The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II--1942 (original) (raw)
Chapter IV: 1942
January
- January 1, Thu.
General
President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill sign the Joint Declaration of the United Nations; only the United States and Britain had discussed the document's creation, but ultimately representatives of 24 other nations, including the Soviet Union and China, will affix their signatures to it. There will be no separate peace agreements; the signatories pledge to fight until the Axis is defeated.
Pacific
Admiral Thomas C. Hart (Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet) arrives in Surabaya, Java, N.E.I., after his passage from Manila, P.I., in submarine Shark (SS-174).
Unarmed U.S. freighter Malama, en route from Honolulu to Manila, is bombed and sunk by floatplane from Japanese armed merchant cruiser Aikoku Maru at 26°21'N, 153°24'W. Aikoku Maru takes the 35-man crew and the 8 passengers prisoner.
Japanese army cargo ship Teiun Maru (ex-German Bremerhaven) is sunk by mine (U.S. or Japanese) off mouth of Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, 16°05'N, 120°20'E.
Japanese oiler Toen Maru is damaged by mine southwest of Hong Kong, B.C.C.
Atlantic
Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll succeeds Admiral Ernest J. King as Commander in Chief Atlantic Fleet. - January 2, Fri.
Pacific
Manila and Cavite, P.I., fall to the Japanese. - January 3, Sat.
Pacific
Japanese collier Moji Maru is sunk by mine southwest of Hong Kong, B.C.C.
Japanese merchant cargo ship Meiko Maru is sunk by accidental gasoline explosion off Hainan Island, 15°01'N, 112°48'E.
Atlantic
Critical fuel states in the "shortlegged" flush-deck destroyers in the screen of convoy HX 167 prompts the adoption of the expedient of cargo ship Delta (AK-29) fueling destroyers Babbitt (DD-128) and Schenck (DD-159). Weather again worsens, however, preventing Leary (DD-158) from fueling; she is sent to Casco Bay to refuel.
Light cruiser Omaha (CL-4) and destroyer Somers (DD-381) encounter two ships in succession that fail to answer challenges; Omaha sends armed boarding party each time to obtain information. The vessels prove to be Greek freighter Marika Protopapa and Norwegian merchantman Tercero. - January 4, Sun.
Pacific
USAAF B-17s bomb Japanese warships in Malalag Bay, Davao, P.I., and damage heavy cruisers Myoko and Nachi. - January 5, Mon.
Pacific
Submarine tender Canopus (AS-9) is damaged by bombs, Lilimbom Cove, Mariveles, P.I.
Submarine Pollack (SS-180) torpedoes Japanese cargo ship Heijo Maru 80 miles east-southeast of Tokyo Bay, Honshu, 34°15'N, 140°08'E.
Atlantic
Convoy ON 49, escorted by TU 4.1.1, reaches its dispersal point without incident. - January 6, Tues.
Pacific
Second Marine Brigade (Brigadier General Henry L. Larsen, USMC) embarked in troop transports (former Matson Line passenger liners) Lurline, Monterey and Matsonia, and cargo ship Jupiter (AK-43) and ammunition ship Lassen (AE-3) sails from San Diego, California, for Pago Pago, American Samoa. Initial escort is provided by TF 17 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher), formed around carrier Yorktown (CV-5) (see 20 January).
Japanese amphibious force lands at Brunei Bay, Borneo. - January 7, Wed.
General
Navy's authorized aircraft strength is increased from 15,000 to 27,500.
Pacific
Submarine Pollack (SS-180) torpedoes and sinks Japanese collier No.1 Unkai Maru south of Honshu, 34°27'N, 139°59'E. - January 8, Thu.
Pacific
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-19 reconnoiters Pearl Harbor. - January 9, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Pollack (SS-180) torpedoes and sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Teian Maru (ex-Yugoslav Tomislav) 40 miles south-southwest of Inubozaki, Japan, 35°00'N, 140°36'E. - January 10, Sat.
Pacific
Destroyer Paul Jones (DD-230) rescues survivors from Dutch steamships Camphuijs (sunk on 9 January by Japanese submarine I-158 at 04°40'S, 111°47'E) and Benkoelen (also sunk on the 9th by Japanese submarine I-165 at 04°50'S, 112°50'E).
Submarine Pickerel (SS-177) torpedoes and sinks Japanese gunboat Kanko Maru at mouth of Davao Gulf, off Cape San Augustin, P.I., 06°19'N, 125°54'E.
Submarine Stingray (SS-186) torpedoes and sinks Japanese cargo ship Harbin Maru in South China Sea off the south coast of Hainan Island, 17°40'N, 109°20'E.
Dutch submarine O-19 torpedoes and sinks Japanese army cargo ship Akita Maru and torpedoes merchant cargo ship Tairyu Maru at the mouth of the Gulf of Siam, 07°40'N, 102°50'E. - January 11, Sun.
Pacific
Carrier Saratoga (CV-3) is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-6, 500 miles southwest of Oahu, T.H., 19°00'N, 165°00'W.
Naval Station Pago Pago, Samoa, is shelled by Japanese submarine.
Japan declares war on the Netherlands; invasion of Netherlands East Indies begins as Japanese Central Force (Vice Admiral Hirose Sueto) lands Army 56th Regimental Combat Group and 2d Kure Special [Naval] Landing Force at Tarakan; naval paratroops (1st Yokosuka Special Landing Force) occupy Menado. Eastern Force (Rear Admiral Kubo Kuji) then follows up the airborne assault on Menado with 1st Special Landing Force going ashore at Menado and Kema, Celebes. These operations will secure control of the northern approaches to the Java Sea.
U.S. Army transport Liberty Glo is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-166 about 10 miles southwest of Lombok Strait, 08°54'S, 115°28'E. Although destroyer Paul Jones (DD-230) and Dutch destroyer Van Ghent take the damaged ship in tow and beach her on the shores of Bali, Liberty Glo will be written off as a total loss.
U.S. tankship Manatawny sinks in Manila Bay as the result of damage received on 13 December 1941.
Atlantic
Operation Paukenschlag ("roll of the kettledrums") descends upon the eastern seaboard of the U.S. like a "bolt from the blue." The first group of five German submarines takes up station off the east coast of the United States on this date. Over the next month, these boats (U-66, U-109, U-123, U-125 and U-130) will sink 26 Allied ships; the presence of the enemy off the eastern seaboard takes U.S. Navy antisubmarine forces by surprise (see 14 January and following). - January 12, Mon.
General
Authorized enlisted strength of the U.S. Navy is increased to 500,000.
Pacific
Dutch army shore battery sinks Japanese minesweepers W.13 and W.14 off Tarakan, Borneo; destroyer Asagumo is damaged when she runs aground off Tarakan.
Japanese submarine I-121 mines Clarence Strait, the body of water connecting Van Diemen Gulf and the Timor Sea, off Australia's northern territory, at the approaches to Darwin, the Asiatic Fleet's main logistics base (see 16 January). - January 14, Wed.
Atlantic
Panamanian tanker Norness is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-123 at 40°26'30"N, 70°54'30"W;; destroyer Ellyson (DD-454) and Coast Guard cutter Argo (WPC 100) rescue 30 men, while fishing boat Malvina picks up nine and brings them to Newport, Rhode Island. - January 15, Thu.
General
Third Conference of Foreign Ministers of the American Republics convenes at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to secure a unanimous and binding resolution for the American republics to sever relations with the Axis powers (see 28 January).
Pacific
American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Supreme Command is established at the Grand Hotel, Lembang, Java. General Sir Archibald Wavell, British Army, assumes supreme command of all forces in area; Lieutenant General George H. Brett, USAAF, is deputy commander; Admiral Thomas C. Hart is to command naval forces.
Atlantic
Storm with wind velocity of more than 80 knots and gusts of over 100 knots hits Hvalfjordur, Iceland; heavy cruiser Wichita (CA-45) is damaged in collisions with U.S. freighter West Nohno and British trawler HMS Ebor Wyke, and in grounding near Hrafneyri light. Storm conditions last until 19 January and cause heavy damage among patrol planes based there and tended by seaplane tender Albemarle (AV-5). - January 16, Fri.
General
War Production Board is established to supplant Office of Production Management.
Pacific
Japanese invade Burma from Thailand.
Japanese submarines continue mining the approaches to Darwin, Northern Territory: I-122 mines Clarence Strait, I-123 Bundas Strait, and I-124 the waters off Darwin itself (see 20 January).
Japanese cargo ship Taishu Maru is wrecked when she runs aground off Okushiri Island, Hokkaido, 42°00'N, 139°00'E.
During a routine search from carrier Enterprise (CV-6), TBD (VT 6) flown by Aviation Chief Machinist's Mate Harold F. Dixon (Naval Aviation Pilot) fails to return to the ship and force-lands at sea at about 04°20'S, 169°30'E due to fuel starvation. Dixon and his two-man crew have no food and no water (see 19 February). - January 17, Sat.
Pacific
Japanese submarine I-60 is sunk by British destroyer HMS Jupiter 25 miles north-northwest of Krakatoa, Java, 06°00'S, 105°00'E.
Japanese transport Fukusei Maru is stranded and wrecked off Yangtze Estuary, 31°00'N, 122°00'E.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter San Jose is sunk in collision with freighter Santa Elisa off Atlantic City, New Jersey, 39°15'N, 74°09'W. - January 18, Sun.
General
Germany, Italy, and Japan sign new military pact in Berlin.
Pacific
River gunboat Tutuila (PR-4), stranded at Chungking by Sino-Japanese hostilities since 1937, is decommissioned and her crew flown out of China.
Submarine Plunger (SS-179) torpedoes and sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Eizan Maru (ex-Panamanian Aurora) off mouth of Kii Suido, Honshu, 33°30'N, 135°00'E.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Frances Salman is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-552 off St. John's, Newfoundland. There are no survivors from the 28-man crew.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Allan Jackson is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-66 about 50 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 35°57'N, 74°20'W; destroyer Roe (DD-418) rescues the 13 survivors from the 35-man crew.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Malay is shelled and damaged by German submarine U-123 off Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, 35°25'N, 75°23'W. Freighter Scania provides fire-fighting assistance while the tanker's assailant pursues other game (Latvian freighter Ciltvaria). Although Malay is torpedoed by U-123 upon the U-boat's return and damaged further, the holed tanker reaches Hampton Roads safely the next day. One man perishes in the shelling; four drown when the ship is abandoned after she is torpedoed. - January 19, Mon.
Pacific
Motor torpedo boat PT-31 is damaged when her engines fail because of what is believed to be sabotaged gasoline and she runs aground on reef north of Mayagao Point, Bataan, P.I.
Atlantic
In attacks against unescorted coastal shipping, unarmed U.S. steamship City of Atlanta is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-123 off the North Carolina coast at 35°42'N, 75°21'W; railroad ferry Seatrain Texas rescues the three survivors of the 46-man crew.
German submarine U-66 torpedoes and sinks Canadian steamer Lady Hawkins at 35°00'N, 72°30'W (see 28 January). - January 20, Tue.
Pacific
Second Marine Brigade (Brigadier General Henry L. Larson, USMC) arrives at Pago Pago, Samoa, in transports Lurline, Matsonia, and Monterey, along with cargo ship Jupiter (AK-43) and ammunition ship Lassen (AE-3), to protect that portion of the important lifeline to Australia. Cover for the operation is provided by TF 8 formed around carrier Enterprise (CV-6) (Vice Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.) and TF 17 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher) formed around carrier Yorktown (CV-5). The two carrier task forces then set course for the Japanese-held Marshalls and Gilberts to carry out the initial raids on the enemy's defensive perimeter (see 1 February).
Motor torpedo boat PT-31, damaged by grounding the day before, is burned by crew to prevent capture, 14°45'N, 120°13'E.
Submarine S-36 (SS-141) is damaged when she runs aground on Taka Bakang Reef, Makassar Strait, Celebes, N.E.I., 04°57'N, 118°31'E (see 21 January).
Destroyer Edsall (DD-219) and Australian minesweeper HMAS Deloraine sink Japanese submarine I-124 off Darwin, Australia.
Japanese gunboat Aso Maru and auxiliary minesweeper No.52 Banshu Maru are sunk by mines, Subic Bay, Luzon, P.I., 14°45'N, 120°17'E.
Japanese merchant storeship Sendai Maru is damaged by unknown cause off mouth of Davao Gulf.
Japanese convoy is reported in Makassar Strait, bound for Balikpapan, Borneo (see 21 January). - January 21, Wed.
Pacific
In response to the movement of the Japanese convoy sighted the previous day in Makassar Strait, a U.S. task force (Rear Admiral William A. Glassford), consisting of light cruisers Boise (CL-47) (flagship) and Marblehead (CL-12) and four destroyers sails from Koepang, Timor, to engage it. En route, however, Boise steams across an uncharted pinnacle in Sape Strait, N.E.I., and suffers sufficient damage to eliminate her from the force. Turbine trouble limits Marblehead (the ship to which Glassford transfers his flag) to only 15 knots, so the admiral orders the destroyers (Commander Paul H. Talbot) ahead (see 24 January).
Submarine S-36 (SS-141), damaged by grounding on 20 January, is scuttled by her crew in Makassar Strait. - January 22, Thu.
Pacific
Japanese reinforcements land in Subic Bay area.
Japanese land on Mussau Island, north of New Ireland.
Allied forces evacuate Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea.
TF 11 (Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr.), formed around carrier Lexington (CV-2), departs Oahu to raid Wake Island (see 23 January).
Destroyers Gridley (DD-380) and Fanning (DD-385) are damaged in collision 150 miles northwest of American Samoa as TF 8 proceeds toward the Marshalls and Gilberts.
Survey vessel Sumner (AG 32) arrives at Bora Bora, Society Islands, and commences survey work at that place (see 29 January and 12 February).
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Norvana is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-123 south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. There are no survivors, and pieces of wreckage from the ship when she explodes hit her attacker. - January 23, Fri.
Pacific
Roberts Commission, whose work had begun on 18 December 1941, concludes its investigation to "ascertain and report the facts relating to the attack made by the Japanese armed forces upon the Territory of Hawaii on December 7, 1941..." The exhibits gathered amount to 2,173 printed pages.
Japanese land at Balikpapan, Borneo, N.E.I.
Japanese occupy Rabaul, New Britain, and land at Kieta, Bougainville, Solomons.
Japanese force lands on southwest coast of Bataan peninsula; local Army commander inserts naval battalion of sailors and marines (Commander Francis J. Bridget) into the battle as a stopgap. It blocks enemy progress. Motor torpedo boat PT-34 is damaged in action with Japanese armed launch while on patrol off Bataan Peninsula.
Oiler Neches (AO-5) is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-72, off Hawaiian Islands, 21°01'N, 160°06'W. The loss of the oiler supporting TF 11 (Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr.) forces cancellation of the projected raid on Wake.
Destroyer Edsall (DD-219) is damaged by explosion of own depth charges during attack on submarine contact in Howard Channel, Clarence Strait, one of the approaches to Darwin, Australia.
Submarine Seadragon (SS-194) damages Japanese merchant cargo ship Fukuyo Maru off the northern coast of French Indochina, 12°00'N, 109°00'E.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. collier Venore is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-66 about 20 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 35°50'N, 75°20'W (see 25 January). - January 24, Sat.
Pacific
Battle off Balikpapan (Battle of Makassar Strait) occurs when four U.S. destroyers (Commander Paul H. Talbot) (DesDiv 59) attack Japanese Borneo invasion convoy. Destroyer John D. Ford (DD-228) is damaged by gunfire (01°20'N, 117°01'E) but sinks transport Tsuruga Maru; destroyer Parrott (DD-218) sinks transport Sumanoura Maru; destroyers Paul Jones (DD-230) and Pope (DD-225) sink transport Tatsukami Maru; Paul Jones sinks cargo ship Kuretaki Maru; Parrott sinks Patrol Boat No.37, 00°10'N, 118°00'E. USAAF B-17s and Dutch Martin 139s and Brewster 339s bomb invasion shipping, sinking transports Nana Maru and Jukka Maru, 00°10'N, 118°00'E.
Naval battalion (Commander Francis J. Bridget) drives Japanese troops back to Longoskawayan and Quinauan Points on Bataan Peninsula.
Japanese land at Kendari, Celebes; Kavieng, New Ireland; and Subic Bay.
Submarine tender Canopus (AS-9) is damaged by bombs, Lilimbom Cove, Mariveles.
Submarine Swordfish (SS-193) sinks Japanese gunboat Myoken Maru north of Kema, Celebes, 01°26'N, 125°08'E.
Caribbean
Submarine S-26 (SS-131) is accidentally rammed and sunk by submarine chaser PC-460 in Gulf of Panama, 08°13'N, 79°21'E. PC-460 rescues three survivors. Despite a search by the patrol craft and the other three submarines in company, S-21 (SS-126), S-29 (SS-134) and S-44 (SS-155), no other survivors are found; 46 men lose their lives in the mishap. - January 25, Sun.
Pacific
Japanese submarine I-73 shells Midway Island.
Japanese destroyer Hatsuharu is damaged by U.S. aircraft east of Kendari, Celebes.
Atlantic
German submarine U-125 attacks unarmed U.S. tanker Olney, forcing the latter aground off Cape Lookout, North Carolina, 37°55'N, 74°56'W. Olney is subsequently removed from her predicament, however, repaired, and returned to service.
U.S. steamer Tennessee rescues one boatload of 21 survivors from U.S. collier Venore, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-66 on 25 January; two survivors reach port in a second boat. U.S. motor tanker Australia rescues the only other surviving sailor the same day. Seventeen men of Venore's crew perish. - January 26, Mon.
Atlantic
First U.S. Expeditionary Force to Europe in World War II arrives in Northern Ireland.
U.S. freighter West Ivis is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-125 off the eastern seaboard. There are no survivors from either the 36-man civilian crew or the 9-man Armed Guard. - January 27, Tue.
Pacific
Submarine Gudgeon (SS-211) torpedoes and sinks Japanese submarine I-73 240 miles west of Midway, 28°24'N, 178°35'E.
Submarine Seawolf (SS-197) delivers ammunition to Corregidor, P.I., and evacuates naval and army pilots.
USAAF B-17s bomb and damage Japanese seaplane carrier Sanuki Maru off Balikpapan, Borneo.
Naval Air Station, Puunene, Maui, T.H., is established.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. tanker Francis E. Powell is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-130 about eight miles northeast of Winter Quarter Lightship, 37°45'N, 74°53'W; a Coast Guard boat from the Assateague Island station and U.S. tanker W. C. Fairbanks rescue the 28 survivors from the 32-man crew. U.S. tanker Halo is torpedoed and damaged by U-130 about 17 miles northeast of Diamond Shoals Lightship, 35°33'N, 75°20'W.
U.S. steamship Coamo rescues 71 survivors of Canadian steamer Lady Hawkins that had been sunk by U-66 on 19 January. - January 28, Wed. Third Conference of Foreign Ministers of the American Republics at Rio de Janeiro is concluded. Despite the efforts of Argentina and Chile, Pan-American unity is preserved; within days, all Latin American nations that had not already done so (except Argentina and Chile) sever ties with Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Pacific
Japanese land on Rossel Island off New Guinea.
Atlantic
PBO (VP 82) on an antisubmarine sweep astern of convoy HX 172 attacks a surfaced submarine in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland at 43°50'N, 53°50'E. Although pilot (Aviation Machinist's Mate First Class Donald F. Mason) reports "sighted sub, sank same" no U-boat is lost on this date. - January 29, Thu.
Pacific
Japanese land at Badoeng Island and Mampawan, Celebes.
Minesweeper Quail (AM-15) bombards Japanese troop concentrations at Longoskawayan Point, Luzon.
Oiler Ramapo (AO-12) arrives at Bora Bora, Society Islands, to support survey operations being carried out by Sumner (AG 32), which had arrived at that place on 22 January (see 12 February).
Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Florence Luckenbach is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-64 about 15 miles east of Madras, India, 12°55'N, 80°33'E; there are no casualties among the 38-man crew and all hands reach Madras by lifeboat.
Atlantic
Coast Guard cutter Alexander Hamilton (WPG-34) is torpedoed by German submarine U-132 off Reykjavik, Iceland, 64°10'N, 22°56'W (see 31 January).
PBYs (VP 52) operating out of Natal, Brazil, are fired upon by British freighter Debrett owing to difficulty of mutual identification. - January 30, Fri.
Pacific
Japanese naval land attack planes (Genzan Kokutai) bomb Allied shipping at Keppel Harbor, Singapore, Straits Settlements; transport Wakefield (AP-21), waiting to embark passengers, is damaged by a bomb, as are British transports (ex-passenger liners) Duchess of Bedford and Empress of Japan and freighter Madura. Transport West Point (AP-23) is straddled and showered with fragments, but suffers no damage. She provides medical assistance to Wakefield. Both U.S. transports subsequently embark passengers that include dockyard workers from Singapore and their families, in addition to Royal Navy officers and enlisted men and a small RAF contingent. The ships will then proceed to Batavia, Java, N.E.I., and thence on to Colombo, Ceylon.
Atlantic
Coast Guard cutter Alexander Hamilton (WPG-34), torpedoed by German submarine U-132 the previous day, is scuttled by gunfire of destroyer Ericsson (DD-440) off Reykjavik, Iceland.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Rochester is torpedoed, shelled, and sunk by German submarine U-106 off the Chesapeake Lightship, 37°10'N, 73°58'W; three crewmen perish in the initial torpedo explosion. Destroyer Roe (DD-418) rescues the 29 survivors. - January 31, Sat.
General
Office of Procurement and Material is established in the office of the Under Secretary of the Navy; Vice Admiral Samuel M. Robinson, Chief of the Bureau of Ships, is named its director. He must build, from the ground up, an organization that will assure the flow of vital materials essential to the production of ships, planes, and other munitions. He will instill in the production program the need for more production and greater speed, and will apply himself to breaking complex bottlenecks in production, settling conflicts in priorities, solving labor difficulties and curing the multitudinous ills besetting the Navy's production efforts.
Pacific
TF 11 (Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr.), formed around carrier Lexington (CV-2), departs Pearl Harbor to cover the retirement of TF 8 (Vice Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr.) and TF 17 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher) from the Marshalls and Gilberts (see 1 February).
Japanese troops land on Amboina Island, N.E.I.
Destroyer Helm (DD-388) evacuates civilian radio operators and weather observers from Howland and Baker Islands; she is bombed by a Japanese reconnaissance flying boat (Yokohama Kokutai) off Baker, but is not damaged.
Atlantic
British tanker San Arcadio is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-107 at 38°10'N, 63°50'W (see 11 February).
British tanker Tacoma Star is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-109 at 37°33'N, 69°21'W; destroyer Roe (DD-418), on temporary duty with the Fifth Naval District defense forces due to the increase in ship sinkings off Cape Hatteras, is sent to rescue survivors.
February
- February 1, Sun.
Pacific
TF 8 (Vice Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.), formed around carrier Enterprise (CV-6) and TF 17 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher), formed around carrier Yorktown (CV-5), raid the Marshall and Gilbert Islands; TF 8 concentrates on Kwajalein and Wotje, with heavy cruiser Chester (CA-27) bombarding Maleolap atoll; TF 17 targets enemy installations on Jaluit, Makin, and Mili. TF 11 (Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr.), formed around carrier Lexington (CV-2) supports the operations from the vicinity of Christmas Island.
At Kwajalein, SBDs (VB 6 and VS 6) and TBDs (VT 6) from Enterprise sink transport Bordeaux Maru and damage light cruiser Katori, submarine I-23, minelayer Tokiwa, auxiliary netlayer Kashima Maru, auxiliary submarine chaser No.2 Shonan Maru, submarine depot ship Yasukuni Maru, oiler Toa Maru, tanker Hoyo Maru, and army cargo ship Shinhei Maru; in the bombing of shore installations, Rear Admiral Yatsushiro Sukeyoshi (Commander Sixth Base Force) becomes the first Imperial Navy flag officer to die in combat when an SBD scores a direct hit on his headquarters. Off Wotje, gunfire from heavy cruisers Northampton (CA-26) and Salt Lake City (CA-25) sink gunboat Toyotsu Maru; destroyer Dunlap (DD-384) shells and sinks auxiliary submarine chaser No.10 Shonan Maru.
Japanese retaliatory air attacks (Chitose Kokutai) on TF 8 result in damage to carrier Enterprise (near-miss of crash of land attack plane), 10°33'N, 171°53'E, and heavy cruiser Chester (by bomb dropped by carrier fighter), 08°45'N, 171°33'E.
Planes from Yorktown cause less damage, due to a paucity of targets at the objective; nevertheless, SBDs (VS 5) bomb and strafe gunboat Nagata Maru at Makin, while SBDs (VB 5) bomb and strafe cargo ship Kanto Maru at Jaluit. Rear Admiral Fletcher detaches three of his four destroyers to look for downed TBD (VT 5) reported in the water astern of TF 17. During the search, a Japanese reconnaissance flying boat (Yokohama Kokutai) attacks (but does not damage) destroyer Sims (DD-409). Soon thereafter, two F4Fs (VF 42) splash the flying boat. The TBD crew, however, is never found in the prevailing poor weather.
Motor torpedo boats and USAAF P-40s repulse Japanese landing attempt on southwest Bataan. PT 32 damages Japanese minelayer Yaeyama off Subic Bay.
Naval Base, Sydney, Australia, is established.
Atlantic
Seventh Naval District with headquarters at Key West, Florida, is reestablished.
Caribbean
Naval Air Stations, St. Lucia, British West Indies, and British Guiana; and Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Antigua, British West Indies, are established. - February 2, Mon.
Pacific
Submarine Seadragon (SS-194) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Tamagawa Maru off Cape Bolinao, Luzon, P.I., 17°16'N, 119°48'E, but misses army cargo vessel Nisshu Maru in the same attack.
Japanese minesweeper W.9 is sunk, and minesweepers W.11 and W.12 damaged, by Dutch mines off Ambon, N.E.I., 03°42'S, 128°10'E.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. tanker W.L. Steed is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-103 about 90 miles east of the mouth of the Delaware River, 38°25'N, 72°43'W. Exposure to the frigid weather will eventually kill 34 of the 38-man crew who survive the loss of the ship at the outset (see 4, 6, and 12 February). - February 3, Tue.
Pacific
Submarine Trout (SS-202) delivers ammunition to Corregidor, P.I., and removes gold, silver, securities and mail. She uses the gold as ballast on the return voyage to Pearl Harbor.
Japanese naval land attack planes (Takao Kokutai) bomb ABDA operating base at Surabaya; other naval land attack planes (1st Kokutai) bomb Malang, Java. These raids indicate for the first time that substantial Japanese air forces have been moved south. En route home from Malang, 1st Kokutai aircraft report presence of Allied naval force (Rear Admiral Karel W.F.M. Doorman, RNN) off Madoera (see 4 February).
Atlantic
Panamanian freighter San Gil is torpedoed, shelled, and sunk by German submarine U-103 approximately 15 miles south of Fenwick Island light, 38°05'N, 74°40'W. Two crewmen perish in the attack; Coast Guard cutter Nike (WPC-112) rescues the 38 survivors. - February 4, Wed.
Pacific
Australian-New Zealand naval command is established (Vice Admiral H. Fairfax Leary).
Japanese reconnaissance flying boats (Toko Kokutai) contact and shadow allied force (Rear Admiral Karel W.F.M. Doorman, RNN) of four cruisers and accompanying destroyers (sighted the previous day by 1st Kokutai aircraft) attempting transit of Madoera Strait to attack Japanese Borneo invasion fleet. On the strength of that intelligence, Japanese naval land attack planes (Takao, Kanoya, and 1st Kokutais) bomb Doorman's ships, damaging heavy cruiser Houston (CA-30) (1st Kokutai) and light cruiser Marblehead (CL-12) (Kanoya Kokutai), 07°23'S, 115°47'E. Dutch light cruisers De Ruyter and Tromp are slightly damaged by near-misses (1st Kokutai). Marblehead's extensive damage (only by masterful seamanship and heroic effort does she reach Tjilatjap after the battle) results in her being sent back to the United States via Ceylon and South Africa; despite the loss of turret III (one-third of her main battery), Houston, however, remains.
Asiatic Fleet (Admiral Thomas C. Hart) ceases to exist organizationally (not formally abolished). Units of Asiatic Fleet are organized into Naval Forces, Southwest Pacific Area (Vice Admiral William A. Glassford).
Submarine Sculpin (SS-191) torpedoes Japanese destroyer Sukukaze as the latter patrols off Staring Bay, south of Kendari, Celebes, 04°00'S, 123°00'E.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. tanker India Arrow is torpedoed, shelled, and sunk by German submarine U-103 about 20 miles southeast of Cape May, New Jersey, 38°48'N, 73°40'W. Two of her men perish when the ship is shelled; 24 drown when two lifeboats are swamped. Fishing skiff Gitana rescues the 12 survivors 12 miles off Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Canadian armed merchant cruiser HMCS Alcantara comes across lifeboat from torpedoed U.S. tanker W.L. Steed (sunk by German submarine U-103 on 2 February) and rescues the three survivors she finds (see 6 and 12 February). - February 5, Thu.
Pacific
Submarine Seadragon (SS-194) evacuates a nucleus group of people from the naval communications/radio intelligence unit, and associated equipment, from Corregidor, to set up facilities on Java.
Japanese planes bomb Allied shipping off Soembawa Island, N.E.I.; after destroyer Paul Jones (DD-230) is damaged by near-miss, she then rescues survivors of Dutch merchantman Tidore, which had run aground in an attempt to avoid Japanese bombs.
Atlantic
Naval Operating Base, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, is established to serve as a turnaround point for transatlantic convoys.
Unarmed U.S. tanker China Arrow is torpedoed, shelled, and sunk by German submarine U-103 off Winter Quarter Lightship, 37°44'N, 73°18'W (see 7 February).
United States
National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, is established in this Washington, D.C. suburb. - February 6, Fri.
General
Naval Coastal Frontiers--Eastern, Gulf, Caribbean, Panama, Hawaiian, Northwest, Western, Philippine--are redesignated as Sea Frontiers.
U.S. and Britain establish Combined Chiefs of Staff.
Pacific
Japanese land reinforcements at Lingayen Gulf.
Japanese artillery on the Cavite coast, near Ternate, shell Corregidor, Fort Hughes, Fort Frank, Fort Drum and anchorage of Inshore Patrol off South Harbor, Corregidor; river gunboat Luzon (PR-7) is hit by a shell in her vacant admiral's quarters; there are no casualties.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Major Wheeler, en route from Fajardo, Puerto Rico, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-107. There are no survivors from the 35-man crew.
British freighter Hartlepool comes across lifeboat from torpedoed U.S. tanker W.L. Steed (sunk by German submarine U-103 on 2 February) and rescues the two survivors she finds; one of them will die in hospital on 10 February of exposure (see 12 February). - February 7, Sat.
General
President signs Executive Order 9054 establishing War Shipping Administration (WSA) to bring the control and operation of all U.S. merchant shipping under a single head. The WSA's most pressing task is to mobilize the shipping capacity of the country (the majority of which is still in private hands by the end of the year 1941) to bring it under single control so that vessels can be allocated more readily on the basis of overall shipping needs of the U.S. and the Allies (see 9 February).
Pacific
Commander Naval Forces Southwest Pacific Area (Vice Admiral William A. Glassford) establishes headquarters at the port of Tjilatjap, on Java's south coast.
Yacht Isabel (PY-10) rescues all 187 survivors from Dutch freighter Van Cloon, which had been torpedoed and shelled earlier that day by Japanese submarine I-155 and beached in a sinking condition off Java, 06°25'S, 111°25'E.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-25 reconnoiters Sydney, Australia.
Japanese submarines RO-61 and RO-62 are damaged in collision, Kwajalein atoll.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter West Jaffrey is stranded off Halfbald Island, Nova Scotia, 43°36'N, 66°02'W, and wrecked. There are no casualties to either the merchant crew or the 14-man Armed Guard.
Coast Guard cutter Nike (WPC-112) rescues all 37 survivors of U.S. tanker China Arrow, sunk by German submarine U-103 off Winter Quarter Lightship on 5 February.
U.S. freighter Mary is damaged in collision with freighter Palimol at 24°50'N, 66°00'W, and proceeds to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for repairs. - February 8, Sun.
Pacific
Japanese submarine I-69, which has been reconnoitering the atoll since 21 January, shells Midway.
Japanese troops land at Gasmata, New Britain.
Submarine S-37 (SS-142) attacks Japanese convoy in Makassar Strait, and torpedoes destroyer Natsushio south of Makassar City, Celebes, 05°10'S, 119°24'E. S-37 survives resultant depth-charging (see 9 February).
Japanese infiltration force at Quinauan Point, Bataan, is mopped up, supported by armed motor launches from submarine tender Canopus (AS-9) (Lieutenant Commander H.H. Goodall). Japanese planes, however, attack the boats, bombing and strafing them, killing three and wounding 15 (including Goodall).
British submarine HMS Trusty shells Japanese merchant coaster Se Go off Poulo Condore, French Indochina.
Atlantic
British freighter Ocean Venture is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-108 at 37°05'N, 74°45'W (see 9 February). - February 9, Mon.
General
Rear Admiral Emory S. Land, Chief of the Maritime Commission, is appointed Director of the War Shipping Administration. As WSA director, he is responsible only to the President.
Admiral William H. Standley, USN (Ret.), former Chief of Naval Operations (1935-1937), is named Ambassador to the USSR.
Pacific
Twelve USAAF B-17s are released to Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet for operational control; they will cover the advance of TF 11 (Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr.) into the South Pacific.
Transport St. Mihiel (AP-32) is damaged by grounding off MacNamara Point, Alaska.
Submarine Trout (SS-202) torpedoes and sinks Japanese gunboat Chuwa Maru 53 miles off Keelung, Formosa, 25°30'N, 122°38'E.
Japanese carrier Kaga is damaged when she runs aground on an uncharted reef, Palau, Palau Islands.
Japanese transport Kurama Maru is torpedoed and sunk, agent unknown, 28°25'N, 122°03'N.
Japanese destroyer Natsushio, torpedoed by submarine S-37 (SS-142) off Makassar the previous day, sinks.
Japanese planes bomb Batavia, Surabaya, and Malang, Java.
Japanese troops land on Singapore Island.
Atlantic
Transport Lafayette (AP-53) (ex-French liner Normandie) burns at New York pier and capsizes at her berth.
Destroyer Roe (DD-418), at approximately 36°24'N, 74°34'W, rescues 14 survivors from British freighter Ocean Venture, sunk the previous day by German submarine U-108. - February 10, Tue.
Pacific
USAAF LB-30s bomb and damage Japanese seaplane carrier Chitose in Makassar Strait south of Celebes.
Japanese submarine I-69 shells Midway but is immediately bombed and damaged by USMC F2As (VMF 221).
Atlantic
Submarine R-5 (SS-82) fires three torpedoes at what she later reports as a German U-boat at 35°00'N, 65°45'W, but the attack is not successful. By the time R-5 has reloaded, the enemy is gone. While R-5's captain is criticized for erring in judgment for failing to follow up his contact during darkness and continuing the attack, his inexperience (R-5 is his first command) is considered, as is the fact that it is that commanding officer's first war patrol. R-5's quarry may have been U-564, which sinks Canadian motor tanker Victolite at 36°12'N, 67°14'W the same day. - February 11, Wed.
Pacific
Submarine Shark (SS-174) is sunk by Japanese destroyer Yamakaze about 120 miles east of Menado, Celebes, 01°45'N, 127°15'E. There are no survivors from Shark's 58-man crew.
Caribbean
U.S. Army troops arrive at Curacao and Aruba, N.W.I., to assume occupation duty (with the cooperation of the British and Dutch governments) at this naval operating base whose primary mission will be port security, convoy routing, and protection of tankers transporting oil to U.S. ports.
Atlantic
PBM (VP 74) rescues nine survivors adrift in a lifeboat from British tanker San Arcadio, sunk by German submarine U-107 on 31 January.
Europe
Admiral William D. Leahy, USN (Retired), Ambassador to France, receives instructions from President Roosevelt that the U.S. government has learned that French ships are to be used to transport war materiel between France and Tunisia, and that unless the French government gives assurances that no military aid would go forward to any Axis power, and that French ships would not be used in the furtherance of Axis acts of aggression in any theater of war, the ambassador would be recalled to the United States "for consultation in a determination of American future policy with regard to the government of Vichy" (see 20-21 February). - February 12, Thu.
Pacific
Destroyer Whipple (DD-217) is damaged in collision with Dutch light cruiser De Ruyter, Prigi Bay, Java.
USAAF B-17s bomb Japanese shipping off Surumi, damaging transport Kozui Maru and merchant cargo vessel Kinryu Maru.
