Wednesday, 22 July 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—USAAF planes (B-17s, B-25s and B-26s are utilized in the attacks) attack Japanese shipping off Buna, New Guinea, damaging destroyer Uzuki and sinking army cargo ship Ayatosan Maru, 08°50'S, 148°50'E.

            U.S. freighter William Dawes is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-24 off the coast of Australia at 36°47'S, 150°16'E; four of the 15 man Armed Guard, and one (of five) Army passengers are killed in the attack, but there are no casualties among the 40 merchant seamen who make up the ship's complement. Survivors row toward the coast, where fishing boats tow them the remainder of the way. The burning William Dawes sinks the next day.

ATLANTIC—Unarmed U.S. freighter Honolulan is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-582 off the west coast of Africa at 08°41'N, 22°12'W. U-582 provides the Americans with cigarettes and question them briefly before departing. There are no casualties among the 39 man crew and one stowaway (see 28 July).

            Norwegian freighter Triton rescues survivors from U.S. freighter William F. Humphrey, sunk by German auxiliary cruiser Michel (Schiffe 28) in the South Atlantic on 16 July.

ARCTIC—German submarine rescues last survivors from lifeboat from U.S. freighter Honomu, sunk on 5 July 1942. Nine of the19 men in the lifeboat have perished of exposure during their ordeal.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s bomb Suda Bay claiming hits on 2 vessels. B‑17’s hit Tobruk.

FIFTH AF—P‑40’s and P‑39’s hit shipping and landing barges at Gona as Japanese forces continue to land in NE New Guinea with ultimate aim of pushing across the Owen Stanley Range to the Allied base at Port Moresby.

ELEVENTH AF—Of 8 B‑24’s and 2 B‑17’s dispatched to Kiska only 8 reach target and due to fog drop only 7 bombs with unobserved results. 1 B‑24 missing on return flight.

US ARMY

PACIFIC—98th Sq of 11th Heavy Bombardment Group lands in New Caledonia. Solomons Amphibious Force, with 1st Marine Division embarked, sails from Wellington, New Zealand. 3d Defense Battalion, final reinforcing unit, begins voyage from Pearl Harbor to join 1st Marine Division.

NEW GUINEA—Allied planes continue to attack enemy shipping off N coast, setting fire to a transport. Upon landing, Japanese Navy units move to Buna and Army forces to Giruwa. Advance force pushes inland at once from Giruwa to reconnoiter trail to Port Moresby and reaches Soputa area. General MacArthur orders General Morris, commander of New Guinea Force, to reinforce Kokoda as quickly as possible.

EGYPT—British Eighth Army continues attack, gaining some ground but failing to break through enemy line. 23d Armored Brigade, which has recently arrived from England, passes through gaps made by infantry in mine fields but is unable to gain ground and loses many tanks. New Zealand 6th Brigade and Battalion of Indian 161st Brigade are virtually destroyed by enemy counterattacks.

USSR—German Army Group A opens all-out assault against Rostov.

UNITED KINGDOM—British refuse U.S. proposal to launch Operation SLEDGEHAMMER.

US MARINE CORPS

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Tuesday, 21 July 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Japanese forces occupy Buna, New Guinea, having been frustrated in their attempt to capture Port Moresby by sea (first at Lae-Salamaua and then at the Battle of the Coral Sea) in the first step of an overland campaign to take the same objective.

            U.S. freighter Coast Farmer is sunk by Japanese submarine I-11 in the South Pacific at 35°23'S, 151°00'E. RAAF crash boat rescues the 40 survivors (who include the 7 man Armed Guard).

GULF OF MEXICO—U.S. freighter William Cullen Bryant, in convoy TAW 4J, is torpedoed by German submarine U-84 in the Straits of Florida, 24°08'N, 82°23'W; all hands (40 man crew, 12 man Armed Guard, and 2 USN signalmen) abandon ship but later reboard the freighter; salvage vessel Willett (ARS-12) and civilian tug Moran tow William Cullen Bryant to Key West, Florida. She subsequently returns to service.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

UNITED STATES—Roosevelt calls Admiral Leahy, Ambassador to France and former Chief of Naval Operations, to serve as CoS to CinC of US Army and Navy.

EIGHTH AF—General Eisenhower assigns to Eighth AF the mission of carrying out, in collaboration with RAF, the degree of air ops with the view of attaining air domination over W France by 1 Apr 43.

