Monday 12 October, 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Battle of Cape Esperance continues as TG 64.2 engages Japanese cruiser and destroyer force. As the result of damage received in the battle, Japanese heavy cruiser Furutaka sinks, 09°02'S, 159°34'E; destroyers Murakumo and Shirayuki rescue survivors of Rear Admiral Goto's ships sunk in the engagement with TG 64.2.

            Despite efforts of a salvage party from destroyer McCalla (DD‑488), destroyer Duncan (DD‑485) sinks as a result of damage received off Cape Esperance. McCalla also conducts unsuccessful attempt to sink Japanese submarine I‑2 off Guadalcanal.

            Destroyers Gwin (DD‑433), Nicholas (DD‑450), and Sterett (DD‑407) shell Japanese artillery positions on Guadalcanal.

            SBD (VS 71) sinks Japanese destroyer Natsugumo off Savo Island; destroyer Murakumo, after being damaged by TBF (VT 8), Navy and Marine SBDs (VS 3, VS 71, VMSB 141) and Marine F4Fs (VMF 121, VMF 212, and VMF 224) off New Georgia, Solomons, is scuttled by destroyer Shirayuki.

            Submarine Nautilus (SS‑168) is damaged by depth charges off northern Honshu, 41°05'N, 141°58'E, but remains on patrol.

            Motor torpedo boats PT-38, PT-46, PT-48 and PT-60 arrive at Tulagi, having been towed from Espiritu Santo to a point 300 miles south of that place by high-speed minesweepers Southard (DMS‑10) and Hovey (DMS‑11).

            Transport Mount Vernon (AP‑22) is stranded by storm, Sydney, Australia, harbor, but is not damaged in the accidental grounding.

ATLANTIC—U.S. freighter Pan Gulf, in convoy TAG 18S, blunders into U.S. minefield at 10°01'N, 61°50'16"W; she returns to Trinidad under her own power. There are no casualties among the 38 man merchant complement and 21 man Armed Guard.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—VIII Fighter Command is made responsible for preparation and movement of air echelons of Twelfth AF from UK to N Africa.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—Bomber Command USAMEAF is organized at Cairo with Col Patrick W Timberlake as CO. This step comes about as part of a move to preserve Arnold-Portal-Towers agreement that US combat units in theaters of British strategic responsibility are to be organized in homogeneous ‘American formations’ and under ‘strategic control only’ of a British CinC. B‑17’s hit shipping at Tobruk harbor.

FIFTH AF—A‑20’s hit village of Isivita and targets on trail near Wairopi. B‑25’s bomb Buna, Wairopi bridge, and targets along Buna-Kokoda trail.

SOUTH PACIFIC—5 B‑17’s bomb installations at Buka.

ELEVENTH AF—2 B‑24’s abort bombing of Kiska due to overcast and instead fly shipping search W of Attu.

US ARMY

BATTLE OF CAPE ESPERANCE—Henderson-based planes conclude action against retiring enemy naval force, sinking DD’s Murakumo and Natsugumo.

SOLOMON ISLANDS—4 boats of MTB Sq 3, the first naval craft to be permanently based at Tulagi except for harbor patrol boats, are towed in.

CHINA BURMA INDIA—General Stilwell requests that a second 30 Chinese divisions be equipped.

US MARINE CORPS

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