Thursday, 29 January 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Japanese land at Badoeng Island and Mampawan, Celebes.

           Minesweeper Quail (AM-15) bombards Japanese troop concentrations at Longoskawayan Point, Luzon. 

           Oiler Ramapo (AO-12) arrives at Bora Bora, Society Islands, to support survey operations being carried out by Sumner (AG 32), which had arrived at that place on 22 January (see 12 February).

INDIAN OCEAN—U.S. freighter Florence Luckenbach is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-64 about 15 miles east of Madras, India, 12°55'N, 80°33'E; there are no casualties among the 38 man crew and all hands reach Madras by lifeboat.

ATLANTIC—Coast Guard cutter Alexander Hamilton (WPG-34) is torpedoed by German submarine U-132 off Reykjavik, Iceland,64°10'N, 22°56'W (see 31 January).

           PBYs (VP 52) operating out of Natal, Brazil, are fired upon by British freighter Debrett owing to difficulty of mutual identification.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

FAR EAST AF—B‑17’s, striking out of Palembang, hit Kuantan airfield scoring numerous hits on runways and hangars.

HAWAIIAN AF—VII Bomber Command is activated. B‑17’s of TG 8.9 fly from Canton Island to Palmyra.

US ARMY

UNITED STATES—Combined Chiefs of Staff establish ANZAC Area, covering ocean expanses between Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. This area is to be under U.S. naval command.

FIJI ISLANDS—U.S. troops arrive in islands.

LUZON—II Corps withstands further efforts of Japanese to breach MAIN LINE OF RESISTANCE. In river Corps area, troops of 1st and 11th Divisions operate against Little and Big Pockets, respectively, in effort to determine their strength and disposition, and evoke sharp opposition. Scouts of 1st Battalion, 45th Infantry,, prepare to assist 11th Division in attack on Big Pocket. In South Sector, after half-hour artillery preparation augmented by fire of mine sweeper offshore, ad Battalion of 57th Infantry (PS) attacks and clears Longoskawayan Pt; enemy remnants are being mopped up. 3d Battalion of 45th Infantry (PS) continues to make slow and costly progress at Quinauan Pt. In Anyasan-Silaiim sector, Scouts of 2d Battalion, 45th Infantry, prepare for attack and are reinforced by 1st Battalion of Philippine Constabulary and 1st Battalion of 12th Infantry (PA), both of these having been relieved at Quinauan Pt. Company A of 57th Infantry is to guard West Road.

MALAYA—Withdrawal toward Singapore continues. Additional elements of British 18th Division arrive at Singapore; also, a sq of obsolete light tanks arrives from India, the only tanks to reach Malaya.

NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES—Japanese occupy Pontianak, on W coast of Dutch Borneo.

IRAN—Great Britain and Soviet Union sign treaty of alliance with Iran, wherein Iran agrees to remain neutral; Britain and USSR promise to withdraw their troops from Iranian territory 6 months after hostilities with Axis cease. (Persian Corridor is to become principal route for movement of supplies to USSR.)

LIBYA—Axis main forces remain in Msus area, but elements pursue Indian 4th Division of British Eighth Army as it falls back slowly toward Derna line.

USSR—On central front, Red Army continues to deepen salient SW of Kaluga and reports capture of Sukhinichi.

US MARINE CORPS