Wednesday, 11 November 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I‑7 reconnoiters Vanikoro, Solomons; small reconnaissance seaplane from I‑21 reconnoiters Nouméa, New Caledonia; and small reconnaissance seaplane from I‑9 reconnoiters Espiritu Santo.

            Transport Zeilin (AP‑9) is damaged by dive bombers off Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, 09°24'S, 160°02'E.

            Submarine Haddock (SS‑231) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Venice Maru in center of Yellow Sea, between China and Korea, 35°36'N, 123°44'E.

            Submarine Tautog (SS‑199) is damaged by depth charges in Makassar Strait, 01°22'N, 119°31'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.

            Japanese armed merchant cruiser Hokoku Maru is sunk by Indian Navy minesweeper RINS Bengal and Dutch merchant tanker Ondina south-southwest of Cocos Islands, 20°00'S, 93°00'E.

            Japanese transport Kobe Maru is sunk in collision with army cargo ship Tenzan Maru 87 miles off the Yangtze River estuary; Tenzan Maru then founders and sinks, too.

ATLANTIC—Casablanca surrenders to U.S. forces. Allied-French armistice is signed.

            Mechanized artillery transport Lakehurst (APM‑9) is damaged when accidentally rammed by cargo ship Titania (AK‑55) in Safi harbor, French Morocco.

            German submarine U‑173 torpedoes and sinks transport Joseph Hewes (AP‑50) and torpedoes destroyer Hambleton (DD‑455) and oiler Winooski (AO-38) off Fedala Roads, North Africa.

MEDITERRANEAN—German troops occupy France, south to the Mediterranean Sea.

            Italian troops land on Corsica and move into France.

            Naval Operating Base, Oran, is established.

INDIAN OCEAN—First survivors from U.S. freighter Marcus Whitman, sunk by Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci on 9 November, reach coast of Natal, South Africa, in the merchantman's motor lifeboat; the remainder will arrive within the next few hours. All hands (41 man merchant complement and the 11 man Armed Guard) reach safety.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

Europe German troops enter part of France previously unoccupied by Axis forces.

TWELFTH AF—Fighters fly reconnaissance over Oran-Tafaraoui area and escort C‑47’s carrying paratroops from Gibraltar to Algiers. All French resistance against Allies in NW Africa ceases in the early morning.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s hit shipping N of Bengasi, claiming 4 direct hits and several near misses on 1 vessel. P‑40’s fly sweep over Gambut area, claiming 3 Stukas destroyed. British Eighth Army drives last of enemy from Egypt and crosses into Libya, taking Bardia without opposition.

TENTH AF—9 P‑40’s hit Shinghbwiyang, causing heavy damage.

FIFTH AF—A‑20’s bomb and strafe targets in Wairopi area. B‑17’s attack shipping off S coast of Bougainville. HQ, 126th Infantry, US 32d Division, is flown from Port Moresby to Pongani. Col Paul B Wurtsmith becomes CO V Fighter Command.

SOUTH PACIFIC—Search aircraft from Guadalcanal report at least 61 Japanese ships in Buin-Tonolai area. Other ships are massed at Rabaul.

ELEVENTH AF—3 B‑26’s, 3 B‑17’s, and 3 B‑24’s are over Kiska. The B‑26’s make unsuccessful runs on ship in Gertrude Cove. The B‑17’s and B‑24’s find submarine base closed by weather. Weather aircraft fly over Attu and Amchitka.

US ARMY

GUADALCANAL—Westward offensive toward Kobumbona is halted because of strong indications of an all-out enemy attempt to recover Lunga area. After reaching positions a little beyond those gained on 4 November, assault force begins withdrawal across the Matanikau. E of Lunga perimeter, 2d Battalion of 164th Infantry closes gap on S flank of U.S. line about enemy along Gavaga Creek and drives N to beach while 7th Marines closes in from E and W. Naval force bringing reinforcements and supplies from New Hebrides arrives and begins unloading; when the 3 transports of the force are damaged by enemy aircraft, the group retires to join naval forces approaching from New Caledonia.

NEW GUINEA—Hq of 126th Infantry, 32d Division, is flown to Pongani.

EGYPT–LIBYA—10 Corps, British Eighth Army, drives last of enemy from Egypt and enters Libya, taking Bardia without opposition. 1st and 7th Armored Divisions continue pursuit of enemy in Libya. New Zealand 2d Division pauses at frontier to reorganize.

NW AFRICA—In response to Admiral Darlan’s order of 10th, all resistance of French forces in NW Africa ceases by 0700.

MOROCCO—Western Task Force cancels attack on Casablanca because of armistice; 3d Division enters city at 0730. CCB of 2d Armored Division receives surrender of Mazagan and establishes bridgehead at Azemmour without opposition. Enemy torpedoes and sinks U.S. transport off coast.

ALGERIA—British First Army lands elements of 36th Brigade, 78th Division, at Bougie, 110 miles E of Algiers, without opposition. Hart Force—mobile TF based on 11th Brigade of 78th Div—moves out of Algiers toward Bône, traveling overland.

FRANCE—Axis troops march into unoccupied France.

US MARINE CORPS

—