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

—