Auxiliary [survey vessel] Sumner (AG 32) completes survey work of Bora Bora, Society Islands and publishes Hydrographic Office Field Chart No.1 for those waters.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Dixie Sword founders and sinks in Nantucket Sound, 41°35'N, 69°59'W.
British freighter Raby Castle comes across lifeboat from torpedoed U.S. tanker W.L. Steed (sunk by German submarine U-103 on 2 February) and rescues the one survivor she finds; sadly, he will die on board on 15 February, of exposure. - February 13, Fri.
Pacific
Chartered U.S. passenger ship President Taylor, transporting 900 troops to occupy Canton Island, runs aground on a reef off her destination, and becomes stranded.
Atlantic
Destroyer Ericsson (DD-440) accidentally sinks Icelandic trawler Greedir in collision off Hvalfjordur, Iceland. - February 14, Sat.
Pacific
Submarine Sargo (SS-188) delivers ammunition to Polloc Harbor, Mindanao, P.I., and evacuates USAAF ground crews (14th Bombardment Squadron).
Submarine Swordfish (SS-193) torpedoes and sinks Japanese transport Amagisan Maru off Davao, P.I., 06°45'N, 126°54'E.
Admiral Thomas C. Hart, USN, is relieved as Commander in Chief Allied Naval Forces in Southwest Pacific by Vice Admiral Conrad E. L. Helfrich, RNN.
Japanese army paratroopers assault Palembang, Sumatra. During ensuing Allied air attacks on Japanese invasion convoy, RAF Blenheims bomb and sink merchant ship Inabasan Maru off Palembang.
ABDAFloat orders task force (Rear Admiral Karel W.F.M. Doorman) to proceed and attack Japanese Palembang-bound expeditionary force. As Doorman's ships--two Dutch light cruisers, a Dutch flotilla leader, one British heavy cruiser, one Australian light cruiser, four Dutch destroyers and six American--heads toward its objective, Dutch destroyer Van Ghent runs aground on a reef north of Banka Island; irreparably damaged, she is scuttled; sistership Banckert takes off the crew (see 15 February).
On request from local British naval authorities, light cruiser Boise (CL-47), at Ceylon en route to Bombay, India, for repairs following her grounding in Sape Strait on 21 January, provides her two SOCs (VCS 9) to augment routine RAF Catalina searches from the seaplane station at Kogalla, Ceylon. Boise's planes fly morning and evening search flights for the next three days.
PBY (VP 73) accidentally bombs submarine Thresher (SS-200), returning from a war patrol, southwest of Oahu, T.H.
Japanese submarine I-23 is last reported south of Oahu, T.H. She is not heard from again, and her fate is unknown. - February 15, Sun.
Pacific
Singapore surrenders to the Japanese.
Japanese army paratroops secure vital oil refineries at Palembang, on southeast Sumatra, N.E.I.; enemy capture of this territory establishes sea and air control of the Karimata Channel and Gaspar Strait.
Having proceeded through Gaspar Strait to the north of Banka and failed to contact the Japanese force (which has already reached Banka Strait), ABDA striking force (Rear Admiral Karel W.F.M. Doorman, RNN) is attacked by Japanese naval land attack planes (Genzan, Mihoro, and Kanoya Kokutais) as well as carrier attack planes from carrier Ryujo. Australian light cruiser HMAS Hobart is straddled, while near misses damage U.S. destroyers Barker (DD-213) and Bulmer (DD-222), which will need to retire to Australia for repairs.
U.S. Army transport Meigs, U.S. freighters Mauna Loa and Portmar, and Australian coaster Tulagi, escorted by heavy cruiser Houston (CA-30), destroyer Peary (DD-226) and Australian corvettes HMAS Swan and HMAS Warrego sails from Darwin, Australia, for Timor (see 16 and 19 February).
Atlantic
Brazilian steamship Buarque is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-432 30 miles southwest of Cape Henry, 36°35'N, 75°20'W (see 16 February).
U.S. tanker Point Breeze suffers explosion in engine room that damages steering gear, forcing the ship to go around off Throggs Neck, New York; one man is killed and one is blown overboard. Point Breeze later floats free and is towed to New York for repairs. - February 16, Mon.
Caribbean
Operation NEULAND begins with simultaneous attacks on Dutch and Venezuelan oil ports to disrupt production and flow of petroleum products vital to the Allied war effort; German submarine U-156 shells refinery on Aruba, N.W.I. and torpedoes and damages U.S. tanker Arkansas as she lies alongside Eagle Dock; a second torpedo misses the ship and runs up on the beach. There are no casualties among the 37-man crew. The enemy does not emerge from the action unscathed, however, for the explosion of a shell prematurely in a gun barrel injures two men on board U-156, which will receive permission to put in to Martinique (see 20-21 February).
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. tanker E.H. Blum blunders into U.S. minefield off Cape Henry, Virginia, 36°57'N, 75°52'W and is damaged by mine and breaks in half (see 17 February).
Coast Guard cutter Calypso (WPG-104) rescues 42 survivors from Brazilian steamship Buarque, that had been sunk by German submarine U-432 the day before (see 17 February).
Pacific
Japanese planes bomb U.S. Timor-bound convoy, escorted by heavy cruiser Houston (CA-30) and destroyer Peary (DD 226); U.S. Army transport Miegs and U.S. freighter Mauna Loa are damaged by near-misses. On board the latter, one crewman is killed; of the 500 troops embarked, one is killed and 18 wounded. Houston's heavy antiaircraft fire saves the convoy from destruction, but the imminent fall of Timor results in the recall of the convoy and its routing back to Darwin (see 19 February). - February 17, Tue.
Pacific
Seabees (First Naval Construction Battalion) arrive at Bora Bora, Society Islands.
Submarine Triton (SS-201) torpedoes and sinks Japanese gunboat No. 5 Shin'yo Maru off Nagasaki, Japan, 32°14'N, 127°14'E.
Japanese destroyer Ayanami is damaged when she fouls an uncharted reef 2.4 nautical miles off Durai, Anambas Islands.
Atlantic
Coastal minesweeper Detector (AMc-75) is accidentally sunk in collision with U.S. tanker Oswego 300 yards east-northeast of Finn's Ledge Buoy, at the entrance to the north channel at Boston, Massachusetts. There are no casualties.
Coastal minesweeper Paramount (AMc-92) accidentally runs aground off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and is abandoned without loss. Coast Guard cutter Dione (WPG-107) provides assistance. Paramount is salvaged and returned to service.
Destroyer Jacob Jones (DD-130) rescues 16 men from Brazilian steamship Buarque, that had been sunk by German submarine U-432 on 15 February; U.S. steamship Eagle rescues 16 more, thus accounting for all survivors.
Coast Guard cutter Woodbury (WPC-155) rescues all hands (40 men) from mined tanker E.H. Blum. Both halves of the ship are later salvaged and rejoined, and E.H. Blum returns to active service. - February 18, Wed.
Atlantic
Destroyer Truxtun (DD-229) and stores issuing ship Pollux (AKS-2) run aground during storm near Placentia Bay, Newfoundland; the former just east of Ferryland Point and the latter off Lawn Point. Minesweeper Brant (AM-24) arrives on scene and contributes rescue parties as well as brings medical officer and corpsmen from destroyer tender and Support Force flagship Prairie (AD-15). The tragedy produces deep admiration for the lifesaving efforts of the local population. "Hardly a dozen men from both ships would have been saved," one observer writes later, "had it not been for the superb work of the local residents." Many men jeopardize their own lives frequently to save the American sailors; several hang by lines over the cliffs to keep survivors from dragging over sharp rocks as they are pulled up from the beach below; others go out in a dory, risking swamping several times in the rough waves; after working all day rescuing Truxtun's people, some of the local inhabitants then toil all night rescuing Pollux's men with a stamina that defies description. Though poor, the men, women, and children of the town of St. Lawrence turn out to outfit the "survivors with blankets, warm clothes, boots, fed them, cleaned them up as best they could and turned them in their own beds." Subsequently, they turn a deaf ear to offers to pay for food and clothing used in succoring the shipwrecked Americans. Destroyer Wilkes (DD-441) also runs aground off Lawn Head, 46°53'N, 55°28'W, but manages to free herself from her predicament and escape the fates of Truxtun and Pollux.
Brazilian tanker Olinda is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-432 at 37°30'N, 75°00'W (see 19 February).
Caribbean
U.S. freighter Mokihana is torpedoed by German submarine U-161 while lying at anchor at Port of Spain, Trinidad, 12°55'N, 80°33'E; there are no casualties among the 36-man merchant crew or 9-man Armed Guard. - February 19, Thu.
Pacific
Japanese forces land on Bali, N.E.I.
Battle of Badoeng Strait begins as Allied naval force (Rear Admiral Karel W.F.M. Doorman, RNN) of three cruisers and accompanying destroyers attacks retiring Japanese Bali occupation force (Rear Admiral Kubo Kyuji) in Badoeng Strait. Destroyer Stewart (DD-224) is damaged by gunfire of destroyers Oshio and Asashio, 07°18'S, 112°46'E. Dutch destroyer Piet Hien is sunk; 30 of her survivors find motor whaleboat jettisoned by destroyer John D. Ford (DD-228) and proceed unaided to Java. Dutch light cruisers Java and Tromp are damaged by Japanese gunfire. Japanese destroyers Ushio and Michisio are damaged by Allied gunfire.
Japanese carrier striking force (Vice Admiral Nagumo Chuichi) attacks Darwin, Australia; 189 planes from carriers Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu and Soryu bomb shipping, airfields, and shore installations; carrier bombers sink destroyer Peary (DD 226), 12°30'S, 130°50'E, U.S. Army Transport Miegs and U.S. freighter Mauna Loa (on board the latter all hands--37-man crew and seven passengers--survive); and damage seaplane tender (destroyer) William B. Preston (AVD-7). U.S. freighter Portmar is damaged and beached (one of her 34-man crew is killed; two of the 300 embarked soldiers perish as well; 12 men are injured); freighter Admiral Halstead (carrying drummed gasoline) is damaged as well (she suffers no casualties). In related actions, U.S. freighter Florence D, under charter to the Army and carrying a cargo of ammunition, rescues eight-man PBY (VP 22) crew (Lieutenant Thomas H. Moorer) off north coast of Australia, near Darwin, and later comes under attack by Japanese carrier aircraft that bomb and sink the ship (one man of Moorer's crew and three of the 37-man ship's complement are killed in action); Australian minesweeper HMAS Warrnambol and mission boat St. Francis rescue the survivors. Japanese carrier planes also bomb and sink Philippine motorship Don Isidro (chartered by the U.S. Army to run supplies to Corregidor) off northwest coast of Bathurst Island, 11°00'S, 130°00'E; 11 of the 67-man crew and one of the 16 embarked soldiers are killed. HMAS Warrnambol rescues the surviving crew and passengers. Japanese naval land attack planes (Kanoya and 1st Kokutais) bomb airfield at Darwin.
Submarine S-37 (SS-142) is damaged by grounding off the northeast corner of Lembogan Island, Lombok Strait, N.E.I., but continues on patrol.
Aviation Chief Machinist's Mate Harold F. Dixon (Naval Aviation Pilot) and his two-man crew (VT 6), whose plane ditched due to fuel exhaustion on 16 January, reach Danger Islands, 10°48'S, 165°49'E, having spent 34 days at sea in their rubber boat. They have subsisted on occasional fish speared with a pocket knife, two birds, and rain water. While the straight line distance traveled measures 450 miles, the estimated track is approximately 1,200 miles. Dixon is awarded the Navy Cross for heroism, leadership, and resourcefulness.
Atlantic
Destroyer Dallas (DD-199) rescues 46 survivors from Brazilian tanker Olinda, sunk the day before by German submarine U-432.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Pan Massachusetts is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-128 about 20 miles off Cape Canaveral, Florida, 28°27'N, 80°08'W; Coast Guard lighthouse tender Forward (WAGL-160) and British tanker Elizabeth Massey rescue 18 survivors from the 38-man crew.
U.S. freighter Lake Osweya is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-96 in the North Atlantic, 43°14'N, 54°45'W. Although U-96 sees three lifeboats pull away from the ship, no survivors from the 30-man merchant complement or the seven-man Armed Guard are ever found.
Caribbean
Transport William P. Biddle (AP-15) arrives at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and disembarks the 9th Defense Battalion. - February 20, Fri.
General
Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet directs Atlantic and Pacific Fleets to establish Amphibious Forces.
Pacific
TF 11 (Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr.), en route to attack Rabaul, is spotted by Japanese reconnaissance flying boats (Yokohama Kokutai). Although the American attack is cancelled, Japanese naval land-based bombers (4th Kokutai) attack TF 11, centering their efforts upon Lexington (CV-2). In the ensuing battle off Bougainville, combat air patrol F4Fs (VF 3) and SBDs (VS 2) (the latter utilized in the anti-torpedo plane role) and ships' antiaircraft fire annihilate the enemy formations. In the battle, Lieutenant Edward H. O'Hare (VF 3) shoots down five bombers in six minutes, a phenomenal performance that earns him the Medal of Honor.
Submarine Swordfish (SS-193) embarks Philippine President Manuel Quezon, his wife and two children, Vice President Sergio Osmeña, and other Philippine government officials off Mariveles.
In the wake of the Japanese carrier strike the day before, Darwin, Australia, is abandoned as an Allied naval base. RAF and USAAF air operations from the field outside the port, however, will continue.
Japanese invade Timor Island, N.E.I.
Destroyer Stewart (DD-224), damaged by shellfire in the Battle of Badoeng Strait the previous night, suffers further damage when, improperly shored and placed on blocks, she rolls on her port side in a Dutch floating drydock at Surabaya, Java.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Delplata is torpedoed by German submarine U-156 about 60 miles west of Martinique, 14°45'N, 62°10'W. Small seaplane tender Lapwing (AVP-1) rescues the 52 survivors (including the 13-man Armed Guard) and then scuttles the irreparably damaged merchantman with gunfire.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Azalea City is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-432 about 125 miles east-southeast of Ocean City, Maryland, 38°00'N, 73°00'W. There are no survivors from the 38-man crew.
Europe
Admiral William D. Leahy writes to President Roosevelt that he expects a recall "for consultation" since the French have not responded positively to Roosevelt's message of 11 February. President Roosevelt, while sympathetic to Admiral Leahy's position, subsequently informs his ambassador to Vichy that "to hold the fort [in Vichy] is as important a military task as any other in these days." Leahy is thus retained in France. On the same day that Leahy writes to the President, however, German submarine U-156 puts in to Martinique to put ashore one of the men wounded by the premature barrel explosion on 16 February (see 21 February). - February 21, Sat.
Pacific
Submarine Triton (SS-201) sinks Japanese merchant cargo vessel Shokyu Maru in East China Sea, 60 miles south of Quelpart Island, 32°10'N, 126°28'E.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. tanker J.N. Pew is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-67 about 225 miles west of Aruba, D.W.I, 12°40'N, 74°00'W; two survivors reach the coast of Colombia, 35 miles east of Riohacha (see 14 March).
Unarmed U.S. tanker Republic is torpedoed by German submarine U-504 about three miles east of Jupiter Inlet, Florida, 27°05'N, 80°15'W; three crewmen perish in the initial explosion, while two drown in the abandonment. One lifeboat reaches shore unaided (18 men on board) while U.S. tanker Cities Service Missouri rescues six men from a second boat (see 23 February).
Europe
Admiral Leahy receives instruction to see Admiral Darlan immediately about German submarine U-156's receiving assistance at Martinique. Unless the Vichy French can assure the U.S. government that no Axis ships or planes will be allowed to enter French ports or territory in the Western Hemisphere, and that unless such assurances are rigidly maintained, the United States "will take such action in the interest of security of the Western Hemisphere as it may judge necessary and in accordance with existing inter-American obligations." Leahy writes in his diary that everything points to his early recall to Washington "for consultation" (see 16 April). - February 22, Sun.
Pacific
Submarine Swordfish (SS-193) disembarks Philippine President Manuel Quezon and his party (embarked since 20 February) at San Jose, Panay, P.I., to continue their journey out of the archipelago.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker Cities Service Empire is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-128 25 miles north of Bethel Shoals, 28°00'N, 80°22'W. Destroyer Biddle (DD-151) rescues survivors from life rafts while Coast Guard cutter Vigilant (WPC-154) goes alongside and rescues men directly from the burning ship. All told, 3 of the 9-man Armed Guard are lost, in addition to 11 of the 41-man civilian complement.
Unarmed U.S. tanker W.D. Anderson is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-504 about 12 miles northeast of Jupiter Point Lighthouse, 27°09'N, 79°56'W. The sole survivor of the 36-man crew swims ashore at Stewart, Florida.
Unarmed U.S. freighter West Zeda is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-129 about 125 miles southeast of Trinidad, B.W.I., 09°13'N, 69°04'W. Schooner Emeralda rescues the entire 35-man crew, who suffer no casualties in the encounter with the U-boat. - February 23, Mon.
Pacific
Japanese submarine I-17 shells oil refinery at Ellwood, California.
Submarine Tarpon (SS-175) is damaged when she runs aground in Boling Strait, N.E.I. and becomes stranded (see 24 February).
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Lihue is torpedoed by German submarine U-161 about 275 miles west of Martinique, 14°30'N, 64°45'W; Lihue, damaged, engages U-161 in a surface gunnery action before the freighter is subsequently abandoned and the crew rescued by British tanker British Governor. Canadian armed merchant cruiser HMCS Prince Henry places a salvage party on board in attempt to save Lihue. Minesweeper Partridge (AM-16) tries to tow Lihue to safety, but the crippled merchantman sinks short of St. Lucia, the intended destination. There are no casualties to either the 36-man merchant crew or the 9-man Armed Guard.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Sun is torpedoed by German submarine U-502 about 54 miles north of Aruba, 13°02'N, 70°41'W, and although initially abandoned is reboarded. She is ultimately repaired and returned to service; there are no casualties among the 36-man crew (see 5 July).
Unarmed U.S. tanker Republic, torpedoed by German submarine U-504 on 21 February, having drifted onto reefs off Hobe Sound, Florida, sinks. - February 24, Tue.
Pacific
TF 16 (Vice Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.) raids Wake Island to destroy Japanese installations there. SBDs and TBDs (VB 6, VS 6, VT 6) from carrier Enterprise (CV-6) and SOCs (VCS 5) from heavy cruisers Northampton (CA-26) and Salt Lake City (CA-25) bomb installations on Wake. Bombardment unit consisting of Northampton and Salt Lake City and destroyers Balch (DD-363) and Maury (DD-401) (Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance) shells the atoll. Combined efforts of Enterprise's planes (bombing and strafing) and ships' gunfire sink guardboats No.5 Fukyu Maru and No.1 Miho Maru. Fortunately, the bombing and shelling of Wake harms none of the American marines, sailors and construction workers too badly wounded to have been evacuated in the initial increment of POWs, and the civilian workmen (Contractors Pacific Naval Air Bases) retained on the island to continue work on defenses. One SBD (VS 6) is lost, however, and its crew taken prisoner (see 13 March).
Small reconnaissance seaplane launched from Japanese submarine I-9 reconnoiters Pearl Harbor.
Panamanian motor freighter Snark is mined while attempting to enter Nouméa, New Caledonia, without a pilot. Destroyer Worden (DD-352) tows the crippled ship out of the channel but has to abandon further salvage when the damaged vessel drifts and grounds hard and fast onto a reef.
Submarine Swordfish (SS-193) embarks U.S. High Commissioner to the Philippine Islands Francis B. Sayre and his party off Manila Bay (see 9 March). Their original destination is Surabaya, Java.
Submarines Pike (SS-172) and Pickerel (SS-177) are sent to assist stranded submarine Tarpon (SS-175) in Boling Strait, N.E.I.; in the event that they cannot free the grounded boat, they are to destroy her. Fortunately, Tarpon manages to work herself free by removing anchors, torpedoes, oil and ammunition. - February 25, Wed.
General
Coast Guard assumes responsibility for U.S. port security.
Pacific
Japanese force lands on Bawean Island, 85 miles north of Surabaya, Java, and sets up a radio station (see 26 February).
Submarines Perch (SS-176) attacks what she identifies as a Japanese merchantman but is damaged by shellfire and is forced to break off action. Perch remains on patrol.
Japanese cargo ship Fukushima Maru runs aground on a reef and is wrecked, Katsura Bay, 35°09'N, 140°18'E. - February 26, Thu.
Pacific
Submarine S-38 (SS-143) bombards Japanese radio station on enemy-occupied Bawean Island, that had been set up the previous day.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-25 reconnoiters Melbourne, Australia.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. bulk carrier Marore is torpedoed, shelled, and sunk by German submarine U-432 off the North Carolina coast, 35°33'N, 74°58'W. U.S. tanker John D. Gill rescues 25 survivors; 15 more men land at Coast Guard Big Kinnakeet Lifeboat Station. There are no casualties.
U.S. tanker R.P. Resor is torpedoed by German submarine U-578 five miles off Sea Girt, Delaware, 39°47'N, 73°26'W; of the 41-man merchant crew and 8 Armed Guard sailors on board, one civilian and one Armed Guard sailor are rescued by submarine chaser PC-507. Coast Guard cutters Icarus (WPC-110) and Antietam (WPC-128), yacht Zircon (PY-16) and coastal minesweeper AMc-200 converge on the scene; Eagle Boat PE-55 attacks sound contact in the vicinity without result (see 1 March).
U.S. tanker Cassimir is sunk in collision with U.S. freighter Lara 48 miles from Frying Pan Shoals lightship, 33°28'N, 77°34'W. - February 27, Fri.
Pacific
Battle of Java Sea is fought as Allied naval force (Rear Admiral Karel W.F.M. Doorman, RNN) of five cruisers and 11 destroyers in Java Sea near Surabaya attacks Japanese support force (Rear Admiral Takagi Takeo) covering Java invasion convoy. Japanese gunfire proves ineffective, as heavy cruisers Nachi and Haguro expend 1,271 8-inch rounds but achieve only five hits. Of those five, four are duds: one each on Houston (CA-30) and British heavy cruiser HMS Exeter, and two on Dutch light cruiser De Ruyter. The only shell that does explode reduces Exeter's speed. Japanese heavy cruiser Haguro torpedoes and sinks Dutch destroyer Kortenaer; survivors are rescued by British destroyer HMS Encounter. Japanese destroyer gunfire sinks British destroyer HMS Electra (see 28 February); while British destroyer HMS Jupiter is sunk by mine laid earlier that day by Dutch minelayer Gouden Leeuw. Allied gunfire damages Japanese destroyers Asagumo and Minegumo; U.S. destroyers' torpedo attack proves ineffective (see 28 February).
Seaplane tender Langley (AV-3), carrying 32 USAAF P-40s earmarked for the defense of Java, is bombed by Japanese naval land attack planes (Takao Kokutai) 75 miles south of Tjilatjap, Java, 08°58'S, 109°02'E. Irreparably damaged, the ship that had once been the U.S. Navy's first aircraft carrier (she had been converted to a seaplane tender in 1936) is shelled and torpedoed by destroyer Whipple (DD-217). Necessity to clear the area precludes knowing exactly when Langley sinks.
U.S. freighter Sea Witch delivers 27 crated USAAF P-40s to Tjilatjap, Java, but the planes will be destroyed on the docks to deny their use by the victors.
Submarine Narwhal (SS-167) damages Japanese fleet tanker Manju Maru 28°55'N, 138°15'E.
Atlantic
Joint U.S.-Mexican Defense Commission is established. - February 28, Sat.
Pacific
Battle of Java Sea, begun late the previous afternoon, concludes. Japanese heavy cruiser Haguro torpedoes and sinks Dutch light cruiser De Ruyter (Doorman's flagship, in which he is lost) while Nachi torpedoes and sinks Dutch light cruiser Java; remnants of the Allied force flee to Surabaya, sheltering briefly there before trying to escape to Australia. In the wake of the battle, submarine S-37 (SS-142) encounters boat from the sunken De Ruyter and recovers two U.S. Navy sailors who had been serving in a liaison capacity in the Dutch ship. Before continuing on patrol, the U.S. submariners provide the Dutch seamen with rations. S-37's sistership S-38 (SS-143) rescues survivors from sunken British destroyer HMS Electra.
Japanese land on north coast of Java. Battle of Sunda Strait begins shortly before midnight as heavy cruiser Houston (CA-30) and Australian light cruiser HMAS Perth (Captain Hector M. L. Waller, RAN), attempting to retire from Java, accidentally encounter Japanese transport force and escorting ships (Rear Admiral Takagi Takeo) in Banten Bay, Java, and engage them (see 1 March).
Minesweeper Whippoorwill (AM-35), while searching waters south of Tjilatjap for survivors of sunken seaplane tender Langley (AV-3), rescues crew of British freighter City of Manchester, that had just been torpedoed, shelled and sunk by Japanese submarine I-153 at 08°16'S, 108°52'E. Gunboat Tulsa (PG-22), in the vicinity on the same errand, takes on board the injured British merchant sailors and treats the wounded.
Atlantic
German submarine U-578 torpedoes and sinks destroyer Jacob Jones (DD-130) off the Delaware capes, 38°42'N, 74°39'W.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Oregon is torpedoed, shelled, and sunk by German submarine U-156 about 150 miles northeast of Mona Passage, 20°44'N, 67°52'W; U-156 machineguns the crew trying to launch one of the lifeboats, killing six men. One group of 26 survivors reaches Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, on 4 March; U.S. tanker Gulfpenn rescues other group of four men the following day.
PBY (VP 73) mistakenly bombs and damages submarine Greenling (SS-213) outside submarine sanctuary off New London, Connecticut.
March
- March 1, Sun.
Atlantic and Pacific
Base Force, Pacific Fleet is redesignated Service Force Pacific; Train, Atlantic Fleet is redesignated Service Force Atlantic.
Pacific
Battle of Sunda Strait continues as heavy cruiser Houston (CA-30) and Australian light cruiser HMAS Perth (Captain Hector M.L. Waller, RAN), heading for Sunda Strait, are attacked by three Japanese cruisers and nine destroyers (Rear Admiral Kurita Takeo). In the melee, Houston (05°50'S, 105°55'E) and Perth are sunk by torpedoes and gunfire of Japanese heavy cruisers Mogami and Mikuma; Japanese minesweeper W.2 and transports Ryuho Maru, Tatsuno Maru, Sakura Maru and Horai Maru are sunk, and landing ship Shinshu Maru damaged, by torpedoes fired by heavy cruiser Mogami; destroyers Shirakumo and Harukaze are damaged by gunfire. Houston's commanding officer, Captain Albert H. Rooks, killed while his ship is being abandoned, is later awarded the Medal of Honor (posthumously) in recognition of his heroism, courage, gallantry and distinguished service during the period between 4 and 27 February.
Japanese oiler Tsurumi is torpedoed by Dutch submarine K-XV east of Nicholas Point, Banten Bay, Java.
In another action in the wake of the Battle of the Java Sea, Japanese heavy cruisers Myoko, Ashigara, Haguro and Nachi engage three Allied ships (Captain Oliver L. Gordon, RN) fleeing Java, sinking British heavy cruiser HMS Exeter and destroyer HMS Encounter. U.S. destroyer Pope (DD-225), the third ship, escapes the cruisers but is located and bombed by floatplanes from seaplane carriers Chitose and Mizuho. Damaged by one close-miss, Pope is then located by carrier attack planes from Ryujo and bombed; scuttling is in progress when Myoko and Ashigara deliver the coup de grace with gunfire at 04°00'S, 111°30'E.
Japanese planes bomb Surabaya, Java; destroyer Stewart (DD-224), previously damaged on 19 and 20 February 1942, is damaged again, by bomb.
Japanese naval forces sweep the waters south of Java. Destroyer Edsall (DD-219) is sunk by gunfire of battleships Hiei and Kirishima, heavy cruisers Tone and Chikuma, and planes from carriers Akagi and Soryu; the amount of main battery shells expended in the attempt to sink the U.S. ship amounts to 297 15-inch and 844 eight-inch. Edsall's five enlisted survivors are executed at Kendari subsequently. Oiler Pecos (AO-6), with Langley (AV-3) survivors on board as well as evacuees from Java, is bombed and sunk by carrier bombers from Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, and Soryu, south of Christmas Island, 14°27'S, 106°11'E.
Submarine Perch (SS-176) is depth-charged and damaged by Japanese destroyers Amatsukaze and Hatsukaze, 73 miles west of Bawean Island, Java Sea, 06°30'S, 113°50'E.
As Japanese invasion of Java proceeds, Allied planes bomb enemy ships off the beaches: RAF Wildebeests damage light cruiser Kinu, transport Johore Maru, and army cargo ship Tokushima Maru. Dutch Martin 139s, RAF Blenheims, RAAF (or RAF) Hudsons also claim damage to Japanese ships.
ABDA Command is dissolved as the fall of Java looms.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-25 reconnoiters Hobart, Tasmania.
Atlantic
PBO (VP 82), on an antisubmarine sweep, bombs and sinks German submarine U-656 south of Newfoundland, 46°15'N, 53°15'W. U-656 is the first U-boat sunk by U.S. Navy forces during World War II.
Tug Sagamore (AT-20) attempts to tow damaged U.S. tanker R.P.Resor (torpedoed by German submarine U-578 on 27 February) to shallow water to permit salvage, but to no avail. The gutted ship sinks about 31 miles east of Barnegat, New Jersey. - March 2, Mon.
Pacific
Japanese Main Body, Southern Force (Vice Admiral Kondo Nobutake) overtakes fleeing Allied ships southwest of Bali; heavy cruiser Maya and destroyers Arashi and Nowaki sink British destroyer HMS Stronghold; heavy cruisers Atago and Takao attack what they initially identify as a "_Marblehead_-class" cruiser and sink her with gunfire; their quarry is actually destroyer Pillsbury (DD-227), which is lost with all hands at 14°30'S, 106°30'E.
Submarine Perch (SS-176) is depth-charged and damaged by Japanese destroyer Ushio, Java Sea.
Submarine S-38 (SS-143) attacks Japanese light cruiser Kinu but the latter evades all four torpedoes fired, 06°27'S, 112°12'E.
Submarine Sailfish (SS-192) torpedoes and sinks Japanese aircraft transport Kamogawa Maru north of Lombok Strait, 08°06'S, 115°57'E.
Japanese troops land at Zamboanga, Mindanao, P.I.
Bataan-based USAAF P-40s sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.11 Kyo Maru in Subic Bay.
Atlantic
Antisubmarine Warfare Unit, Atlantic Fleet is established at Boston, Massachusetts. - March 3, Tue.
Pacific
Submarine Perch (SS-176), depth-charged and irreparably damaged by Japanese destroyers Ushio and Sazanami, is scuttled by her crew in Java Sea. All hands (59 men) survive the boat's loss and are taken prisoner.
Gunboat Asheville (PG-21) is sunk by gunfire of Japanese destroyers Arashi and Nowaki south of Java, 12°33'S, 111°35'E. Asheville's sole survivor will perish in POW camp in 1945.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Mary is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-129 about 250 miles northeast of Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana, 08°25'N, 52°50'W (see 9 March). - March 4, Wed.
Pacific
TG 16.5 (Vice Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.) raids Marcus Island; SBDs (VB 6, VS 6) from carrier Enterprise (CV-6) bomb Japanese installations there.
Operation K: two Japanese reconnaissance flying boats (Yokosuka Kokutai), refueled by submarines I-15 and I-19 at French Frigate Shoals, bomb Oahu, T.H., but cause no damage (see 10 March).
Submarine Grampus (SS-207) torpedoes and sinks Japanese tanker No.2 Kaijo Maru 145 miles south of Truk, 00°56'N, 149°31'E.
Submarine Narwhal (SS-167) torpedoes and sinks Japanese army cargo ship Taki Maru off Amami O Shima, south of Kyushu, 28°37'N, 129°10'E.
Submarine S-39 (SS-144) torpedoes and sinks Japanese oiler Erimo south of Billiton Island, 04°19'S, 108°25'E.
Submarine Sargo (SS-188), while approaching Fremantle, Australia, is mistakenly attacked and damaged by an RAAF Hudson. - March 5, Thu.
Pacific
Submarine Salmon (SS-182) torpedoes Japanese transport Taito Maru north of Lombok, N.E.I., 05°35'S, 112°35'E.
Japanese transport Takao Maru, damaged and driven aground off Vigan, Luzon, on 10 December 1941, is destroyed by Filipino saboteurs.
Atlantic
Coastal yacht Alabaster (PYc-21) collides with unidentified merchant ship while patrolling off Cape May, New Jersey, but since the damage suffered by neither ship is serious enough to hamper their operations, both vessels continue on their way.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Collamer, straggling from convoy HX 178, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-404 off the coast of Nova Scotia, 44°18'N, 63°10'W. British freighter Empire Woodcock rescues the 24 survivors from the 31-man crew.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Mariana is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-126 east of Nassau, Bahamas, 22°14'N, 71°23'W. There are no survivors from the 36-man crew. - March 6, Fri.
Atlantic
German submarine U-129 torpedoes and sinks unarmed U.S. freighter Steel Age about 130 miles northeast of Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana, 06°45'N, 53°15'W, and takes the sole survivor captive. - March 7, Sat.
Pacific
Submarine Grenadier (SS-210) torpedoes Japanese transport Asahisan Maru south of Shioyasaki, 36°27'N, 141°06'E.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Barbara is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-126 approximately nine miles north-northwest of West Tortuga Island, Dominican Republic, 20°00'N, 73°56'W; a PBY rescues one group of survivors while the remainder reach shore. Later, U-126 shells and sinks unarmed U.S. freighter Cardonia about five miles west-northwest of San Nicholas Mole, Haiti, 19°53'N, 73°27'W; 22 survivors reach safety at San Nicholas Mole less than five hours after the ship sinks (see 8 March).
U.S. freighter Independence Hall, straggling from convoy SC 73, founders and sinks off Sable Island, 43°55'N, 59°55'W. Ten of the 38-man merchant crew perish; there are no casualties among the 9-man Armed Guard.
Brazilian steamship Arbabutan is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-155 off the Virginia capes, 35°15'N, 73°55'W (see 8 March). - March 8, Sun.
Pacific
Japanese naval force (Rear Admiral Kajioka Sadamichi) occupies Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea.
Japanese occupy Rangoon, Burma.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-25 reconnoiters Wellington, New Zealand.
Atlantic
Net tender Mulberry (YN-22) rescues 14 survivors from U.S. freighter Cardonia, sunk by German submarine U-126 the day before.
Coast Guard cutter Calypso (WPC-104) rescues 54 survivors from Brazilian steamship Arabutan, sinks their lifeboats as a hazard to navigation, and transports the men to Little Creek, Virginia. - March 9, Mon.
Pacific
Submarine Swordfish (SS-193) disembarks U.S. High Commissioner to the Philippine Islands Francis B. Sayre and his party (embarked since 24 February) at Fremantle, Australia. The collapse of the ABDA command has led to this change of destination.
Java surrenders to the Japanese.
Atlantic
Naval Air Transport Service Squadron (VR 1) is established at Norfolk, Virginia, for operations in Atlantic area.
U.S. freighter Alcoa Scout rescues survivors of U.S. freighter Mary, sunk by German submarine U-129 on 3 March.
Brazilian steamship Cayru is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-94 at 39°10'N, 72°02'W (see 11 March). - March 10, Tue.
Pacific
TF 11 (Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr.), which includes ships of TF 17 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher), on the heels of initial nuisance raids by RAAF Hudsons, attacks Japanese invasion fleet (Rear Admiral Kajioka Sadamichi) off Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea. SBDs (VB 2, VS 2, VB 5, VS 5) and TBDs (VT 2, VT 5), supported by F4Fs (VF 3 and VF 42) from carriers Lexington (CV-2) and Yorktown (CV-5) sink armed merchant cruiser Kongo Maru, auxiliary minelayer Ten'yo Maru, and transport Yokohama Maru; and damage light cruiser Yubari; destroyers Yunagi, Asanagi, Oite, Asakaze, and Yakaze; minelayer Tsugaru; seaplane carrier Kiyokawa Maru; transport Kokai Maru; and minesweeper No.2 Tama Maru. One SBD (VS 2) is lost to antiaircraft fire. USAAF B-17s and RAAF Hudsons conduct follow up strikes but inflict no appreciable additional damage. In a message to Prime Minister Churchill, President Roosevelt hails the raid as "the best day's work we've had." The success of the U.S. carrier strike (the first time in which two carrier air groups attack a common objective) convinces Japanese war planners that continued operations in the New Guinea area will require carrier support, thus setting the stage for confrontation in the Coral Sea (see 4-8 May).
Japanese invade Finschhafen, New Guinea.
Japanese collier Kosei Maru is sunk by mine in Lingayen Gulf, P.I., 16°05'N, 120°20'E.
