Thursday 8 October, 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Japanese guard boat Toyohama Maru is wrecked (cause unspecified), Wotje Atoll.

            Submarine Drum (SS‑228) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Hague Maru, 34°06'N, 136°22'E.

INDIAN OCEAN—U.S. tanker Swiftsure is torpedoed by German submarine U‑68 approximately 25 miles southeast of the Cape of Good Hope, 34°40'S, 18°25'E, and after firefighting efforts prove futile, is abandoned. There are no casualties among the 31 man crew, and all hands are rescued by a British minesweeper that comes out from Cape Town, South Africa (see 2 November 1942).

ATLANTIC—U.S. freighter John Carter Rose is torpedoed by German submarine U‑202 at 10°27'N, 45°37'W; fires triggered by the explosions make abandoning ship difficult. Five the 45 man crew perish, as do 3 of the 20 man Armed Guard. U‑201 returns, but a second dud torpedo fails to damage the merchantman. The U‑boat then shells John Carter Rose, after which time the Germans provide the survivors with cigarettes, medical supplies and food (see 13 October 1942).

            British corvette HMS Rockrose picks up 42 survivors (32 merchant seamen and 10 Armed Guard sailors) of U.S. freighter Chickasaw City, sunk the previous day by German submarine U‑172 (see 2 November 1942).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

USSR—German High Command abandons attempt to storm Stalingrad; announces plans to take city by artillery siege.

EIGHTH AF—In letter to General Stratemeyer, General Eaker indicates plans for developing highly-skilled intruder force capable of using bad weather as a cloak for small blind-bombing operations. These missions are also to serve purpose of keeping the enemy from resting during periods of bad weather when big strategic missions cannot be flown.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s of 343d and 344th Squadrons, 98th Bomb Group, fail to reach target at Bengasi because of bad weather. Hal Bomb Squadron manages to attack shipping at Bengasi.

FIFTH AF—B‑25’s bomb Buna area while A‑20’s pound Buna-Kokoda trail. Japanese withdrawal NE across Owen Stanley Range slows as they prepare to make a stand at Templeton’s Crossing N of Myola.

ELEVENTH AF—9 B‑24’s, 3 B‑17’s, and 12 P‑38’s blast Kiska Harbor installations (starting fires in Main Camp), and strafe AA positions, hangars, a corvette (silencing her guns), and a freighter.

US ARMY

GUADALCANAL—Marine attack across Matanikau River is postponed because of heavy rains, but 5th Marines and raiders reduce enemy bridgehead on E bank in costly fighting. When Japanese plans for counteroffensive are discovered, 1st Marine Division CG changes plan of attack. Instead of driving toward Kokumbona and the Poha, marines are to raid Pt Cruz area in force and return to Lunga perimeter.

NEW GUINEA—Japanese withdrawal across Owen Stanley Range toward Kokoda slows as preparations are made for stand at Templeton’s Crossing, N of Myola.

CHINA BURMA INDIA—General Chennault delivers to Wendell L. Willkie a letter for President Roosevelt asking for increased authority and air power in order to destroy Japanese Air Force in China, then attack Japanese Empire.

US MARINE CORPS

—