Saturday, June 27, 2026

Sunday, 28 June 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) is damaged by depth charges off central Honshu, 34°34'N, 140°13'E.

           Submarine Stingray (SS-186), attacking Japanese convoy, torpedoes and sinks gunboat Saikyo Maru about 190 miles north of Yap, Carolines, 12°41'N, 136°22'E; cargo ship Meiten Maru fires at Stingray's periscope without effect.

           PBYs (VP 14) bomb Japanese base at Tulagi.

ATLANTIC—Unarmed U.S. freighter Raphael Semmes is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-332 at 29°30'N, 64°30'W; 18 men from the 35 man crew, and one of the two passengers, perish. U-332 remains in the vicinity of the sinking, providing medical assistance and supplies to the survivors before departing (see 16 July).

           U.S. freighter Sam Houston is torpedoed, shelled and sunk by German submarine U-203 at 19°21'N, 62°22'W; three crewmen perish. U-203 briefly embarks the freighter's master for questioning but returns him to a lifeboat before departing (see 30 June).

           U.S. tanker William Rockefeller is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-701 approximately 16 miles northeast of Diamond Shoals, North Carolina, 35°07'N, 75°07'W; escorting Coast Guard cutter CG-470 (which attacks the U-boat without success) rescues all hands: 44 merchant seamen and the six man Armed Guard.

           U.S. freighter Sea Thrush, en route to Cape Town, South Africa, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-505 at 22°40'N, 61°26'W. All hands survive the loss of the ship: 42 man crew, 11 man Armed Guard and 14 passengers (see 30 June).

           U.S. freighter Ruth is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-153 about 100 miles north of Cape Maysi, Cuba,21°44'N, 74°05'W. U-153 rescues one survivor and places him on a raft with three of his shipmates; they are the only survivors from a crew of 34 men. There are no survivors from the four man Armed Guard unit (see 4 July).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS US ARMY—General Eisenhower assumes command of ETOUSA, succeeding General Chaney.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—General Brereton arrives at Cairo where USAFIME issues orders placing him in command of USAMEAF, which is activated immediately. USAMEAF is comprised of Halverson Det (HALPRO), Brereton’ det (9th Bomb Squadron and other personnel which Brereton brought from India), and Air Section of US Military North African Mission. Also activated is Air Service Command, USAMEAF, under General Adler. B‑24’s of HALPRO bomb harbor and shipping at Tobruk.

ELEVENTH AF—A B‑17 weather aircraft flies over Kiska. Solid weather front cancels bombing. On this and the following day US advance reconnaissance parties land on Adak from submarines.

US ARMY

MIDDLE EAST—U.S. Army Middle East Air Force is established in Middle East under command of Lt General Lewis H. Brereton. It at first consists of Halverson Detachment (HALPRO) and 9 B–17’s.

EGYPT—Enemy overruns 29th Brigade of Indian 5th Division as it attempts to cover withdrawal of 10 Corps in Fuka area. 10 Corps retires southward to El ‘Alamein.

USSR—Germans launch main summer offensive. On N flank of Army Group South enemy pushes eastward toward the Don from Kursk. Battle for Sevastopol continues, with Soviet forces losing ground steadily.

US MARINE CORPS

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