Saturday, 12 September 1942

US NAVY

ATLANTIC—Brazil places its naval forces under U.S. Navy operational control.

            U.S. tanker Patrick J. Hurley, en route to Belfast, Ireland, is shelled by German submarine U-512 at 22°59'N, 46°15'E, and abandoned after Armed Guard gunfire proves unavailing in the tanker's defense (see 19 September and 2 October1942).

            Laconia Incident: German submarine U-156 torpedoes and sinks British transport Laconia, which has 1,800 Italian POWs on board, northeast of Ascension Island, 05°05'S, 11°38'W; the U-boat immediately commences rescue operations and dispatches plain-language request for help. In addition, diplomatic channels are utilized to seek aid from Vichy French naval units in West African waters (see 16-18 September 1942).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—HQ VIII AF Composite Command arrives in N Ireland and is temporarily stationed at Long Kesh. HQ 3d Bomb Wing arrives in UK and is established at Elveden Hall. HQ 4th Bomb Wing is established at High Wycombe but soon loses its personnel to XII Bomber Command and is not manned again until Jan 43. 4th Fighter Group is activated in UK to be manned by US pilots who formerly flew with RAF Eagle Squadrons.

TWELFTH AF—HQ of Twelfth AF, XII Fighter Command and XII AFSC arrive in UK.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—P‑40’s fly 3 uneventful scramble missions along front-lines.

FIFTH AF—P‑400’s, B‑26’s, A‑20’s, and B‑17’s bomb airfield and strafe barges at Buna. P‑40’s strafe Gadaibai on Goodenough Island. A B‑17 strafes vessel in Bismarck Sea S of Kavieng.

ELEVENTH AF—A weather and patrol reconnaissance aircraft finds overcast at Kiska but takes photos over Tanaga, Kanaga, and Attu. The runway at Adak is completed.

US ARMY

NEW HEBRIDES—7th Marines and elements of 5th Defense Battalion arrive at Espiritu Santo. Admiral Turner, after conferring with General Vandegrift on Guadalcanal, recommends to Admiral Ghormley that 7th Marines be used to strengthen Lunga defenses.

GUADALCANAL—Provisional raider-parachute Battalion conducts reconnaissance in force along ridge, later called Bloody or Edson’s, S of OPL and about 800 yards E of Lunga River, to close the route of approach to Henderson Field; despite enemy fire, reaches southernmost knoll. Fire fight continues throughout night 12–13, and enemy succeeds in infiltrating.

UNITED KINGDOM—General Eisenhower officially announces assumption of command as CinC Allied Expeditionary Force for TORCH, and Allied Force Headquarters (AFHQ) is activated in London.

US MARINE CORPS

—