Thursday 29 October, 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine Grenadier (SS‑210) lays mines in Tonkin Gulf off Haiphong, French Indochina.

            PBY (VP 11) sinks Japanese submarine I‑172 west of San Cristobal Island, Solomons, 13°01'S, 162°45'E.

ATLANTIC—German submarine attacks on British Isles-bound convoy HX 212 continue: U.S. tanker Pan New York is torpedoed by U‑624 about 550 miles west of Northern Ireland, 54°58'N, 23°56'W and her cargo of aviation gasoline catches fire, virtually incinerating the ship. Of the 56 souls on board (39 merchant seamen and a 17 man Armed Guard), only 14 (13 crewmen and one Armed Guard sailor) are rescued by Canadian corvettes: HMCS Rosthern picks up 13 (one of whom dies after being rescued); HMCS Summerside two. Escort vessels shell and depth charge the doomed ship. U‑224 torpedoes Canadian tanker Bic Island as it straggles from the convoy at 55°05'N, 23°27'E, and sinks her with all hands (including the 44 men rescued from U.S. tanker Gurney E. Newlin on 27 October 1942).

            U.S. freighter West Kebar is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U‑129 14°57'N, 53°37'E, while en route from Freetown, Sierra Leone, to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; three merchant seamen are killed. The survivors take to two lifeboats and one raft (see 8, 10 and 18 November 1942).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

UNITED STATES—A 1943 production objective of 107,000 airplanes is given top priority by Roosevelt in his instructions to Donald M Nelson, Chairman of War Production Board.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s and B‑17’s strike Maleme airfield. B‑25’s bomb landing grounds, motor transports, and tanks. P‑ 40’s fly escort, then bomb and strafe road E of El Daba, and attack troop concentration and vehicles. In view of strong German reinforcements on his N flank near coast, General Montgomery alters breakout plan. Instead of pushing W along coast, he decides to shift point of advance S in order to attack against Italian troops.

FIFTH AF—A‑20’s hit Isurava-Deniki and Abuari-Kaile trails. B‑17’s attack shipping in Bougainville Strait between Buin and Faisi.

ELEVENTH AF—Japanese reoccupy Attu. Special reconnaissance flown with General Buckner, covers Tanaga, Amchitka and Kiska.

US ARMY

WESTERN HEMISPHERE—Alaska Military Highway opens to traffic.

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS—Japanese reoccupy Attu.

GUADALCANAL—Japanese, having suffered heavy casualties in recent battles, begin general withdrawal about this time toward Koli Pt and Kokumbona. 1st Marine Division prepares for offensive to drive enemy westward beyond Poha River. 2d Marines (— 3d Battalion) is ordered to Guadalcanal from Tulagi to assist in the offensive; 3d Battalion, which has been operating as mobile reserve in Lunga area, is to return to Tulagi for garrison duty. Attack is to begin on 1 November after outposts have been established W of the Matanikau and bridges have been constructed across the river.

NEW GUINEA—Japanese commit fresh forces from beachhead to hold heights at Oivi in order to cover withdrawal across Kumusi River.

EGYPT—Australians withstand determined enemy attacks against their wedge in N sector of 30 Corps and British Eighth Army front. General Montgomery, learning of the presence of strong German reinforcements on N coast, alters breakout plan. Instead of pushing W along coast, he decides to shift axis of advance S in order to drive against Italians.

US MARINE CORPS

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