prime Minister Tojo Hideki also becomes Foreign Minister as Togo Shigenori resigns.

PACIFIC—Air Force, Pacific Fleet (Vice Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch) is established.

            Sixth Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees), the first to serve in a combat area, arrives at Guadalcanal.

            USAAF B-17s bomb and damage Japanese flying boat support ship Akitsushima and destroyer Akikaze off BukaIsland, Solomons.

ATLANTIC—PBY (VP 73) bombs and sinks German submarine U-756, 57°30'N, 29°00'W.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B 24’s attack harbor at Candia, Crete, scoring several direct hits on 1 vessel and hitting 2 others. 2 squadrons of 57th Fighter Group fly escort missions and sweeps with AF. B 25’s, in conjunction with RAF Lbs, hit trucks and tanks in battle area of Alam-el-Halfa.

FIFTH AF—P 40’s hit Japanese HQ at Wagga Wagga on Milne Bay while P 400’s strafe Kokoda and Kokoda Pass in the Owen Stanley Range. Australian ground forces continue slow retreat over the range but make progress in Milne Bay offensive.

ELEVENTH AF—US forces complete occupation of Adak.

US ARMY

JAPAN—Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo resigns and Premier Hideki Tojo is asked to assume duties of Foreign Ministry.

SOLOMON ISLANDS—USS Betelgeuse lands 200 men of 6th Naval Construction Battalion in Lunga area. Throughout September, Americans on Guadalcanal lack adequate fighter strength, although carrier planes that can be spared are employed at Henderson Field. Trickle of supplies to the garrison increases only slightly.

NEW GUINEA—Australians continue to make progress in Milne Bay area and to fall back slowly along trail over Owen Stanley Range. As diversion for Milne Bay forces, Japanese from Salamaua attack Australian Kanga Force guarding Bulolo Valley and seize Mubo.

MAURITIUS, RODRIGUEZ, AND SEYCHELLES ISLANDS— Transferred from command of British Army Hq, India, to East Africa Command. These, with Madagascar, are formed into “Islands Area” under Maj General G. River. Smallwood.

EGYPT—British Eighth Army repels further enemy attempts to reach W end of ‘Alam el Halfa ridge and prepares for counterattack to close gap in mine field on S flank. 30 Corps is thinned out to reinforced 13 Corps; 10 Corps is ordered forward.

USSR—Army Group B continues to batter defense ring about Stalingrad. Anapa, important Black Sea port, falls to Army Group A.

US MARINE CORPS

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Monday, 31 August 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Eight Japanese destroyers put ashore 1,000 troops of the Kawaguchi Detachment on Guadalcanal.

           Carrier Saratoga (CV-3) is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-26, 260 miles southeast of Guadalcanal, 10°34'S,164°18'E.

           Destroyer Reid (DD-369) and PBYs (VP 42, VP 43) sink Japanese submarine RO-61 off Atka, Aleutians, 52°36'N,173°57'W.

           Submarine Growler (SS-215) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Eifuku Maru in Formosa Strait, 25°43'N, 122°38'E.

ATLANTIC—Storm separates the two lifeboats with survivors from U.S. tanker Jack Carnes, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-705 at 42°00'N, 28°05'E (see 5 September 1942).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

TWELFTH AF—XII Bomber Command is assigned to Twelfth AF with HQ at High Wycombe.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑25’s attack aircraft on a landing ground, and B‑24’s raid harbor at Tobruk. P‑40’s of 66th Fighter Squadron, 57th Group, escort RAF bombers during raid on Maryut. B‑25’s, in conjunction with RAF Bostons, attack troop concentrations and military vehicles as battle of Alam-el-Halfa begins along the El Alamein line.

TENTH AF—Medium Bombers from China bomb Myitkyina for second consecutive day.

FIFTH AF—B‑26’s and A‑20’s bomb airfield at Lae; B‑17’s bomb ammunition dump at Buna; P‑400’s strafe positions at Wairopi; and P‑40’s bomb landing barges and strafe gun positions in Milne Bay area where Australian ground forces now take the offensive.

ELEVENTH AF—Of 2 B‑24’s flying weather, reconnaissance and patrol missions over Tanaga, 1 returns due to weather.

US ARMY

SOLOMON ISLANDS—USS Helm (DD) tows 3 harbor patrol boats to Tulagi. USS Saratoga (CV) is damaged by enemy torpedo while patrolling W of Santa Cruz Islands. and is forced to retire to Tongatabu for emergency repairs; on 12 September leaves there for Pearl Harbor where she remains until November.

NEW GUINEA—Australians take the offensive in Milne Bay area against demoralized enemy. 18th Brigade drives E to K. B. Mission. While tide has turned against enemy in Milne Bay area, other forces continue across Owen Stanley Range toward Port Moresby. General Horii is ordered to go on the defensive upon crossing the range.

INDIA—General Stilwell agrees to Services of Supply proposal that main base in India be established at Calcutta rather than Karachi.

EGYPT—Axis forces, against strong opposition, breach mine field on S flank of 13 Corps, British Eighth Army, and German armor then drives through and attacks W toward W end of ‘Alam el Halfa ridge until halted short of it with heavy losses. Air and artillery are employed against enemy with good effect. Heavy attacks by U.S. and British planes throughout August have seriously affected Rommel’s supply position.

USSR—Although Soviet resistance along Terek River has stiffened considerably, German Army Group A secures foothold across it in Mozdok area.

US MARINE CORPS

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