USMC F2As (VMF 221) from Midway shoot down Japanese reconnaissance flying boat (Yokosuka Kokutai) attempting to reconnoiter the atoll.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker Gulftrade is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-588 about two miles east of Barnegat, New Jersey, 39°50'N, 73°52'W; net tender Larch (YN-16) and Coast Guard cutter Antietam (WPC-128), along with Eagle Boat PE-48 and Coast Guard motor lifeboats from the Barnegat station are sent to the scene. Larch rescues seven survivors; Antietam nine. - March 11, Wed.
Pacific
Lieutenant General Douglas MacArthur and Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell depart Luzon, with their respective staffs, in motor torpedo boats PT-32, PT-34, PT-35, and PT-41, bound for Mindanao. For his role in the evacuation, as well as other operations in the Philippines since the start of hostilities, Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley, Commander, Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3, will receive the Medal of Honor (see 13 March).
Submarine Pollack (SS-180), operating in the East China Sea about 270 miles east of Shanghai, sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Fukushu Maru, 30°53'N, 126°20'E and passenger-cargo ship Baikal Maru, 31°00'N, 126°32'E.
U.S. passenger ship Mount McKinley is stranded off Unimak Island, Aleutians; wrecked subsequently by heavy seas, the ship will be written off as a total loss.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Texan is torpedoed, shelled, and sunk by German submarine U-126 about 40 miles east of Nuevitas, Cuba, 21°32'N, 76°24'W; Cuban fishing boat Yoyo rescues survivors.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Caribsea is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-158 about 14 miles east of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, 34°40'N, 76°10'W; U.S. freighter Norlindo rescues survivors.
Coastal minesweeper AMc-202, at 40°32'N, 71°40'W, rescues seven survivors from Brazilian steamship Cayru, sunk by German submarine U-94 on 9 March, and transports them to New London, Connecticut. - March 12, Thu.
General
By executive order President Roosevelt combines duties of Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations (see March 26).
Pacific
U.S. Army troops (Brigadier General Alexander M. Patch) arrive on New Caledonia to establish a base at Nouméa.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker John D. Gill is torpedoed and irreparably damaged by German submarine U-158 off Frying Pan Shoals, 33°55'N, 77°39'W. Four of the seven-man Armed Guard are lost. Coast Guard cutter CG-186 and cutter Agassiz (WPC-126) rescue one group of survivors, tanker Robert H. Colley the remainder. John D. Gill sinks the next morning.
German submarine U-126 torpedoes unarmed U.S. freighters off the coast of Cuba, sinking Olga off Camaguey, 23°39'N, 77°00'W, and damaging Colabee about 10 miles off Cape Guajaba, 22°14'N, 77°35'W. Colabee drifts ashore and grounds on a shoal; Cuban ship Oriente rescues one group of survivors (and then tows the damaged ship off the shoal), tanker Cities Service Kansas the other. Cuban Navy vessels later salvage the ship.
First British armed trawlers sent to augment U.S. Navy patrol force efforts off the German submarine-plagued Eastern Seaboard, HMS Wastwater and HMS Le Tigre, begin patrol operations in Third Naval District waters. They are assigned duties off Atlantic City and Barnegat, New Jersey. - March 13, Fri.
Pacific
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-25 reconnoiters Auckland, New Zealand.
Lieutenant General Douglas MacArthur and Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell, with their respective staffs, reach Cagayan, Mindanao, after a 560-mile voyage in heavy to moderate seas, in motor torpedo boats PT-32, PT-34, PT-35, and PT-41. PT-32 becomes disabled during the operation, and is scuttled by gunfire of submarine Permit (SS-178) one mile southwest of Taguayan Island, P.I., 10°58'N, 121°12'E.
Submarine Gar (SS-206) torpedoes and sinks Japanese victualling stores ship Chichibu Maru between six and ten miles southwest of Mikura Jima, south of Tokyo Bay, Japan, 33°53'N, 139°29.5'E.
Japanese minesweeper No.2 Tama Maru sinks as the result of damage inflicted by U.S. Navy carrier-based planes on 10 March during the Lae-Salamaua Raid.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. schooner Albert F. Paul is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-332 off the east coast of the United States, 26°00'N, 72°00'W. There are no survivors.
Chilean freighter Tolten is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-404 off Barnegat, New Jersey, 40°10'N, 73°50'W; subsequently, plane en route from Langley Field to Mitchell Field sights one survivor on a life raft at 39°50'N, 73°40'W; Coast Guard cutter Antietam (WPC-128), coastal minesweeper AMc-200 are sent to the scene; NAS Lakehurst sends three L-type blimps, one of which, L 2, ultimately sights the raft seen earlier that day. Net tender Larch (YN-16) rescues the one survivor of what was a crew of between 16 and 21 men. - March 14, Sat.
Atlantic
Amphibious Force Atlantic Fleet (Rear Admiral Roland M. Brainard) is established.
Unarmed U.S. collier Lemuel Burrows is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-404 off Atlantic City, New Jersey, 39°18'N, 74°16'W. Freighter Sewalls Point rescues one group of survivors; a boat from James Elwood Jones the other.
Panamanian motorship Annetta I rescues the last survivor of unarmed U.S. tanker J.N. Pew, sunk by German submarine U-67 on 21 February; 33 of the 36-man crew are lost. - March 15, Sun.
Atlantic
Coast Guard lighthouse tender Acacia (WAGL-200) is shelled and sunk by German submarine U-161 south of Haiti.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Ario is torpedoed, shelled, and sunk by German submarine U-158 11 miles southwest of Cape Lookout, 34°20'N, 76°39'W. Destroyer Dupont (DD-152) rescues the 29 survivors of the 36-man crew.
U.S. tanker Olean is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-158 15 miles south of Cape Lookout, 34°24'N, 76°29'W. Coast Guard motor lifeboats from Cape Lookout and Fort Mason stations rescue 33 survivors.
While providing coverage for convoy ON 74, PBO (VP 82) bombs and sinks German submarine U-503, North Atlantic, 43°50'N, 48°45'W. - March 16, Mon.
Pacific
Submarine Permit (SS-178) delivers ammunition to Corregidor, and evacuates second increment of naval radio and communications intelligence people.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. tanker Australia is torpedoed, shelled, and irreparably damaged by German submarine U-332 off Diamond Shoals, 35°07'N, 75°22'W. U.S. freighter William J. Salman rescues survivors and transfers them to yacht Ruby (PY-21) for further transportation to Southport, North Carolina. Australia, sunk in shallow water, is written off as a total loss and her wreck demolished on 20 March.
British tanker San Demetrio is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-404 at 37°03'N, 73°50'W (see 18 March). - March 17, Tue.
Pacific
United States, in agreement with Allied governments, assumes responsibility for the strategic defense of entire Pacific Ocean.
Submarine Grayback (SS-208) sinks Japanese collier Ishikari Maru six miles west of Port Lloyd, Chichi Jima, Bonins, 27°05'N, 142°05'E.
Submarine Permit (SS-178) is damaged by depth charges off Tayabas Bay, P.I. but remains on patrol.
Europe
Naval Forces Europe (Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley) is established.
Atlantic
Destroyer Stack (DD-406) and carrier Wasp (CV-7) are damaged in collision while en route from Casco Bay, Maine, to Norfolk, Virginia.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Acme is torpedoed and damaged by German submarine U-124 west of Diamond Shoals, 35°06'N, 75°23'W; U-124 later torpedoes and sinks Greek freighter Kassandra Louloudi four miles west-southwest of Diamond Shoals gas buoy. Coast Guard cutter Dione (WPC-107) rescues 20 survivors from Acme and 35 from Kassandra Louloudi; steamship Beta rescues 22 men from the latter ship.
Honduran freighter Ceiba is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-124 at 35°43'N, 73°49'W (see 19 March). - March 18, Wed.
Pacific
River gunboat Tutuila (PR-4), decommissioned at Chungking, China, on 18 January, is leased to the Chinese government for the duration of the war.
Japanese merchant cargo ship Jumpo Maru is sunk, agent unknown, off Tsushima Island.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker E.M. Clark is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-124 about 22 miles southwest of Diamond Shoals, North Carolina, 34°50'N, 75°35'W. Venezuelan tanker Catatumbo rescues 23 of the tanker's complement. Unarmed U.S. tanker Papoose is torpedoed by German submarine U-124 about 15 miles south of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, 34°17'N, 76°39'W (see 19 March 1942).
Yacht Tourmaline (PY-20) and Coast Guard cutter Cuyahoga (WPC-157) rescue eight survivors of British tanker San Demetrio, sunk by U-404 on 16 March.
Unarmed U.S. tanker W.E. Hutton is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-332 about 20 miles southeast of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, 34°05'N, 76°40'W; 13 of the ship's complement of 36 merchant sailors perish in the attack (see 19 March). - March 19, Thu.
Pacific
Philippine President Manuel Quezon and 13 members of his party are transported from Dumaguete, Negros, to Oroquito, Mindanao, after a 240-mile voyage in motor torpedo boat PT-41.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-25 reconnoiters Suva, Fiji Islands.
Atlantic
Destroyer Dickerson (DD-157) rescues 14 of the 40-man crew of tanker E.M. Clark, sunk by U-124 the previous day. Later, however, Dickerson is mistakenly fired upon and damaged by gunfire from U.S. freighter Liberator off Virginia capes; three men (including the ship's captain) are killed and six wounded. Later the same day, Liberator is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-332, three miles west of the Diamond Shoals Buoy, 35°05'N, 75°30'W; five crewmen perish. Tug Umpqua (AT-25) rescues 26 merchant sailors and the 4-man Armed Guard.
Destroyer Hambleton (DD-455), at 35°39'N, 71°10'W; rescues six survivors of Honduran freighter Ceiba, sunk by U-124 on 17 March.
British motor vessel Port Halifax rescues the 23 survivors of U.S. tanker W.E. Hutton, sunk by German submarine U-332 off Cape Lookout, North Carolina, the previous day.
High speed transport Stringham (APD 6) rescues the 31 survivors of U.S. tanker Papoose, irreparably damaged the previous day by German submarine U-124. On report of the master, who believes his ship can be saved, tug Kewaydin (AT-24) is sent to investigate salvage possibilities. Papoose, however, is beyond saving, and sinks the next day; Kewaydin proceeds to assist Acushnet (see below).
Damaged U.S. tanker Acme (torpedoed by German submarine U-124 on 17 March) is taken in tow by tug Acushnet (AT-63) and taken to Norfolk. - March 20, Fri.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. tanker Oakmar is shelled by German submarine U-71 at 36°21'N, 68°50'W, and abandoned; submarine R-6 (SS-83) is sent to her assistance. U-71 torpedoes Oakmar and shells her until she sinks. Six men perish in the abandonment; the remainder (30 men) are rescued by Greek steamship Panos Pladelis. - March 21, Sat.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. tanker Esso Nashville is torpedoed by German submarine U-124 off Frying Pan Lightship Buoy, 33°35'N, 77°22'W. High speed transport McKean (APD 5) rescues eight survivors from two lifeboats; Coast Guard cutters Tallapoosa (WPG-52) and Agassiz (WPC-126) recover the rest (21 men and 8 men, respectively). After Esso Nashville breaks in two, tug Umpqua (AT-25) tows the after end of the vessel to Morehead City, North Carolina. Later, U-124 torpedoes tanker Atlantic Sun off Beaufort (North Carolina) Lightship, but inflicts little damage; there are no casualties among the 40-man merchant complement or the 5-man Armed Guard and Atlantic Sun reaches Beaufort without further incident. - March 22, Sun.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. tanker Naeco is torpedoed by German submarine U-124 at 33°59'N, 76°40'W. Coast Guard cutter Dione (WPC-107) rescues 10 survivors from one lifeboat and two men from the sea; minesweeper Osprey (AM-56) rescues one survivor from a raft; tug Umpqua (AT-25) takes off one man who had returned to the ship after she had been abandoned. All told, 24 men perish with the ship, which later breaks in half (the stern section sinking). Destroyer Roper (DD-147) scuttles the bow section with gunfire.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Muskogee is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-123 at 28°00'N, 58°00'W. U-123 draws near to the survivors on two rafts and questions them before clearing the area. None of the 34-man crew, however, are ever seen again. - March 23, Mon.
Pacific
Submarine Gato (SS-212) is damaged when accidentally bombed by nonrigid airship (blimp) TC 13 off the entrance to San Francisco Bay, California.
Indian Ocean
Japanese occupy Andaman Islands, Bay of Bengal. - March 24, Tue.
Pacific
Japanese naval planes (12th Kokutai) begin daily bombings of Corregidor. - March 25, Wed.
Atlantic
Dutch tanker Ocana is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-552 at 42°36'N, 64°25'W; destroyer Mayo (DD-422) rescues four survivors. - March 26, Thu. Admiral Ernest J. King relieves Admiral Harold R. Stark as Chief of Naval Operations and thus becomes Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations; Vice Admiral Frederick J. Horne (Vice Chief of Naval Operations) and Vice Admiral Russell Willson (COMINCH Chief of Staff) are his principal assistants.
Atlantic
TF 39 (Rear Admiral John W. Wilcox), including battleship Washington (BB 56), carrier Wasp (CV-7), heavy cruisers Wichita (CA-45) and Tuscaloosa (CA-37), and eight destroyers, sails from Portland, Maine, for Scapa Flow, to reinforce the British Home Fleet (see 27 March).
Commander Eastern Sea Frontier is given operational control of certain USAAF units for antisubmarine patrol duty in the Atlantic. Unity of command over Navy and USAAF units operating over water to protect shipping and conduct antisubmarine warfare is thus vested in the Navy.
Antisubmarine vessel Atik (AK-101) is torpedoed and sunk with all hands by German submarine U-123 in the North Atlantic, 36°00'N, 70°00'W, after the "Q-ship's" gunfire damages the U-boat in a spirited encounter. Atik is the only U.S. Navy warship disguised as a merchantman that is lost to enemy action during World War II. Sistership Asterion (AK-100) will conduct a fruitless search for survivors (see 30 March).
Unarmed U.S. tanker Dixie Arrow, bound for Paulsboro, New Jersey, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-71 about 12 miles off the Diamond Shoals Lighted Buoy, off the coast of North Carolina, 34°59'N, 75°33'W. The ship breaks in half and sinks. Destroyer Tarbell (DD-142), directed to the scene by a Coast Guard plane, rescues 22 survivors; 11 merchant sailors either drown or burn to death, however, as the torpedo explosions set the ship's cargo of 86,136 barrels of crude oil afire.
Panamanian freighter Equipoise is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-160 at 36°36'N, 74°45'W (see 27 March). - March 27, Fri.
Atlantic
Commander TF 39 (Rear Admiral John W. Wilcox), taking an unaccompanied walk on deck of his flagship, battleship Washington (BB 56), is washed overboard and disappears in a heavy sea. Rear Admiral Robert C. Giffen becomes task force commander upon Wilcox's death.
Destroyer Greer (DD-145) proceeds to position indicated by Army plane and rescues five survivors from Panamanian freighter Equipoise, sunk the previous day by U-160; later, Greer picks up an additional eight survivors from the sunken Panamanian merchantman.
Europe
British raiding force begins attack on port facilities in German-held St. Nazaire, France; destroyer HMS Campbelltown (former U.S. destroyer Buchanan [DD 132]), reconfigured to resemble a German torpedo boat, is to ram the caisson of the only drydock on the French coast capable of handling the battleship Tirpitz.
Pacific
Submarine Gudgeon (SS-211) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Nissho Maru southeast of Kumun Island, 33°50'N, 127°33'E.
Japanese collier Yubari Maru is sunk by Dutch planes off Koepang, Timor.
Japanese transport/cargo ship Kitano Maru is sunk by Japanese mine off Mabilao, Lingayen Gulf, 16°10'N, 120°24'E. - March 28, Sat.
Atlantic
Attack on St. Nazaire concludes with HMS Campbelltown successfully ramming the caisson in the drydock area. - March 29, Sun.
Pacific
Fourth Defense Battalion, USMC, and VMF 212 arrive at Efate, New Hebrides.
Atlantic
U.S. steamship City of New York is torpedoed by German submarine U-160 about 40 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 35°16'N, 74°25'W. Before the ship is torpedoed a second time, the Armed Guard, who man their gun stations promptly, manages to get 12 rounds off at the U-boat's periscope. A second torpedo sinks the ship, with the Armed Guard leaving only when the bridge is awash (see 30-31 March and 11 April).
U.S. tanker Paulsboro is damaged in heavy seas off Overfalls Lightship; tug Allegheny (AT-19) is sent to her assistance.
U.S. freighter Excelsior suffers engine breakdown off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina; tug Kewaydin (AT-24) is sent to tow the ship to Norfolk. - March 30, Mon.
General
Pacific War Council representing United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, and China is established in Washington, D.C., to plan war policy.
Pacific
Joint Chiefs of Staff order Pacific Ocean divided into two commands: Pacific Ocean Areas (Admiral Chester W. Nimitz) and Southwest Pacific Area (Lieutenant General Douglas MacArthur).
Submarine Tambor (SS-198) damages Japanese transport Tatsuho Maru off Brown Atoll, 13°00'N, 157°30'E.
Destroyer Phelps (DD-360), undergoing repairs in drydock at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, is damaged when a railroad crane falls into the drydock.
Japanese forces occupy Christmas Island.
Submarine Sturgeon (SS-187) sinks Japanese transport Choko Maru off Makassar City, Celebes, N.E.I., 05°39'S, 119°00'E.
Atlantic
Debris sighted by plane at 34°52'N, 69°58'W includes five empty life rafts; no survivors are sighted in the area of the last reported position of antisubmarine vessel Atik (AK-101), sunk on 26 March by German submarine U-123.
PBY search of area in which U.S. steamship City of New York is torpedoed proves negative (see 31 March and 11 April).
North Russia
U.S. freighter Effingham, straggling 90 miles astern of Murmansk-bound convoy PQ 13, is torpedoed and set afire by German submarine U-435 at 70°28'N, 35°44'E. The ship explodes and sinks; two men drown during the abandonment (see 2 and 4 April). - March 31, Tue.
Indian Ocean
Submarine Seawolf (SS-197) is damaged by depth charges off Christmas Island, 10°26'S, 105°41'E.
Caribbean
Commander of All Forces Aruba and Curacao, Netherlands West Indies, is established (Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf).
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. tug Menominee and the barges that she is towing--Allegheny, Barnegat, and _Ontario_--are shelled by German submarine U-754 about 50 miles off the mouth of Chesapeake Bay at 37°34'N, 75°25'W. U-754 sinks Menominee and barges Allegheny and Barnegat; Ontario, with its dunnage cargo, remains afloat and provides a life preserver for the three men who had been on board each barge. Of Menominee's crew of 18 men, however, only two survive the U-boat's gunfire. Coast Guard lifeboat from the Metomkin Inlet station rescues the men from the barges while tanker Northern Sun rescues the tug crew's survivors. Later the same day, U-754 torpedoes unarmed U.S. tanker Tiger as the American vessel, en route to Norfolk, waits to embark a pilot. One crewman dies in the initial explosion; the surviving 36 men of the ship's complement, in addition to a six-man Navy gun crew riding the ship as passengers, abandon the ship (see 1 and 2 April).
Unarmed U.S. tanker T.C. McCobb, en route to Caripito, Venezuela from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is shelled, torpedoed, and sunk by Italian submarine Pietro Calvi at 07°10'N, 45°20'W; one crewman drowns and one is killed by shellfire (see 8 and 10 April and 16 May).
Destroyer Roper (DD-147) and tug Acushnet (AT-63) rescue 124 survivors (including a newborn infant) of U.S. steamship City of New York, sunk by U-160 off Cape Hatteras on 29 March (see 12 April).
April
- April 1, Wed.
Pacific
Naval Air Transport Service Squadron (VR) 2 is established at Alameda, California, for operations in the Pacific.
Japanese occupy Buka Island, Solomons.
Submarine Seawolf (SS-197) torpedoes Japanese light cruiser Naka off Christmas Island, 10°00'S, 105°00'E.
British submarine HMS Truant sinks Japanese merchant cargo ships Yae Maru and Shunsei Maru in Malacca Strait, 80 miles west-northwest of Penang, Malaya, 05°42'N, 98°57'E.
Atlantic
District patrol vessel YP-52 rescues 42 survivors of U.S. tanker Tiger, torpedoed by German submarine U-754 late the previous day. Coast Guard cutter Jackson (WPC-142) and Merritt, Chapman, and Scott salvage tug Relief take the damaged ship in tow (see 2 April). - April 2, Thu.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. tanker Liebre is shelled by German submarine U-123 at 34°11'N, 76°08'W, and abandoned. Arrival of British motor torpedo boat MTB 332, however, compels U-123 to withdraw before she can finish the work of destroying Liebre. Of the 34-man crew, 26 reboard the ship, which is towed by salvage tug Resolute and British trawler HMS St. Zeno to Morehead City, North Carolina.
Unarmed U.S. freighter David H. Atwater is shelled by German submarine U-552 east of Chincoteague Inlet, Virginia, 37°37'N, 75°10'W; destroyers Noa (DD-343) and Herbert (DD-160) are sent to the scene, but arrive too late to be of assistance. The sudden and savage nature of U-552's attack leaves David H. Atwater's crew little or no time to take to lifeboats. Of the 25-man complement, only three survive to be rescued by Coast Guard cutter Legare (WPC-144) and taken to Chincoteague Island Coast Guard station.
British minesweeper HMS Harrier rescues 17 men in lifeboat from U.S. freighter Effingham, sunk by German submarine U-435 on 30 March 1942; six of those rescued later die of exposure (see 4 April).
Despite the efforts of a salvage crew, U.S. tanker Tiger, torpedoed by German submarine U-754 on 31 March and taken in tow the previous day, sinks short of her destination, Norfolk, Virginia. - April 3, Fri.
Pacific
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz is named Commander in Chief Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPOA); his command encompasses the North, Central, and South Pacific. He retains his position as Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC).
Light minelayers Pruitt (DM-22), Preble (DM-20), Sicard (DM-21), and Tracy (DM-19) mine French Frigate Shoals, Hawaiian Group, to prevent Japanese submarines from using the area as a refueling point for flying boat raids on Oahu.
Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Exhibitor is bombed and damaged by Japanese reconnaissance flying boat near Calcutta, India, while proceeding to Colombo, Ceylon. The ship's gunfire drives off the enemy plane as it makes a second pass; only four of the men on board (43-man merchant complement and 9-man Armed Guard) are injured in the attack.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Otho, en route to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from Takoradi, Gold Coast, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-754 about 200 miles east of Cape Henry, Virginia, 36°25'N, 71°57'W; survivors abandon ship in a raft and three boats (see 8 and 25 April).
U.S. freighter West Irmo, en route to Takoradi, Gold Coast, from Marshall, Liberia, is torpedoed by German submarine U-505 at 02°10'N, 05°50'W, and abandoned. Ten longshoremen are lost in the explosion while the remainder of the ship's complement, 36 merchant seamen, the 8-man Armed Guard and 55 longshoremen, are rescued by British escort vessel HMS Copinsay (see 4 April). - April 4, Sat.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker Comol Rico is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-154 about 225 miles north of Puerto Rico, 20°46'N, 66°46'W; three merchant sailors perish in the explosion of the torpedo (see 7 April).
Unarmed U.S. tanker Byron D. Benson is torpedoed by German submarine U-552 approximately eight miles off Currituck Inlet, North Carolina, 36°08'N, 75°32'W; fires, fed by the ship's cargo of 91,500 barrels of crude oil, consume nine of the 37-man crew. Antisubmarine vessel ["Q ship"] Asterion (AK-100), nearby, reports the attack (see 5 April).
Russian patrol boat rescues 11 men in lifeboat from U.S. freighter Effingham, sunk by German submarine U-435 on 30 March; four of those rescued later die of exposure. All told, 11 of the 34-man merchant crew perish, as does one of the 9-man Armed Guard.
British escort vessel HMS Copinsay attempts to tow the damaged U.S. freighter West Irmo, torpedoed the previous day by German submarine U-505, but the merchantman proves beyond saving. Copinsay hastens West Irmo's end with a depth charge. - April 5, Sun.
Pacific
Japanese naval forces occupy Lorengau, Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, without opposition.
Indian Ocean
In Operation C, Japanese carrier striking force (Vice Admiral Nagumo Chuichi) raids Colombo, Ceylon. After reconnaissance floatplane from heavy cruiser Tone finds British heavy cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire, carrier bombers from Akagi, Hiryu and Soryu sink both ships. Japanese Second Expeditionary Fleet, Malay Force (Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo) is divided into three groups to disrupt Allied shipping in the Bay of Bengal (see 6 April).
Atlantic
U.S. tanker Catahoula, about 100 miles into her voyage from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, to Wilmington, Delaware, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-154 at 19°16'N, 68°12'W; two merchant sailors perish in the explosion of the torpedo and five drown when the ship is abandoned (see 6 April).
Coast Guard cutter Dione (WPC-107) proceeds to the scene of the torpedoing of unarmed U.S. tanker Byron D. Benson, attacked by German submarine U-552 the previous evening; high speed minesweeper Hamilton (DMS-18) does likewise, and during the search for the submarine, rescues 27 survivors; British trawler HMS Norwich City picks up one man. Byron D. Benson sinks two days later. - April 6, Mon.
Indian Ocean
Japanese Operation C continues: Second Expeditionary Fleet, Malay Force (Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo) raids Allied shipping off the east coast of India. Japanese Northern Group (Rear Admiral Kurita Takeo) attacks Allied convoy; unarmed U.S. freighter Exmoor is sunk by gunfire of heavy cruisers Kumano and Suzuya, and destroyer Shirakumo, 19°53'N, 86°30'E (there are no casualties among the 37-man crew), as are British merchantmen Silksworth, Autolycus, Malda and Shinkuang. Southern Group (Captain Sakiyama Shakao), consisting of heavy cruisers Mogami and Mikuma and destroyer Amagiri, sink British merchantmen Dardanus, Gandara and Indora. Central Group, formed around carrier Ryujo, heavy cruiser Chokai, light cruiser Yura, and destroyers Yugiri and Asagiri, attacks shipping in a third area. After planes from carrier Ryujo attack unarmed U.S. freighter Bienville, heavy cruiser Chokai shells and sinks the American merchantman at 17°50'N, 84°50'E; Japanese gunfire renders all lifeboats useless and kills 19 of the 41-man crew. Five more crewmen die later of wounds suffered in the attack. Lost with the ship is its cargo of 500 monkeys (which are most likely earmarked for infantile paralysis research in the United States). Floatplanes from Chokai bomb unarmed U.S. freighter Selma City (17°40'N, 83°20'E) and British freighter Ganges, sinking both. Two men wounded by bomb fragments constitute the only casualties on board Selma City; her 29-man crew reaches Vizagapatam later the same day by boat. Yura and Yugiri, meanwhile, sink Dutch motorships Banjoewangi and Batavia, and British steamer Taksang. Planes from Ryujo bomb and sink British steamer Sinkiang, and Dutch motorship Van der Capellen (the latter sinks on 8 April) and, at Vizagapatam, bomb and damage British motorship Anglo Canadian.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Washingtonian, en route from Suez to Ceylon, is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-5 at 07°25'N, 73°05'E; all hands (39-man crew and two passengers) survive the attack and reach the Maldive Islands in less than a day's rowing.
Pacific
Advance elements of the U.S. Army 41st Division reach Melbourne, Australia.
River gunboats Mindanao (PR-8) and Oahu (PR-6) engage Japanese landing barges, claiming the destruction of at least four, in a night surface action in Manila Bay. Mindanao is damaged by return fire.
Atlantic
Destroyer Sturtevant (DD-240), directed to the scene by a patrolling USAAF plane, rescues 31 merchant seamen and the 7-man Armed Guard from sunken U.S. tanker Catahoula, sunk by U-154 on 5 April.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Bidwell, bound from Corpus Christi, Texas, to New York City, is torpedoed by German submarine U-160 about 30 miles east of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, 34°25'N, 75°57'W, but manages to reach Hampton Roads under her own power. One man of her 33-man crew is lost in the torpedoing. - April 7, Tue.
Atlantic
Destroyer Wilkes (DD-441) is damaged when accidentally rammed by British tanker Davila, Boston, Massachusetts.
Destroyer Sturtevant (DD-240), directed to the scene by a USN patrol plane, rescues the 39 survivors (including the entire 6-man Armed Guard detachment) of U.S. tanker Comol Rico, sunk by U-154 on 4 April.
U.S. tanker Pan Rhode Island, off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, rescues 29 survivors of Norwegian freighter Lancing, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-552, and 20 men from British tanker British Splendour, sunk by the same U-boat the same day. - April 8, Wed.
General
Hydrographic Office and Naval Observatory are transferred from the Bureau of Navigation to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
Pacific
Submarine Seadragon (SS-194) delivers food to Corregidor, and evacuates the final increment of naval radio and communications intelligence people.
Atlantic
Submarine Mackerel (SS-204) is attacked by USAAF plane six miles south of Watch Hill light, but is not damaged in the accidental encounter.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Bidwell, bound from Corpus Christi, Texas, to New York City, is torpedoed by German submarine U-160 about 30 miles east of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, 34°25'N, 75°57'W, but manages to reach Hampton Roads under her own power. One man of her 33-man crew is lost in the attack.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Oklahoma, en route from Port Arthur, Texas, to Providence, Rhode Island, is torpedoed by German submarine U-123 about 12 miles off Brunswick, Georgia, 31°18'N, 80°59'W; U-123 then proceeds to attack unarmed U.S. tanker Esso Baton Rouge approximately 15 miles off St. Simons Island, Georgia, 31°13'N, 80°05'W, torpedoing that ship as well. U-123 returns and shells Oklahoma. Both tankers sink in shallow water, and survivors from both vessels (18 from the 37-man crew from Oklahoma and 36 of the 39-man crew from Esso Baton Rouge) meet and proceed together for Brunswick, which they reach with the help of a Coast Guard boat. Both ships are not lost to the war effort; they are refloated, repaired, and returned to service.
Yacht Zircon (PY-16) rescues 16 survivors (including one Armed Guard sailor) from U.S. freighter Otho, sunk by German submarine U-754 on 3 April (see 25 April).
Panamanian merchantman Santa Monica rescues survivors from unarmed U.S. tanker T.C. McCobb, sunk by Italian submarine Pietro Calvi on 31 March (see 10 April and 16 May). - April 9, Thu.
Pacific
Luzon Force (Major General Edward King, USA) on Bataan peninsula surrenders to Japanese. Gunboat Mindanao (PR-8) rescues soldiers attempting to escape from Bataan to Corregidor.
U.S. Navy facilities at Mariveles are demolished to prevent enemy use: Navy forces scuttle submarine tender Canopus (AS-9), minesweeper Bittern (AM-36), tug Napa (AT-32), and drydock Dewey. Ferry launches San Felipe (YFB-12), Camia (YFB-683), and Dap Dap (YFB-684), and Canopus motor launches, evacuate men and equipment to Corregidor.
Submarine Snapper (SS-185) delivers food to Corregidor.
Motor torpedo boats PT-34 and PT-41 engage Japanese light cruiser Kuma and torpedo boat Kiji in a running fight off Cape Tanon, the southern tip of Cebu, P.I.; Kuma is hit by a dud torpedo and machine gun fire. Later that same day, PT-34 is bombed and strafed by floatplanes from Japanese seaplane carrier _Sanuki Maru_and beached off Cauit Island, P.I., 10°16'N, 123°52'E. A second bombing and strafing attack by Sanuki Maru's planes destroys PT-34, which suffers two dead and three wounded from her six-man crew in the action.
Indian Ocean
Japanese Operation C continues: carrier striking force (Vice Admiral Nagumo Chuichi) raids Trincomalee, Ceylon, which has been cleared of shipping in expectation of the attack. Notwithstanding the precautions taken by the British, Japanese carrier bombers attack the ships they find returning to Trincomalee. British carrier HMS Hermes is sunk, as is Australian destroyer HMAS Vampire, British corvette HMS Hollyhock, depot ship HMS Athelstane and RFA oiler British Sergeant.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Esparta, en route from Honduras to New York, is torpedoed by German submarine U-123 about 14 miles south of Brunswick, Georgia, 30°46'N, 81°11'W; one man perishes out of the merchantman's 40-man crew.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Malchace is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-160 about 50 miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 34°28'N, 75°56'W; Mexican freighter Faja De Oro rescues the 28 survivors (one crewman drowns when Malchace is abandoned).
Unarmed U.S. tanker Atlas is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-552 off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 34°27'N, 76°16'W; two of the 34-man crew die attempting to escape the fires fed by the cargo of 84,239 barrels of gasoline. Coast Guard cutter CG 462 rescue the 32 men who survive the inferno. Later the same day, U-552 torpedoes tanker Tamaulipas at 34°25'N, 76°00'W; British trawler HMS Norwich City rescues the 35 survivors (two crewmen perish when the tanker is abandoned). Tamaulipas, gutted by fires, sinks the following morning.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Eugene V.R. Thayer, en route to Caripito, Venezuela from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is pursued and shelled by Italian submarine Pietro Calvi at 02°20'S, 39°30'W; 11 of the tanker's crew are killed in the engagement that ends when Eugene V.R. Thayer is abandoned (see 10, 11 and 13 April).
Motor torpedo boat PT-59, on practice run in upper Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, accidentally torpedoes cargo ship Capella (AK-13); tugs are on the scene immediately and anchor the damaged auxiliary in shoal water. Eight crewmen are injured in the mishap. - April 10, Fri.
Pacific
Pacific Fleet is reorganized into type commands: Battleships (Rear Admiral Walter S. Anderson); Aircraft Carriers (Vice Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.); Cruisers (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher); Destroyers (Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald); Service Force (Vice Admiral William L. Calhoun); Amphibious Force (Vice Admiral Wilson Brown, Jr.); Submarine Force (Rear Admiral Thomas Withers); and Patrol Wings (Rear Admiral John S. McCain). Old titles Battle Force and Scouting Force are abolished.
Submarine Snapper (SS-185) evacuates military personnel from Corregidor.
Minesweeper Finch (AM-9) is sunk by aerial bombs off Luzon, 14°22'N, 120°35'E.
Crews of river gunboats Oahu (PR-6), Luzon (PR-7), and Mindanao (PR-8) are transferred ashore to man U.S. Army guns at Fort Hughes, Manila Bay.
Japanese troops land on Cebu.
Submarine Thresher (SS-200) torpedoes and sinks Japanese (ex-Portuguese) merchant cargo ship Maru six miles north of Oshima, near the entrance to Tokyo Bay, Honshu, Japan, 34°59'N, 139°29'E.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker Gulfamerica, silhouetted by the lights of Jacksonville, Florida, is torpedoed and shelled by German submarine U-123 at 30°14'N, 81°18'W. Some of the tanker's crew perish in the torpedo explosion or gunfire when U-123 shells and machineguns the vessel; others drown as the ship is abandoned. Of the 41-man crew, 17 perish; 2 of the 7-man Armed Guard die in the attack. District patrol vessel YP-32 aids in rescue of survivors. Gulfamerica capsizes and sinks on 16 April.
Norwegian freighter Marpesia, off Surinam, rescues 19 survivors from U.S. tanker T.C. McCobb, sunk by Italian submarine Pietro Calvi on 31 March (see 16 May).
Seaplane recovers 13 survivors from U.S. tanker Eugene V.R. Thayer, shelled on 9 April by Italian submarine Pietro Calvi (see 11 and 13 April). - April 11, Sat.
Pacific
Submarine Trout (SS-202) torpedoes Japanese fleet tanker Nisshin Maru west of Shionomisaki, Japan, 33°26'N, 135°38'E.
USAAF A-20s attack Japanese shipping off Lae, New Guinea, damaging cargo vessel Taijun Maru, 06°49'S, 147°02'E. Taijun Maru, deemed irreparable, is later scuttled.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. tanker Harry F. Sinclair, Jr., is torpedoed by German submarine U-203 seven miles south of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, 34°25'N, 76°30'W. Intense fires, fed by the tanker's 66,000 barrels of gasoline, consume the amidships section of the vessel; 10 of the 36-man crew perish in the flames. British armed trawler HMS Hertfordshire rescues 24 survivors, destroyer Herbert (DD-160) two. British (ex-French) armed trawler HMS Senateur Duhamel tows Harry F. Sinclair, Jr. into Morehead City, North Carolina.
British steamship Ulysses is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-160 at 34°23'N, 75°35'W; high speed transport Manley (APD-1) rescues all hands (195 crew, 95 passengers).
