Sunday, 1 November 1942

US NAVY

GENERAL—Patrol Wings are redesignated Fleet Air Wings.

PACIFIC—District patrol craft YP‑205 is lost after grounding off Saba Island, 18°30'N, 65°00'W.

            Japanese merchant cargo ship Biwa Maru is lost to unknown cause, 13°30'N, 109°21'E.

ATLANTIC—U.S. freighter George Thatcher, bound for French Equatorial Africa, is torpedoed by German submarine U‑126,01°45'S, 07°30'E, and abandoned; five crewmen and five Armed Guard sailors, as well as eight soldier passengers, perish in the attack. Free French corvettes rescue the survivors (34 merchant seamen, 10 Armed Guard sailors and four Army passengers) and transport them to their original destination, Port Noire (see 3 November 1942).

 

US ARMY AIR FORCE

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s strike airfield and dispersal areas at Maleme. P‑40’s escort bombers and hit ground targets in battle area. An air depot, 2 service groups, and 1 MP co are assigned to USAMEAF.

FIFTH AF—B‑25’s bomb airfield and dump area at Lae. B‑17’s strike shipping in Buin-Faisi-Tonolai area. Kahili AF on Bougainville is also attacked.

US ARMY

GUADALCANAL—1st Marine Division, with artillery, naval gunfire, and air support, launches attack toward Poha River. 5th Marines, followed by 2d Marines (less 3d Battalion) in reserve, crosses footbridges over Matanikau River and drives W about 1,000 yards in 2 columns to positions short of Pt Cruz, 1st Battalion, the right flank column, meeting considerable delaying opposition along coast. Whaling Group (3d Battalion of 7th Marines and scout-sniper detachment) crosses the river upstream and advances W on inland route to protect left flank of 5th Marines. To forestall expected enemy landings in Koli Pt area, E of Lunga perimeter, 2d Battalion of 7th Marines starts E toward Metapona River.

USSR—Close combat between Soviet garrison of Stalingrad (62d and 64th Armies) and German 6th and 4th Pz Armies of Army Group B continues, but the garrison has proved itself capable of weathering maximum effort of enemy. In the Caucasus, Red Army has frustrated every enemy effort to reach Grozny and is containing attacks toward Tuapse, but German Army Group A captures Alagir, blocking Ossetian Highway, which extends from Alagir to Kutais.

US MARINE CORPS

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