FIFTH AF—B‑26’s attack convoy off Salamaua as invasion force heads for Buna, where it begins landings during 21/22 Jul. This move by the enemy forestalls Allied ops which were to have secured the same general area.

SOUTH PACIFIC—Initial squadron of B‑17’s of 11th Bomb Group arrives at Plaines des Gaiacs from Hawaii.

ELEVENTH AF—4 B‑24’s fly search and bomb missions over Kiska but make no contact because of weather.

US ARMY

PACIFIC—Solomons Expeditionary Force (TF 61) is ordered to rendezvous SE of Fiji Islands. on 26 July. Allied planes sight and attack enemy convoy approaching New Guinea, despite poor visibility, which prevents Japanese naval planes at Lae, however, from supporting enemy. After naval gunfire bombardment of Buna, Japanese begin landing near Gona, night 21–22, forestalling Allied Operation PROVIDENCE, which was to have secured the same general area. Japanese naval forces at Salamaua provide diversion by raiding Mubo and Komiatum, and enemy submarines become increasingly active.

EGYPT—British Eighth Army opens attack against center of enemy’s line late in day, employing infantry to clear mine fields for passage of armor.

US MARINE CORPS

Japanese land at Buna, New Guinea.

Monday, 20 July 1942

US NAVY

GENERAL—Admiral William D. Leahy reports to President Roosevelt as Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy.

PACIFIC—Naval Operating Base and Naval Air Facility, Dutch Harbor, Alaska, are established.

ATLANTIC—German submarine U-66 mines the waters off Castries, St. Lucia.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—Hal Bomb Squadron and 9th Bomb Squadron (19 B‑24’s and 9 B‑17’s) are organized as 1st Provisional Group under Col Harry A Halverson’s command at Lydda.

TENTH AF—3 B‑25’s bomb docks and warehouses at Chinkiang on the Yangtze River. 4 escorting P‑40’s strafe junks on the river. This is last CATF bombing raid of Jul.

ELEVENTH AF—General Butler moves adv HQ to Umnak. 3 B‑17’s bomb Kiska (especially barracks) with incendiaries and demolition charges. 4 P‑38’s try to intercept 4 fighters reported by Navy aircraft. No contact made.

US ARMY

PACIFIC—USAFIA, largely a supply organization, is discontinued, and U.S. Army Services of Supply, Southwest Pacific Area (USASOS SWPA) is established under command of General Richard Marshall. GHQ SWPA moves forward in Australia from Melbourne to Brisbane to be nearer scene of offensive. Maj General Alexander A. Vandegrift, CG 1st Marine Division, issues tactical orders for invasion of Solomons.

CHINA BURMA INDIA—Dr. Lauchlin Currie arrives in China to discuss U.S.-Chinese relations with Stilwell and the Chinese.

US MARINE CORPS

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Sunday, 19 July 1942

US NAVY

ATLANTIC—Carrier Ranger (CV-4) in TF 22 ferries 72 USAAF P-40s (earmarked for ultimate delivery to Burma) to Accra off the Gold Coast of Africa.

            With the successful operation of convoys off the East Coast of the United States, Admiral Doenitz orders the last U-boats deployed there (U-89, U-132, U-402, U-458, and U-754) reassigned to other hunting grounds.

            Unarmed U.S. tug Keshena is sunk by mine east of Okracoke Island, North Carolina, 35°00'N, 75°45'E, while engaged in salvage work on torpedoed and mined Panamanian-flag tanker J.A. Mowinkel. Two men perish in the explosion, but the surviving crew (14 men and 1 woman) is rescued by a launch and taken to the Coast Guard station at Okracoke.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s hit Bengasi while B‑17’s attack Tobruk in continuing effort to disrupt movement of supplies.

TENTH AF—In response to a Chinese request, 2 B‑25’s strike in pt of Chinese ground forces at Linchwan, a Japanese-held city under siege for some time. The Chinese CO later reports that the raid broke the stalemate and the city was entered the next day.

ELEVENTH AF—Search missions are flown over Attu and Agattu.

US ARMY

SOUTH WEST PACIFIC AREA—From Rabaul, Japanese invasion force of about 1,800 men sails for Buna, New Guinea. Lugger arrives at Buna with supplies and machine guns of Company B, Australian 39th Battalion.