British trawler HMS St. Cathan (one of the Royal Navy patrol vessels operating off the eastern seaboard) and Dutch freighter Hebe collide at 38°40'N, 73°00'W, both ships sink. District patrol vessel YP-22 rescues 7 survivors from St. Cathan and 31 from Hebe; yachts Azurlite (PY-22) and Beryl (PY-23) participate in rescue efforts and between them later transport the survivors (Hebe's entire 31-man crew and nine of the 39-man crew of St. Cathan) to Charleston, South Carolina.
After a patrol plane sights lifeboat at 38°40'N, 73°00'W, Coast Guard patrol boat 455 proceeds from Cape May, New Jersey, to the reported position, and there rescues last nine survivors of U.S. steamship City of New York, sunk by U-160 off Cape Hatteras on 29 March, and transports them to Lewes, Delaware. All told, one Armed Guard sailor, 16 crewmen and seven passengers have perished in the loss of the ship.
Second group of 13 survivors from U.S. tanker Eugene V.R. Thayer, shelled on 9 April by Italian submarine Pietro Calvi reach the Brazilian coast north of Aracati (see 13 April). - April 12, Sun.
Pacific
Motor torpedo boat PT-35, undergoing repairs on the marine railway at the Cebu Shipyard and Engineering Works, is destroyed by crew as Japanese capture Cebu, 10°18'N, 123°54'E.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Delvalle, en route from New Orleans, Louisiana to Buenos Aires, Argentina, via St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-154 at 16°51'N, 72°25'W. One man from the 54-man crew drowns when the ship is abandoned; there are no casualties among the five passengers or the four-man Armed Guard. Canadian armed merchant cruiser HMCS Prince Henry rescues some of the survivors, the rest reach Jacmel, Haiti, via motor launch.
Panamanian motor tanker Stanvac Melbourne is torpedoed by German submarine U-203 about 15 miles off Frying Pan Shoals, 33°53'N, 77°29'W; Coast Guard cutter CG-186 rescues survivors, 41 merchant seamen and the 7-man Armed Guard.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Esso Boston, en route from Venezuela to Nova Scotia, is torpedoed and shelled by German submarine U-130 at 21°42'N, 60°00'W and abandoned. The Germans question the survivors, offer food and water and provide directions to nearest land (see 13 April).
U.S. freighter Leslie is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-123 approximately three miles southeast of Hetzel Shoals Gas Buoy, 28°37'N, 80°25'W; 27 survivors from the 31-man crew, and one passenger, reach the coast of Florida just north of Cape Canaveral. U.S. tanker Esso Bayonne rescues one other surviving crewman; he goes ashore at Key West the next day.
Coast Guard cutter Vigilant (WPC-154) runs aground during search for submarine off St. Lucie's Inlet, 27°03'N, 80°05'W, but emerges from the incident with only minor damage. - April 13, Mon.
Pacific
Submarine Grayling (SS-209) torpedoes and sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Ryujin Maru off southwest tip of Shikoku, Japan, 31°51'N, 132°50'E. Destroyer Minazuki drives off Grayling with depth charges.
Japanese transport No.3 Hino Maru is damaged by aircraft (nationality unspecified) off Koepang, Timor.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. tanker Esso Boston, torpedoed and shelled by German submarine U-130 the previous day, sinks; the entire 37-man crew is rescued by destroyer Biddle (DD-151) and taken to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Abandoned U.S. tanker Eugene V.R. Thayer, shelled on 9 April by Italian submarine Pietro Calvi, sinks off coast of Brazil. - April 14, Tue.
Atlantic
Destroyer Roper (DD-147) sinks German submarine U-85 off Virginia capes, 35°55'N, 75°13'W.
British freighter Empire Thrush is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-203 approximately eight miles north of Diamond Shoals, 35°12'N, 75°14'W. Antisubmarine vessel ("Q-ship") Asterion (AK-100), masquerading as freighter Evelyn (her original mercantile name), picks up entire crew (and the captain's dog). The rescued sailors are enjoined not to reveal the fact that they were rescued by a "Q-ship" and to keep secret Asterion's true identity.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Margaret is sunk by German submarine U-571 off the eastern seaboard while bound for New York from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Although the Germans see the crew lower a boat and put rafts over the side, none of the 29 sailors from Margaret's complement are ever seen again. - April 15, Wed.
Pacific
Submarine bases at Kodiak and Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and naval air station at Barbers Point, Oahu, T.H., are established.
Last remaining motor torpedo boat in the Philippines, PT-41, her torpedoes expended and lacking gasoline to operate, is transferred to the Army to be moved overland to Lake Lanao. She is slated for service as a machine gun boat. The rapid Japanese advance across Mindanao, however, compels the Army to destroy PT-41 to prevent her capture.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Robin Hood, en route to Boston, Massachusetts from Trinidad, B.W.I., is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-575 about 300 miles off Nantucket, 38°39'N, 66°38'W; three merchant sailors perish in the torpedo explosion while 11 men go down with the ship (see 23 April). - April 16, Thu.
Pacific
Submarine Tambor (SS-198) torpedoes and sinks Japanese stores ship Kitami Maru 50 miles southeast of Kavieng, New Ireland, 03°00'S, 152°00'E.
Pacific
Unarmed U.S. freighter Alcoa Guide is shelled by German submarine U-123 (which expended her last torpedo on 12 April) at 35°34'N, 70°08'W; Alcoa Guide tries to ram the U-boat without success. U-123 pauses to allow the crew to abandon ship and then sinks the freighter with gunfire once the merchant sailors (two of whom die of wounds suffered in action) have gotten away safely (see 19 April and 18 May).
Europe
Admiral Leahy receives cable from Washington with information that his recall "for consultation" will be announced shortly after the formation of a new Vichy government (see 18 April). - April 17, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Searaven (SS-196) begins rescue of stranded Australian sailors, airmen, and soldiers from Japanese-occupied Timor, N.E.I.
Europe
Admiral Leahy's recall "for consultation" is announced. - April 18, Sat.
Pacific
Submarine Searaven (SS-196) completes rescue of Australians from Japanese-occupied Timor, begun the previous evening.
Japanese troops land at Panay, Visayan Islands.
Halsey-Doolittle Raid: TF 16 (Vice Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.), formed around carriers Enterprise (CV-6) and Hornet (CV-8), approaches to within 650 miles of Japan. Discovery by Japanese guardboat No.23 Nitto Maru compels Vice Admiral Halsey to order Hornet to launch 16 USAAF B-25s (Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle) earlier than planned. B-25s bomb targets in Tokyo, Yokosuka, Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagoya; one B-25 bombs and damages carrier Ryuho (being converted from submarine depot ship Taigei) at Yokosuka. Of the 16 B-25s launched, 15 are lost in occupied China, where brutal reprisals by Japanese against Chinese populace (Chekiang province) ensue; one B-25 lands intact at Vladivostok where it and its crew are interned by the Soviets. SBDs (VB 3, VB 6) and F4Fs (VF 6) from Enterprise, meanwhile, attack Japanese guardboats ("picket" boats) encountered near TF 16, damaging armed merchant cruiser Awata Maru and guardboats Chokyu Maru, No.1 Iwate Maru, No.2 Asami Maru, Kaijin Maru, No.3 Chinyo Maru, Eikichi Maru, Kowa Maru, and No.26 Nanshin Maru. Guardboats No.23 Nitto Maru and Nagato Maru, also damaged by SBDs and F4Fs from Enterprise, are sunk by gunfire of light cruiser Nashville (CL-43) (see 19 April). While the material damage inflicted by the bombers is small, the psychological effect of an air raid on the Japanese capital itself is great. Most importantly, the Halsey-Doolittle Raid ends all debate within the Japanese high command whether or nor a thrust against the important U.S. advanced naval base at Midway should be attempted.
Carrier Lexington (CV-2), in TF 11 (Rear Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch), ferries USMC F2As (VMF 211) to Palmyra Island.
USAAF B-26s sink Japanese aircraft transport Komaki Maru in Rabaul harbor, 04°12'S, 152°10'E.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. tanker Axtell J. Byles, in a coastal convoy, is torpedoed by German submarine U-136 off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 35°32'N, 75°19'W, but reaches Hampton Roads the next day; there are no injuries to any of the 39-man crew.
Europe
Change of government in Vichy France: Pierre Laval becomes Chief of Government, Minister of Interior, Foreign Affairs and Information. - April 19, Sun.
Pacific
Japanese guardboat No.21 Nanshin Maru, damaged by Enterprise (CV-6) planes on 18 April, is scuttled by gunfire of light cruiser Kiso, 37°12'N, 151°15'E; guardboat No.1 Iwate Maru sinks as the result of damage inflicted by Enterprise planes on 18 April. Submarine I-74 rescues No.1 Iwate Maru's crew and ultimately transfers them to Kiso on 22 April.
Caribbean
German submarine U-130 shells oil installations at Curacao, N.W.I.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Steel Maker is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-136 west of Bermuda, 33°05'N, 70°36'W, all hands save one (36 crewmen, the 9-man Armed Guard, and one passenger) survive. "I am sorry to have to sink you and do this to you," one German officer says apologetically after the enemy has questioned the survivors about the ship, its cargo, and destination, "but this is war." He promises to send Steel Maker's position to enable the Americans to be rescued (see 22, 29 April and 18 May).
Destroyer Broome (DD-210) rescues 27 survivors from U.S. freighter Alcoa Guide, sunk by German submarine U-123 on 16 April (see 18 May). - April 20, Mon.
Mediterranean
Operation CALENDAR: carrier Wasp (CV-7), as part of the effort to reinforce fighter defenses of the embattled British island of Malta, launches 47 RAF Spitfires. Within four days, however, heavy German bombing raids on the besieged isle's airfields reduce the number of flyable Spitfires to six, necessitating a second ferry mission (see 9 May).
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter West Imboden, her presence advertised by an accidental fire in her stack, is torpedoed by German submarine U-752 about 200 miles off Nantucket lightship, 41°14'N, 65°54'W, and abandoned as she is being shelled by the U-boat. U-752 nears one of the lifeboats and asks about casualties. "That's good," one German officer responds when told that the American merchant sailors have come through unharmed. - April 21, Tue.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Pipestone County, en route from Trinidad, B.W.I., to Boston, Massachusetts, is torpedoed by German submarine U-576 at 37°35'N, 66°20'W and abandoned by all hands (36-man merchant complement and the 9-man Armed Guard). U-576 provisions one of the sunken freighter's four lifeboats after questioning some of the survivors (see 22 April, and 7 and 8 May).
Unarmed U.S. freighter San Jacinto, en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico, is torpedoed and shelled by German submarine U-201 at 31°10'N, 70°45'W, and abandoned before she sinks. Lost with the ship are five merchant sailors and nine passengers; 74 crewmen and 95 passengers survive (see 23 April).
Europe
Louise Leahy, wife of Admiral William D. Leahy, USN (Retired), Ambassador to France, dies of an embolism in Vichy. Her death, on the eve of their departure from Vichy, is a "crushing emotional shock" to the admiral, "beyond the understanding of anyone who has not had an identical experience." - April 22, Wed.
Atlantic
Destroyer Bristol (DD-453) rescues all 35 survivors of U.S. freighter West Imboden, sunk by German submarine U-752 on 20 April.
Destroyer Rowan (DD-405) rescues 13 merchant seamen and 5 Armed Guard sailors from sunken U.S. freighter Steel Maker, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-136 on 19 April (see 29 April and 18 May).
British steamship Tropic Star rescues two lifeboats full of survivors from sunken U.S. freighter Pipestone County, sunk by German submarine U-576 on 21 April (see 7 and 8 May). - April 23, Thu.
Atlantic
Destroyer Greer (DD-145) rescues 24 survivors of U.S. freighter Robin Hood, sunk on 15 April by German submarine U-575, and transports them to Hamilton, Bermuda.
Destroyer Rowan (DD-405) rescues surviving crew and passengers from U.S. freighter San Jacinto, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-201 on 21 April.
U.S. tanker Connecticut, bound for Cape Town, South Africa, is torpedoed by German motor torpedo boat LS 4 (Esan), from auxiliary cruiser Michel, in the South Atlantic, 23°00'S, 15°00'W. The second torpedo ignites the 84,200 barrels of gasoline, airplane engine and heating oils that Connecticut is carrying as cargo; the ensuing inferno engulfs two lifeboats as the crew abandons the burning ship. Michel picks up the survivors, who will subsequently be transferred to a supply ship and thence to POW camp at Fukuoka, Japan.
U.S. freighter Lammont Du Pont, bound for New York, is torpedoed by German submarine U-125 at 27°10'N, 57°10'W; four men perish from among the combined 46-man merchant complement and the 9-man Armed Guard (see 25 April and 16 May). - April 24, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Trout (SS-202) torpedoes Japanese merchant transport Tachibana Maru, Susami Kii, 33°31'N, 135°29'E. - April 25, Sat.
Pacific
Submarine Spearfish (SS-190) torpedoes Japanese army transport Toba Maru off northwestern Luzon, 17°01'N, 120°15'E.
Atlantic
Norwegian motor vessel Gallia rescues one merchant sailor and five of the 10-man Armed Guard from U.S. freighter Otho, sunk by German submarine U-754 on 3 April. All told, 23 of the 36-man merchant complement, four of the 10-man Armed Guard and four of seven passengers perish.
Swedish motor vessel Astri rescues 15 survivors from U.S. freighter Lammont Du Pont, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-125 on 23 April (see 16 May). These men are subsequently transferred to light cruiser Omaha (CL-4). - April 26, Sun.
Pacific
Submarine Pickerel (SS-177) damages Japanese hospital ship Takasugo Maru in Manipa Strait, Malay Archipelago, 03°00'S, 127°00'E.
Japanese transport No.2 Nankai Maru is damaged by aircraft (nationality unspecified), Shortland Island.
Atlantic
Destroyer Sturtevant (DD-240) is sunk by mine off Marquesas Key, Florida.
Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. freighter Alcoa Partner is torpedoed by German submarine U-66 approximately 80 miles northeast of Bonaire, N.W.I., at 13°32'N, 67°57'W; the ship's bauxite ore cargo causes the ship to sink before the men on board have time to launch boats. One boat floats free, however, and 25 men gather in it. Nine crewmen and a workaway, however, drown in the wake of the ship's loss. The survivors reach Bonaire the next day. - April 28, Tue.
Atlantic
U.S. Escort Force (Rear Admiral Robert C. Giffen) departs Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands, to protect convoys to Russia.
District patrol craft YP-77 is sunk in collision off Atlantic Coast. - April 29, Wed.
Pacific
Japanese naval force (3d Kure Special Landing Force) occupies former RAAF seaplane base at Tulagi, Solomons (see 3-4 May).
Japanese seize Parang and Cotabato, Mindanao.
Atlantic
First coastal convoy leaves New York for the Delaware River.
Off Frying Pan Shoals, British steamship Pacific Exporter rescues 27 survivors (including the remaining four Armed Guard sailors) from U.S. freighter Steel Maker, sunk by German submarine U-136 on 19 April (see 18 May).
U.S. tanker Mobileoil, proceeding alone, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-108 about 350 miles northwest of Turks Island, at 26°10'N, 66°15'W; all hands (43-man merchant crew and 9-man Armed Guard) survive the loss of the ship (see 2 May).
Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. tanker Federal, bound for Banes, Cuba, is shelled and sunk by German submarine U-507 at 21°13'N, 76°05'W; heavy close-range fire from the U-boat's guns kill four crewman and wound one of the 33-man merchant complement, as well as destroy one lifeboat and prevent the tanker's crew from launching a second. U.S. Army transport Yarmouth arrives on the scene soon thereafter but only circles the survivors; fishing boats from Gibara, Cuba, rescue Federal's survivors from rafts while the one boat that was launched follows the Cuban boats to shore. The one wounded man dies subsequently. - April 30, Thu.
Pacific
PBYs evacuate military and civilian personnel from Corregidor.
Submarine Greenling (SS-213 torpedoes Japanese ammunition ship Seia Maru, 09°32'N, 156°03'E.
Europe
Admiral Harold R. Stark assumes command of U.S. Naval Forces Europe.
May
- May 1, Fri.
Europe
Admiral William D. Leahy, USN (Ret.) ends service as Ambassador to Vichy France.
Pacific
Submarine Grenadier (SS-210) mistakenly torpedoes and sinks Soviet merchant ship Angarstroi about 90 miles west-southwest of Nagasaki, Japan, 32°00'N, 129°25'E.
Submarine Triton (SS-201) torpedoes and sinks Japanese army cargo ship Calcutta Maru about 180 miles north-northwest of Formosa, 28°06'N, 123°47'E.
8th Defense Battalion arrives on Wallis Island, from Tutuila, Samoa.
Atlantic
British battleship HMS King George V accidentally collides with, and sinks, destroyer HMS Punjabi during operations out of Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands; battleship Washington (BB-56), unable to maneuver to clear the wreckage, has to steam through it. Punjabi's exploding depth charges cause some concussion damage to Washington's fire control systems.
Naval Base and Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Great Exuma, Bahama Islands, and Naval Base, Grand Cayman, British West Indies, are established. - May 2, Sat.
Pacific
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz visits Midway to informally inspect defenses and present decorations. He will leave the following day.
Japanese special landing force (3d Kure Special Landing Force) lands on Florida Island, Solomons.
SBDs (VS 5) and TBDs (VT 5) from carrier Yorktown (CV-5) bomb Japanese submarine I-21 in the Coral Sea. I-21 reports being attacked by planes, but significantly fails to specify whether or not her attackers are land- or carrier-based; TF 17's approach to the Solomons thus remains undetected.
River gunboat Mindanao (PR-8) is scuttled off South Harbor, Corregidor.
Submarine Drum (SS-228) torpedoes and sinks Japanese seaplane carrier Mizuho off south coast of Honshu, 34°26'N, 138°14'E.
Submarine Trout (SS-202) torpedoes and sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Uzan Maru off southeast coast of Honshu, 33°26'N, 135°52'E.
Atlantic
Yacht Cythera (PY-26) is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-402 off the coast of North Carolina; 66 men perish with the ship. U-402 rescues the two survivors and transports them back to Germany as POWs.
Submarine chaser PC-490 rescues all 52 survivors of U.S. tanker Mobiloil, sunk on 29 April by German submarine U-108. - May 3, Sun.
Pacific
Submarine Spearfish (SS-190) evacuates naval and military officers, including nurses, from Corregidor. Those evacuees will be the last to leave "The Rock" by this method.
Japanese land on northern Mindanao.
Light cruiser Nashville (CL-43) departs Pearl Harbor under orders to fuel at Midway and then proceed on a foray into the Japanese fishing grounds off the Kamchatka Peninsula. Submarines S-34 (SS-139) and S-35 (SS-140) are to operate in support. - May 4, Mon.
General
Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet (Admiral Ernest J. King) directs Coast Guard Auxiliary to organize civilian small craft as coastal pickets.
Pacific
Battle of the Coral Sea opens as TF 17 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher) attacks Japanese Tulagi Invasion Force (Rear Admiral Shima Kiyohide) at Tulagi, Solomons, where elements of the Japanese 3d Kure Special Landing Force have gone ashore (as well as on neighboring Gavutu) to establish defenses. SBDs and TBDs (VB 5, VS 5, VT 5), supported by F4Fs (VF 42) from carrier Yorktown (CV-5) sink destroyer Kikuzuki, minesweeper Tama Maru and auxiliary minesweepers Wa 1 and Wa 2 and damage destroyer Yuzuki, minelayer Okinoshima, transport Azumasan Maru, and cargo ship Kozui Maru. Lieutenant John J. Powers of VB 5 participates all three strikes, receiving credit for one direct hit, two close-misses, and a persistent low-level strafing attack (see 7 and 8 May). Destroyer Hammann (DD-412) rescues two downed F4F pilots (VF 42) from Guadalcanal; destroyer Perkins (DD-377), however, sent to retrieve downed two-man TBD crew (VT 5) south of the island, does not locate the missing men. The crew, though, reaches Guadalcanal and ultimately sails to the New Hebrides in a schooner with a Chinese crew.
Japanese transports sail from Rabaul, bound for Port Moresby.
Minesweeper Tanager (AM-5) is sunk by Japanese shore battery, Corregidor.
Submarine Greenling (SS-213) sinks Japanese gunboat Kinjosan Maru near Truk, Carolines, 08°44'N, 150°56'E.
Submarine Trout (SS-202) sinks Japanese gunboat Kongosan Maru off southeast coast of Honshu, Japan, 33°32'N, 136°05'E.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Eastern Sword is torpedoed by German submarine U-162 approximately 12 miles off Georgetown, British Guiana, 07°10'N, 57°58'W (see 6 May).
Unarmed U.S. tanker Norlindo is torpedoed by German submarine U-507 approximately 200 miles northeast of Havana, Cuba, 24°57'N, 84°00'W, and sinks, taking five crewmen with her (see 6 May). Eight hours later, U-507 torpedoes and shells tanker Munger T. Ball at 25°17'N,83°57'W; flames, fed by the ship's cargo of 65,000 barrels of gasoline, trap many crewmen. Only four sailors of the 34-man crew survive the inferno to be rescued by Norwegian motor vessel Katy later the same day. Before the day is over, U-507 attacks a third tanker, the unarmed Joseph M. Cudahy, and torpedoes her approximately 74 miles northwest of the Dry Tortugas, 25°57'N, 83°57'W. Of the ship's 37-man complement, 27 perish in the attack (see 5 and 7 May).
Unarmed U.S. freighter Delisle is torpedoed by German submarine U-564 15 miles off Jupiter Inlet, Florida, 27°02'N, 80°03'W, and abandoned by the 34 survivors (30 crewmen and four workaways) of the 36 men that had been on board at the time of the attack. They row to shore, but return to the ship the following day to rig the ship for tow. Subsequently repaired, Delisle is returned to service.
Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. freighter Tuscaloosa City is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-125 at 18°25'N, 81°35'W; the latter's officers, after questioning the survivors, give them directions to the nearest land and wish them well. U.S. steamship Falcon rescues all hands (34 souls all told) and transports them to Cartagena, Colombia. - May 5, Tue.
Pacific
Japanese troops (61st Infantry Regiment, and supporting units) land on Corregidor, initially opposed by the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines. Submarine rescue vessel Pigeon (ASR-6) is bombed and sunk, 14°23'N, 120°36'E; tug Genesee (AT-55) and harbor tug Vaga (YT-116) are scuttled off Corregidor, 14°25'N, 120°30'E.
Japanese Imperial General Staff orders the Combined Fleet to assist in Army operations against Midway and the Aleutian Islands, Alaska.
U.S. freighter John Adams is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-21 85 miles from Amadee lighthouse, Nouméa, New Caledonia, 23°11'S, 165°08'E; five of the 11-man Armed Guard drown when the ship is abandoned (see 9 May).
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Afoundria is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-108 about eight miles north of Le Male Light, Haiti, 20°00'N, 73°30'W. There are no casualties among the 38-man crew and eight passengers (see 6 May).
U.S. tanker Java Arrow is torpedoed by German submarine U-333 at 27°30'N, 80°08'W, and abandoned, with the 39 survivors of the 41-man merchant complement, together with the six-man Armed Guard, taking to two lifeboats. Submarine chaser PC-483 and a Coast Guard boat rescue the men. The ship is later reboarded and believed reparable. Subsequently, civilian tugs Ontario and Bafshe tow Java Arrow to Port Everglades, Florida.
Twelve survivors of U.S. freighter Eastern Sword, torpedoed by German submarine U-162 the previous day, reach Georgetown, British Guiana (see 6 May).
Navy PBYs rescue the ten survivors of U.S. tanker Joseph M. Cudahy, attacked by German submarine U-507 the day before (see 6 May). - May 6, Wed.
Pacific
Corregidor and Manila Bay forts surrender to the Japanese. To deny the enemy use of river gunboats Oahu (PR-6) and Luzon (PR-7) and minesweeper Quail (AM-15), the ships are scuttled off Corregidor, 14°23'N, 120°35'E. Lost to Japanese occupation of the Philippines are district patrol craft YP-97; ash lighters YA-52, YA-59, and YA-65; miscellaneous district auxiliaries YAG-2, YAG-3, and YAG-4; open lighters YC-178, YC-181, YC-537, YC-643, YC-644, YC-646, YC-647, YC-648, YC-649, YC-652, YC-653, YC-654, YC-669, YC-683, YC-714, YC-715, and YC-716; floating derricks YD-19, YD-47, YD-56, and YD-60; covered lighters YF-177, YF-178, YF-179, YF-180, YF-181, YF-212, YF-223, YF-224, YF-230, and YF-317; ferry launches San Felipe (YFB-12), Rosal (YFB-682), Camia (YFB-683), Dap Dap (YFB-684), Rivera (YFB-685), Magdalena (YFB-687) and Yacal (YFB-688); dredge YM-4; fuel oil barge YO-64; pile driver YP-D 22; salvage pontoons YSP-41, YSP-42, YSP-43, YSP-44, YSP-45, YSP-46, YSP-47, YSP-48, YSP-49, and YSP-50; sludge removal barge YSR-2; harbor tugs Banaag (YT-104), Iona (YT-107), and Mercedes (YT-108); and water barge YW-54.
Fitted out with weapons, ammunition, provisions and clothing scrounged from abandoned Navy-commandeered tug Ranger, commanding officer, one other officer, and 16 men in 36-foot motor launch from Quail (AM-15) escape Manila Bay.
Submarine Skipjack (SS-184) sinks Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Kanan Maru about 26 miles northeast of Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina, 12°33'N, 109°30'E.
Submarine Triton (SS-201), attacking Japanese convoy north-northeast of Keelung, Formosa, sinks cargo ship Taiei Maru, 28°42'N, 123°50'E, and transport/cargo ship Taigen Maru, 28°19'N, 123°28'E.
Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Nawiliwili, Kauai, T.H., is established.
Atlantic
Auxiliary Semmes (AG-24) is damaged when she accidentally rams and sinks British (ex-French) armed trawler HMS Senateur Duhamel off Cape Lookout, North Carolina, 34°32.7'N, 75°35.6'W.
Net tender Mulberry (YN-22) rescues all 46 survivors from U.S. freighter Afoundria, sunk by German submarine U-108 on 5 May.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Halsey is torpedoed by German submarine U-333, northeast of Jupiter Inlet, Florida, 27°14'N, 80°03'W, and abandoned by all hands (32 men). The ship explodes and breaks in two. Submarine chaser PC-451 proceeds to the survivors' assistance but breaks off her efforts to conduct an unsuccessful pursuit of U-333. Local fishing boats ultimately tow Halsey's two lifeboats to the Gilbert Bar Lifeboat Station.
Fishing boat Ocean Star rescues last survivor of U.S. freighter Eastern Sword, torpedoed by German submarine U-162 on 4 May.
Steamship San Blas rescues 23 survivors of U.S. tanker Norlindo, sunk by German submarine U-507 on 4 May.
Yacht Coral (PY-15) shells and scuttles fire-gutted U.S. tanker Joseph M. Cudahy, attacked by German submarine U-507 on 5 May, as a menace to navigation.
Gulf of Mexico
Unarmed U.S. freighter Alcoa Puritan is shelled by German submarine U-507 at 28°40'N, 88°22'W, and abandoned by all hands (47-man crew and 7 passengers). After the U-boat delivers the coup de grace to Alcoa Puritan with a torpedo, the submarine comes to within 100 yards of the survivors. "Sorry we can't help you," an officer shouts through a megaphone, "hope you get ashore." Coast Guard cutter Boutwell (WPC-130) rescues Alcoa Puritan's survivors later the same day.
Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. freighter Green Island is torpedoed by German submarine U-125, while en route from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Aruba, N.W.I., 18°25'N, 81°30'W, and abandoned by her 22-man crew. Although her men reboard her later in the day, Green Island is beyond salvage and sinks (see 7 May). - May 7, Thu.
Pacific
Battle of the Coral Sea resumes as Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher's Allied force turns north to engage Japanese Carrier Strike Force (Vice Admiral Takagi Takeo).
Support Group (Rear Admiral John G. Crace, RN) detached to intercept Port Moresby Invasion Force (Rear Admiral Abe Koso) is attacked by Japanese land attack planes carrying torpedoes (4th Kokutai) or bombs (Genzan Kokutai); destroyer Farragut (DD-348) is damaged by friendly fire while engaged in repelling air attack. Later, mistaken for Japanese Port Moresby Invasion Force, Crace's ships are bombed by USAAF B-26s that straddle Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia (flagship) and near-miss heavy cruiser Chicago (CA-29) and destroyer Perkins (DD-377).
SBDs and TBDs (VB 2, VB 5, VS 2, VS 5, VT 2, VT 5) from Yorktown (CV-5) and Lexington (CV-2) attack Japanese Close Support Force (Rear Admiral Goto Aritomo) and sink small carrier Shoho in Coral Sea, off Misima Island, 10°29'S, 152°55'E. During the action off Misima, Lieutenant John J. Powers (VB 5) and Lieutenant (j.g.) William E. Hall, USNR (VS 2) exhibit skill and determination in pressing home their attacks (see 8 May). That night, Lieutenant Powers (VB 5's gunnery officer) lectures his squadron on point of aim and diving technique. He advocates a low-level release point to ensure accuracy, a philosophy he had demonstrated in the attack on Shoho (see 8 May).
Mistaken at the outset for a carrier and a cruiser, oiler Neosho (AO-23) and destroyer Sims (DD-409) are attacked by Japanese planes, although the enemy recognizes the mistake in time to avoid expending torpedoes; Neosho is damaged by bombs and crashing dive bomber, 15°35'S, 155°36'E, and Sims is sunk, 15°10'S, 158°05'E. On board the damaged oiler, Chief Watertender Oscar V. Peterson, although badly wounded, risks his life by closing bulkhead stop valves, receiving severe burns that result in his death. For his extraordinary heroism and distinguished gallantry at the cost of his life, Peterson is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.
Japanese attempt to find U.S. force in waning daylight runs afoul of bad weather.
Japanese occupy Hollandia, New Guinea.
Indian Ocean
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-30 reconnoiters Aden.
Atlantic
Coast Guard cutter Calypso (WPC-104) rescues one boatload of survivors from sunken U.S. freighter Pipestone County, sunk by German submarine U-576 on 21 April (see 8 May).
Caribbean
British merchantman Fort Qu'Appelle rescues all 22 survivors of U.S. freighter Green Island, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-125 the previous day. - May 8, Fri.
Pacific
Battle of the Coral Sea concludes as carrier Lexington (CV-2) SBD (VS 2) sights Japanese Carrier Strike Force (Vice Admiral Takagi Takeo) formed around carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku. As VB 5 pilots leave the ready room on board Yorktown (CV-5), Lieutenant John J. Powers exhorts his shipmates to "Remember the folks back home are counting on us. I am going to get a hit if I have to lay it [his bomb] on their flight deck." SBDs from Lexington and Yorktown (CV-5) damage Shokaku and force her retirement; Lieutenant Powers scores a direct hit on Shokaku, pressing home his attack to a perilously low altitude of 200 feet; he is last seen attempting, unsuccessfully, to recover from his dive. For his heroism on this day (as well as on the previous day and on 4 May), Powers is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.
Zuikaku's air group suffers heavy losses. Damage to Shokaku, as well as to Zuikaku's air group, prevents the use of those two carriers for several months, thus making them unavailable for immediate operations.
At the same time, Japanese carrier bombers and attack planes attack TF 17. The comparatively few fighters on hand compels the continuation of the use of SBDs as anti-torpedo plane patrol. Lieutenant William E. Hall, USNR (VS 2), whose performance of duty the previous day had elicited favorable notice, distinguishes himself in attacking the Japanese planes pressing home their assault on carrier Lexington. Although Hall is badly wounded, he brings his damaged SBD back to his ship having participated in the destruction of at least three carrier attack planes, bravery and skill rewarded with the Medal of Honor. Japanese planes, however, manage to get through and damage carriers Lexington (bombs and torpedoes) and Yorktown (bombs) (14°35'S, 155°15'E). On board Yorktown, Lieutenant Milton E. Ricketts, in charge of an engineering repair party, is mortally wounded when a bomb passes through and explodes just beneath his compartment, killing, stunning or wounding all of his men. Ricketts, despite his wounds, opens the valve on a nearby fire plug, partially leads out the hose, and directs water into the burning compartment before he drops dead. For his extraordinary heroism, he is awarded the Medal of Honor (posthumously). Lexington is further damaged when gasoline vapors are ignited, triggering massive explosions that lead to her abandonment. She is then scuttled by destroyer Phelps (DD-360), 15°12'S, 155°27'E.
The Battle of the Coral Sea is the first engagement in modern naval history in which opposing warships do not exchange a shot; all damage is inflicted by carrier aircraft. In halting the Japanese push southward and blunting the seaborne thrust toward Port Moresby, Coral Sea is a strategic U.S. victory.
Light cruiser Nashville (CL-43) is damaged when she runs aground at Midway Island; she must return to Pearl Harbor for repairs. Her raiding cruise to Kamchatka is postponed.
Submarine Grenadier (SS-210) attacks Japanese convoy about 120 miles southwest of Kyushu and torpedoes and sinks army transport Taiyo Maru, 30°40'N, 127°54'E; Grenadier survives persistent attacks by enemy antisubmarine forces the following day. Taiyo Maru carries to their deaths many technical experts bound for the East Indies to work on resuming oil production.
Submarine Porpoise (SS-172) is damaged by depth charges off Ceram, Moluccas, 03°50'N, 129°57'E, but remains on patrol.
Submarine Skipjack (SS-184) attacks Japanese convoy about 125 miles east of Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina, and torpedoes and sinks army cargo ship Bujun Maru, 12°18'N, 111°13'E.
Gulf of Aden
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-30 reconnoiters Djibouti.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Ohioan is torpedoed by German submarine U-564 four and a half miles off the coast of Florida, 26°31'N, 79°58'W, and sinks so quickly that no lifeboats can be launched. Coast Guard craft rescue the 22 survivors from the 37-man crew.
U.S. freighter Greylock is torpedoed by German submarine U-588 off Halifax, Nova Scotia, 44°14'N, 63°33'W; there are, however, no casualties among the 41-man merchant crew or the 11-man Armed Guard and the ship reaches Halifax unaided.
Fishing boats Irene and May rescue last boatload of survivors from U.S. freighter Pipestone County, sunk by German submarine U-576 on 21 April. All hands (36-man merchant complement and 9-man Armed Guard) have come through the ordeal unhurt. - May 9, Sat.
Mediterranean
Operation BOWERY: in the second attempt to bolster fighter strength on besieged Malta, carrier Wasp (CV-7) launches 47 RAF Spitfires; British carrier HMS Eagle accompanies Wasp and launches 17 additional Spitfires. The success of the American carrier's second ferry mission prompts Prime Minister Churchill to observe: "Who said a Wasp couldn't sting twice?" Unlike the first ferry operation, the Spitfires are speedily serviced and readied for action, and take a heavy toll of Axis bombers on this day and the next. "Daylight raiding," Malta's war diary notes laconically, "was brought to an abrupt end."
Atlantic
Coast Guard cutter Icarus (WPC-110) sinks German submarine U-352 off Cape Lookout, North Carolina, 34°12'N, 76°35'W. - May 10, Sun.
Atlantic
Carrier Ranger (CV-4) in TF 36 launches 68 USAAF P-40 fighters off Accra, Gold Coast of Africa. She had transported them from Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island.
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. motor tanker Aurora is torpedoed and shelled by German submarine U-506 approximately 40 miles off Southwest Pass, Louisiana, 28°35'N, 90°00'W, and abandoned. Coastal yacht Onyx (PYc-5) and district patrol craft YP-157 rescue the 38 merchant seamen (one of whom dies later of wounds) and the 12-man Armed Guard. Coast Guard tug Tuckahoe (WYT-89) arrives on the scene to tow the damaged ship, and upon her arrival provides a fire and rescue party with hoses and extinguishers. Onyx and YP-157 convoy Tuckahoe and Aurora toward Southwest Pass (see 11 May).
Pacific
Submarine Silversides (SS-236) engages Japanese guardboat No.5 Ebisu Maru in a surface gunnery action 540 miles north of Marcus Island, 33°14'N, 150°58'E, and sets her afire. As Silversides closes in to finish off her quarry, however, machine gun fire from No.5 Ebisu Maru (which reaches port in a heavily damaged condition) kills one submariner.
Survivors (39-man crew and six of the 11-man Armed Guard) of U.S. freighter John Adams, torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-21 on 5 May, are rescued. One boat with survivors is recovered at sea; two boats reach Nouméa, New Caledonia. - May 11, Mon.
Pacific
In the wake of the Battle of the Coral Sea, oiler Neosho (AO-23), damaged and adrift since 7 May and deemed beyond salvage, is scuttled by torpedoes and gunfire of destroyer Henley (DD-391), which rescues survivors from Neosho and Sims (DD-409). Among those men is the injured Chief Watertender Oscar V. Peterson, who dies of his wounds.
