Wednesday, 16 September 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Japanese overland assault on Port Moresby, New Guinea, "grinds to a halt" at Ioribaiwa.

            Japanese forces evacuate Attu, Aleutians.

ATLANTIC—TF 23 (Vice Admiral Jonas H. Ingram) is designated South Atlantic Force, Atlantic Fleet.

            Patrol Wing 12 (Captain William G. Tomlinson) is established at Key West, Florida, for operations in Gulf Sea Frontier.

            U.S. freighter Commercial Trader is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-558 east of Trinidad, 10°30'N,60°16'W; seven of the 29 man crew perish in the attack, as do three of the 9 man Armed Guard. The survivors, in one lifeboat, reach Tobago later the same day.

            Laconia Incident: USAAF B-24 from Ascension Island bombs German submarine U-156 (see 12 September 1942), which, along with U-506 and U-507 and Italian submarine Capellini, is engaged in rescuing survivors of the torpedoed British transport Laconia (see 17 September 1942).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—VIII AF Service Command selects Honington and Watton as sites for Bomber Command advance depots. Site for Fighter Command awaits final settlement of question of location and mission of Fighter Command.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—General Brereton is officially assigned to the ME as a result of pressure from General Bissell, new CG Tenth AF, for clarification of status of Brereton and other key staff officers and combat crews who had gone from India to ME in Jun and Jul 42.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s bomb wharf and airfield at Rabaul and airfield at Gasmata. A lone B‑17 attacks landing barges in Sanananda area while a single A‑20 bombs and strafes positions at Nauro and Menari in Efogi area. Japanese ground offensive toward Port Moresby comes to a halt at Ioribaiwa. Australians are entrenched on Imita Range where they are preparing a counteroffensive.

ELEVENTH AF—Enemy completes transfer of Attu garrison to Kiska, begun on 27 Aug. 1 B‑17 and 1 B‑24 fly photo and reconnaissance runs over Adak.

US ARMY

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS—Enemy, during period 27 August–16 September, transfers Attu garrison to Kiska.

NEW GUINEA—Japanese overland drive on Port Moresby grinds to a halt at Ioribaiwa. Australians are firmly entrenched on Imita Ridge, to S, where they are preparing for counteroffensive.

CHINA—General Chennault presents to General Bissell a plan for employment of CATF that calls for defense of India–China ferry route as primary mission; suggests that CATF operate directly under Stilwell and that it be detached from U.S. Tenth Air Force.

MADAGASCAR—French Governor General requests peace terms.

USSR—Army Group B penetrates NW suburbs of Stalingrad.

US MARINE CORPS

—