CHINA BURMA INDIA—General Stilwell submits to Chiang Kai-shek a plan, dated 18th, calling for Allied co-operation in regaining Burma as a necessary preliminary to getting aid to China.

US MARINE CORPS

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Saturday, 18 July 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Amphibious Force, South Pacific Area (Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner) is established.

NORTH RUSSIA—British minesweeper and escort vessel rescue 22 survivors from U.S. freighter Honomu, sunk on 5 July (see 22 July).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

INTERNATIONAL—Hopkins, General Marshall, Admiral King, Churchill, and British COS begin conference in London on proposed invasion of N Africa (TORCH) .

TENTH AF—3 B‑25’s from Kweilin bomb Tien Ho airfield.

ELEVENTH AF—A B‑17 flying weather and photo reconnaissance over Kiska crashes on Umnak Island.

US ARMY

USSR—Continuing southward on broad front, Germans take Voroshilovgrad, coal and coke center of Donets basin, and to SE reach the Don at Tsimlyansk.

US MARINE CORPS

Amphibious Force, South Pacific Area, is established under command of Rear Admiral Turner.

Friday, 17 July 1942

US NAVY

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US ARMY AIR FORCE

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—Halverson Det is redesignated Hal Bomb Squadron. B‑24’s bomb Bengasi harbor. B‑17’s hit Tobruk.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s bomb harbor at Rabaul.

ELEVENTH AF—3 B‑17’s and 7 B‑24’s fly weather, bombing and photo missions. Shipping is bombed- North and South Heads of Kiska are photographed. Fighters down 1 B‑17.

US ARMY

SOUTH WEST PACIFIC AREA—Movement order for Operation PROVIDENCE, occupation of Buna area, New Guinea, is issued. Serial One is to leave Port Moresby on 31 July. D Day is to be 10–12 August.

UNITED KINGDOM—General Marshall, Admiral King, and Harry Hopkins arrive in England to urge that SLEDGEHAMMER be undertaken in 1942.

US MARINE CORPS

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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

—

Saturday, 11 July 1942

US NAVY

—

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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Friday, 10 July 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—PBYs (VP 14) attempt to bomb Japanese base at Tulagi-Gavutu area but bad weather prompts cancellation of the mission.

            PBY (VP 41), returning from a routine patrol, sights Mitsubishi A6M2 type 0 ["Zero"] carrier fighter upside-down in a bog on Akutan Island, Aleutians, where it has been since its forced landing on 3 June 1942 (see 12 July).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

ARMY AIR FORCES—AAF planners for BOLERO build-up estimate 137 AAF groups in UK by 31 Dec 43.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—57th Fighter Group, en route from US, is assigned to USAMEAF.

SEVENTH AF—Ground echelon of 11th Bomb Group leaves Hawaii for S Pacific aboard USS Argonne.

ELEVENTH AF—1 B‑24 aborts a reconnaissance mission to Kiska due to weather.

US ARMY

UNITED STATES—In response to recommendation of General MacArthur and Admiral Ghormley on 8 July, Joint Chiefs of Staff rule that offensive must be conducted as planned.

NEW GUINEA—Small Allied party flies from Port Moresby to Buna area to reconnoiter for airfield site.

EGYPT—In limited offensive, 30 Corps of British Eighth Army seizes Tel el Eisa mounds, W of El ‘Alamein. Enemy makes a number of unsuccessful attempts to reduce this salient.

USSR—While Army Group B’s 4th Pz and 6th Armies drive along the Don toward Stalingrad, 1st Pz and 17th Armies of Army Group A drive on Rostov. Russians admit loss of Rossosh.

US MARINE CORPS

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Thursday, 9 July 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine Sailfish (SS-192) damages Japanese army cargo ship Aobasan Maru, 11°31'N, 109°21'E.

            Submarine Thresher (SS-200) sinks Japanese torpedo recovery vessel Shinsho Maru at entrance to Kwajalein Atoll, Marshalls, 08°43'N, 167°33'E. Thresher is damaged by bombs and depth charges and is briefly hooked by a grapnel trailed by the searching Japanese, but remains on patrol.

