Saturday 24 October, 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine Nautilus (SS‑168) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Kenun Maru about 20 miles east of Shiriya Zaki, off northern tip of Honshu, 41°24'N, 141°50'E.

            Submarine Trigger (SS‑237) damages Japanese oiler Nissho Maru in Bungo Channel, 32°06'N, 132°34'E.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑25’s support British Eighth Army Offensive W of El Alamein between Mediterranean Sea and Qattara Depression as 30 Corps, with 4 divisions in assault, secures 2 corridors through enemy mine-fields on British N flank, while 13 Corps on S flank breaks through mine-fields N of Himeimat and establishes small bridgehead. The Medium Bombers hit troop concentrations, tent areas, gun emplacements, and vehicles. P‑ 40’s, working with RAF and SAAF, escort Medium Bombers and Light Bombers and hit motor transports and tanks.

FIFTH AF—B‑25’s hit Lae airfield. Organized Japanese resistance on Goodenough Island ceases.

SOUTH PACIFIC—Marine and AAF fighters at Henderson Field continue to inflict damaging losses upon Japanese naval air force. Japanese ground forces, attacking aggressively, are again repulsed by defenses around Henderson area.

ELEVENTH AF—3 B‑17’s hit Kiska submarine base. Results not observed. Weather reconnaissance flight is made over Attu.

US ARMY

UNITED STATES—Final detachment of Western Naval Task Force sails from Hampton Roads for North Africa. Covering group of warships sails from Casco Bay, Maine.

GUADALCANAL—Japanese column is observed E of the Matanikau on foothills of Mt Austen in afternoon and bombarded by artillery and aircraft with unobserved results. Shortly after midnight 24–25, regiment of main Japanese assault force attacks S flank of Lunga perimeter, where 1st Battalion of 7th Marines is thinly spread along 2,800-yard front, 2d Battalion having been withdrawn to plug gap between Lunga perimeter and forward positions along the Matanikau. Marines, assisted by fire of adjacent troops—2d Battalion of 164th Inf—and reinforced during night by 3d Battalion of 164th Infantry, hold against repeated attacks, and enemy retires morning of 25th.

NEW HEBRIDES—2 U.S. naval carrier forces, based on Enterprise and Hornet, rendezvous NE of New Hebrides and come under command of Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid.

NEW GUINEA—Organized resistance on Goodenough Island. ceases; 250 Japanese are withdrawn to Rabaul by DD after nightfall. After exhausting overland journey, head of 2d Battalion, 126th Infantry, U.S. 32d Division, reaches Jaure. From there the force is to move to Buna area via Natunga and Bofu, Aniti Tank and Cannon Companies protecting its rear and harassing enemy in Wairopi area.

EGYPT—30 Corps, with 4 divisions in assault, secures 2 corridors through enemy mine fields on N flank of British Eighth Army, Australian 9th and British 51st Divisions gaining one on N and New Zealand 2d and South African 1st Divisions one on S. 10 Corps armor then begins passing through 1st Armored Division, debouching through N corridor, breaks through mine field during night 24–25, but 10th Armored Division, using S corridor, is unable to reach W edge of mine field. On Eighth Army S flank, 13 Corps’ 7th Armored and 44th Divisions succeed in breaking through mine fields N of Himeimat, night 24–25, and establish small bridgehead; to S, Free French 1st Brigade pushes W but is driven back.

ITALY—RAF Lancasters, after flight of some 1,400 miles from Britain, attack Milan in force. This is the first daylight attack on Italy by British planes from home bases.

US MARINE CORPS

—Marines and Army troops fight off heavy ground attacks of major Japanese counteroffensive.