Saturday, 5 September 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Japanese troops are withdrawn from their tenuous beachhead at Milne Bay.

            High speed transports Gregory (APD-3) and Little (APD-4) are sunk by Japanese destroyers Yudachi, Murakumo, and Hatsuyuki off Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, 09°20'S, 160°01'E.

            Submarine Seal (SS-183) sinks Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Kanju Maru southeast of Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina, 11°00'N, 109°32'E.

ATLANTIC—British steamship City of Capetown rescues 19 survivors of U.S. freighter California, sunk by Italian submarine Reginaldo Giuliani on 13 August 1942 (see 14 September 1942).

            One lifeboat with 28 survivors of U.S. tanker Jack Carnes, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-705 on 30August 1942, reaches Terceira, Azores. The other 28 survivors (18 merchant seamen and 10 Armed Guard sailors) are never recovered.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—Because of General Spaatz’s convincing protests, General Eisenhower changes his mind concerning his recent orders to suspend Eighth AF operations from UK in order to devote total air effort to support of Twelfth AF and the forth coming African campaign. General Eisenhower informs General Marshall that he considers air operations in UK and in Africa mutually complementary. 31 B‑17’s bomb the locomotive depot at Rouen-Sotteville marshalling yard. This is largest force of Eighth AF Heavy Bombers to attack to date. Almost 1/5 of the HE bombs burst within the marshalling yard.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s strike shipping and dock area in Candia Bay. P‑40’s escort RAF bombers over battle area SE of Alam-el-Halfa ridge near Rayil Dayr Ar Depression as enemy offensive falters and is pushed back.

FIFTH AF—General Walker becomes CG V Bomber Command. P‑400’s strafe Kokoda, Kaile, Isurava, Alola, Buna, Sanananda, and Buna-Kokoda trail. airfield at Buna is strafed and bombed by P‑400’s and A‑20’s. As Japanese withdraw from Milne Bay area, Australian ground forces capture Wagga Wagga supply dump.

ELEVENTH AF—3 B‑24’s abort bombing of Kiska due to overcast.

US ARMY

U.S.-U.K.—Final decision is made that TORCH is to include landings at Algiers and Oran in Algeria and at Casablanca, Morocco.

SOUTH WEST PACIFIC AREA—U.S. 32d and 41st Divisions are assigned to General Eichelberger, CG U.S. I Corps.

NEW GUINEA—Japanese continue evacuation of Milne Bay under cover of darkness. About 1,300 of original force of some 1,900 are withdrawn by sea. Australians, following withdrawal closely, capture supply dump at Waga Waga.

EGYPT—Enemy opposition to 13 Corps, British Eighth Army, as it continues battle to close gap in mine field is unabated.

US MARINE CORPS

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