GULF OF MEXICO—U.S. tanker Benjamin Brewster is torpedoed by German submarine U-67 approximately 60 miles west of Southwest Pass, Louisiana, 29°05'N, 90°05'W, and a good portion of the ship's cargo of 70,578 barrels of aviation gasoline and lubricating oil catches fire. In the resulting conflagration, 25 crewmen die. Survivors (10 merchant seamen and the five man Armed Guard) are rescued the following morning by fishing boat, whence they are transferred to the Coast Guard.

ATLANTIC—U.S. freighter Santa Rita is torpedoed by German submarine U-172 approximately 700 miles northeast of Puerto Rico,26°11'N, 55°40'W, and abandoned; three men are killed in the torpedoing, a fourth drowns during the abandonment. U-172 then shells the ship, makes the master a POW, and sends a boarding party to scour her victim for provisions before shelling and sinking her. Destroyers Livermore (DD-429) and Mayo (DD-422) and a crash boat rescue the 48 merchant seamen, two passengers and the 9 man Armed Guard who survive the loss of the vessel.

NORTH RUSSIA—Ordeal of dispersed USSR-bound convoy PQ 17 to German submarines and planes continues: U.S. freighter Hoosier is straddled by bombs and damaged irreparably, 69°45'N, 39°35'E. The 42 man crew and 11 man Armed Guard abandons ship and is rescued by British corvette HMS Poppy.  Free French manned British corvette HMS La Malouin takes the crippled merchantman under tow, but discontinues the operation and recovers her salvage party put on board the freighter earlier when the escort vessel sights German submarine U-255 trailing at a distance of four miles. La Malouine's attempt to scuttle the freighter fails. U-376 later finishes off Hoosier with a torpedo and the latter sinks early the following morning. This same day, survivors from U.S. freighters Fairfield City, (sunk on 5 July) and Olopana (sunk on 7 July) reach Novaya Zemlya (see 12 July). Corvette HMS La Malouine rescues 22 merchant seamen and 8 Armed Guards, survivors from U.S. freighter John Witherspoon (sunk by German submarine U-255 on6 July).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—7 P‑38’s arrive in UK via N Atlantic route, this being the first time single-seater AAF aircraft have flown this route.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—6 B‑24’s dispatched against shipping are attacked by fighters; 1 B‑24 is lost and the others return to base without bombing targets.

ELEVENTH AF—5 B‑24’s fly photo, weather, and bombing missions to Kiska but return with the bombs due to weather.

US ARMY

SOUTH WEST PACIFIC AREA—Australian 7th Brigade commander and advance elements of the brigade leave Townsville, Australia, for Milne Bay, New Guinea.

USSR—German Army Group South is divided into 2 groups. Army Group A, on S consists of 1st Pz, 17th, and 11th Armies. Army Group B comprises 2d, Hungarian 2d, 4th Pz, and 6th Armies. Group A is to seize Rostov, where major Soviet forces are believed concentrated, then continue S through the Caucasus. Group B is to drive along the Don to Stalingrad, thence along the Volga to Astrakhan.

US MARINE CORPS

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Wednesday, 8 July 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine S-37 (SS-142) torpedoes and sinks Japanese transport Tenzan Maru about 30 miles west of Rabaul, 04°00'S, 151°50'E. Escorting submarine chaser Ch 30 depth-charges S-37 without success.

ARCTIC—Ordeal of dispersed USSR-bound convoy PQ 17 to German submarines and planes continues: 19 survivors (16 merchant seamen and three Armed Guard sailors) of U.S. freighter John Witherspoon (sunk by German submarine U-255 on 6 July) are rescued by Panamanian freighter El Capitan. German bombers, however, attack the latter and sink her. British armed trawler HMS Lord Austin rescues the 19 John Witherspoon men and takes them to Archangel (see 9July).

ATLANTIC—U.S. tanker J.A. Moffett, Jr. is torpedoed by German submarine U-571 three miles south by west of Tennessee Reef, Florida Straits, 24°47'N, 80°42'W; and is run aground on Tennessee Reef to prevent the ship's loss. The ship's master is the only fatality; the survivors (36 merchant seamen and the 6 man Armed Guard) are rescued by Coast Guard auxiliary craft Mary Jane and Southbound and cutter Nike (WPC-112). Later salvaged, J.A. Moffett, Jr. is written off as a total loss.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s bomb harbor and shipping at Bengasi during 8/9 Jul, while B‑17’s hit harbor at Tobruk.

