US NAVY
ATLANTIC—Laconia Incident: In the wake of the attack by
USAAF B-24 upon German submarines U-156, U-506 and U-507 and
Italian submarine Capellini, engaged in rescuing survivors of the
torpedoed British transport Laconia, Admiral Karl Doenitz issues orders
forbidding U-boats from rescuing survivors of sunken ships (the "Laconia
Order"). Vichy French light cruiser Gloire, sloop Dumont
D'Urville and minesweeper Annamite rescue 1,041 people from
lifeboats and the German submarines that have picked them up, too.
U.S.
freighter Mae is torpedoed, shelled and sunk by German submarine U-515
approximately 41 miles north of Georgetown, British Guiana, 08°03'N,
58°13'W; one crewman is killed. Norwegian merchantman Sorwangen rescues
the 31 surviving merchant crewmen and the nine man Armed Guard, and transfers
them to Canadian merchantman Gypsum King, which takes them to
Georgetown.
US ARMY AIR FORCE
US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—During 16/17 Sep, B‑24’s bomb
Bengasi harbor. During the day, targets for B‑24’s are in Greece: shipping in
Pylos Bay and shipping and piers near Sphakia, and in Khalones and Pylos Island.
P‑40’s make offensive sweep with RAF over front lines.
FIFTH AF—B‑17’s, carrying out single-bomber attacks, bomb airfields
at Rabaul and Lae, and hit a beached cargo vessel at Salamaua. P‑400’s, P‑40’s,
and P‑39’s strafe and bomb landing barges at Buna and Sanananda Pt. Japanese
ground forces, halted within sight of Port Moresby, are unable to attack
without reinforcements and supplies, neither of which is available.
TWELFTH AF—XII Ground Air Support Command is activated at
Birmingham, Ala. The only Twelfth AF command to be completely organized in US, it
eventually will proceed directly to N Africa as part of Western Task Force.
US ARMY
NEW GUINEA—In
preparation for wide flanking movement to E, Allied reconnaissance parties move
E along S coast from Port Moresby. Party of 126th Infantry, U.S. 32d Division,
under Capt William F. Boice, leaves by lugger for Kapa Kapa to reconnoiter
inland from there to Jaure. Another party, headed by SWPA Engineer officer Brigadier
General Hugh J. Casey’s deputy, Col Leif J. Sverdrup, who is already charged
with locating and developing landing fields, moves towards Abau in order to
reconnoiter trail inland from there. Japanese at Ioribaiwa are in a precarious
position. Although within sight of Port Moresby, troops are in no condition to
attack without reinforcements and supplies, neither of which can be spared.
MADAGASCAR—French plenipotentiaries receive and reject
terms for cessation of hostilities.
US MARINE CORPS
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