US NAVY
PACIFIC—Heavy cruiser Chester (CA‑27) is torpedoed
by Japanese submarine I‑176, 120 miles southeast of San Cristobal,
Solomons, 13°31'S, 163°17'E.
Submarine Drum
(SS‑228), attacking Japanese convoy off southern Honshu, sinks merchant
cargo ship Ryunan Maru,34°09'N, 136°46'E.
Submarine Finback
(SS‑230), attacking Japanese convoy off west coast of Formosa, damages army
passenger-cargo ship Africa Maru and cargo ship Yamafuji Maru, 24°26'N,
120°25'E. Both sink the next morning.
Submarine Gar
(SS‑206) mines the approaches to Bangkok, Thailand.
Submarine Tautog
(SS‑199) sinks merchant trawler Nanshin Maru, 06°59'N, 119°20'E.
ATLANTIC—Remainder of crew (35 merchant seamen and nine
Armed Guard sailors) from U.S. freighter Steel Scientist, sunk by German
submarine U‑514 on 11 October 1942, reach Paramaribo, British Guiana, in
three lifeboats.
US ARMY AIR FORCE
EIGHTH AF—General Eisenhower issues directive reflecting
immediate urgency of TORCH as the currently important item of Allied strategy
and requiring Eighth AF, as a matter of first priority, to protect movement of
men and supplies from UK to N Africa by attacking German submarine bases on W
coast of France, with shipping docks on the French W coast as secondary targets
for these missions and with German aircraft factories and depots in France as
second priority.
US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—Air action is intensified
with aim of attaining strong air superiority preceding General Montgomery’s El Alamein
offensive. B‑17’s and B‑24’s sent to attack shipping at Tobruk fail to locate target
due to bad weather and poor visibility. 3 of the B‑17’s bomb coastal road near
Bardia during return trip. B‑25’s, in conjunction with RAF, attack landing
grounds.
SOUTH PACIFIC—Admiral Halsey sends 147th Infantry to
Guadalcanal and also institutes construction of another bomber strip to be located
at Koli Pt, 12 mi SE of Henderson Field.
ELEVENTH AF—6 B‑24’s take off for Kiska but return due to
weather. Reconnaissance is flown to 70 mi E of Attu. A negative search is made
for a missing C‑53.
US ARMY
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA—General
Vandegrift, reporting to Admiral Halsey aboard his flagship in Nouméa harbor,
requests and is promised more support for Guadalcanal. Admiral Halsey orders
147th Infantry, which had been earmarked for invasion of Ndeni, Santa Cruz
Islands, to Guadalcanal. The Ndeni operation is never undertaken.
GUADALCANAL—Japanese attack is postponed to 22d, since main
enveloping force has not yet reached line of departure, but patrol of
supporting coastal force is taken under fire at mouth of Matanikau River and
retires after 1 of its 2 tanks is hit.
NEW GUINEA—16th Brigade of Australian 6th Division enters fight
for Kokoda Trail, relieving 25th Brigade of Australian 7th Div; continues
action to clear Eora Creek area. U.S. 32d Division party under Capt Medendorp,
having left elements at Laruni, where dropping ground is staked out, arrives at
Jaure, where Capt Boice’s party is searching for airfield sites.
CHINA BURMA INDIA—Chinese troops begin moving by air into
India to meet Ramgarh requirements. Chinese 22d and 38th Divisions are being
brought up to strength.
IRAQ—General Connolly reaches Basra, where he assumes
command of PGSC, replacing Col Shingler, who remains as acting chief of staff
until relieved by Col Stanley L. Scott on 20 November. Strength of PGSC at this
time is about 400 officers and men of SOS and AAF and just under 1,000 American
civilians.
EGYPT—Allied air action is intensified in effort to attain
high degree of air superiority before General Montgomery’s El ‘Alamein
offensive opens. Air superiority is achieved by assault date, 24 October.
US MARINE CORPS
—Marines and Army troops
fight off heavy ground attacks of major Japanese counteroffensive.
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