TENTH AF—A single B‑25 piloted by Col Caleb V Haynes, bombs Japanese HQ at Tengchung near Burma border. Bad weather, pilot fatigue, and maintenance halt major operations for several days.

ELEVENTH AF—404th Bomb Squadron arrives in the Alaskan Theater with B‑24’s—originally destined for N Africa. 1 B‑24 flies 2 photo missions over S shore of Kiska and over Little Kiska. Bombing mission canceled due to weather.

US ARMY

PACIFIC—General MacArthur and Admiral Ghormley recommend that offensive be postponed until SW and S Pacific forces can be strengthened. Admiral Nimitz issues his final plan of attack, ordering S Pacific Force to seize Santa Cruz Islands. and Tulagi- Guadalcanal area in the Solomons.

CHINA BURMA INDIA—General Chennault takes command of CATF.

USSR—Russians announce evacuation of St Oskol, SE of Kursk.

US MARINE CORPS

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Tuesday, 7 July 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Japanese merchant cargo ship Haruna Maru founders and sinks near Omaesaki, Japan.

ATLANTIC—Naval Air Facility, Reykjavik, Iceland, is established.

            USAAF A-29 sinks German submarine U-701 off North Carolina coast, 34°50'N, 74°55'W--the first submarine "kill” by a USAAF plane in World War II.

GULF OF MEXICO—U.S. tanker Paul H. Harwood is torpedoed by German submarine U-67 off Southwest Pass, Louisiana, 29°26'N,88°38'W; there are no casualties among the 40 man crew or 16 man Armed Guard, and the ship puts into Burrwood, Louisiana, under her own power. She returns to service in September.

ARCTIC—Ordeal of dispersed USSR-bound convoy PQ 17 to German submarines and planes continues: U.S. freighter Olopanais is torpedoed by German submarine U-255 about 10 miles west of Novaya Zemlya, 72°10'N, 51°00'E, and abandoned; five merchant seamen and two Armed Guard sailors perish in the attack. U-255 then surfaces and shells the ship, after which time the Germans conduct a brief interrogation of some of the survivors before clearing the area (see 9 July). U.S. freighter Alcoa Ranger is torpedoed by German submarine U-255 at 71°38'N, 49°35'E, and abandoned by the 34 man crew and the 6 man Armed Guard. U-255 surfaces and conducts a brief interrogation of some of the survivors, as she had done in the case of John Witherspoon and Olopana earlier, before the U-boat shells and sinks the ship. Two of three lifeboats from Alcoa Ranger reach Novaya Zemlya later that day (see 14 July).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

SOUTH PACIFIC—General Millard F Harmon is designated COMGENSOPAC.

ELEVENTH AF—1 B‑17 and 7 B‑24’s fly weather, bombing and photo missions to Kiska, Attu, and Agattu. All bombs are returned to base due to weather. 1 seaplane is shot down.

ZONE OF THE INTERIOR—An A‑29 of 396th Bomb Squadron sinks German sub, U-701, off North Carolina 34-50N 74-55W. This is first sub sunk by AAF aircraft during World War II.

US ARMY

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA—Carrier Saratoga, followed by carrier Enterprise, each with supporting ships, sails from Pearl Harbor for S Pacific. Elements of the Enterprise support force leave main force at sea and proceed to New Caledonia to embark 1st Raider Battalion.

AUSTRALIA—Admiral Ghormley arrives in Australia and confers with General MacArthur on coming offensive.

NEW GUINEA—Company B, Australian 39th Battalion, leaves Port Moresby for Kokoda, traveling on foot along tortuous trail over Owen Stanley Range.

USSR—German 6th Army effects junction with 4th Pz Army NE of Valuiki.