Submarine S-42 (SS-153) torpedoes Japanese minelayer Okinoshima west of Buka Island, Solomons, 05°06'S, 153°48'E (see 12 May).
Japanese merchant cargo ship Oridono Maru is sunk by Japanese mine near Surabaya, Java, 07°00'S, 112°40'E.
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. motor tanker Aurora, torpedoed and shelled by German submarine U-506 the previous day, is brought to Southwest Pass, Louisiana, under tow of Coast Guard tug Tuckahoe (WYT-89). Civilian tug Robert W. Wilmot aids Tuckahoe but Aurora drifts onto a shoal at the entrance of the Pass. Subsequently, however, Aurora is salvaged and returns to service as Jamestown. - May 12, Tue.
Pacific
Submarine S-44 (SS-155) torpedoes and sinks Japanese repair ship Shoei Maru 15 miles southwest of Cape St. George, 05°06'S, 152°30'E, and survives counterattacks by her victim's escort. Shoei Maru had been en route to try and salvage the damaged minelayer Okinoshima. Attempt to save Okinoshima (damaged the previous day by submarine S-42), by transport Kinryu Maru and destroyer Mochizuki, fails, and the doomed minelayer sinks.
Gulf of Mexico
Unarmed U.S. tanker Virginia is torpedoed by German submarine U-507 as the former lies-to approximately one and a half miles off Southwest Pass, Louisiana, 28°53'N, 89°29'W, awaiting the arrival of a pilot. The explosion of the second and third torpedoes ignites the tanker's cargo (150,000 barrels of gasoline), and the rapid spread of the fire prevents the crew from launching boats or rafts. Of Virginia's 41-man crew, 27 perish in the inferno. Motor torpedo boat PT-157 rescues the 14 survivors.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker Esso Houston is torpedoed by German submarine U-162 approximately 150 miles east of Barbados, 12°12'N, 57°24'W, and abandoned. After the U-boat has administered the coup de grace to the tanker, she surfaces nearby and her commanding officer offers assistance, helpfully informing the ship's master that one of the lifeboats is sinking. Survivors (38-man civilian complement and 4-man Armed Guard) congregate in two lifeboats (see 14 and 17 May). - May 13, Wed.
General
Bureau of Navigation is renamed Bureau of Naval Personnel.
Pacific
Submarine Drum (SS-228) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Shonan Maru northeast of Mikimoto, Honshu, 34°00'N, 139°00'E.
RAAF Hudsons bomb Japanese shipping off Ambon, N.E.I., sinking auxiliary Taifoku Maru and damaging gunboat Taiko Maru.
Japanese merchant cargo vessel Nagasaki Maru is sunk by Japanese mine off Nagasaki, Japan.
Atlantic
French agree to immobilize aircraft carrier Béarn, light cruiser Emile Bertin, and training cruiser Jeanne D'Arc at Martinique, French West Indies.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Norlantic is shelled by German submarine U-69 while en route to Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, from Pensacola, Florida, 12°13'N, 66°30'W; U-69 continues to shell the freighter as the latter's crew abandon ship. U-69 then torpedoes Norlantic and sinks her. Six of the freighter's 29-man crew perish in the attack (two below in the engine room and four trying to launch boats under fire); one sailor will die of wounds (see 16 and 24 May, and 19 June)
Gulf of Mexico
Unarmed U.S. tanker Gulfprince is attacked by German submarine U-506 approximately six miles south of the Ship Shoals (Louisiana) Sea Bouy, 28°32'N, 91°00'W, but Gulfprince is skillfully handled and evades the first two torpedoes. The second pair only strike a glancing blow and Gulfprince escapes to reach New Orleans without further incident. Later, U-506 torpedoes and sinks unarmed tanker Gulfpenn at 28°29'N, 89°12'W; 12 men die in the initial explosion or perish with the ship. Of the 26 survivors, one dies of his injuries. Coast Guard plane directs Honduran freighter Telde toward the position of the survivors, and the merchantman rescues them. Still later, U-506 torpedoes U.S. freighter David McKelvy approximately 35 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi, 28°30'N, 89°55'W; explosion ignites the ship's cargo of 81,000 barrels of crude oil and forces the crew to abandon ship. U-506 retires without expending further torpedoes, apparently thinking the freighter doomed. Coast Guard cutter Boutwell (WPC-130) rescues survivors (see 14 and 29 May). - May 14, Thu.
Atlantic
German submarine U-213 mines the waters off St. John's, Newfoundland.
Norwegian freighter Havprins rescues 18 survivors of U.S. tanker Esso Houston, sunk by German submarine U-162 on 12 May; Havprins will transfer these men to Latvian freighter Everagra for transportation to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (see 17 May).
Gulf of Mexico
Norwegian merchantman Norsol rescues two survivors from U.S. freighter David McKelvy, sunk the day before by German submarine U-506. - May 15, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Tuna (SS-203) sinks Japanese transport Toyoharu Maru 65 miles off Sohuksando, Korea, 33°34'N, 125°09'E.
Arctic
German planes bomb Allied shipping at Murmansk; U.S. freighter Yaka suffers a direct hit that causes extensive damage but no casualties to the 38-man merchant crew or the 11-man Armed Guard. The ship is beached to prevent loss.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Nicarao is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-751 north of San Salvador, Bahamas, 25°20'N, 74°19'W; eight of the 35-man merchant crew perish as they abandon ship. The four-man Armed Guard survives intact (see 16 May). - May 16, Sat.
Pacific
Submarine Tautog (SS-199) torpedoes Japanese fleet tanker Goyo Maru west of Royalist Bank, Truk, 07°00'N, 152°00'E. Tautog's first "fish" circles, forcing her to go deep at once.
Atlantic
Last three survivors from unarmed U.S. tanker T.C. McCobb, sunk by Italian submarine Pietro Calvi on 31 March, land at Surinam. Two of the three men, however, later die of exposure.
Destroyer Tarbell (DD-142) rescues 23 survivors from U.S. freighter Lammont Du Pont, sunk by German submarine U-125 on 23 April. There had been originally 31 men on the raft spotted by the destroyer, but eight had perished between 23 April and 16 May.
U.S. tanker Esso Augusta rescues the 27 merchant seaman and four Armed Guard sailors who have survived the loss of freighter Nicarao, sunk by German submarine U-751 the previous day.
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. tanker Sun, en route to Beaumont, Texas, is torpedoed by German submarine U-506 at 28°41'N, 90°19'W, but escapes the U-boat to reach New Orleans, Louisiana, under her own power without further incident. Sun suffers no casualties among the 37-man merchant crew and 5-man Armed Guard. Later the same day, U-506 torpedoes and shells U.S. tanker William C. McTarnahan approximately 35 miles east of Ship Shoal Light, Louisiana, 28°52'N, 90°20'W, but retires without finishing off her quarry; 18 of the 38-man merchant crew perish in the attack. The 20 merchant seamen and all seven Armed Guard sailors survive to be rescued by shrimp boats Defender, Pioneer and Viscali (as well as a fourth unnamed craft). Coast Guard tug Tuckahoe (WYT-89), assisted by civilian tug Baranca tows the damaged tanker to Southwest Pass; she will subsequently return to service. Still later, U-506 torpedoes and sinks U.S. tanker Gulfoil approximately 75 miles southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi, 28°08'N, 89°46'W; the tanker sinks so rapidly that the crew have no time to launch boats. Of the 36-man merchant complement and 4-man Armed Guard, only 19 merchant seamen survive to reach two life rafts that float free when the ship sinks (see 18 May).
Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. freighter Ruth Lykes is attacked by German submarine U-103 at 16°37'N, 82°27'W; after the U-boat scores a hit with a dud torpedo she surfaces to shell her quarry, killing five sailors. U-103 rescues one sailor and transfers him into a lifeboat; after which action Kapitanleutnant Werner Winter, the submarine's commanding officer, apologizes: "You can thank Mr. Roosevelt for this. I am sorry." The U-boat also gives the Americans bandages and cigarettes before departing (see 17 May).
Dutch schooners India and Mississippi sight lifeboats of U.S. freighter Norlantic, sunk by German submarine U-69 on 13 May. The latter tows the boats into Bonairethe following day (see 24 May). - May 17, Sun.
Pacific
Submarine Grampus (SS-207) is damaged by gunfire of Japanese patrol craft off Truk, 08°02'N, 151°03'E.
Submarine Silversides (SS-236) damages Japanese transport Tottori Maru and merchant cargo ship Thames Maru off Shionomisaki, southern Honshu, 33°28'N, 135°33'E.
Submarine Skipjack (SS-184) sinks Japanese army transport Taizan Maru near the mouth of the Gulf of Siam, 06°22'N, 108°36'E.
Submarine Tautog (SS-199) torpedoes and sinks Japanese submarine I-28 north of Rabaul, 06°30'N, 152°00'E.
Submarine Triton (SS-201) torpedoes and sinks Japanese submarine I-64 southeast of Kyushu, Japan, 29°25'N, 134°06'E.
Atlantic
Destroyer Hambleton (DD-455) is damaged in collision with destroyer Ellyson (DD-454) while in TF 36, en route to the United States from the Gold Coast of Africa.
U.S. freighter Challenger, en route to Trinidad for voyage repairs, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-155 at 12°11'N, 61°18'W; five merchant seamen, two Armed Guard sailors, and one passenger perish. Yacht Turquoise (PY-19) rescues the 36 merchant seamen, nine Armed Guard sailors, and 11 passengers who survive the loss of the ship, and transports them to Trinidad.
Unarmed U.S. fishing trawler Foam is shelled by German submarine U-432 approximately 85 miles south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, 43°20'N, 63°08'W; and abandoned by her 21-man crew (one of whom dies of wounds) (see 18 and 19 May).
Twenty three survivors of U.S. tanker Esso Houston, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-162 on 12 May 1942 reach St. Vincent, British Windward Islands. One Armed Guard sailor perishes of wounds suffered in the attack five days previous; he is the only casualty.
Caribbean
Norwegian motor vessel Somerville rescues 27 survivors (one of whom dies of his wounds after being picked up)from U.S. freighter Ruth Lykes, sunk by German submarine U-103 the previous day, and transports them to Key West, Florida. - May 18, Mon.
General
Office of Naval Inspector General (Rear Admiral Charles P. Snyder) is established.
Arctic
U.S. freighter Deer Lodge, anchored in Kola Inlet, is bombed by German planes, and damaged by near-misses. There are no casualties among the 34-man merchant complement or among the 11-man Armed Guard sailors, and the ship is moved to another anchorage.
Atlantic
Brazilian steamship Commandante Lyra is torpedoed by Italian submarine Barbarigo at 02°59'S, 34°10'W; light cruisers Milwaukee (CL-5) and Cincinnati (CL-4) rescue survivors. Small seaplane tender Thrush (AVP-3) tows the damaged ship to Fortaleza, Brazil, while PBYs (VP 83) provide cover.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Quaker City is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-156 approximately 300 miles east of Barbados, 15°47'N, 53°12'W; ten men perish (one man will subsequently die of wounds). The 30 survivors take to four lifeboats. U-156 surfaces and questions the survivors as to the name of the ship and her cargo and destination; the Germans then provide the Americans with directions to Barbados (see 22, 24 and 26 May).
British steamship Hororata rescues raft with the last survivor from U.S. freighter Alcoa Guide, sunk by German submarine U-123 on 16 April. A total of six have perished from Alcoa Guide's 34-man complement.
Rescue craft (not specified) recovers last survivor from torpedoed U.S. freighter Steel Maker, sunk by German submarine U-136 on 19 April. This man, the radio operator, had pooled the supplies from several rafts in his vicinity after the ship sank and "lived comfortably" until rescued.
Lifeboat with 17 survivors of unarmed U.S. fishing trawler Foam, attacked by German submarine U-432 the previous day, reaches Sambro Light Ship, whence they are transported to Halifax by a Canadian patrol craft (see 19 May).
Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. tanker Mercury Sun is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-125 at 20°02'N, 84°25'W, and abandoned; six merchant seamen perish in the attack (see 19 May).
Unarmed U.S. freighter William J. Salman is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-125 at 20°08'N, 83°47'W, as the American ship proceeds to Antigua, B.W.I.; six men perish (see 19 May).
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. tanker Benjamin Brewster rescues 19 survivors from U.S. tanker Gulfoil, sunk by U-506 on 16 May, and transports them to Galveston, Texas. - May 19, Tue.
Pacific
Light cruiser Nashville (CL-43) sails independently from Midway, bound for the western Aleutians.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-21 reconnoiters Suva Bay, Fiji.
Indian Ocean
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-30 reconnoiters Zanzibar and Dar-es-Salaam.
Atlantic
Armed Guard officer on board U.S. freighter Ironclad, at Hvalfjordur, Iceland, reports disturbance among the crew, occasioned by some of the merchant seamen breaking into a quantity of liquor consigned to Admiral William H. Standley, USN (Ret.), U.S. Ambassador to the USSR. Battleship Washington (BB-56) provides a guard of marines from her detachment to bring the rowdies under control. Consequently, Ironclad is withdrawn from the list of ships to comprise convoy PQ 16 so that the incident can be investigated.
Last three survivors of unarmed U.S. fishing trawler Foam, attacked by German submarine U-432 on 17 May, are rescued by Canadian corvette HMCS Halifax.
U.S. steamship Howard rescues the 29 survivors of U.S. tanker Mercury Sun, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-125 the previous day; she transfers one to a Coast Guard boat at the Tampa Sea Buoy for medical attention and transports the rest to Mobile, Alabama.
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. freighter Heredia is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-506 two miles south of the Ship Shoal Buoy, Louisiana, 27°32'N, 91°00'W; the rapidity with which the ship sinks gives the crew no time to launch boats. Of the 62 men on board (48-man merchant crew, six-man Armed Guard and eight passengers), 36 (30 crewmen, five Armed Guard sailors and one passenger) perish. Shrimp boats Papa Joe, Conquest, J. Edwin Treakle, and Shellwater rescue 23 survivors; a seaplane rescues three.
U.S. freighter Ogontz is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-103 at 23°30'N, 86°37'W; 17 merchant seamen and two Armed Guard sailors perish in the attack, the majority of the casualties caused when a mast falls across a lifeboat when the ship is being abandoned. U-103 questions two survivors on board before returning them to their shipmates. The Germans provide medical assistance and cigarettes before leaving (see 20 May).
Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. freighter Isabela is torpedoed, shelled and sunk by German submarine U-751 35 miles south of Navassa Island light, 17°50'N, 75°00'W; three crewmen perish. Survivors subsequently reach Cape Briton, Haiti, in two lifeboats.
Latvian freighter Kegums rescues the 22 survivors of U.S. freighter William J. Salman, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-125 the previous day. She transports them to Key West, Florida. - May 20, Wed.
Pacific
Air Force, South Pacific Area (Rear Admiral John S. McCain) is established.
Atlantic
District patrol craft YP-387 is sunk in collision off the coast of Delaware, 39°00'N, 75°00'W.
Gulf of Mexico
Unarmed U.S. tanker Halo is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-506 approximately 50 miles from Southwest Pass, 28°42'N, 90°08'W; 23 survivors from a merchant complement of 42 men initially survive the loss of the ship (see 25 and 27 May).
U.S. freighter George Calvert is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-752 near the Yucatan Channel, 22°55'N, 84°26'W; three Armed Guard sailors perish in the attack. Fifty-one merchant seamen and seven surviving Armed Guard sailors abandon ship in three boats, in which they reach the coast of Cuba, going ashore the following day.
U.S. tanker Esso Dover rescues 20 merchant sailors and two Armed Guard sailors, survivors of freighter Ogontz, sunk by German submarine U-103 the previous day.
Caribbean
U.S. freighter Clare is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-103 approximately 40 miles off the south coast of Cuba, 21°35'N, 84°43'W; the 33-man merchant complement and 7-man Armed Guard (all hands) survive, abandoning ship in one boat and three rafts. Later the same day, U-103 torpedoes and sinks U.S. freighter Elizabeth at 21°36'N, 84°48'W; six of the 35 merchant seamen perish, the remainder, along with the 7-man Armed Guard, reach the coast of Cuba the following day. - May 21, Thu.
Pacific
North Pacific Force (Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald) is established for operations in Alaskan sector.
Destroyer Helm (DD-388) rescues four survivors from Neosho (AO-23) that had abandoned ship when the oiler was damaged on 7 May.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Plow City, en route from Trinidad to New York, mistakes lifeboat from British motorship Peisander (sunk by German submarine U-653 on 17 May) and flees, her smoke attracting the attention of U-588, which torpedoes and sinks Plow City at 39°08'N, 69°57'W. One crewman dies in the attack. U-588 briefly interrogates one crewman on board the submarine before returning him to his shipmates with rum and cigarettes; U-boat sailors also help the Americans right a capsized lifeboat (see 26 May). - May 22, Fri.
General
Mexico declares war on Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. tanker William Boyce Thompson, en route to Curacao, N.W.I., is torpedoed by German submarine U-558 at 16°26'N, 76°55'W; there are no casualties among the 37 merchant seamen and two Navy signalmen, and the ship reaches port under her own power.
Atlantic
Destroyer Blakely (DD-150), at 15°01'N, 57°38'W, rescues seven survivors from U.S. freighter Quaker City, sunk by German submarine U-156 on 18 May (see 24 and 26 May).
Admiral William D. Leahy, USN (Retired), boards Swedish passenger liner Drottningholm at Lisbon, Portugal, for passage home to the United States. He will arrive in New York on 1 June.
Pacific
Submarine Tautog (SS-199) damages Japanese transport Sanko Maru southwest of Truk, 07°00'N, 151°00'E.
Submarine Silversides (SS-236) damages Japanese transport Asahisan Maru at the mouth of Kii Suido, between Ichiyozaki and Shionomizaki, Honshu, 33°30'N, 135°27'N. Counterattack by Japanese aircraft (Maizuru Kokutai) is unsuccessful. - May 23, Sat.
Pacific
District patrol craft YP-277 is destroyed by fire after striking U.S. mine at French Frigate Shoals, T.H.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-29 reconnoiters Sydney, Australia.
Caribbean
U.S. tanker Samuel Q. Brown is torpedoed by German submarine U-103 south of the Yucatan Channel, 20°15'N, 84°38'W; two merchant seamen die at the outset. After the U-boat surfaces and the Germans ask the identity of the ship and her cargo, the survivors (37 merchant seamen and the 16-man Armed Guard) gather in two lifeboats. Later that day, a Navy plane from the Panama Canal Zone rescues five wounded men (see 24 May and 25 May). - May 24, Sun.
Pacific
Submarine Pompano (SS-181) sinks Japanese merchant fishing boat Kotoku Maru, 25°16'N, 122°41'E.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-21 reconnoiters Auckland, New Zealand.
Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. freighter Beatrice is torpedoed by German submarine U-558 at 17°23'N, 76°58'W, but the torpedo fails to explode. U-558 then surfaces to shell the ship, which is abandoned under fire with the loss of one man. A PBY arrives on the scene and drives off the submarine. Of the 30 survivors, 21 men in a lifeboat reach Pigeon Island, Jamaica; British patrol craft Hauken rescues the remaining nine sailors. Beatrice sinks the next morning.
Steamship Marpesia rescues two survivors on a raft from U.S. freighter Norlantic, sunk by German submarine U-69 on 13 May.
Destroyer Goff (DD-247) rescues 48 survivors of U.S. tanker Samuel Q. Brown, torpedoed by German submarine U-103 the previous day (see 25 May).
Atlantic
Fifteen survivors from U.S. freighter Quaker City, sunk by German submarine U-156 on 18 May reach safety at Barbados (see 26 May). - May 25, Mon.
Pacific
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL-49) arrives at Midway and disembarks Companies "C" and "D," 2d Marine Raider Battalion, and 37-millimeter gun battery of the 3d Defense Battalion.
Submarine Drum (SS-228) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Kitakata Maru east of Nojimazaki, Honshu, Japan, 34°00'N, 139°00'E.
Submarine Permit (SS-178) damages Japanese transport Senko Maru, 00°20'N, 118°20'N.
Submarine Pompano (SS-181) sinks Japanese merchant tanker Tokyo Maru about 70 miles west of Naha, Okinawa, 27°03'N, 127°03'E.
Submarine Tautog (SS-199) sinks Japanese transport Shoka Maru about 385 miles southwest of Ulithi, Carolines, 04°07'N, 143°32'N.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-9 reconnoiters Kiska and Amchitka, Aleutians.
Atlantic
Destroyer Blakely (DD-150) is torpedoed by German submarine U-156 off Martinique, French West Indies.
German planes attack convoy PQ 16 as it proceeds toward Murmansk, USSR, from Reykjavik, Iceland; U.S. freighter Carlton is damaged by near-misses. She leaves the convoy under tow of British trawler HMS Northern Spray. There are no casualties among Carlton's 35-man merchant crew or 11-man Armed Guard (see 26 May 1942)
Gulf of Mexico
Unarmed U.S. freighter Alcoa Carrier is torpedoed and shelled by German submarine U-103 at 18°45'N, 79°50'W, and abandoned. U-103 surfaces and her commanding officer asks the Americans for the name and speed of their ship, and if all of her men have been accounted for, before he provides them with cigarettes. Alcoa Carrier sinks early the following morning, after which time the U-boat departs (see 30 May).
Mexican freighter Oaxaca rescues three survivors from U.S. tanker Halo, sunk by German submarine U-506 on 20 May; two of the men recovered, however, will die of their wounds (see 27 May).
Caribbean
Destroyer Goff (DD-247) scuttles the hulk of U.S. tanker Samuel Q. Brown, torpedoed by German submarine U-103 on 24 May. - May 26, Tue.
General
Anglo-American air conference opens in London to discuss allocation of aircraft; U.S. Navy representative is Rear Admiral John H. Towers, Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics.
Pacific
Aircraft ferry Kitty Hawk (AKV-1) arrives at Midway with reinforcements for MAG 22, as well as the 3-inch antiaircraft group (3d Defense Battalion) and a light tank platoon earmarked for a mobile reserve.
Submarine Salmon (SS-182) sinks Japanese repair ship Asahi about 180 miles south-southeast of Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina, 10°00'N, 110°00'E.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-9 reconnoiters Kiska.
Atlantic
Eight survivors from U.S. freighter Quaker City, sunk by German submarine U-156 on 18 May reach safety on Dominica.
Coastal yacht Sapphire (PYc-2) rescues the 30 survivors of U.S. freighter Plow City, sunk by German submarine U-588 on 21 May.
German planes attack Reykjavik, Iceland-bound U.S. freighter Carlton (detached from convoy PQ 16 for repairs), under tow of British trawler HMS Northern Spray, but cause no additional damage. As in the previous day's attack, there are no casualties.
Arctic
U.S. freighter Syros, in convoy PQ 16, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-703 approximately 200 miles southwest of Bear Island, 72°35'N, 05°30'E. Of the 39 souls on board (37 merchant seamen and two Navy signalmen), 27 civilians and one signalman survive, rescued by British minesweeper HMS Hazard.
Gulf of Mexico
Unarmed U.S. tanker Carrabulle is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-106 at 26°18'N, 89°21'E. Reportedly, the submarine's commanding officer, Kapitanleutnant Herman Rasch, asks survivors if all men are clear of the ship. When told no, he laughs and orders a second torpedo launched that strikes the ship directly beneath a lifeboat as it is being lowered, killing 22 of the 24 men in it. U.S. freighter Thompson Lykes rescues the 18 survivors. Later the same day, U-106 shells U.S. freighter Atenas at 25°50'N, 89°05'E, but accurate Armed Guard gunfire drives off the U-boat before she can cause much damage. There are no casualties on board Atenas among the 54-man crew, eight-man Armed Guard and ten passengers. - May 27, Wed.
Pacific
Japanese forces begin heading for Midway. Chief among them is First Mobile Force, Carrier Strike Force (Vice Admiral Nagumo Chuichi), which departs home waters on this date.
Japanese submarine I-19 prepares to launch her small reconnaissance seaplane off the northern side of Bogoslof Island, Aleutians, but sights what she identifies as a U.S. destroyer and submerges hurriedly, irreparably damaging the aircraft.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-25 reconnoiters Kodiak, Alaska.
Marines and Seabees occupy Wallis Island, South Pacific Ocean.
Atlantic
Destroyer tender Prairie (AD-15) and gunboat Spry (PG-64) are damaged by fire, Argentia, Newfoundland.
Arctic
German planes attack convoy PQ 16. U.S. freighter Alamar is bombed and sunk approximately 100 miles southeast of Bear Island. British corvette HMS Starwort, tug HMS St. Elstan and submarine HMS Trident rescue all hands (36 merchant seamen and nine Armed Guard sailors); Trident torpedoes and scuttles the irreparably damaged freighter as a hazard to navigation. U.S. freighter Mormacsul is sunk by a direct hit and three near-misses; three of the ship's crew perish in the attack. The survivors (36 merchant seamen and the 9-man Armed Guard) abandon ship and are rescued by HMS Starwort and a British tug. U.S. freighter Alcoa Banner is damaged by near-misses 200 miles southwest of Bear Island; there are no casualties to the 44-man merchant complement or the two Armed Guard sailors. U.S. freighter City of Joliet is damaged by near-misses; her pumps fight a losing battle against inrushing water but there are no casualties among the 37 merchant seamen or the 11-man Armed Guard (see 28 May 1942).
Gulf of Mexico
British tanker Orina rescues two survivors from U.S. tanker Halo, sunk by German submarine U-506 on 20 May 1942.
Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. freighter Alcoa Pilgrim, en route to Mobile, Alabama, from Trinidad, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-502 at 16°28'N, 67°37'W. The rapidity with which the ship sinks prevents the crew from launching boats, and 31 men of the 40-man complement are lost with the ship (see 2 June). - May 28, Thu.
Pacific
Japanese First Fleet, Main Body (Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku in battleship Yamato) allocated to the Midway operation sorties from home waters. The Second Fleet, Escort Force (Rear Admiral Tanaka Raizo), whose composition includes 15 transports, sails from Saipan; Second Fleet, Occupation Support force (Rear Admiral Kurita Takeo) sorties from Guam.
U.S. troops (500 men drawn from the garrison at Efate) arrive at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides.
TF 16 (Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance), formed around carriers Enterprise (CV-6) and Hornet (CV-8), departs Pearl Harbor to take up position northeast of Midway.
Submarine Salmon (SS-182) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Ganges Maru in the South China Sea about 250 miles south-southeast of Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina, 09°00'N, 111°00'E.
Submarine Seal (SS-183) damages Japanese army cargo ship Tatsufuku Maru at western entrance to Balabac Strait, 07°27'N, 116°17'E.
North Russia
In the aftermath of German air attacks on convoy PQ 16, U.S. freighter City of Joliet, damaged by near-misses the previous day, is abandoned in Barents Sea, 73°41'N, 21°58'E. All hands (including the 11-man Armed Guard detachment) reach safety on board British tug HMS St. Elstan and Free French corvette Roselys.
Caribbean
U.S. tanker New Jersey is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-103 about 90 miles southwest of Grand Cayman Island, 18°32'N, 82°28'W. There are no casualties among the 36 merchant seamen and five Armed Guard sailors, and all hands abandon ship in two lifeboats (see 29 May and 1 June). - May 29, Fri.
Pacific
Seaplane tender (destroyer) Thornton (AVD-11) arrives at French Frigate Shoals, T.H., to relieve light minelayer Preble (DM-20) on patrol station there. Japanese submarine I-123 arrives the same day to find the Americans already there.
Seaplane tender (destroyer) Ballard (AVD-10) arrives at Midway along with the eleven motor torpedo boats from Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One (Lieutenant Clinton McKellar Jr.); the latter are assigned to local defense forces of Midway (Captain Cyril T. Simard).
PBYs (VP 71) and RAAF Catalinas bomb Japanese base at Tulagi, Solomons.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-21 reconnoiters Sydney, Australia (see 31 May).
Submarine Swordfish (SS-193) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Tatsufuku Maru at the southwestern entrance to Balabac Strait, 07°33'N, 116°18'E.
Caribbean
Destroyer Tattnall (DD-125) rescues 26 survivors (including three Armed Guard sailors) of U.S. tanker New Jersey, sunk on 28 May 1942 by German submarine U-103 (see 1 June 1942). - May 30, Sat.
Pacific
TF 17 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher), formed around carrier Yorktown (CV-5), departs Pearl Harbor to join TF 16 northeast of Midway.
Submarine Pompano (SS-181) sinks Japanese army transport Atsuta Maru in East China Sea east of Okinawa, 26°07'N, 129°06'E, and survives counterattack by her victim's escort.
Indian Ocean
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-10 reconnoiters Diego Suarez.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Alcoa Shipper, en route to New York from Trinidad, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-404 at 37°49'N, 65°15'W; three men die in the initial explosion. The rapidity with which the ship sinks prevents the crew from launching boats, and four men are lost with the ship. U-404 provides the 25 survivors with rum, cigarettes and (for one ill-clad sailor) a pair of dungarees (see 1 June).
Gulf of Mexico
Thirty-five survivors of U.S. freighter Alcoa Carrier, sunk by German submarine U-103 on 25 May, are rescued by Cuban gunboat and Navy patrol plane. - May 31, Sun.
Pacific
Japanese midget submarines from submarines I-22, I-24, and I-27 penetrate the defenses of Sydney, Australia. Their torpedoes near-miss U.S. heavy cruiser Chicago (CA-29) but sink RAN accommodation ship Kuttabul and damage Dutch submarine K IX beyond economical repair. Three Japanese midget submarines are lost in the attack.
Submarine Pollack (SS-180) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.5 Shunsei Maru off Murotosan, 31°38'N, 133°45'E.
Indian Ocean
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-10 reconnoiters Diego Suarez.
Caribbean
Submarine Grunion (SS-216) rescues survivors of U.S. Army-chartered freighter Jack, sunk by German submarine U-155 about 100 miles southwest of Port Saluit, Haiti, 17°36'N, 74°42'W. Three of the 9-man Armed Guard are lost.
June
- June 1, Mon.
Indian Ocean
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-10 reconnoiters Diego Suarez.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter West Notus is shelled by German submarine U-404 off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 34°10'N, 68°20'W; four of the 35-man merchant complement are killed in the attack. The 36 survivors (31 merchant seamen and the five-man Armed Guard) are divided among two lifeboats (see 2, 3, and 4 June).
U.S. freighter Illinois is torpedoed by German submarine U-172 at 24°00'N, 60°00'W; only six of the 38-man crew survives the loss of the ship (see 7 June).
Norwegian merchantman Margrethe Bakke rescues the 25 survivors from U.S. freighter Alcoa Shipper, sunk by German submarine U-404 on 30 May.
Gulf of Mexico
Unarmed U.S. freighter Hampton Roads is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-106 in the Yucatan Channel at 23°00'N, 85°42'W; five men perish. The 23 survivors are rescued by freighter Alcoa Pathfinder.
Caribbean
U.S. freighter Knoxville City is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-158 south of the Yucatan Channel at 21°15'N, 83°50'W; two men perish. The survivors (35 merchant seamen, 14-man Armed Guard and four passengers) abandon ship into two lifeboats (see 3 June).
Destroyer Biddle (DD-151) rescues 15 survivors (including two Armed Guard sailors) of U.S. tanker New Jersey, sunk on 28 May by German submarine U-103. - June 2, Tue.
Pacific
TF 17 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher) and TF 16 (Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance) rendezvous about 350 miles northeast of Midway; Rear Admiral Fletcher is officer in tactical command of a force that consists of three carriers, seven heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, 16 destroyers, and two oilers. After fueling, the task force will detach the oilers and prepare for battle. As part of the pre-battle disposition, 25 fleet submarines (Rear Admiral Robert H. English) are deployed around Midway.
Indian Ocean
Japanese merchant cargo ship Kofuku Maru is sunk by mine off Rangoon, Burma.
Atlantic
German submarine U-404 sinks U.S. freighter West Notus (which she had shelled the day before) with explosive charge off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (see 3 and 4 June).
U.S. freighter Domino is machine-gunned by unidentified submarine off Nuevitas, Cuba; the ship suffers no casualties.
Unarmed U.S. freighter City of Alma is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-159 about 400 miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, 23°00'N, 62°30'W; district patrol craft YP-67 rescues the 10 survivors from the 36-man merchant complement.
Caribbean
U.S. merchantman Thomas Nelson rescues nine survivors from U.S. freighter Alcoa Pilgrim, sunk by German submarine U-502 on 27 May. - June 3, Wed.
Pacific
In the preliminaries for the Battle of Midway, Midway-based aircraft locate and attack Japanese transports in the Second Fleet Escort Force about 600 miles west of Midway Island. USAAF B-17s inflict no damage. Four PBYs set out to attack the approaching Occupation Force. Japanese forces bearing down on Midway are under the personal direction of Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, Commander in Chief Combined Fleet, who wears his flag in battleship Yamato.
As part of the overall Midway plan, Japanese Second Strike Force (Rear Admiral Kakuta Kikuji) bombs Dutch Harbor, Alaska; planes from carriers Ryujo and Junyo carry out the attack. In an event whose importance only becomes clear later, one Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 0 carrier fighter from Ryujo's air group, most likely damaged by antiaircraft fire over Dutch Harbor, makes an emergency landing on Akutan Island. The pilot, however, is fooled by the flat surface upon which he is landing; it turns out to be a bog and the Zero flips over, killing the pilot (see 10 July).
Coastal minesweeper Bunting (AMc-7) is sunk in collision with submarine chaser PC-569, San Francisco Bay, California.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker M.F. Elliott is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-502 off the Florida Keys, 11°58'N, 63°33'W; 13 of the 38-man civilian complement perish. Navy PBY keeps in contact with the survivors (25 merchant seamen and the 7-man Armed Guard) into the following day (see 4 June). U-502 takes two survivors on board for interrogation before a Navy patrol plane compels the submarine to submerge in a hurry with the Americans still on board. The Germans release the U.S. sailors soon thereafter, providing them with a life raft and provisions (see 8 June).
Unarmed U.S. fishing boats Ben and Josephine and Aeolus, en route from Gloucester, Massachusetts to Sea Island, Nova Scotia, are abandoned and shelled and sunk by German submarine U-432 at 43°07'N, 66°51'W (see 5 June).
Greek steamship Constantinos H rescues 18 survivors from U.S. freighter West Notus, attacked by German submarine U-404 on 1 June 1942 (see 4 June).
Caribbean
Survivors of U.S. freighter Knoxville City, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-158 on 1 June, reach La Calina, Cuba, aided by Cuban gunboat Donativo.
Arctic
U.S. freighter Steel Worker is mined at Kola Inlet, Murmansk; there are no casualties among the 36 merchant seamen or two Navy signalmen. - June 4, Thu.
Pacific
Battle of Midway opens as PBYs attack Occupation Force northwest of Midway; one PBY (VP 24) torpedoes fleet tanker Akebono Maru.
Carrier bombers and attack planes, supported by fighters, from Japanese carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu bomb Midway Island installations. Although defending USMC F2As and F4Fs (VMF 221) suffer disastrous losses, damage to facilities on Midway is comparatively slight. Motor torpedo boat PT-25 is damaged by strafing, Midway lagoon.
Japanese carrier fighters and antiaircraft fire annihilates the USMC SBDs and SB2Us (VMSB 241), Navy TBFs (VT 8 detachment), and USAAF torpedo-carrying B-26s sent out to attack the Japanese carriers. USAAF B-17s likewise bomb the Japanese carrier force without success.
TBDs (VT 8, VT 6, VT 3) from American carrier striking force (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, officer in tactical command) from Hornet (CV-8), Enterprise (CV-6), and Yorktown (CV-5) attack the enemy carriers. Although mauled by the defending combat air patrol (only VT 3 has fighter cover) and antiaircraft fire, they draw off the former and leave the skies open for SBDs from Enterprise and Yorktown. SBDs from Enterprise (VB 6, VS 6) bomb and sink carrier Kaga (30°20'N, 179°17'W) and bomb Akagi (Vice Admiral Nagumo's flagship); SBDs from Yorktown (VB 3) bomb and sink carrier Soryu (30°38'N, 179°13'W). Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) torpedoes carrier Kaga but her "fish" do not explode. The one carrier that escapes destruction that morning, Hiryu, launches dive bombers that bomb and temporarily disable Yorktown, forcing Rear Admiral Fletcher to transfer his flag to heavy cruiser Astoria (CA-34) and turn over tactical command to Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. Before SBDs from Enterprise (VS 6, joined by VB 3 which is unable to operate from the immobilized Yorktown) can inflict mortal damage upon Hiryu, though, the Japanese carrier launches torpedo planes that stop Yorktown a second time and force her abandonment. Ultimately, destruction of his carrier force compels Admiral Yamamoto to abandon Midway invasion plans, and the Japanese Fleet retires westward. Japanese destroyers rescue U.S. naval aviators: Arashi picks up a TBD pilot (VT 3); Makigumo picks up an SBD crew (VS 6). After interrogation, all three Americans are subsequently murdered. One TBD pilot (VT 8), however, escapes detection and recovery by the enemy. He is rescued subsequently by a PBY.