US MARINE CORPS

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Monday, 6 July 1942

US NAVY

ARCTIC—Ordeal of dispersed USSR-bound convoy PQ 17 to German submarines and planes continues: U.S. freighter John Witherspoon, having emerged unscathed from the German aerial attacks the previous several days, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-255 approximately 20 miles off Novaya Zemlya, 72°05'N, 48°30'E, and abandoned with the loss of one merchant seaman. Survivors (38 merchant seamen and 11 Armed Guard sailors) gather in three lifeboats and a raft; U-255 surfaces and conducts a brief interrogation of some of the survivors before clearing the area (see 8 and 9 July 1942). Freighter Pan Atlantic, hastily painted white to camouflage her against the ice floes through which she is fleeing to Archangel, is bombed and sunk with the loss of 18 (of 37) merchant seamen and 7 (of 11) Armed Guard sailors. German submarines U-88 and U-703 salvage provisions from the freighter's flotsam; one of the enemy submarines conducts brief interrogation of survivors before departing. British corvette HMS Lotus rescues Pan Atlantic’s surviving merchant and naval complement and transports them to Archangel (see 22 September).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—RAF invites Eighth to share membership in important RAF operational committees dealing with targets, operational research, interception, and bomber operations. VIII AFSC sets up HQ at Bushy Park with General Frank as CG. 6 B‑17’s arrive in UK via N Atlantic ferry route.

TENTH AF—CATF B‑25’s bomb waterfront at Canton, marking their initial action against coastal facilities of Japanese-held Chinese ports.

ELEVENTH AF—4 B‑24’s and 1 LB-30 fly bombing and weather missions to Kiska. Results are not observed.

SIXTH AF—German sub, U-153, is damaged in attack by aircraft of 59th Bomb Squadron off Panama, 12-50N 72-21W. The sub is sunk a week later by US destroyer Landsdowne.

US ARMY

CHINA BURMA INDIA—General Stilwell issues letter of instructions setting up command structure of a theater in CBI, with “Headquarters, American Army Forces, China, Burma, and India” at Chungking and branch office at New Delhi. A few days later another branch office is established at Kunming. China Air Task Force (CATF) is activated.

USSR—Voronezh falls to German Army Group South after it has been evacuated by Red Army forces.

US MARINE CORPS

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Sunday, 5 July 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine Growler (SS-215) sinks Japanese destroyer Arare and damages destroyers Kasumi and Shiranui off Kiska, Aleutians, 52°00'N, 177°40'E. Growler is damaged by depth charges.

            Submarine Sturgeon (SS-187) damages Japanese oiler San Pedro Maru south of Palauig, Luzon, 16°07'N, 119°13'E.

ATLANTIC—Seven survivors from U.S. freighter Norlandia, sunk by German submarine U-575 on 3 July, reach Samana, Dominican Republic.

ARCTIC—German air and submarine attacks on the dispersed Archangel, USSR-bound convoy PQ 17 continue: submarine U-457 torpedoes and sinks abandoned U.S. freighter Christopher Newport, torpedoed by German plane the previous day.U-88 torpedoes and sinks U.S. freighter Carlton, 72°50'N, 24°35'E, killing two crewmen (see 9, 13 and 24 July). Freighter Peter Kerr, steaming in company with steamship Earlston Smiles, suffers three direct bomb hits, 74°30'N,35°00'E; the burning ship is abandoned by all hands (35 merchant seamen and the 11 man Armed Guard) (see 12 July). Freighter Daniel Morgan, steaming in company with four other ships for mutual protection that proves largely illusory, is bombed, and is damaged by 30 near-misses; although emerging battered from the bombing, she does not escape U-88, which torpedoes and sinks her, 75°08'N, 44°10'E. Daniel Morgan's survivors (37 of 39 merchant seamen, one of whom dies later of his injuries, and the 15 man Armed Guard) are rescued later by Russian tanker Donbass and ultimately reach Archangel in that ship. Nearby freighter Fairfield City is also bombed, 74°40'N,39°45'E; eight men die when one bomber scores a direct hit on the merchantman's bridge. Irreparably damaged, Fairfield City is abandoned by the 28 merchant seamen and the 6 man Armed Guard (see 9 and 12 July). Freighter Washington, steaming in company with Dutch Paulus Potter and British Bolton Castle, is attacked by JU-88s 175 miles east-northeast of Bear Island, 76°25'N, 33°41'E; after attacking the other two vessels, the Germans direct their efforts at Washington, and near-misses cause further damage to hull plates weakened the day before. The 36 man crew and 9 man Armed Guard abandon ship in lifeboats, and decide to take their chances in the boats instead of being taken on board freighter Olopana, which arrives in response to Washington's call for help (see 7 July). Freighter Honomu, steaming alone, is torpedoed and sunk by U-456, 75°05'N, 38°00'E; the latter takes the ship's master prisoner and provides rations for the survivors (34 crewmen, four British armed guard sailors and two Navy signalmen) before departing (see 18 and 22 July). Freighter Pan Craft, steaming alone, is bombed by German planes, 76°50'N, 38°00'E, and is abandoned; one crewman dies during the abandonment, a second dies of wounds later. British corvette HMS Lotus rescues the 34 merchant seamen and the 11 man Armed Guard, but fails in her attempt to scuttle the merchantman, which ultimately explodes and sinks between 9 and 36 hours after she is abandoned (see 22 September).

            Convoy QP 13, groping its way through poor visibility conditions, blunders into a British minefield in Denmark Strait. U.S. freighter Richard Henry Lee is damaged but suffers no casualties among her 34 man crew and 9 man Armed Guard. Freighter Massmar fouls two mines and sinks; 17 of the ship's 36 man crew, and 5 of her 9 man Armed Guard, perish, as do 26 (22 merchant seamen and four Armed Guard sailors) of the 45 passengers she is carrying--survivors of the freighter Alamar (sunk in convoy PQ 16). Free French corvette Roselys rescues survivors. Freighter Hybert fouls a mine and is abandoned; as all hands (39 man crew, 11 man Armed Guard, and 26 passengers from the sunken Syros) abandon ship, the merchantman drifts into a second mine. British armed trawler HMS Lady Madeleine and Roselys rescue the survivors. Freighter John Randolph fouls two mines and breaks in two; 5 of the 38 man crew perish in the incident, but none of the 12 passengers or the 12 man Armed Guard are lost. Other ships in QP 13 rescue the survivors. The ship's bow section is recovered and salvaged, the stern section sinks. Freighter Heffron fouls two mines and is abandoned; one crewman dies in the abandonment. Roselys rescues the 36 crewmen, two Navy signalmen and 23 passengers. Heffron sinks very early the next morning.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s bomb harbor and ships at Bengasi during 4/5 Jul.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s and B‑26’s attack Lae and Salamaua.

ELEVENTH AF—A B‑17 flies a weather mission.

US ARMY

USSR—Organized Soviet resistance in the Crimea ends. To N, German 4th Pz Army has reached the Don at Voronezh, where Red Army is resisting strongly. Army Group Center is improving positions N of Smolensk in local actions.

US MARINE CORPS

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Saturday, 4 July 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine Triton (SS-201) torpedoes Japanese destroyer Nenohi off Cape Sabak, off southeast tip of Agattu, Aleutians, 52°15'N, 173°51'E.

ARCTIC—North Russia-bound convoy PQ 17 is ordered to scatter as fears of German surface ship sortie from Norwegian waters prompts the detachment of major escort vessels to deal with the threat that does not materialize. German torpedo-carrying HE 111s attack PQ 17, 200 miles northeast of Bear Island: U.S. freighter William Hooper is torpedoed (75°57'N, 27°14'E) and abandoned; three crewmen lose their lives. The survivors (36 merchant seamen and the 15 man Armed Guard) are picked up by British rescue ships Rathlin and Zamalek. Attempted scuttling by British escort vessel fails; German submarine U-334 torpedoes and sinks William Hooper later the same day. As the convoy disperses, freighter Christopher Newport is torpedoed by HE 115 (75°49'N, 22°15'E); three crewmen are killed. Christopher Newport is abandoned, with the 36 merchant seamen and 11 man Armed Guard picked up by rescue ship Zamalek. British escort vessel's attempt to scuttle the damaged freighter fails (see 5 July). Freighter Washington is damaged by near-misses, but there are no casualties among her crew or Armed Guard.

ATLANTIC—Destroyer Corry (DD-463) rescues four survivors of U.S. freighter Ruth, sunk by German submarine U-153 on 28 June.

           Twenty-nine survivors from U.S. freighter Thomas McKean, sunk by German submarine U-505 on 29 June, reach St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (see 12 and 14 July).

           Fourteen survivors from U.S. freighter Norlandia, sunk by German submarine U-575 the previous day, reaches Samana, Dominican Republic (see 5 July).

EUROPE—First USAAF raid on Western Europe: USAAF aircrew flying American-built Bostons participate in low-level RAF raid on German airfields in the Netherlands.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—First AAF air operation over W Europe. 15th Bomb Squadron, flying 6 American-built Bostons belonging to RAF, join RAF low-level attack on 4 airfields in the Netherlands. Aircraft flown by Capt Charles C Kegelman, squadron CO, is severely damaged, but Kegelman succeeds in bringing it back to base at Swanton Morley. VIII AF Composite Command is activated in US. Second B‑17 arrives in UK via N Atlantic ferry route.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s attack convoy in Mediterranean during 4/5 Jul, setting 1 tanker aflame.