British submarine HMS Trusty sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Toyohashi Maru in Strait of Malacca, 07°14'N, 98°06'E.
Atlantic
Swiss steamship Saentis rescues 18 survivors from U.S. freighter West Notus, attacked by German submarine U-404 on 1 June.
Destroyer Tarbell (DD-142) rescues 30 survivors of U.S. tanker M.F. Elliott, sunk by German submarine U-502 on 3 June (see 8 June).
Caribbean
U.S. freighter Velma Lykes is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-158 south of the Yucatan Channel, 21°21'N, 86°36'W; the rapidity with which the ship sinks prevents lifeboats from being launched. Of the ship's 28-man merchant complement, 15 perish; the four-man Armed Guard survives intact (see 6 and 10 June). - June 5, Fri.
Europe
U.S. declares war on Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania.
Pacific
Battle of Midway continues as TF 16 (Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance) pursues Japanese fleet, now without its central core of carriers, westward, while efforts proceed to try and salvage the crippled carrier Yorktown (CV-5). Motor torpedo boats from Midway fail to locate "burning Japanese carrier" located by Midway-based planes.
Japanese carrier Akagi, damaged on 4 June, is scuttled by destroyers Nowaki, Arashi, and Hagikaze, 30°30'N, 179°08'W; carrier Hiryu, likewise damaged on 4 June, is scuttled by destroyers Kazegumo and Yugumo, 31°38'N, 178°51'W. Heavy cruisers Mogami and Mikuma are damaged in collision while turning to avoid shadowing submarine Tambor (SS-198), while retiring from Midway (see 6 June).
Planes from Japanese carriers Ryujo and Junyo reprise their attack on installations at Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
Japanese Attu Occupation Force (Rear Admiral Omori Sentaro) occupies Attu, Aleutians, without opposition.
Caribbean
U.S. tanker L.J. Drake is sunk with all hands (35 merchant seamen and a six-man Armed Guard) by German submarine U-68 at 17°30'N, 68°20'W, one day's steaming from Aruba, N.W.I.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Delfina is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-172 at 22°22'N, 67°08'W; four crewmen perish. Submarine chaser PC-67 rescues 12 survivors from two rafts; the remainder (15 men in a lifeboat) reach the port of Montecristi, Dominican Republic.
Eight survivors from U.S. fishing boat Ben and Josephine and six from Aeolus, their craft sunk by German submarine U-432 on 3 June, reach Mt. Desert Coast Guard Light Station.
Europe
Operation HARPOON, the resupply of Malta, commences as convoy WS 19Z (Force X) sails from the Clyde; two of the five freighters, U.S. motorship Chant and Dutch Tanimbar, have Navy Armed Guard crews on board (see 12 June). - June 6, Sat.
Pacific
Battle of Midway concludes as planes from carriers Enterprise (CV-6) and Hornet (CV-8) attack retiring Japanese force. SBDs bomb and sink heavy cruiser Mikuma (30°00'N, 173°00'E); near-misses damage destroyers Asashio and Arashio. At Admiral Spruance's expressed orders (because of the destruction of three torpedo squadrons on 4 June), TBDs (VT 6) that accompany the strike do not attack because of the antiaircraft fire from the Japanese ships. After recovering planes, TF 16 changes course to eastward to refuel and breaks contact with the enemy.
Meanwhile, Japanese submarine I-168 interrupts salvage operations on Yorktown (CV-5), which is under tow of the tug (ex-minesweeper) Vireo (AT-144) and screened by destroyers, torpedoing Yorktown and torpedoing and sinking destroyer Hammann (DD-412) while she lies alongside the carrier (30°36'N, 176°34'W). Screening destroyers depth-charge I-168, but the Japanese boat, although damaged, escapes destruction.
The Battle of Midway, one of the most decisive battles in naval history, marks the turning point of the Pacific War. In the wake of the battle, efforts to locate downed aviators persist over the ensuing days.
U.S. freighter George Cylmer, disabled by a broken main shaft and drifting, is torpedoed by German motor torpedo boat Esan, launched from auxiliary cruiser Michel (Schiffe 28) at 14°28'S, 18°37'W; one crewmen perishes below. George Cylmer is abandoned (see 7 and 8 June).
Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Melvin H. Baker is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-10 approximately 45 miles off the coast of Mozambique, 21°44'S, 36°38'W; all hands abandon ship. British steamship Twickenham rescues the 48 men: 34 merchant seamen, 6-man Armed Guard, and the eight passengers (six of whom had been survivors of U.S. freighter Bienville, sunk on 6 April).
Atlantic
Panamanian tanker Stanvac Calcutta battles German auxiliary cruiser Stier (Schiffe 23) about 500 miles off the coast of Brazil. Two of the nine-man Armed Guard are wounded by shrapnel during the action; Stier rescues the survivors, ultimately transferring 26 merchant seamen and 9 Armed Guard sailors to Japanese custody. One man is sent to prison camp in Germany.
Caribbean
British motor vessel Ardenvour rescues 17 survivors (13 merchant seamen and four Armed Guard sailors) from U.S. freighter Velma Lykes, sunk by German submarine U-158 on 4 June (see 10 June). - June 7, Sun.
General
Command of naval forces is reallocated: Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, Sea Frontiers, and Special Task Forces are placed directly under Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations; Naval Local Defense Forces, Naval Transportation Service, Special Duty Ships, and Naval District Craft are made responsible to Vice Chief of Naval Operations.
Pacific
Submarine tender Fulton (AS-11), sent out from Pearl Harbor for the purpose, takes on board 2,015 Yorktown (CV-5) survivors at sea; light minelayer Breese (DM-18) embarks 84; destroyer Allen (DD-66) 94.
Carrier Yorktown (CV-5) sinks as the result of heavy damage incurred on 4 and 6 June, 30°36'N, 176°34'W.
Submarine Grouper (SS-214) is bombed (but not damaged) by USAAF B-17s.
Japanese Kiska Occupation Force (Captain Ono Takeji) occupies Kiska, Aleutians, without opposition.
U.S. freighter Coast Trader is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-26 about 35 miles southwest of Cape Flattery, Washington, 48°19'N, 125°40'W. Coast Guard plane (V-206) guides Canadian corvette HMCS Edmundston to the scene; Edmundston and fishing boat Virginia I rescue survivors, who include the 37-man crew and 19-man Armed Guard. One crewman dies of exposure before the survivors can be picked up.
Damaged U.S. freighter George Cylmer, torpedoed the day before, is reboarded by her crew (see 8 June).
Atlantic
Small seaplane tender Gannet (AVP-8) is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-652 off Bermuda, 35°50'N, 65°38'W.
U.S. tanker Esso Montpelier rescues the six survivors from freighter Illinois, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-172 on 1 June.
Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. freighter Edith is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-159, 14°33'N, 74°35'W. Two crewmen perish in the attack, the remainder (29 men) gather on board one lifeboat and two rafts. U-159 conducts a brief interrogation of the survivors, provide them with directions to the nearest land, and gather floating supplies before departing. Within a week's time, Edith's survivors reach Black River, Jamaica.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Suwied is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-107 southeast of the Yucatan Channel, 20°00'N, 84°48'W; 26 of the 32-man crew, and the ship's one passenger, survive the sinking (see 8 June). - June 8, Mon.
Pacific
Tug Vireo (AT-144) is damaged by grounding, Midway.
British armed merchant cruiser HMS Alcantara embarks survivors from damaged U.S. freighter George Cylmer; attempts to scuttle the freighter prove futile and Alcantara must leave on 12 June with the American ship still stubbornly afloat.
Atlantic
Brazilian tanker Santa Maria rescues the two sailors from U.S. tanker M.F. Elliott that had been held briefly as prisoners of war when their ship had been sunk by German submarine U-502 on 3 June.
Caribbean
U.S. tanker Franklin K. Lane, en route to Aruba, N.W.I., in convoy TA 5, is torpedoed by German submarine U-502 approximately 35 miles northeast of Cape Blanco, 11°22'N, 69°38'W. Four crewmen perish in the attack; 31 merchant seamen and the six-man Armed Guard survive to be rescued by British destroyer HMS Churchill [ex-U.S. destroyer Herndon (DD-198)] (see 9 June).
Coast Guard cutter Nemesis (WPC-111) rescues the 27 survivors of U.S. freighter Suwied, sunk by German submarine U-107 on 7 June. - June 9, Tue.
Pacific
Submarine Trout (SS-202) picks up two survivors from sunken Japanese heavy cruiser Mikuma.
Naval Operating Base, Kodiak, Alaska, is established.
Lieutenant Commander Lyndon B. Johnson, USNR, in the South Pacific theater on a congressional inspection tour, accompanies USAAF bombing mission, scheduled to attack Japanese installations at Lae, New Guinea. Johnson is to go along as a passenger in a B-26 (19th Squadron, 22d Bomb Group). Engine trouble, however, compels the pilot of Johnson's Marauder ("Heckling Hare") to abort the mission; the plane never sees combat. Inexplicably, however, Johnson receives Silver Star for "gallantry." He goes on to become the 36th President of the United States.
Caribbean
U.S. freighter Merrimack is sunk by German submarine U-107 about 60 miles north of Cozumel Island, off the Honduran coast, 19°47'N, 85°55'W. Of the 51 men on board at the time of the attack (9 of whom comprise the Armed Guard), only 10 (including one Navy man) survive (see 15 June).
British destroyer HMS Churchill scuttles damaged U.S. tanker Franklin K. Lane, torpedoed by German submarine U-502 the previous day, as a menace to navigation. - June 10, Wed.
Pacific
Carrier Saratoga (CV-3) in TF 11 (Rear Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch) makes rendezvous with TF 16 and transfers planes to bring carriers Enterprise (CV-6) and Hornet (CV-8) up to strength.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker Hagan, en route to Havana, Cuba, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-157 at 22°00'N, 77°30'W. Six of the 35-man merchant complement perish in the attack, but all nine Armed Guard sailors survive. The survivors reach the Cuban coast by lifeboat the following day.
Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. freighter American, en route to New Orleans, Louisiana, is torpedoed by German submarine U-157 at 17°58'N, 84°28'W. Three of the 41-man crew perish in the initial explosion. Steamship Kent rescues the 38 survivors, one of whom dies of his wounds, and transports them to Cristobal, C.Z.
British motor vessel Ardenvour is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-68; among the souls on board are the 13 merchant seamen and four Armed Guard sailors who have already survived the loss of their ship, U.S. freighter Velma Lykes on 4 June. They survive the loss of a second ship less than a week after the first. - June 11, Thu.
Atlantic
German submarine U-87 mines the waters off Boston; U-373 the waters off Delaware Bay (see 24 June).
Unarmed U.S. tanker F.W. Abrams, en route to New York from Aruba, blunders into minefield off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and fouls two mines, at 34°55'N, 75°50'W. Her 36-man crew abandons ship and reaches shore near Morehead City, North Carolina. Salvage tug Relief attempts salvage (see 15 June). - June 12, Fri.
Pacific
USAAF B-17s and B-24s raid Kiska, damaging Japanese destroyer Hibiki.
Submarine Plunger (SS-179) is damaged when emergency identification flare explodes as she makes signal to friendly aircraft; she suffers no serious injuries and remains on patrol.
Submarine Swordfish (SS-193) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Burma Maru northwest of Pulo Wai, in the Gulf of Siam, 10°08'N, 102°34'E.
Atlantic
German submarine U-701 mines the waters off Cape Henry, Virginia.
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. tanker Cities Service Toledo, bound for Portland, Maine, with a cargo of 84,000 barrels of crude oil, is torpedoed by German submarine U-158, 20 miles east of Trinity Shoals Gas Buoy, 29°02'N, 91°59'W, and explodes; 11 of the 36-man merchant complement perishes in the inferno, as do four of the nine-man Armed Guard. Norwegian tanker Belinda, U.S. tanker Gulf King, and steamship San Antonio rescue the 30 survivors from among the merchant seamen and bluejackets.
Caribbean
U.S. steamship Sixaola is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-159 off the coast of Panama, 09°54'N, 81°25'W. Of the 87-man crew, 29 perish in the attack. The 58 surviving crewmen, together with the 6-man Armed Guard and the 108 passengers, take to five boats and six rafts. U.S. steamship Carolinian rescues 32 survivors and transfers them to motor torpedo boat tender Niagara (PG-52); Niagara herself rescues 75 more. Army tug Shasta picks up 23 (see 16 June).
Gunboat Erie (PG-50), at 10°12'N, 80°14'30"W, rescues master and 45 other survivors of British steamship Fort Good Hope, which had been sunk by German submarine U-159 at 10°19'N, 80°16'W. After salvaging the lifeboats, Erie joins with a patrol plane in prosecuting a submarine contact, ultimately dropping six charges with no result. Later, Erie transfers Fort Good Hope's survivors and their boats to submarine chaser PC-209.
Mediterranean
Operation HARPOON: convoy WS 19Z (Force X) transits the Straits of Gibraltar. The ships are soon detected by German reconnaissance aircraft. Escort (Acting Captain Cecil C. Hardy, RN) for the five freighters (two of the five, U.S. motorship Chant and Dutch Tanimbar have Navy Armed Guard crews on board) and one tanker is provided by antiaircraft cruiser HMS Cairo (flag), nine destroyers (eight British and one Polish), four minesweepers and six motor gunboats; a covering force (Force W), formed around British battleship HMS Malaya, aircraft carriers HMS Argus and HMS Eagle, light cruisers HMS Kenya (flagship for Vice Admiral Alban T.B. Curteis, RN), HMS Charbydis and HMS Liverpool, and eight British destroyers. A second convoy MW 11 (Operation VIGOROUS) sets out from Alexandria and Port Said, Egypt, and Haifa (see 13 June). - June 13, Sat.
Arctic
U.S. freighter Yaka is damaged by near-misses when German aircraft bomb Allied shipping at Murmansk, USSR. There are no casualties among the 38 merchant seamen or 11-man Armed Guard.
June Mediterranean
Operation HARPOON: convoy WS 19Z (Force X) stands toward Malta, detected by Axis reconnaissance aircraft. Italian torpedo bombers flying from Sardinia fail to make contact, however, and Italian fleet units that sortie from Cagliari put into Palermo, Sicily, when their presence is reported by British submarines (see 14 June).
Atlantic
German submarine U-584 puts four agents ashore at Amagansett, Long Island, New York. Coast Guard beach patrolman, however, detects the landing and FBI men capture the agents.
Coast Guard cutter Thetis (WPC-115) sinks German submarine U-157 north of Cuba, 24°13'N, 82°03'W.
Caribbean
U.S. freighter Solon Thurman is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-159 off the Panama Canal Zone, 10°45'N, 80°24'W. The 44 merchant seamen and 9 Armed Guards all abandon ship; U-159's officers query the survivors and offer them aid before departing (see 14 June). - **June 14, Sun.
Pacific
First echelon of 1st Marine Division (Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift) arrives at Wellington, New Zealand.
Japanese cargo ship Taizan Maru is stranded and sinks off southwest coast of Korea, 35°00'N, 125°00'E.
Caribbean
U.S. bulk carrier Lebore is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-172 about 200 miles north of Cristobal, Canal Zone, 12°53'N, 80°40'W (see 15-16 June).
U.S. freighter Scottsburg is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-161 at 11°51'N, 62°56'W; five men are killed in the attack (see 15-16 June).
Colombian schooners Envoy and Zamora rescue the 53 survivors from U.S. freighter Solon Thurman, sunk by German submarine U-159 on 13 June. One crewman, however, drowns when he falls overboard from schooner Envoy.
Mediterranean
Operation HARPOON continues as Force X is attacked by Italian planes; Dutch motor vessel Tanimbar is torpedoed by an SM 79 and sunk, but not before the Armed Guard gunners display "great courage and skill" and splash one of the attackers; British light cruiser HMS Liverpool is also torpedoed by another SM 79, and is towed to Gibraltar (see 15 June). - **June 15, Mon.
Pacific
Submarine Seawolf (SS-197) sinks Japanese gunboat Nampo Maru off Corregidor, 14°00'N, 120°00'E.
Mediterranean
Operation HARPOON: convoy WS 19Z (Force X) is attacked by Italian light cruisers Eugenio di Savoia and Raimondo Montecuccoli and five destroyers. In this surface action, British destroyer HMS Bedouin is sunk and HMS Partridge damaged, but the screen for WS 19Z proves impenetrable and the Italians retire. At the same time, however, German JU 87s dive-bomb the convoy, damaging tanker Kentucky (she is later scuttled). U.S. freighter Chant suffers two direct hits, catches fire, and is abandoned, 36°25'N, 11°40'E; Ensign Regis J. Schaefer, USNR, Armed Guard officer, remains on board to supervise the abandonment of the ship, and is among the last men over the side. British minesweeper HMS Rye rescues Chant's survivors: 49 of the 52-man merchant complement, 10 of 11 Armed Guards, and 25 British Navy and Army sailors and soldiers embarked to man the antiaircraft battery. In related operations this day, a mixed formation of seven USAAF B-24s (Halverson Detachment) and 2 RAF Liberators, together with RAF Beauforts, attack Italian fleet; one USAAF B-24 scores a hit on Italian battleship Littorio (see 16 June).
Atlantic
Destroyer Borie (DD-215) rescues nine survivors (including the sole Armed Guard sailor to emerge from the ordeal) from U.S. freighter Merrimack at 20°48'N, 85°30'W, that had been sunk on 9 June by U-107. Earlier that same day, merchant ship Argentina had rescued the only other man to survive Merrimack's loss.
Salvage tug Relief finds tanker F.W. Abrams, mined off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, on 11 June, beyond salvage. The wreck is scuttled with demolition charges.
Caribbean
U.S. freighter Tillie Lykes is torpedoed (most likely) by German submarine U-502 approximately 150 miles east-southeast of Punta Herrero, Mexico, 19°00'N, 85°00'W; there are no survivors from the 29-man merchant crew and four-man Armed Guard.
Gunboat Erie (PG-50), off St. Andrews Island, rescues master and 22 survivors of U.S. bulk carrier Lebore, which had been sunk by German submarine U-172 the day before. Erie embarks the merchant sailors at 12°39'N, 81°20'W, and then sinks their lifeboat with gunfire as a menace to navigation.
U.S. freighter Kahuku rescues 46 survivors (35 merchant seamen and the 11-man Armed Guard) from freighter Scottsburg, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-161 the day before, and 17 from Panamanian steamer Cold Harbor, torpedoed and sunk by U-502 the day before. Later that same day, however, Kahuku is torpedoed by U-126 at 11°54'N, 63°07'W (see 16 June).
U.S. freighter West Hardaway is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-502 northwest of Trinidad, 11°50'N, 62°15'W, and is abandoned by all hands without loss (see 17 June).
U.S. tanker Robert C. Tuttle, in convoy KN 109, strikes mine laid by German submarine U-701 off Virginia Beach, Virginia, 36°51'20"N, 75°51'15"W; one merchant seaman is blown overboard and lost. Survivors (40-man merchant complement, a 6-man Armed Guard and a Navy signalman) take to lifeboats which are taken in tow by submarine chaser PC-474. U.S. tanker Esso Augusta, also in convoy KN 109, strikes mine laid by German submarine U-701, a half mile south of the Chesapeake Bay entrance lighted whistle buoy, 36°52'N, 75°51'30"W; she suffers no casualties among the 44-man merchant complement or the 13-man Armed Guard. Esso Augusta ultimately returns to service.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Arkansan is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-126 west of Grenada, 12°07'N, 62°51'W; four of the ship's 40-man complement are lost (see 16 June).
U.S. tanker Cherokee, in convoy XB 25, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-87 approximately 50 miles east of Boston, Massachusetts, 42°11'N, 69°25'W; 65 of the 103-man crew, as well as one of the 11-man Armed Guard and 20 of 46 passengers perish in the attack. Freighter Norlago rescues 44 survivors; Coast Guard cutter Escanaba (WPG-77) 39 more. - **June 16, Tue.
Caribbean
Submarine chaser PC-460 rescues 42 survivors from U.S. steamship Sixaola, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-159 off the coast of Panama on 12 June.
Gunboat Erie (PG-50) and destroyer Tattnall (DD-125), south of St. Andrews Island, rescue survivors of U.S. bulk carrier Lebore, which had been sunk by German submarine U-172 on 14 June. Among those rescued are the 8 Armed Guard sailors from Lebore, and the 49 survivors of the Dutch steamship Crijnssen, which Lebore had rescued on 11 June when U-504 had sunk the Netherlands-flag ship at 18°14'N, 85°11'W.
Provision storeship Pastores (AF-16) rescues 36 survivors of U.S. freighter Arkansan, sunk by German submarine U-126 the day before.
U.S. freighter Kahuku, torpedoed by U-126, sinks; six of her 36-man crew as well as three of her 10-man Armed Guard perish in the attack. Lost as well are nine passengers: six of the 46 survivors from U.S. freighter Scottsburg, sunk by U-161 on 15 June and three of the 17 survivors of Panamanian-flag steamer Cold Harbor, sunk by U-502 the same day. Coastal yacht Opal (PYc-8) and district patrol vessel YP-63 rescue the 91 survivors from the three ships.
Mediterranean
Operation HARPOON: of the six ships in convoy WS 12Z, only two reach Malta; two escorting destroyers are lost, while a light cruiser, three destroyers and a minesweeper suffer varying degrees of damage. - **June 17, Wed.
Atlantic
German submarine U-202 puts four agents ashore on Ponte Vedra Beach, south of Jacksonville, Florida; fishermen discover the landing. Subsequently, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents capture the Germans.
U.S. freighter Columbian is attacked by what she believes is a German submarine at 07°18'N, 41°03'W; although the ship is damaged by shell fragments and machine gun fire, Armed Guard gunfire drives off her attacker without further incident. Columbian suffers no casualties among her 42-man merchant complement or 17-man Armed Guard.
U.S. freighter Millinocket is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-129 off the north coast of Cuba, 23°12'N, 79°58'W; nine of 29 merchant seamen perish, as do 2 of the 6-man Armed Guard. U-129's captain briefly questions the survivors and then provides the Americans with a first aid kit for the wounded (see 18 June).
U.S. collier Santore, in convoy KS 511, strikes mine laid by German submarine U-701 off Virginia Beach, Virginia, 36°52'N, 75°51'W; three merchant seaman are lost. Survivors (34 merchant sailors and the 9-man Armed Guard) are rescued by the Coast Guard.
Caribbean
Survivors (37 merchant seamen and 13 Armed Guard sailors) from U.S. freighter West Hardaway, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-502 on 15 June, reach Margarita Island, Venezuela. - 18, Thu.
Pacific
USAAF B-17s, B-24s, and an LB-30 (11th Air Force) bomb Japanese shipping in Kiska harbor, sinking fleet tanker Nissan Maru, 51°58'N, 177°40'E.
Japanese cargo ship Tairyu Maru is stranded and wrecked off Gyoji Island, Korea, 34°33'N, 125°53'E.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Seattle Spirit is torpedoed by German submarine U-124 at 50°23'N, 42°25'W; four merchant seamen perish in the attack. Survivors (33 merchant sailors, the 11-man Armed Guard and seven passengers) are rescued by steamship Perth and Canadian corvette HMCS Agassiz. Agassiz scuttles the irreparably damaged merchantman with gunfire.
Cuban boats rescue survivors of U.S. freighter Millinocket, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-129 the previous day.
Naval Air Facility, La Fe, Cuba, is established. - June 19, Fri.
Pacific
Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley assumes command of South Pacific Area and South Pacific Force with headquarters at Auckland, New Zealand.
Submarine S-27 (SS-132) runs aground off St. Makarius Point, Amchitka, Aleutians; all hands reach safety ashore. Crew, provisions, clothing, guns, medical supplies are ferried ashore by rubber boat (see 20 June).
Japanese water carrier Wayo Maru is damaged by aircraft (nationality unspecified), Rabaul.
Seaplane tender (destroyer) Ballard (AVD-10), directed to the scene by a PBY (VP 11), rescues 35 survivors (one of whom dies shortly after rescue) from Japanese carrier Hiryu that had been scuttled by destroyers Kazegumo and Yugumo on 5 June. They had been members of the engineering department, left below for dead in the abandonment of the ship.
Atlantic
District patrol craft YP-389 is sunk by German submarine U-701 five to six miles northeast of Buoy No.4, Cape Hatteras mine area, North Carolina.
Caribbean
U.S. schooner Cheerio is shelled by German submarine U-161 approximately eight miles southeast of Mona Island, Puerto Rico, 18°02'N, 67°40'W; patrol plane interrupts U-161's attack but not in time to prevent the U-boat from inflicting irreparable damage. All hands (nine men) survive the attack; Coast Guard cutter CG-459 rescues them with the help of a second patrol plane that arrives on the scene.
Tug Crusader Kingston rescues the last three survivors from a raft from U.S. freighter Norlantic, sunk by German submarine U-69 on 13 May. - June 20, Sat.
Pacific
Japanese submarine I-26 shells Estevan Point, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Submarine S-27 (SS-132) crew reach deserted village at Constantine Harbor and inhabit it until rescue comes (see 23 June).
Atlantic
U.S. freighter West Ira is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-128 about 120 miles southeast of Barbados, 12°04'N, 57°35'W; one man of West Ira's merchant complement of 48 is killed, there are no casualties among the 10-man Armed Guard. Survivors are for the most part rescued between three and five days later; the last survivor comes ashore on 1 July at Barbados. - June 21, Sun.
Pacific
PBY (VP 24) recovers two-man crew from Enterprise (CV-6) TBD (VT 6) 360 miles north of Midway. Their plane had to land in the water on 4 June; these are the last survivors of the Battle of Midway to be recovered.
Submarine S-44 (SS-155) sinks Japanese gunboat Keijo Maru 12 miles west of Gavutu, Solomons, 09°00'S, 160°00'E.
Japanese submarine I-25 shells Fort Stevens, Oregon.
North Russia
U.S. freighter Alcoa Cadet is mined in Kola Inlet, Murmansk, USSR, and breaks in two. Ships in the vicinity rescue the survivors (33 merchant seamen and 10 passengers). - June 22, Mon.
Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. tanker E.J. Sadler is shelled by German submarine U-159 about 175 miles south of the Windward Passage, 15°36'N, 67°52'W, and abandoned. After the 36 survivors take to their lifeboats, a boarding party from U-159 sinks the tanker with demolition charges (see 23 June).
Gulf of Mexico
Unarmed U.S. tanker Rawleigh Warner is torpedoed by German submarine U-67 approximately 40 miles south of South Pass, Louisiana, 28°53'N, 89°15'W; ignition of the ship's cargo of 38,909 barrels of gasoline incinerates the ship and her crew. There are no survivors from the 33 merchant seamen who comprise her complement. - June 23, Tue.
Pacific
PBY on routine search spots submarine S-27 (SS-132) crew at Constantine Harbor; 15 men are transported out (see 24 June).
Caribbean
Destroyer Biddle (DD-151), directed to the scene by PBYs, rescues the 36 survivors of U.S. tanker E.J. Sadler, sunk the day before by German submarine U-159. - June 24, Wed.
Pacific
Three PBYs bring out remainder of submarine S-27 (SS-132)'s crew from Constantine Harbor.
Atlantic
Unarmed tug John R. Williams, bound for Cape May, New Jersey, is sunk by mine laid by German submarine U-373 on 11 June. Only four men from the 18-man crew survive the sinking at 38°45'N, 74°55'W; they are rescued by district patrol vessel YP-334 and taken to Lewes, Delaware.
U.S. freighter Manuela is torpedoed by German submarine U-404 at 34°30'N, 75°40'W and abandoned. Three of the 36-man merchant complement perish in the attack. The survivors, 33 merchant seamen and the 6-man Armed Guard, are rescued by British armed trawler HMS Norwich City and Coast Guard cutter CG-483. Manuela sinks the following day while being towed to Morehead City, North Carolina. - June 25, Thu.
General
President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Churchill conclude conference in Washington; decision is reached for combined U.S.-British research and development of the atomic bomb.
Pacific
Carrier Saratoga (CV-3) ferries 25 USAAF P-40s (73d Fighter Squadron) to Midway to provide fighter defense for the atoll, after the heavy losses suffered by VMF 221 during the Battle of Midway on 4 June. Saratoga also brings in 18 SBDs to bring VMSB 241 (also badly battered at Midway) up to strength.
Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) torpedoes and sinks Japanese destroyer Yamakaze southeast of Yokosuka, Japan, 34°34'N, 140°26'E.
Submarine Grouper (SS-214) damages Japanese oiler No.3 Tonan Maru, 28°46'N, 136°36'E.
PBYs (VP 71) bomb Japanese base at Tulagi; Rear Admiral John S. McCain (Commander, Aircraft, South Pacific Force) is present in one of the flying boats to observe operations.
Europe
U.S. Army establishes European Theater of Operations under Major General Dwight D. Eisenhower. - June 26, Fri.
Atlantic
Naval Auxiliary Air Station (Lighter-than-Air), San Julian, Cuba, is established.
Germany announces unrestricted submarine warfare off U.S. Atlantic Coast. - June 27, Sat.
Pacific
Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) torpedoes and sinks Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Musashi Maru east of Nojimazaki, Japan, 34°38'N, 140°08'E.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Polybius is torpedoed by German submarine U-128 at 11°00'N, 57°30'W; ten crewmen perish. U-128's officers briefly question the survivors before the submarine departs. The 34 survivors are rescued over the next three days: by Dutch steamship Dracos on 28 June; an unidentified Allied ship on the 29th, and British steamship Clarona on the 30th.
U.S. freighter Potlatch is torpedoed by German submarine U-153 at 19°20'N, 53°18'W; six crewmen perish. Of the 39-man crew, 33 survive, as do the 16 Armed Guard sailors. U-153 briefly questions the survivors and provides them with cigarettes before departing (see 29 July). - June 28, Sun.
Pacific
Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) is damaged by depth charges off central Honshu, 34°34'N, 140°13'E.
Submarine Stingray (SS-186), attacking Japanese convoy, torpedoes and sinks gunboat Saikyo Maru about 190 miles north of Yap, Carolines, 12°41'N, 136°22'E; cargo ship Meiten Maru fires at Stingray's periscope without effect.
PBYs (VP 14) bomb Japanese base at Tulagi.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Raphael Semmes is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-332 at 29°30'N, 64°30'W; 18 men from the 35-man crew, and one of the two passengers, perish. U-332 remains in the vicinity of the sinking, providing medical assistance and supplies to the survivors before departing (see 16 July).
U.S. freighter Sam Houston is torpedoed and shelled and sunk by German submarine U-203 at 19°21'N, 62°22'W; three crewmen perish. U-203 briefly embarks the freighter's master for questioning but returns him to a lifeboat before departing (see 30 June).
U.S. tanker William Rockefeller is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-701 approximately 16 miles northeast of Diamond Shoals, North Carolina, 35°07'N, 75°07'W; escorting Coast Guard cutter CG-470 (which attacks the U-boat without success) rescues all hands: 44 merchant seamen and the six-man Armed Guard.
U.S. freighter Sea Thrush, en route to Cape Town, South Africa, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-505 at 22°40'N, 61°26'W. All hands survive the loss of the ship: 42-man crew, 11-man Armed Guard and 14 passengers (see 30 June).
U.S. freighter Ruth is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-153 about 100 miles north of Cape Maysi, Cuba, 21°44'N, 74°05'W. U-153 rescues one survivor and places him on a raft with three of his shipmates; they are the only survivors from a crew of 34 men. There are no survivors from the four-man Armed Guard unit (see 4 July). - June 29, Mon.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Thomas McKean, en route to Cape Town, South Africa, is torpedoed, shelled and sunk by German submarine U-505 at 22°00'N, 60°00'W. Three Armed Guard sailors are killed in the attack. U-505 provides medical attention to the wounded in the lifeboats before departing (see 4, 12 and 14 July). - June 30, Tue. Naval vessels on hand (all types of ships and craft)--5,612. Personnel: Navy--640,570; Marine Corps--143,528; Coast Guard--58,998. Total personnel--843,096.
Pacific
XPBS-1 transporting Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet, and his staff to San Francisco crashes upon landing off Alameda, California. Nimitz suffers scratches and abrasions in the mishap but remains topside on the wreckage to direct rescue operations, refusing to leave that post until the wrecked flying boat has been searched for survivors.
Coastal minesweeper Hornbill (AMc-13) is sunk in collision with U.S. lumber schooner Esther Johnson in San Francisco Bay, California.
District patrol craft YP-270 sinks after running aground at Boca Santo Domingo, while en route from San Diego, California, to the Panama Canal Zone, 25°30'N, 112°06'W.
District patrol craft YP-128 sinks after running aground in heavy weather three miles northeast of Monterey, California.
Submarine Plunger (SS-179) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship No.5 Unkai Maru off the China coast near approaches to Shanghai, 30°04'N, 122°54'E.
Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Express, en route from Bombay, India, to Cape Town, South Africa, is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-10 at 23°30'S, 37°30'E; one lifeboat is swamped when the ship is abandoned, and two Armed Guard sailors and 11 merchant seamen are lost (see 6 July).
Atlantic
PBM (VP 74) sinks German submarine U-158 in western Atlantic, 32°50'N, 67°28'W.
U.S. steamship City of Birmingham, en route to Bermuda, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-202 about 250 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 35°04'N, 61°01'W; six of the 113-man crew and two of 263 passengers are lost in the sinking. Escorting high speed minesweeper Stansbury (DMS-8), after depth-charging U-202, rescues 107 merchant seamen (one of whom dies of his injuries), 261 passengers and the 5-man Armed Guard.
Coastal minesweeper Courier (AMc-72) rescues 30 merchant seamen (four wounded men have perished in the lifeboats) and the nine-man Armed Guard from U.S. freighter Sam Houston, sunk by German submarine U-203 on 28 June. One crewman dies of wounds subsequently. Courier transports the survivors to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
Gunboat Surprise (PG-63) rescues survivors from U.S. freighter Sea Thrush, sunk by German submarine U-505 on 28 June. A second group of survivors reaches St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, on 3 July.
July
- July 1, Wed.
Pacific
Submarine Sturgeon (SS-187) sinks Japanese transport Montevideo Maru about 65 miles west of Cape Bojeador, Luzon, 18°37'N, 119°29'E. Unbeknownst to the submariners, Montevideo Maru is transporting 1,050 Allied POWs to Hainan Island.
Atlantic
Convoy PQ 17 sails from Seidisfjord, Iceland, bound for North Russia. Among the ships in the close covering force that had departed Reykjavik, Iceland, the previous day are U.S. heavy cruisers Wichita (CA-45) and Tuscaloosa (CA-37) and destroyers Wainwright (DD-419) and Rowan (DD-405).
U.S. freighter Warrior is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-126 just north of Trinidad, 10°54'N, 61°01'W; three of the 42-man crew and four of the 14-man Armed Guard are lost. Survivors are rescued and transported to Trinidad.
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. freighter Edward Luckenbach blunders into U.S. minefield five miles off Smith Shoal, Florida, light, and strikes two mines, 24°56'N, 81°53'W; one of the 42-man merchant complement perishes in the incident. The ship sinks with the superstructure above water. The 41 merchant seamen and the 12-man Armed Guard reboard the ship the next day, when they are transported to Key West by patrol craft. - July 2, Thu.
Pacific
Submarine Plunger (SS-179), attacking Japanese convoy off the mouth of the Yangtze, sinks army cargo ship No.3 Unyo Maru, 30°44'N, 123°09'E.
Japanese guardboats No.1 Kaiyo Maru and No.2 Kaiyo Maru are wrecked (cause unknown) off Guadalcanal. - July 3, Fri.
Pacific
USAAF B-24s bomb and damage Japanese seaplane carriers Kamikawa Maru and Kimikawa Maru, and transport Fujisan Maru off Agattu Island.
British submarine HMS Truant sinks Japanese army cargo ship No.1 Tamon Maru in Strait of Malacca, 3°14'N, 99°48'E.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker Gulfbelle is torpedoed by German submarine U-126 about 21 miles north of Tobago, 11°43'N, 60°35'W; and is abandoned. Two crewmen perish on board in the explosion. The U-boat surfaces after torpedoing her quarry, but after the Armed Guard (all eight men of which have remained on board) lobs one shell over U-126, the enemy boat submerges and departs. British destroyer HMS Warwick subsequently tows the damaged Gulfbelle to Trinidad.
U.S. freighter Alexander Macomb, in convoy BA 2, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-215 at 41°40'N, 66°52'W; four of the ship's 41-man crew and six of the 25-man Armed Guard are killed in the attack. British trawler HMS Le Tiger rescues 31 survivors; Canadian corvette HMCS Regina 25.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Norlandia, steaming from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Nuevitas, Cuba, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-575 at 19°33'N, 68°39'W; nine crewmen lose their lives. U-575's commanding officer, Kapitanleutnant Gunther Heydemann, apparently genuinely solicitous of the needs of those whose ship he has just torpedoed, gives them a bottle of brandy before the boat departs (see 4 and 5 July). - July 4, Sat.
Pacific
Submarine Triton (SS-201) torpedoes Japanese destroyer Nenohi off Cape Sabak, off southeast tip of Agattu, Aleutians, 52°15'N, 173°51'E.
Arctic
North Russia-bound convoy PQ 17 is ordered to scatter as fears of German surface ship sortie from Norwegian waters prompts the detachment of major escort vessels to deal with the threat that does not materialize. German torpedo-carrying HE 111s attack PQ 17, 200 miles northeast of Bear Island: U.S. freighter William Hooper is torpedoed (75°57'N, 27°14'E) and abandoned; three crewmen lose their lives. The survivors (36 merchant seamen and the 15-man Armed Guard) are picked up by British rescue ships Rathlin and Zamalek. Attempted scuttling by British escort vessel fails; German submarine U-334 torpedoes and sinks William Hooper later the same day. As the convoy disperses, freighter Christopher Newport is torpedoed by HE 115 (75°49'N, 22°15'E); three crewmen are killed. Christopher Newport is abandoned, with the 36 merchant seamen and 11-man Armed Guard picked up by rescue ship Zamalek. British escort vessel's attempt to scuttle the damaged freighter fails (see 5 July). Freighter Washington is damaged by near-misses, but there are no casualties among her crew or Armed Guard.
Atlantic
Destroyer Corry (DD-463) rescues four survivors of U.S. freighter Ruth, sunk by German submarine U-153 on 28 June.
Twenty-nine survivors from U.S. freighter Thomas McKean, sunk by German submarine U-505 on 29 June, reach St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (see 12 and 14 July ).
Fourteen survivors from U.S. freighter Norlandia, sunk by German submarine U-575 the previous day, reaches Samana, Dominican Republic (see 5 July).
Europe
First USAAF raid on Western Europe: USAAF aircrew flying American-built Bostons participate in low-level RAF raid on German airfields in the Netherlands. - July 5, Sun.
Pacific
Submarine Growler (SS-215) sinks Japanese destroyer Arare and damages destroyers Kasumi and Shiranui off Kiska, Aleutians, 52°00'N, 177°40'E. Growler is damaged by depth charges.
Submarine Sturgeon (SS-187) damages Japanese oiler San Pedro Maru south of Palauig, Luzon, 16°07'N, 119°13'E.
Atlantic
Seven survivors from U.S. freighter Norlandia, sunk by German submarine U-575 on 3 July, reaches Samana, Dominican Republic.
Arctic
German air and submarine attacks on the dispersed Archangel, USSR-bound convoy PQ 17 continue: submarine U-457 torpedoes and sinks abandoned U.S. freighter Christopher Newport, torpedoed by German plane the previous day. U-88 torpedoes and sinks U.S. freighter Carlton, 72°50'N, 24°35'E, killing two crewmen (see 9, 13 and 24 July). Freighter Peter Kerr, steaming in company with steamship Earlston Smiles, suffers three direct bomb hits, 74°30'N, 35°00'E; the burning ship is abandoned by all hands (35 merchant seamen and the 11-man Armed Guard) (see 12 July). Freighter Daniel Morgan, steaming in company with four other ships for mutual protection that proves largely illusory, is bombed, and is damaged by 30 near-misses; although emerging battered from the bombing, she does not escape U-88, which torpedoes and sinks her, 75°08'N, 44°10'E. Daniel Morgan's survivors (37 of 39 merchant seamen, one of whom dies later of his injuries, and the 15-man Armed Guard) are rescued later by Russian tanker Donbass and ultimately reach Archangel in that ship. Nearby freighter Fairfield City is also bombed, 74°40'N, 39°45'E; eight men die when one bomber scores a direct hit on the merchantman's bridge. Irreparably damaged, Fairfield City is abandoned by the 28 merchant seamen and the 6-man Armed Guard (see 9 and 12 July). Freighter Washington, steaming in company with Dutch Paulus Potter and British Bolton Castle, is attacked by JU-88s 175 miles east-northeast of Bear Island, 76°25'N, 33°41'E; after attacking the other two vessels, the Germans direct their efforts at Washington, and near-misses cause further damage to hull plates weakened the day before. The 36-man crew and 9-man Armed Guard abandon ship in lifeboats, and decide to take their chances in the boats instead of being taken on board freighter Olopana, which arrives in response to Washington's call for help (see 7 July). Freighter Honomu, steaming alone, is torpedoed and sunk by U-456, 75°05'N, 38°00'E; the latter takes the ship's master prisoner and provides rations for the survivors (34 crewmen, four British armed guard sailors and two Navy signalmen) before departing (see 18 and 22 July). Freighter Pan Craft, steaming alone, is bombed by German planes, 76°50'N, 38°00'E, and is abandoned; one crewman dies during the abandonment, a second dies of wounds later. British corvette HMS Lotus rescues the 34 merchant seamen and the 11-man Armed Guard, but fails in her attempt to scuttle the merchantman, which ultimately explodes and sinks between 9 and 36 hours after she is abandoned (see 22 September).
Convoy QP 13, groping its way through poor visibility conditions, blunders into a British minefield in Denmark Strait. U.S. freighter Richard Henry Lee is damaged but suffers no casualties among her 34-man crew and 9-man Armed Guard. Freighter Massmar fouls two mines and sinks; 17 of the ship's 36-man crew, and 5 of her 9-man Armed Guard, perish, as do 26 (22 merchant seamen and four Armed Guard sailors) of the 45 passengers she is carrying--survivors of the freighter Alamar (sunk in convoy PQ 16). Free French corvette Roselys rescues survivors. Freighter Hybert fouls a mine and is abandoned; as all hands (39-man crew, 11-man Armed Guard, and 26 passengers from the sunken Syros) abandon ship, the merchantman drifts into a second mine. British armed trawler HMS Lady Madeleine and Roselys rescue the survivors. Freighter John Randolph fouls two mines and breaks in two; 5 of the 38-man crew perish in the incident, but none of the 12 passengers or the 12-man Armed Guard are lost. Other ships in QP 13 rescue the survivors. The ship's bow section is recovered and salvaged, the stern section sinks. Freighter Heffron fouls two mines and is abandoned; one crewman dies in the abandonment. Roselys rescues the 36 crewmen, two Navy signalmen and 23 passengers. Heffron sinks very early the next morning. - July 6, Mon.
Arctic
Ordeal of dispersed USSR-bound convoy PQ 17 to German submarines and planes continues: U.S. freighter John Witherspoon, having emerged unscathed from the German aerial attacks the previous several days, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-255 approximately 20 miles off Novaya Zemlya, 72°05'N, 48°30'E, and abandoned with the loss of one merchant seaman. Survivors (38 merchant seamen and 11 Armed Guard sailors) gather in three lifeboats and a raft; U-255 surfaces and conducts a brief interrogation of some of the survivors before clearing the area (see 8 and 9 July 1942). Freighter Pan Atlantic, hastily painted white to camouflage her against the ice floes through which she is fleeing to Archangel, is bombed and sunk with the loss of 18 (of 37) merchant seamen and 7 (of 11) Armed Guard sailors. German submarines U-88 and U-703 salvage provisions from the freighter's flotsam; one of the enemy submarines conducts brief interrogation of survivors before departing. British corvette HMS Lotus rescues Pan Atlantic's surviving merchant and naval complement and transports them to Archangel (see 22 September). - July 7, Tue.
Pacific
Japanese merchant cargo ship Haruna Maru founders and sinks near Omaesaki, Japan.
Atlantic
Naval Air Facility, Reykjavik, Iceland, is established.
USAAF A-29 sinks German submarine U-701 off North Carolina coast, 34°50'N, 74°55'W--the first submarine "kill" by a USAAF plane in World War II.
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. tanker Paul H. Harwood is torpedoed by German submarine U-67 off Southwest Pass, Louisiana, 29°26'N, 88°38'W; there are no casualties among the 40-man crew or 16-man Armed Guard, and the ship puts into Burrwood, Louisiana, under her own power. She returns to service in September.
Arctic
Ordeal of dispersed USSR-bound convoy PQ 17 to German submarines and planes continues: U.S. freighter Olopana is torpedoed by German submarine U-255 about 10 miles west of Novaya Zemlya, 72°10'N, 51°00'E, and abandoned; five merchant seamen and two Armed Guard sailors perish in the attack. U-255 then surfaces and shells the ship, after which time the Germans conduct a brief interrogation of some of the survivors before clearing the area (see 9 July). U.S. freighter Alcoa Ranger is torpedoed by German submarine U-255 at 71°38'N, 49°35'E, and abandoned by the 34-man crew and the 6-man Armed Guard. U-255 surfaces and conducts a brief interrogation of some of the survivors, as she had done in the case of John Witherspoon and Olopana earlier, before the U-boat shells and sinks the ship. Two of three lifeboats from Alcoa Ranger reach Novaya Zemlya later that day (see 14 July). - July 8, Wed.
Pacific
Submarine S-37 (SS-142) torpedoes and sinks Japanese transport Tenzan Maru about 30 miles west of Rabaul, 04°00'S, 151°50'E. Escorting submarine chaser Ch 30 depth-charges S-37 without success.
Arctic
Ordeal of dispersed USSR-bound convoy PQ 17 to German submarines and planes continues: 19 survivors (16 merchant seamen and three Armed Guard sailors) of U.S. freighter John Witherspoon (sunk by German submarine U-255 on 6 July) are rescued by Panamanian freighter El Capitan. German bombers, however, attack the latter and sink her. British armed trawler HMS Lord Austin rescues the 19 John Witherspoon men and takes them to Archangel (see 9 July).
Atlantic
U.S. tanker J.A. Moffett, Jr. is torpedoed by German submarine U-571 three miles south by west of Tennessee Reef, Florida Straits, 24°47'N, 80°42'W; and is run aground on Tennessee Reef to prevent the ship's loss. The ship's master is the only fatality; the survivors (36 merchant seamen and the 6-man Armed Guard) are rescued by Coast Guard auxiliary craft Mary Jane and Southbound and cutter Nike (WPC-112) rescue the survivors. Later salvaged, J.A. Moffett, Jr. is written off as a total loss. - July 9, Thu.
Pacific
Submarine Sailfish (SS-192) damages Japanese army cargo ship Aobasan Maru, 11°31'N, 109°21'E.
Submarine Thresher (SS-200) sinks Japanese torpedo recovery vessel Shinsho Maru at entrance to Kwajalein Atoll, Marshalls, 08°43'N, 167°33'E. Thresher is damaged by bombs and depth charges and is briefly hooked by a grapnel trailed by the searching Japanese, but remains on patrol.
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. tanker Benjamin Brewster is torpedoed by German submarine U-67 approximately 60 miles west of Southwest Pass, Louisiana, 29°05'N, 90°05'W, and a good portion of the ship's cargo of 70,578 barrels of aviation gasoline and lubricating oil catches fire. In the resulting conflagration, 25 crewman die. Survivors (10 merchant seamen and the five-man Armed Guard) are rescued the following morning by fishing boat, whence they are transferred to the Coast Guard.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Santa Rita is torpedoed by German submarine U-172 approximately 700 miles northeast of Puerto Rico, 26°11'N, 55°40'W, and abandoned; three men are killed in the torpedoing, a fourth drowns during the abandonment. U-172 then shells the ship, makes the master a POW, and sends a boarding party to scour her victim for provisions before shelling and sinking her. Destroyers Livermore (DD-429) and Mayo (DD-422) and a crash boat rescue the 48 merchant seamen, two passengers and the 9-man Armed Guard who survive the loss of the vessel.
North Russia
Ordeal of dispersed USSR-bound convoy PQ 17 to German submarines and planes continues: U.S. freighter Hoosier is straddled by bombs and damaged irreparably, 69°45'N, 39°35'E. The 42-man crew and 11-man Armed Guard abandons ship, rescued by British corvette HMS Poppy; Free French-manned British corvette HMS La Malouine takes the crippled merchantman under tow, but discontinues the operation and recovers her salvage party put on board the freighter earlier when the escort vessel sights German submarine U-255 trailing at a distance of four miles. La Malouine's attempt to scuttle the freighter fails. U-376 later finishes off Hoosier with a torpedo and the latter sinks early the following morning. This same day, survivors from U.S. freighters Fairfield City, (sunk on 5 July) and Olopana (sunk on 7 July) reach Novaya Zemlya (see 12 July). Corvette HMS La Malouine rescues 22 merchant seamen and 8 Armed Guards, survivors from U.S. freighter John Witherspoon (sunk by German submarine U-255 on 6 July). - July 10, Fri.
Pacific
PBYs (VP 14) attempt to bomb Japanese base at Tulagi-Gavutu area but bad weather prompts cancellation of the mission.
PBY (VP 41), returning from a routine patrol, sights Mitsubishi A6M2 type 0 ["Zero"] carrier fighter upside-down in a bog on Akutan Island, Aleutians, where it has been since its forced landing on 3 June 1942 (see 12 July). - July 12, Sun.
Pacific
Submarine Seadragon (SS-194) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Nichizan Maru off Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina, 13°47'N, 109°33'E.
Salvage party from VP 41, transported to Akutan Island in district patrol vessel YP-151, begin salvage of ZERO fighter discovered on 10 July. Their initial efforts reveal more work will be required (see 15 July).
Atlantic
Twelve survivors from U.S. freighter Thomas McKean, sunk by German submarine U-505 on 29 June 1942, reach Antigua (see 14 July).
U.S. freighter Andrew Jackson is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-84 approximately 20 miles off Cardenas, Cuba, 23°32'N, 81°02'W. Three of the 38-man crew perish; there are no casualties among the 11-man Armed Guard (see 13 July).
Caribbean
U.S. freighter Tachira, en route to New Orleans, Louisiana, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-129 at 18°15'N, 81°54'W. Four of the 32-man crew perish, as does one of the six-man Armed Guard; U-129 briefly interrogates survivors and then provides medical assistance and directs them toward the nearest land (see 16 July).
Arctic
Survivors from U.S. freighter Peter Kerr (sunk on 5 July) are rescued by Russian motor torpedo boat and taken to Murmansk. Russian whaler rescues survivors of U.S. freighter Washington (also sunk on 5 July). Toward the end of their journey in lifeboats, Washington's survivors (one of whom dies of exposure on 28 July at Archangel) had subsisted on rations scrounged from U.S. freighter Winston-Salem that had been beached by her crew and abandoned on the shores of Novaya Zemlya. British armed trawler HMS Ayrshire rescues survivors from U.S. freighter Fairfield City, (dispersed from convoy PQ 17 and sunk on 5 July) from Novaya Zemlya. - July 13, Mon.
Pacific
Submarine S-16 (SS-121) is accidentally damaged by USAAF plane off coast of Panama.
Submarine Seadragon (SS-194) sinks Japanese auxiliary vessel Shinyo Maru 10 miles northeast of Cape Varella, French Indochina, 13°05'N, 109°29'E.
PBYs (VP 71) attempt daylight bombing of Japanese base at Tulagi-Gavutu, but bad weather forces a second straight cancellation of the mission.
Japanese transport No.3 Mikage Maru is sunk in collision three miles south of Tsuru Jima, Japan, 33°00'N, 133°00'E.
Japanese Combined Fleet is reorganized in the wake of the disastrous defeat suffered at Midway.
Atlantic
Naval Air Facility, Grand Cayman, British West Indies, is established.
German submarine U-153, damaged by submarine chaser PC-458 and USAAF plane off coast of Panama, is sunk by destroyer Lansdowne (DD-486), 09°56'N, 81°29'W.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Oneida, straggling from convoy NG 359, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-166 approximately two miles north of Cape Maysi, Cuba, at 20°17'N, 74°06'W. Six crewmen perish; the 23 survivors reach the Cuban coast in two life rafts.
Survivors from U.S. freighter Andrew Jackson, sunk by German submarine U-84 the day before, reach Vavendero, Cuba, by life boat.
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. tanker R.W. Gallagher is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-67 approximately 80 miles from Southwest Pass, Louisiana, 28°32'N, 90°59'W, and abandoned. Eight of the ship's 40-man merchant complement die in the attack, as do two of the 12-man Armed Guard. Coast Guard cutter Boutwell (WPC-130) rescues survivors; two men later die of their injuries.
North Russia
Survivors of U.S. freighter Carlton (sunk by U-88 on 5 July) receive rations dropped by a British plane (see 14 and 24 July). - July 14, Tue.
Atlantic
Last 13 survivors (a 14th man had perished in the interval between the loss of the ship and the survivors' making landfall) from U.S. freighter Thomas McKean, sunk by German submarine U-505 on 29 June, reach the Dominican Republic.
North Russia
German submarine U-376 comes upon survivors of U.S. freighter Carlton (sunk by U-88 on 5 July). While the German offer of medical help is turned down, the U-boat sailors give the Americans rations, blankets and cigarettes (see 24 July). One boat full of survivors of U.S. freighter Alcoa Ranger, sunk by German submarine U-255 on 7 July, reaches Cape Kanin, USSR. Russian patrol craft subsequently take all of the survivors to Archangel.
Pacific
Unarmed U.S. freighter Arcata, steaming from Bethel, Alaska, to Seattle, Washington, is shelled and sunk by Japanese submarine I-7 at 53°35'N, 157°40'W. Seven of the 29-man crew perish; three Navy and one civilian passenger survive the attack. I-7 machineguns the life rafts; one sailor suffers mortal wounds. Destroyer Kane (DD-235) rescues 11 of Arcata's survivors; fishing boat Yukon picks up 14. - July 15, Wed.
United States
Naval Air Transport Service Squadron (VR 3) is established at Kansas City, Kansas, for operations in the U.S.
Pacific
Submarine Base, Midway Island, is established.
Submarine Grunion (SS-216) sinks Japanese submarine chasers Ch 25 and Ch 27 west of Sredni Point, Kiska, Aleutians, 52°02'N, 177°42'E.
Salvage party, transported to Akutan Island in district patrol vessel YP-72, continues salvage of ZERO fighter discovered on 10 July.
Atlantic
German submarine U-576 attacks convoy KS 520, torpedoing U.S. bulk carrier Chilore about 20 miles east of Okracoke Inlet, North Carolina, 34°45'N, 75°29'W, as well as Panamanian freighter J.A. Mowinkel and Nicaraguan merchantman Bluefield. Chilore later blunders into a U.S. minefield, fouling two mines and receiving further damage. Two of her 42-man crew are lost when a lifeboat capsizes; there are no casualties among the 9-man Armed Guard. U-576's time to savor her triple triumph, however, is short, for an OS2U (VS 9) and U.S. merchant vessel Unicoi combine to sink that U-boat off the North Carolina coast, 34°51'N, 75°22'W. Chilore later capsizes and sinks at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay.
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. tanker Pennsylvania Sun is torpedoed by German submarine U-571 about 125 miles west of Key West, Florida, 24°05'N, 83°42'W; the crew (42 merchant seamen and the 17-man Armed Guard) abandon the burning ship. Destroyer Dahlgren (DD-187) rescues the survivors and transports them to Key West (see 16 July). - July 16, Thu.
Pacific
Submarine Seadragon (SS-194), attacking Japanese convoy off coast of French Indochina, sinks merchant cargo ship Hakodate Maru north of Cape Varella, 12°55'N, 109°29'E.
Atlantic
Advanced Group, Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet (Rear Admiral Andrew C. Bennett) is established to conduct amphibious training in Great Britain.
Unarmed U.S. fishing boat Gertrude is sunk (demolition charge or gunfire) by German submarine U-166 approximately 30 miles northeast of Havana, Cuba, 23°32'N, 82°00'E (see 19 July).
U.S. freighter William F. Humphrey battles German auxiliary cruiser Michel (Schiffe 28) in the South Atlantic about 800 miles west of the mouth of the Congo River, 05°37'S, 00°56'E, but is sunk by gunfire and torpedoes (the latter fired by motor torpedo boat Elsan (LS 4) after a gallant fight. Of the seven-man Armed Guard, two sailors are killed while a third is wounded; Michel recovers 26 merchant seamen and 3 Armed Guard sailors, but the rest of the survivors manage to avoid capture (see 22 July).
U.S. steamship Fairport, in Persian Gulf-bound convoy AS 4, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-161 at 27°12'N, 64°30'W; destroyer Kearny (DD-432) rescues all hands: 43-man crew, 16-man Armed Guard, and 66 passengers.
Survivors (17 crewmen and one passenger) from unarmed U.S. freighter Raphael Semmes, sunk by German submarine U-332 on 28 June, are rescued by U.S. freighter Explorer.
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. tanker Pennsylvania Sun's master and three of his officers and a salvage party from reboard their ship (torpedoed the previous day by U-571) and, aided by salvage vessel Willett (ARS-12) quell the remaining fires and save the ship, which is towed to port. Repaired, she subsequently returns to service.
Caribbean
Survivors of U.S. freighter Tachira, sunk by German submarine U-129 on 12 July, reach Punta Herrera, Mexico. - July 18, Sat.
Pacific
Amphibious Force, South Pacific Area (Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner) is established.
North Russia
British minesweeper and escort vessel rescue 22 survivors from U.S. freighter Honomu, sunk on 5 July (see 22 July). - July 19, Sun.
Atlantic
Carrier Ranger (CV-4) in TF 22 ferries 72 USAAF P-40s (earmarked for ultimate delivery to Burma) to Accra off the Gold Coast of Africa.
With the successful operation of convoys off the East Coast of the United States, Admiral Doenitz orders the last U-boats deployed there (U-89, U-132, U-402, U-458, and U-754) reassigned to other hunting grounds.
Unarmed U.S. tug Keshena is sunk by mine east of Okracoke Island, North Carolina, 35°00'N, 75°45'E, while engaged in salvage work on torpedoed and mined Panamanian-flag tanker J.A. Mowinkel. Two men perish in the explosion, but the surviving crew (14 men and 1 woman) is rescued by a launch and taken to the Coast Guard station at Okracoke. - July 20, Mon.
General
Admiral William D. Leahy reports to President Roosevelt as Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy.
Pacific
Naval Operating Base and Naval Air Facility, Dutch Harbor, Alaska, are established.
Atlantic
German submarine U-66 mines the waters off Castries, St. Lucia. - July 21, Tue.
Pacific
Japanese forces occupy Buna, New Guinea, having been frustrated in their attempt to capture Port Moresby by sea (first at Lae-Salamaua and then at the Battle of the Coral Sea) in the first step of an overland campaign to take the same objective.
U.S. freighter Coast Farmer is sunk by Japanese submarine I-11 in the South Pacific at 35°23'S, 151°00'E. RAAF crash boat rescues the 40 survivors (who include the 7-man Armed Guard).
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. freighter William Cullen Bryant, in convoy TAW 4J, is torpedoed by German submarine U-84 in the Straits of Florida, 24°08'N, 82°23'W; all hands (40-man crew, 12-man Armed Guard, and 2 USN signalmen) abandon ship but later reboard the freighter; salvage vessel Willett (ARS-12) and civilian tug Moran tow William Cullen Bryant to Key West, Florida. She subsequently returns to service. - July 22, Wed.
Pacific
USAAF planes (B-17s, B-25s and B-26s are utilized in the attacks) attack Japanese shipping off Buna, New Guinea, damaging destroyer Uzuki and sinking army cargo ship Ayatosan Maru, 08°50'S, 148°50'E.
U.S. freighter William Dawes is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-24 off the coast of Australia at 36°47'S, 150°16'E; four of the 15-man Armed Guard, and one (of five) Army passengers are killed in the attack, but there are no casualties among the 40 merchant seamen who make up the ship's complement. Survivors row toward the coast, where fishing boats tow them the remainder of the way. The burning William Dawes sinks the next day.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Honolulan is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-582 off the west coast of Africa at 08°41'N, 22°12'W. U-582 provides the Americans with cigarettes and question them briefly before departing. There are no casualties among the 39-man crew and one stowaway (see 28 July).
Norwegian freighter Triton rescues survivors from U.S. freighter William F. Humphrey, sunk by German auxiliary cruiser Michel (Schiffe 28) in the South Atlantic on 16 July.
Arctic
German submarine rescues last survivors from lifeboat from U.S. freighter Honomu, sunk on 5 July 1942. Nine of the 19 men in the lifeboat have perished of exposure during their ordeal. - July 23, Thu.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Onondaga, bound for Havana, Cuba, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-129 five miles north of Cayo Guillermo, 22°40'N, 78°40'W. Nineteen of the 33-man crew die in the attack, as does the sole passenger, the former master of U.S. freighter Thomas McKean (sunk by German submarine U-505 on 29 June). Cuban fishing boat Laventina rescues the 14 survivors. - July 24, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Narwhal (SS-167) sinks Japanese guardboat No.83 Shinsei Maru, Utasutsu Bay, Hokkaido, 44°53'N, 147°09'E, and merchant cargo ships Nissho Maru off Etorofu, 45°09'N, 147°31'E, and Kofuji Maru off Oito, 45°14'N, 147°31'E.
Arctic
Survivors of U.S. freighter Carlton (sunk by U-88 on 5 July) reach North Cape, Norway, where they becomes POWs. During the ordeal in the lifeboat, one man dies shortly before they make landfall. - July 26, Sun.
Pacific
Destroyer Worden (DD-352) and oiler Platte (AO-24) rescue survivors of Dutch motorship Tjinegara, which had been sunk by Japanese submarine I-169 about 75 miles southeast of Nouméa, New Caledonia, 23°10'S, 165°00'E, on 25 July. - July 27, Mon.
General
Army-Navy Petroleum Board is established.
Pacific
TF 8 approaches Kiska to bombard Japanese positions but limited surface visibility results in the operation being postponed. During the retirement, however, high speed minesweeper Lamberton (DMS-2) accidentally rams high speed minesweeper Chandler (DMS-9). While investigating that collision, destroyer Monaghan (DD-354) and high speed minesweeper Lamberton (DMS-12) collide; both of those ships suffer damage as well.
Light cruiser Boise (CL-47) departs Pearl Harbor to proceed, via Midway, toward the Japanese home islands to emit enough radio traffic to create the impression of an approaching American task force, as well as to locate and destroy small patrol vessels operating off Honshu.
USAAF B-26s damage Japanese transport Kotoku Maru off Buna, New Guinea (see 8 August).
Submarine Spearfish (SS-190) damages Japanese submarine depot ship Rio de Janeiro Maru 95 miles east of Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina, 11°28'N, 110°52'E.
Dutch submarine O-23 damages Japanese coaster No.2 Shofuku Maru south of Penang, Malaya, 05°07'N, 98°50'E.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Stella Lykes is torpedoed and shelled by German submarine U-582 off the west coast of Africa at 06°46'N, 24°55'W, and abandoned with no casualties. U-582 takes two POWs, provides the Americans with cigarettes and medical supplies, and then scuttles her quarry with demolition charges before departing (see 6 August).
Gulf of Mexico
German submarine U-166 completes mining the waters off the Mississippi River Passes. - July 28, Tue.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. fishing trawler Ebb is shelled and sunk by German submarine U-754 45 miles east of Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, 43°18'N, 63°50'W; five of the 17-man crew are killed, seven are wounded. British destroyer HMS Witherington rescues the 12 survivors.
British merchantman Winchester Castle rescues the 40 survivors of U.S. freighter Honolulan, sunk by German submarine U-582 on 22 July.
Arctic
U.S. freighter Winston Salem, the last straggler from convoy PQ 17, arrives at the port of Molotovsk. PQ 17 has lost 24 ships in the course of its ordeal. - July 29, Wed.
Pacific
PBYs (VP 23) bomb Japanese bases in Tulagi-Gavutu area.
Survivors (47 in number, two merchant seamen having died during the 32-day ordeal in the 25-foot lifeboat) from U.S. freighter Potlatch, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-153 on 27 June, reach Great Inagua Island, Bahamas group; their search for water will take them thence to Little Inagua, and thence to Aklins Island. Ultimately picked up by steamship Vergermere, they reach Nassau on 1 August. - July 30, Thu. Women's Naval Reserve (WAVES) (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) is established (see 2 August).
Pacific
Submarine Grenadier (SS-210) torpedoes Japanese tanker San Clemente Maru off Truk, 07°02'N, 151°15'E.
Gulf of Mexico
German submarine U-166 attacks convoy TAW 7 about 25 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, and sinks U.S. passenger ship Robert E. Lee, 28°40'N, 88°30'W. Submarine chasers PC-566 and SC-519, and civilian tug Underwriter rescue survivors; none of the six-man Armed Guard are lost (see 1 August).
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Cranford is sunk by German submarine U-155 about 250 miles east-southeast of Barbados, 12°17'N, 55°11'W. U-155 treats two injured American sailors and then provides the survivors with navigational information, matches, a line, and water. Running short of provisions, U-155 can spare none. Cranford's surviving complement (including 6 of 8 Armed Guard sailors) are eventually picked up later the same day by Spanish tanker Castillo Alemenara. - July 31, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Grunion (SS-216) torpedoes Japanese transport Kashima Maru off Kiska, Aleutians, but is sunk by gunfire from her quarry, 10 miles north of Segula Island.
PBYs attempt to bomb Japanese bases in Tulagi-Gavutu area is aborted because of bad weather.
Atlantic
German submarine U-751 lays mines off Charleston, South Carolina.
August
- August 1, Sat.
Pacific
Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley, Commander South Pacific Force, establishes his headquarters afloat on board auxiliary Argonne (AG-31) at Nouméa, New Caledonia.
Submarine Narwhal (SS-167), attacking Japanese shipping south of Shiraya Zaki, off northeast tip of Honshu, sinks merchant cargo ship Meiwa Maru, 41°12'N, 141°36'E, and oiler Koan Maru, 41°03'N, 141°28'E.
Pacific
Naval Base, Galapagos Islands; Naval Station, Taboga Island, Canal Zone; Naval Auxiliary Air Facility and Motor Torpedo Boat Base, Salinas, Ecuador, are established.
Gulf of Mexico
Coast Guard J4F bombs and sinks German submarine U-166, 28°31'N, 90°45'W. - August 2, Sun. Lieutenant Commander Mildred H. McAfee, who received the first WAVES commission, becomes the first WAVES commandant.
Pacific
Dutch submarine O 23 sinks Japanese army cargo ship Zenyo Maru off Penang, Malaya, 05°36'N, 99°53'E. - August 3. Mon.
Pacific
Light minelayers Gamble (DM-15), Breese (DM-18) and Tracy (DM-19) lay minefield off western entrance of Segond Channel, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides.
Submarine Gudgeon (SS-211) sinks Japanese transport Naniwa Maru, 07°37'N, 150°11'E. - August 4, Tue.
Pacific
Destroyer Tucker (DD-374), uninformed of its presence, is sunk in U.S. minefield laid the previous day by Gamble (DM-15), Breese (DM-18), and Tracy (DM-19), in Segond Channel, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. Chartered transport President Coolidge is also lost as the result of striking a mine in the same field.
Submarine Narwhal (SS-167) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Fukuyama Maru, 40°26'N, 141°50'E. - August 5, Wed.
Pacific
Light cruiser Boise (CL-47), in the course of her deception mission, launches two SOCs to search the area. Despite repeated efforts to do so, however, the planes do not find the ship upon their return. Radio silence is broken, thus compromising the operation, and the ship returns to Pearl Harbor, but the Japanese believe that a major U.S. task force is close to the homeland.
Submarine Greenling (SS-213), attacking Japanese shipping about 150 miles north-northwest of Truk, sinks transport Brazil Maru, 09°50'N, 150°38'E, and merchant passenger-cargo ship Palau Maru, 09°04'N, 150°54'E. - August 6, Thu.
Pacific
Submarine Tautog (SS-199) sinks Japanese army transport Ohio Maru in South China Sea about 250 miles east-northeast of Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina, 13°51'N, 113°15'E.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. schooner Wawaloam, en route to St. John's, Newfoundland, is sunk by shellfire of German submarine U-86 at 39°18'N, 55°44'W, but suffers no casualties to the six-man crew and the sole passenger (see 12 August). - August 7, Fri.
Pacific
Operation WATCHTOWER: 1st Marine Division (Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift, USMC) lands on Florida, Tulagi, Gavutu, Tanambogo, and Guadalcanal, in the first American land offensive of the war. Amphibious Force, South Pacific (Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner) lands the leathernecks under cover of naval surface and air forces (Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher). Landings are supported by carrier and shore-based aircraft (Rear Admiral Leigh Noyes and Rear Admiral John S. McCain). Overall commander is Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley, Commander South Pacific Force; officer in tactical command is Vice Admiral Fletcher. During Japanese air attacks on the transport force and its escorts off Guadalcanal, destroyer Mugford (DD-389) is damaged by carrier [dive] bomber (2nd Kokutai), 09°00'S, 160°00'E. Following shore bombardment operations in Tulagi Bay, light cruiser San Juan (CL-54) is damaged by explosion in one of her forward 5-inch gun mounts.
TG 8.6 (Rear Admiral William W. Smith) bombards Kiska, Aleutians.
Submarine Tambor (SS-198) sinks Japanese auxiliary netlayer Shofuku Maru off Wotje, Marshalls, 09°25'N, 170°11'E. - August 8, Sat.
Pacific
Marines wrest control of Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tanambogo, Solomons, from tenacious Japanese resistance. Unfinished airstrip on Guadalcanal is captured and named "Henderson Field" in honor of the late Major Lofton R. Henderson, USMC, who was killed while leading VMSB 241 in the gallant but unsuccessful attack on Japanese carrier Hiryu at Midway on 4 June 1942. Coastwatchers report incoming raid. During fierce Japanese aerial assault by land attack planes (4th and Misawa Kokutais) on invasion shipping: destroyer Jarvis (DD-393) and transport George F. Elliott (AP-13), 09°10'S, 160°10'E are torpedoed. The latter, also crashed by a Japanese plane, is later scuttled by destroyer Hull (DD-350). Another crashing bomber damages transport Barnett (AP-11), 09°13'S, 160°01'E.
Submarine Narwhal (SS-167) sinks Japanese crab boat Bifuku Maru southeast of Shiriya Zaki, at northeast tip of Honshu. 41°14'N, 141°32'E.
Submarine S-38 (SS-143), despite presence of escorting minesweeper W.21, sinks Japanese transport Meiyo Maru at southern entrance of St. George Channel, between New Britain and New Ireland, 04°52'S, 152°42'E.
Submarine Silversides (SS-236), attacking Japanese convoy emerging from Kobe harbor, torpedoes and sinks merchant cargo ship Nikkei Maru in Kii Suido, near Ichiya Zaki, 33°33'N, 135°23'E.
Destroyers Mustin (DD-413) and Morris (DD-417) are damaged in collision during night maneuvers in Hawaiian Operating Area.
Atlantic
German submarine U-98 mines waters off Jacksonville, Florida.
U.S. freighter Kaimoku, en route to Liverpool in convoy SC 94, is torpedoed and sunk by shellfire of German submarine U-379 at 56°32'N, 32°15'W. Two of the 36-man crew die in the attack, as do two of the 14-man Armed Guard. Canadian corvette HMCS Battleford rescues survivors. - August 9, Sun.
Pacific
Battle of Savo Island: Japanese force of seven cruisers and one destroyer (Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi) approaches west of Savo Island, Solomons, undetected. The defeat is one of the worst ever inflicted on the U.S. Navy. Allied ships depart Guadalcanal area. Japanese vessels temporarily control waters around Guadalcanal. Heavy cruiser Astoria (CA-34) is sunk by gunfire of Japanese heavy cruisers Chokai, Aoba, Kinugasa, and Kako. Quincy (CA-39) is sunk by gunfire of heavy cruisers Aoba, Kako, and Furutaka and light cruiser Tenryu and is torpedoed by light cruiser Yubari. Vincennes (CA-44) is sunk by gunfire and torpedo from heavy cruiser Chokai, and gunfire from_Kako,_ Aoba, and Kinugasa, and light cruiser Yubari. The fourth Allied ship lost off Savo is Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra which, badly damaged by Japanese gunfire, is scuttled by destroyer Selfridge (DD-357).
U.S. ships damaged are heavy cruiser Chicago (CA-29) by Kako; destroyer Ralph Talbot (DD-390) by Furutaka, Yubari, and Tenryu; and destroyer Patterson (DD-392) by Yubari and Tenryu. U.S. gunfire damages Chokai (from Quincy and Astoria); Kinugasa (by Vincennes); Aoba (by Quincy) and Tenryu (by Chicago and Patterson).