TENTH AF—CATF is activated under command of General Chennault. This new command is successor to Chennault’s AVG, which had attained 300 confirmed victories over Japanese airplanes at a cost of less than 50 aircraft and only 9 pilots. Only 5 pilots and a few ground personnel of AVG choose to join the AAF, although 20 other pilots agree to stay until replacements arrive in Kunming. Combat elements of CATF are 23d Fighter Group, 16th Fighter Squadron, and 11th Bomb Squadron. Col Robert L Scott is to command the fighters and Col Caleb V Haynes the bombers. In air action in China, 5 B‑25’s, with fighter escort, heavily damage buildings, runways, and parked aircraft at Tien Ho airfield. P‑40’s over Kweilin intercept a formation of Fighter Bombers, claiming 13 destroyed. The Japanese fail to bomb target.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s, B‑26’s, and B‑25’s bomb airfields at Lae and Salamaua.

ZONE OF THE INTERIOR—Air Transport Command, which was established on 30 Apr 42, is redesignated I Troop Carrier Command and made responsible for training and preparing units and personnel for Troop Carrier (airborne) operations. Ferrying Command, which was established on 29 May 41, is redesignated Air Transport Command and made responsible for air transport and ferrying operations.

US ARMY

CHINA BURMA INDIA—AVG is inducted into Tenth Air Force as its contract with China terminates.

EGYPT—30 Corps, British Eighth Army, is strengthened by arrival of Australian 9th Division, which is concentrating in vicinity of El ‘Alamein fortress. 13 Corps continues to attack on S flank, making slow progress.

WESTERN EUROPE—U.S. air operations against Europe are initiated. 6 U.S. aircraft manned by U.S. crews participate in RAF attack on airdromes in Holland.

US MARINE CORPS

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Friday, 3 July 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—USAAF B-24s bomb and damage Japanese seaplane carriers Kamikawa Maru and Kimikawa Maru, and transport Fujisan Maru off Agattu Island.

           British submarine HMS Truant sinks Japanese army cargo ship No.1 Tamon Maru in Strait of Malacca, 3°14'N,99°48'E.

ATLANTIC—U.S. tanker Gulfbelle is torpedoed by German submarine U-126 about 21 miles north of Tobago, 11°43'N, 60°35'W; and is abandoned. Two crewmen perish on board in the explosion. The U-boat surfaces after torpedoing her quarry, but after the Armed Guard (all eight men of which have remained on board) lobs one shell over U-126, the enemy boat submerges and departs. British destroyer HMS Warwick subsequently tows the damaged Gulfbelle to Trinidad.

           U.S. freighter Alexander Macomb, in convoy BA 2, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-215 at 41°40'N,66°52'W; four of the ship's 41 man crew and six of the 25 man Armed Guard are killed in the attack. British trawler HMS Le Tiger rescues 31 survivors; Canadian corvette HMCS Regina 25.

           Unarmed U.S. freighter Norlandia, steaming from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Nuevitas, Cuba, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-575 at 19°33'N, 68°39'W; nine crewmen lose their lives. U-575's commanding officer, Kapitanleutnant Gunther Heydemann, apparently genuinely solicitous of the needs of those whose ship he has just torpedoed, gives them a bottle of brandy before the boat departs (see 4 and 5 July).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s attack Tobruk harbor during daylight hours and B‑17’s bomb supplies at Tobruk during 3/4 Jul.

TENTH AF—CATF airplanes bomb and strafe airfield at Nanchang, the probable base of the preceding night’s raiders on Hengyang. Several parked aircraft are destroyed. During the night Japanese airplanes again strike at Hengyang and once more fail to hit airfield.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s attack barracks area at Koepang and AF at Lae. 1 A‑24 bombs Tulagi.

ELEVENTH AF—7 B‑24’s and 2 B‑17’s bomb Kiska and Near Islands, encountering neither fighter opposition nor AA. Results not observed.

US ARMY

UNITED STATES—General Marshall authorizes creation of a mobile air force for SWPA and another for POA. Preparations for offensive in the Pacific continue at a rapid pace.

US MARINE CORPS

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