Destroyer Jarvis (DD-393), damaged the previous day, is mistaken as a "Achilles-class cruiser" and attacked by Japanese land attack planes (Misawa Kokutai) and torpedoed 200 nautical miles southeast of Tulagi, 09°42'S, 158°59'E. Jarvis puts up a stout fight, splashing two of the attacking planes; a third ditches due to battle damage. There are, however, no survivors from the destroyer, which is lost with all hands.
Atlantic
German submarine U-98 completes laying mines off mouth of St. Johns River, east of Jacksonville, Florida. - August 10, Mon.
Pacific
Submarine S-44 (SS-155) sinks Japanese heavy cruiser Kako near Kavieng, 02°15'S, 152°15'E, as Kako retires from the Battle of Savo Island.
Mediterranean
Operation PEDESTAL: British convoy, WS 21S, formed around 13 transports and cargo ships (which include U.S. freighters Almeria Lykes and Santa Elisa) and one tanker transits Straits of Gibraltar, bound for Malta. Royal Navy cover and escort forces include a total of two battleships, four aircraft carriers, seven light cruisers and 25 destroyers (see 11-13 August). - August 11, Tue.
Mediterranean
Operation PEDESTAL: large British convoy (which includes in its composition U.S. freighters Almeria Lykes and Santa Elisa), bound for Malta, its presence determined by Axis aerial reconnaissance, comes under attack from Luftwaffe JU 88s and HE 111s (see 12-13 August). - August 12, Wed.
Atlantic
Light cruiser Cleveland (CL-55), on her shakedown cruise in Chesapeake Bay, tests the newly developed proximity fuzed antiaircraft projectiles for the first time under simulated combat conditions; she destroys all three target drones with four proximity bursts.
Seven survivors of U.S. schooner Wawaloam, sunk by German submarine U-86 on 6 August, are rescued by steamship Irish Rose, which transfers them subsequently to British corvette HMS Campanula.
Mediterranean
Operation PEDESTAL: attacks by German and Italian aircraft continue on large British convoy (which includes within its composition U.S. freighters Almeria Lykes and Santa Elisa), bound for Malta (see 13 August).
Pacific
Submarine Pickerel (SS-177) is damaged by depth charges off the Marianas, 16°19'S, 145°23'E, but remains on patrol.
USAAF B-17s damage Japanese oiler Matsumoto Maru. - August 13, Thu.
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. tanker R.M. Parker, Jr., en route to Port Arthur, Texas, is torpedoed, shelled, and sunk by German submarine U-171 at 28°37'N, 90°48'W. There are no casualties, and Coast Guard auxiliary cutter Pioneer rescues all 37 merchant seamen and the seven-man Armed Guard.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Cripple Creek is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-171 at 04°55'N, 18°30'W; one crewman is killed. The survivors take to three lifeboats (see 16 August).
U.S. freighter Delmundo, in convoy TAW 12, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-600 in the Windward passage, 19°55'N, 73°49'W; five of the 41-man crew perish, as do three of the eight passengers. The survivors, including the 9-man Armed Guard, are rescued by British destroyer HMS Churchill [ex-U.S. destroyer Herndon (DD-198)].
Mediterranean
Operation PEDESTAL: German and Italian motor torpedo boats attack Malta-bound convoy before dawn; German S 30 and S 36, and Italian MAS 554 and MAS 557 torpedo and sink British merchantman Wairangi and damage Rochester Castle (which will eventually reach Malta although she is damaged further by Luftwaffe JU 87s and JU 88s). U.S. freighter Almeria Lykes is torpedoed and is abandoned, 36°40'N, 11°35'E. The ship remains afloat, but is sunk by scuttling charge after daybreak. British destroyer HMS Somali rescues all hands: 51 merchant seamen, 15-man Armed Guard, and 39 passengers. Freighter Santa Elisa is torpedoed in the same attack, approximately 20 miles southeast of Cape Bon, 36°48'N, 11°23'E, and is abandoned when her cargo of aviation gasoline catches fire. Four of the 33 embarked army passengers are killed, but the 56-man merchant complement and the 11-man Armed Guard suffer no fatalities. British destroyer HMS Penn rescues the survivors and transports them to Malta; three Armed Guard sailors will be hospitalized there for burns suffered in the attack that leads to the ship's abandonment. Santa Elisa is finished off by bombs later that day. Three surviving British transports and the one tanker will reach Malta later this day; a fourth transport will reach the island on 14 August. - August 14, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine S-39 (SS-144) is damaged when she strikes submerged reef off Rossel Island, Louisiade Archipelago.
Submarine Seawolf (SS-197) sinks Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Hachigen Maru (ex-British Wenchow) in Sibitu Passage, 05°07'N, 119°37'E.
Europe
Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower, USA, Commanding General, European Theater of Operations, is appointed Commander in Chief of Allied Expeditionary Forces; Admiral Sir Andrew B. Cunningham, RN, is appointed Allied Naval Commander.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter California is torpedoed, shelled and sunk by Italian submarine Reginaldo Giuliani at 09°24'N, 33°02'W; all hands (38 men) abandon the sinking ship under fire (see 4,5 and 14 September). - August 15, Sat.
Pacific
Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island, Washington, is established.
Marine Aircraft Wings, Pacific (Major General Ross E. Rowell, USMC) is established at San Diego, California.
Caribbean
Patrol Wing 11 (Commander Stanley J. Michael) is established at San Juan, Puerto Rico, for operations in Caribbean Sea Frontier.
Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Jamaica, British West Indies, is established.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Balladier, in convoy SC 95, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-705 (one of 13 boats deployed to intercept Allied transatlantic convoys) approximately 550 miles southeast of Iceland at 55°00'N, 25°00'W; eleven of the 34-man crew and two of the 11-man Armed Guard die in the attack. Merchantman Norluna rescues survivors. - August 16, Sun.
Pacific
Submarine S-39 (SS-144), irreparably damaged by striking reef off Rossel Island, on 14 August, is abandoned.
Airship L 8 (ZP-32) is damaged upon return from patrol off California coast, landing at Dale City, California. The airship, however is unmanned; the fate of its two-man crew remains a mystery.
Atlantic
Surviving 38 merchant seamen and the 13-man Armed Guard of U.S. freighter Cripple Creek, sunk by German submarine U-171 on 13 August, are rescued by British armed trawler HMS St. Wistan and transported to Sierra Leone. - August 17, Mon.
Pacific
Companies "A" and "B," 2d Marine Raider Battalion (Lieutenant Colonel Evans F. Carlson, USMC), transported in submarines Nautilus (SS-168) and Argonaut (SS-166), raid Makin Island in the Gilberts; Nautilus's gunfire supports marines ashore. The relative ease with which the assault is carried out, however, inspires the Japanese to bolster defenses in the region.
Submarine Gudgeon (SS-211) damages Japanese oilers Shinkoku Maru and Nichiei Maru northwest of Truk, 07°43'N, 151°13'W.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker Louisiana is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-108 approximately 200 miles from Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana, 07°24'N, 52°33'W; although U-108 sees three men escape from the burning ship, they are never found. There are no survivors from the 41 merchant sailors and the 8-man Armed Guard.
18, Tue.
Pacific
Japanese destroyers Kagero, Hakigaze, Maikaze, Urakaze, Isokaze and Hamikaze begin landing 916 troops of the Imperial Army's Ichiki Detachment on Guadalcanal.
Caribbean
Convoy TAW 13, steaming south of Cuba, comes under attack from German submarine U-553, which torpedoes and sinks Swedish merchantman Blankaholm and British freighter Empire Bede; U-553 also torpedoes and sinks U.S. freighter John Hancock at 19°27'N, 76°48'W. All 38 merchant sailors and the 11-man Armed Guard survive the loss of the ship; the men are rescued by British corvette HMS Pimpernel.
Convoy TAW (S), 15 ships escorted by gunboat Courage (PG-70), British corvette HMS Clarkia, two Coast Guard cutters and four submarine chasers, is attacked by German submarine U-162, which torpedoes unarmed U.S. freighter West Celina off Grenada, 11°45'N, 62°30'W (see 19 August). - August 19, Wed.
Pacific
USAAF B-17s, flying from Espiritu Santo, bomb Japanese destroyers Kagero, Hagikaze and Maikaze off Guadalcanal, damaging Hagikaze off Tulagi.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-29 reconnoiters the Seychelles.
Caribbean
German submarine U-162 continues stalking convoy TAW (S) attacked the previous day, and again torpedoes unarmed U.S. freighter West Celina, which is abandoned by the 39-man crew and the convoy commodore's staff of four men; the convoy commodore, however, is lost (see 21 and 22 August). German submarine U-564 attacks the convoy as well, torpedoing and sinking two British ships: tanker British Consul and freighter Empire Cloud. Escorting ships will, however, frustrate further attacks by the U-boats. - August 20, Thu.
Pacific
First USMC planes arrive at Henderson Field: aircraft escort vessel Long Island (AVG-1) ferries 19 F4Fs (VMF 223) and 12 SBDs (VMSB 232) to Guadalcanal. Although Japanese flying boat from the Shortlands sights Long Island, screened by light cruiser Helena (CL-50) and destroyers Aylwin (DD-355) and Dale (DD-353), the U.S. ships prove to be out of range of enemy land-based air and retire from the area without incident.
Small seaplane tender Mackinac (AVP-13) is damaged when mistakenly bombed by SBDs (VS 71) from carrier Wasp (CV-7) off Ndeni Island.
Atlantic
PBY-5A (VP 73) sinks German submarine U-464, North Atlantic Area, 61°25'N, 14°40'W. - August 21, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Cuttlefish (SS-171) damages Japanese ammunition ship Nichiro Maru, 31°00'N, 130°00'E.
Submarine Tambor (SS-198) sinks Japanese collier No.6 Shinsei Maru off Ponape Island, 06°45'N, 158°10'E.
Motor vessel Lakatoi, commissioned at Nouméa, New Caledonia, on 15 August and manned by a crew made up of survivors of the sunken transport George F. Elliott (AP-13) sinks in storm at 18°55'S, 167°40'E.
Caribbean
One group of 19 survivors from U.S. freighter West Celina, torpedoed by German submarine U-162 on 18 and 19 August, reaches Manzanillo Bay, Venezuela (see 22 August). - August 22, Sat.
General
Brazil declares war on Germany and Italy.
Pacific
First USAAF planes (five P-400s from the 67th Fighter Squadron) arrive at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal.
Destroyer Blue (DD-387) is torpedoed by Japanese destroyer Kawakaze off Guadalcanal (see 23 August).
Submarine Haddock (SS-231) torpedoes and sinks Japanese transport Tatsuho Maru off China coast, near Foochow, 26°07'N, 121°29'E.
Atlantic
Destroyer Ingraham (DD-444) is sunk in collision with oiler Chemung (AO-30) off Nova Scotia, 42°34'N, 60°05'W; Chemung is damaged; destroyer Buck (DD-420) is damaged in collision with British transport Awatea, 42°34'N, 60°05'W.
Caribbean
USAAF plane (45th Bombardment Squadron) sinks German submarine U-654 north of Panama, 12°00'N, 79°56'W.
Second group of 23 survivors from U.S. freighter West Celina, torpedoed by German submarine U-162 on 18 and 19 August, reaches Manzanillo Bay, Venezuela. - August 23, Sun.
Atlantic
Heavy cruiser Tuscaloosa (CA-37), escorted by destroyers Rodman (DD-456) and Emmons (DD-457) and British destroyer HMS Onslaught, arrives at Murmansk, Russia, and disembarks men and unloads equipment from two RAF Bomber Command squadrons that have been transferred to North Russia. The ships depart the following day to return to the British fleet base at Scapa Flow, Orkneys.
Pacific
Japanese light cruiser Yubari, accompanied by four destroyers and supporting ships, shells Nauru Island, Gilberts, in preparation for landings there.
Destroyer Blue (DD-387), damaged on 22 August, is scuttled by her crew, 09°17'S, 160°02'E.
Submarine Skipjack damages Japanese oiler Hayatomo southwest of Ambon, N.E.I., 03°52'N, 127°54'E.
PBY (VP 23) attacks (in daylight!) Japanese heavy cruiser Furutaka, Solomons. - August 24, Mon.
Pacific
Battle of the Eastern Solomons occurs as TF 61 (Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher), supported by USMC and USAAF planes from Henderson Field, turns back major Japanese attempt to recapture Guadalcanal and Tulagi. Carrier Enterprise (CV-6) is damaged by dive bomber (08°38'S, 163°30'E) and destroyer Grayson (DD-435) is damaged by strafing and near-miss, but SBDs and TBFs (VB 3, VS 3, VT 8) from Saratoga (CV-3) sink carrier Ryujo (06°10'S, 160°50'E) and damage seaplane carrier Chitose. SBD (VMSB 232) damages light cruiser Jintsu north of Malaita Island, Solomons.
Submarine Saury (SS-189) torpedoes Japanese army transport Otowasan Maru west of Luzon, 14°15'N, 120°19'E.
Submarine Guardfish (SS-217) torpedoes and sinks Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Seikai Maru off entrance to Sendai harbor, on northeast coast of Honshu, 38°12'N, 141°30'E.
Japanese transport Cuba Maru, stranded south of Sakhalin Island, Kurils, sinks, 48°00'N, 142°30'E. - August 25, Tue.
Pacific
USAAF B-17s sink Japanese destroyer Mutsuki off Santa Isabel, Solomons, as she stands by the sinking transport Kinryu Maru, damaged by planes from Enterprise (CV-6) north of Guadalcanal, 07°47'N, 160°13'E. USMC SBDs (VMSB 232) from Henderson Field damage light cruiser Jintsu and destroyer Uzuki off Guadalcanal.
Submarine Growler (SS-215) sinks Japanese gunboat Sen-Yo Maru 20 miles south of Takao, Formosa, 22°33'N, 120°10'E, and survives several ensuing depth-chargings.
Submarine Seawolf (SS-197) sinks Japanese cargo ship Showa Maru off northeast coast of Borneo, 03°55'N, 118°59'E.
Japanese occupy Nauru, Gilberts, and Goodenough Island, off southeast coast of New Guinea. - August 26, Wed.
Pacific
Japanese land at Milne Bay, New Guinea; USAAF B-17s, B-25s, B-26s, P-40s, along with RAAF Hudsons, attack beaches and transports while Australian troops attack the invaders.
SBDs (VS 71) from carrier Wasp (CV-7) damage Japanese submarine I-17, Solomons area, 09°25'S, 162°47'E.
Japanese occupy Ocean Island.
Submarine Haddock (SS-231) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Teishun Maru off China coast, about 100 miles north-northwest of Keelung, Formosa, 26°27'N, 121°23'E.
Seaplane tender (destroyer) Williamson (AVD-2) is damaged by explosion of bombs jarred loose from PBY being towed by the ship. - August 27, Thu.
Atlantic
German submarine U-165 attacks convoy SG 6 off Belle Isle Strait, torpedoing oiler Laramie (AO-16) at 51°44'N, 55°40'W; four sailors are killed. U-165 also torpedoes U.S. freighter Arlyn at 51°53'N, 55°48'W; 12 of the 34-man crew die (see 28 August).
German submarine U-517 attacks convoy SG 6F off Belle Isle Strait, torpedoing Army transport Chatham at °51'N, 55°49'W; seven of the 106-man crew perish, as do seven of the 428 passengers. There are no casualties among the 28-man Armed Guard. The majority of the men who survive the sinking pull to shore in a dozen life boats; the remainder, who embark in nine rafts, are rescued by destroyer Bernadou (DD-153), Coast Guard cutter Mojave (WPG-47), and Canadian corvette HMCS Trail.
Caribbean
German submarine U-511 attacks convoy TAW 15 (see 28 August 1942). - August 28, Fri.
Pacific
USMC and Navy SBDs (VMSB 232, VS 5) bomb and sink Japanese destroyer Asagiri off Santa Isabel, Solomons, and damage destroyers Shirakumo, Yugiri, and Amagiri, preventing reinforcements (elements of the Kawaguchi Detachment) from landing on Guadalcanal.
Light minelayer Gamble (DM-15) sinks Japanese submarine I-123 near Guadalcanal, 09°21'S, 160°43'E.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Topa Topa, bound for the Gold Coast, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-66 at 10°16'N, 51°30'W; 18 of the 42-man crew perish, as do seven of the 15-man Armed Guard. All three passengers survive. British merchantman Clan MacInnes rescues the 35 survivors and transports them to Trinidad.
Freighter Harjurand rescues some of the survivors from U.S. freighter Arlyn, torpedoed by U-165 the day before; the rest row to shore. A total of 22 merchant sailors, the 14-man Armed Guard, and the sole passenger survive Arlyn's loss. U-517 finishes off the abandoned Arlyn with a torpedo at 51°53'N, 55°48'W.
Caribbean
PBY (VP 92) and Canadian corvette HMCS Oakville sink German submarine U-94 at 17°54'N, 74°36'W. Destroyer Lea (DD-118) and Oakville pick up survivors.
U.S. tanker Esso Aruba, in convoy TAW 15, is torpedoed by German submarine U-511 approximately 120 miles south-southeast of Guantanamo Bay, 17°54'N, 74°47'W; U-511 also torpedoes British tanker San Fabian and Dutch tanker Rotterdam, both of which sink. Esso Aruba, however, suffers no casualties (convoy commodore and his five-man staff, 41-man merchant complement and 13-man Armed Guard), remains in convoy and reaches her destination the same day without further incident. - August 29, Sat.
Pacific
Transport William Ward Burrows (AP-6) is damaged when she runs aground on Sylvia Reef off Tulagi, Solomons, 09°07'S, 160°10'E.
Australian destroyer HMAS Arunta sinks Japanese submarine RO-33 ten miles southeast of Port Moresby, New Guinea, 09°36'S, 147°06'E. - August 30, Sun.
Pacific
TG 8.8 lands Army occupation forces on Adak, Aleutians, to begin construction of an air and naval base.
High speed transport Colhoun (APD-2) is bombed and sunk by Japanese planes off Kukum Point, Guadalcanal, 09°24'S, 160°01'E.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-19 reconnoiters Santa Cruz Island, Solomons.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker Jack Carnes, bound for Aruba, is shelled by German submarine U-705. After Armed Guard gunfire compels the Germans to submerge, U-705 torpedoes the tanker, 42°00'N, 28°05'E; 24 merchant seamen and four Armed Guard sailors man one lifeboat, while 18 merchant sailors (including the ship's master) and 10 Armed Guard sailors take to the other (see 31 August and 5 September 1942).
U.S. freighter Star of Oregon, bound for Trinidad, is torpedoed by German submarine U-162, and abandoned; one workaway sailor is killed in the attack. U-162 then shells and sinks the freighter, 11°48'N, 59°45'E, before questioning the crew and then leaving the area. The entire 38-man crew and 14-man Armed Guard sailors survive the loss of the ship; a U.S. patrol craft rescues them.
U.S. freighter West Lashaway is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-66 approximately 375 miles east of Trinidad, 10°30'N, 55°10'E; the rapidity with which the ship sinks prevents boats from being launched. Some 42 of the 56 souls on board (including a woman missionary and four children among the passengers) manage to reach four rafts (see 2, 13, 18 and 24 September 1942). - August 31, Mon.
Pacific
Eight Japanese destroyers put ashore 1,000 troops of the Kawaguchi Detachment on Guadalcanal.
Carrier Saratoga (CV-3) is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-26, 260 miles southeast of Guadalcanal, 10°34'S, 164°18'E.
Destroyer Reid (DD-369) and PBYs (VP 42, VP 43) sink Japanese submarine RO-61 off Atka, Aleutians, 52°36'N, 173°57'W.
Submarine Growler (SS-215) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Eifuku Maru in Formosa Strait, 25°43'N, 122°38'E.
Atlantic
Storm separates the two lifeboats with survivors from U.S. tanker Jack Carnes, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-705 at 42°00'N, 28°05'E (see 5 September 1942).
September
- September 1, Tue. Japanese Prime Minister Tojo Hideki also becomes Foreign Minister as Togo Shigenori resigns.
Pacific
Air Force, Pacific Fleet (Vice Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch) is established.
Sixth Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees), the first to serve in a combat area, arrives at Guadalcanal.
USAAF B-17s bomb and damage Japanese flying boat support ship Akitsushima and destroyer Akikaze off Buka Island, Solomons.
Atlantic
PBY (VP 73) bombs and sinks German submarine U-756, 57°30'N, 29°00'W. - September 2, Wed.
Pacific
Transport William Ward Burrows (AP-6) is damaged by grounding on Southern Cross Reef, off Tulagi, Solomons.
Submarine Flying Fish (SS-229) is damaged by depth charges off Truk, 07°46'N, 151°57'E, and ends her patrol.
Submarine Guardfish (SS-217) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Teikyu Maru (ex-Danish Gustav Diederickson) 13 miles southeast of Chikyu Mizaki, Hokkaido, Japan, 42°08'N, 141°15'E.
Atlantic
Storm separates the four rafts upon which survivors of U.S. freighter West Lashaway (sunk by German submarine U-66 on 30 August 1942) have gathered (see 13, 18 and 24 September 1942). - September 3, Thu.
Atlantic
Transport Wakefield (AP-21) is extensively damaged by fire while en route from River Clyde to New York in convoy TA 18. Light cruiser Brooklyn (CL-40), destroyers Mayo (DD-422), Madison (DD-425), Niblack (DD-424) and Charles F. Hughes (DD-428) provide assistance; all hands (1500 men) are saved. Niblack stands by with a salvage party. Wakefield will not return to service until February 1944.
Pacific
Japanese minelayer Tsugaru is damaged by aircraft, Solomons area.
Submarine Seal (SS-183) damages Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Kanju Maru southeast of Cape Padaran, French Indochina, 11°00'N, 109°00'E. - September 4, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Growler (SS-215) sinks Japanese ammunition ship Kashino in Formosa Straits, about 50 miles northeast of Keelung, Formosa, 25°43'N, 122°38'E.
Submarine Guardfish (SS-217), operating off northeast coast of Honshu, sinks merchant cargo ships Kaimei Maru and Chita Maru at 40°14'N, 141°51'E, and passenger cargo ship Tenyu Maru at 40°12'N, 141°49'E, off Kuji Bay, Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
Submarine Pompano (SS-181) sinks guardboat No.27 Nanshin Maru northeast of Honshu, Japan, 35°22'N, 151°40'E.
Japanese merchant cargo ship Suki Maru is sunk by mine in Bangka Strait, N.E.I.
Atlantic
Unidentified German U-boat comes across one boat containing 19 survivors of U.S. freighter California, sunk by Italian submarine Reginaldo Giuliani on 13 August 1942 and provides rations and navigational assistance before departing (see 5 and 14 September 1942). - September 5, Sat.
Pacific
Japanese troops are withdrawn from their tenuous beachhead at Milne Bay.
High speed transports Gregory (APD-3) and Little (APD-4) are sunk by Japanese destroyers Yudachi, Murakumo, and Hatsuyuki off Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, 09°20'S, 160°01'E.
Submarine Seal (SS-183) sinks Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Kanju Maru southeast of Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina, 11°00'N, 109°32'E.
Atlantic
British steamship City of Capetown rescues 19 survivors of U.S. freighter California, sunk by Italian submarine Reginaldo Giuliani on 13 August 1942 (see 14 September 1942).
One lifeboat with 28 survivors of U.S. tanker Jack Carnes, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-705 on 30 August 1942, reaches Terceira, Azores. The other 28 survivors (18 merchant seamen and 10 Armed Guard sailors) are never recovered. - September 6, Sun.
Pacific
District patrol craft YP-74 is sunk by collision with merchant vessel Derblay off the Aleutian Islands, 54°23'N, 164°10'W.
Battleship South Dakota (BB-57) is damaged when she fouls a coral reef in Lahai Passage, Tonga Islands.
Japanese submarine I-11 is damaged by gunfire, location unspecified. - September 7, Mon. U.S. and Cuba conclude agreement for naval and military cooperation.
Pacific
Submarine Growler (SS-215) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Taika Maru 20 miles northwest of Keelung, Formosa, 25°31'N, 121°38'E. - September 9, Wed.
Pacific
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-25 drops incendiary bombs on forest near Mount Emily, ten miles northeast of Brookings, Oregon, in an attempt to ignite forest fires. It is the first time a Japanese aircraft has bombed the continental United States during World War II. The bombing is reported by a forest ranger (see 29 September 1942).
Japanese submarine I-30 reaches Penang, Malaya, having *successfully run the Allied blockade of Lorient, France (see 13 October 1942).
District patrol craft YP-346 is sunk by Japanese light cruiser Sendai and three destroyers off Guadalcanal.
Atlantic
Coast Guard weather ship Muskeget (WAG-48) is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-755 between Norfolk, Virginia, and Iceland. - September 10, Thu.
Atlantic
German submarine U-69 lays mines at mouth of Chesapeake Bay.
U.S. freighter American Leader is shelled, torpedoed, and sunk by German auxiliary cruiser Michel (Schiffe 28) in the South Atlantic approximately 800 miles west of the mouth of the Cape of Good Hope, 34°26'S, 02°00'E. Michel recovers the survivors, 39 of 49 merchant seamen and eight of nine Armed Guard sailors, and ultimately transports them to Singapore where they are turned over to the Japanese. Of that group, 14 will perish as POWs. - September 11, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Saury (SS-189) sinks Japanese aircraft transport Kanto Maru approximately 30 miles off the west coast of the Celebes, in central Makassar Strait, 03°15'S, 118°27'E.
On board submarine Seadragon (SS-194), en route to her war patrol station in the South China Sea, Pharmacist's Mate First Class Wheeler B. Lipes performs successful appendectomy on Seaman First Class Darrell D. Rector, USNR. Captain James Fife, Commander, Submarine Squadron 2, later writes that he "hoped that his [Lipes's] success will not encourage others to take unnecssary risks..." in such cases in the future (see 14-15 December and 22 December 1942).
USAAF B-17s and RAAF Hudsons sink Japanese destroyer Yayoi about 15 miles east of Normanby Island, D'Entrecasteaux Islands. - September 12, Sat.
Atlantic
Brazil places its naval forces under U.S. Navy operational control.
U.S. tanker Patrick J. Hurley, en route to Belfast, Ireland, is shelled by German submarine U-512 at22°59'N, 46°15'E, and abandoned after Armed Guard gunfire proves unavailing in the tanker's defense (see 19 September and 2 October 1942).
Laconia Incident: German submarine U-156 torpedoes and sinks British transport Laconia, which has 1,800 Italian POWs on board, northeast of Ascension Island, 05°05'S, 11°38'W; the U-boat immediately commences rescue operations and dispatches plain-language request for help. In addition, diplomatic channels are utilized to seek aid from Vichy French naval units in West African waters (see 16-18 September 1942). - September 13, Sun.
North Russia
German aerial and submarine attacks begin against convoy PQ 18, bound for Archangel, USSR, approximately 100 miles southwest of Spitsbergen. U.S. freighter Oliver Ellsworth is torpedoed by German submarine U-589 at 75°52'N, 07°55'E, and abandoned; one Armed Guard sailor is killed in the attack. Survivors (42 merchant seamen and 27 Armed Guard crewmen) are rescued by merchantman Copeland and British armed trawler HMS St. Kenan; the latter scuttles the crippled Oliver Ellsworth with gunfire. Later that day, German planes attack, torpedoing freighter John Penn at 75°52'N, 07°55'E; three of the 40-man merchant crew are killed. British destroyer HMS Eskimo and minesweeper HMS Harrier rescue the survivors, who include the 25-man Armed Guard; John Penn is scuttled by escort vessels. Shortly thereafter, freighter Oregonian is also torpedoed at 76°00'N, 09°30'E; escort vessels rescue 21 of the 40-man crew, in addition to 8 of the 14-man Armed Guard.
Atlantic
Plane drops rations to one raft containing 19 survivors from U.S. freighter West Lashaway (sunk by German submarine U-66 on 30 August 1942) (see 18 and 24 September 1942). - September 14, Mon.
Pacific
USAAF B-17s damage Japanese heavy cruiser Myoko as she is en route from Truk, Carolines, to carry out support operations off Guadalcanal,
USAAF planes (13 B-24s and 1 B-17 take part in the raid) sink Japanese ammunition ship Nojima Maru off Kiska, Aleutians; USAAF P-39s damage submarines RO 63 and RO 64 also in the area.
North Russia
German torpedo planes continue attacks upon Archangel-bound convoy PQ 18, sinking U.S. freighter Mary Luckenbach about 600 miles west of North Cape, Norway, 76°00'N, 16°00'E; she is lost with all hands (41 merchant seamen and a 24-man Armed Guard). The violent explosion of Mary Luckenbach's ammunition cargo rains debris on nearby freighter Nathanael Greene, 76°00'N, 16°00'E, injuring 11 men (five of whom are transferred to British destroyer HMS Onslaught for medical attention), but the merchantman makes port under her own power. Concussion from the explosion also disables U.S. freighter Wacosta, which is later torpedoed and sunk about 400 miles northeast of Jan Mayen Island, 76°05'N, 10°00'E; she suffers no casualties. British light cruiser HMS Scylla and minesweeper HMS Harrier rescue all hands: 38 merchant sailors and the 11-man Armed Guard survive Wacosta's loss.
Atlantic
Norwegian steamship Talisman rescues 18 survivors (one of the original 19 has succumbed to exposure during the 32-day ordeal) of U.S. freighter California, sunk by Italian submarine Reginaldo Giuliani on 13 August 1942. - September 15, Tue.
Pacific
TF 18 (Rear Admiral Leigh Noyes), covering reinforcement convoy from Espiritu Santo to Guadalcanal, is attacked by Japanese submarine I-19, which torpedoes carrier Wasp (CV-7) at 12°25'S, 164°08'E. Irreparably damaged, consumed by gasoline fires, Wasp is scuttled by destroyer Lansdowne (DD-486). I-19, in the same spread of torpedoes, also damages battleship North Carolina (BB-55) and destroyer O'Brien (DD-415) (see 19 October 1942).
Japanese battleships bombard Guadalcanal.
Japanese destroyer Fumizuki is damaged by grounding in Formosa Strait.
Atlantic
Light cruiser Philadelphia (CL-42) and transport Edward Rutledge (AP-52) are damaged in collision in Hampton Roads. - September 16, Wed.
Pacific
Japanese overland assault on Port Moresby, New Guinea, "grinds to a halt" at Ioribaiwa.
Japanese forces evacuate Attu, Aleutians.
Atlantic
TF 23 (Vice Admiral Jonas H. Ingram) is designated South Atlantic Force, Atlantic Fleet.
Patrol Wing 12 (Captain William G. Tomlinson) is established at Key West, Florida, for operations in Gulf Sea Frontier.
U.S. freighter Commercial Trader is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-558 east of Trinidad, 10°30'N, 60°16'W; seven of the 29-man crew perish in the attack, as do three of the 9-man Armed Guard. The survivors, in one lifeboat, reach Tobago later the same day.
Laconia Incident: USAAF B-24 from Ascension Island bombs German submarine U-156 (see 12 September 1942), which, along with U-506 and U-507 and Italian submarine Capellini, is engaged in rescuing survivors of the torpedoed British transport Laconia (see 17 September 1942). - September 17, Thu.
Atlantic
Laconia Incident: In the wake of the attack by USAAF B-24 upon German submarines U-156, U-506 and U-507 and Italian submarine Capellini, engaged in rescuing survivors of the torpedoed British transport Laconia, Admiral Karl Doenitz issues orders forbidding U-boats from rescuing survivors of sunken ships (the "Laconia Order"). Vichy French light cruiser Gloire, sloop Dumont D'Urville and minesweeper Annamite rescue 1,041 people from lifeboats and the German submarines that have picked them up, too.
U.S. freighter Mae is torpedoed, shelled and sunk by German submarine U-515 approximately 41 miles north of Georgetown, British Guiana, 08°03'N, 58°13'W; one crewman is killed. Norwegian merchantman Sorwangen rescues the 31 surviving merchant crewmen and the nine-man Armed Guard, and transfers them to Canadian merchantman Gypsum King, which takes them to Georgetown. - September 18, Fri.
Pacific
7th Marine Regiment reinforces marines on Guadalcanal.
Atlantic
German submarine U-455 lays mines off Charleston, South Carolina.
British destroyer HMS Vimy is detached from convoy to investigate raft containing survivors from U.S. freighter West Lashaway (sunk by German submarine U-66 on 30 August 1942). Vimy, believing the hoisted sail to be part of the disguise of a U-boat, opens fire on the raft. Her gunnery, however, is fortunately bad, and the survivors (who hurriedly strike the sail) are rescued. This group includes among them the woman missionary and four children (see 24 September 1942).
Laconia Incident: Vichy French sloop Dumont D'Urville takes on board 42 survivors from sunken British transport Laconia that had been rescued by Italian submarine Capellini.
North Russia
German torpedo planes continue attacks upon Archangel-bound convoy PQ 18, sinking U.S. freighter Kentucky approximately 35 miles west of Cape Kanin, USSR; all hands survive the loss of the ship. Two British minesweepers rescue the 38-man merchant complement and the 16-man Armed Guard. - September 19, Sat.
Pacific
Submarine Amberjack (SS-219) sinks Japanese transport Shirogane Maru at northern entrance of Bougainville Strait, 06°33'S, 156°05'E.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Wichita is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-516 about 300 miles northeast of Barbados, 15°00'N, 54°00'W. There are no survivors from either the 40-man merchant complement or 10-man Armed Guard unit.
Swedish steamship Etna rescues 22 survivors from lifeboat from U.S. tanker Patrick J. Hurley, sunk by German submarine U-512 on 12 September 1942 (see 2 October 1942). - September 20, Sun.
Pacific
Naval Operating Base, Auckland, New Zealand, is established.
North Russia
U.S. freighter Silver Sword, in convoy QP 14, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-225 at 75°41'N, 03°12'E; rescue ships Rathlin and Zamalek pick up all hands: 32 merchant seamen (one of whom dies later of his injuries), the 11-man Armed Guard, and 18 passengers (crewmen from freighters Peter Kerr and Honomu, sunk on 5 July 1942 in the ill-fated PQ 17 convoy). - September 21, Mon.
Pacific
Submarine Grouper (SS-214) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Tone Maru in China Sea, east of Shanghai, 31°18'N, 123°27'E.
Submarine Trout (SS-202) sinks Japanese auxiliary netlayer Koei Maru south of Truk, 06°54'N, 151°51'E. - September 22, Tue.
Pacific
Submarine Amberjack (SS-219), en route to patrol the waters off Kieta, Bougainville, is damaged when she runs aground on an uncharted coral head off Oema Island, 06°31'31"S, 155°59'E. She remains on patrol.
Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Paul Luckenbach is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-29 approximately 800 miles from the coast of India, 10°03'N, 63°42'E; although the four lifeboats containing the entire 44-man complement and 17-man Armed Guard become separated during the 16-to-21 day voyages, all hands reach safety.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker Esso Williamsburg is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-211 approximately 500 miles south of Cape Farewell, Greenland, 53°12'N, 41°00'W; there are no survivors from the 42-man crew and 18-man Armed Guard.
North Russia
U.S. freighter Bellingham, in convoy QP 14, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-435 approximately 45 miles west of Jan Mayen Island, 71°23'N, 11°03'E; escort vessels rescue the ship's complement: 39 merchant seamen, the 10-man Armed Guard, and 26 passengers (survivors from freighters Pan Kraft and Pan Atlantic, sunk on 5 and 6 July 1942, respectively, in the ill-fated PQ 17 convoy). - September 23, Wed.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Antinous is torpedoed by German submarine U-515 off Georgetown, British Guiana, 08°58'N, 59°33'W; Armed Guard gunfire forces U-515 to submerge. All hands abandon Antinous; a volunteer crew returns to the ship to try and get her underway (see 24 September 1942).
U.S. freighter Penmar, straggling from convoy SC-100 and steering toward Cape Farewell, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-432 at 58°12'N, 34°35'W. One man dies as the ship is being abandoned, but 38 merchant sailors and the 22-man Armed Guard are rescued by Coast Guard cutter Bibb (WPG-31) and transported to Iceland. - September 24, Thu.
Pacific
Japanese land on Maiana, Gilberts.
SBDs (VMSB 231, VS 3) from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, damage Japanese destroyer Umikaze while the ship engages in resupply operations.
USAAF B-17 damages Japanese seaplane carrier Sanuki Maru off Shortlands Island, Solomons.
Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Losmar is sunk by Japanese submarine I-165 about 250 miles west of Cape Comorin, India, 07°40'N, 74°15'E; of the ship's 9-man Armed Guard detachment, 3 are lost when she sinks. British ship Louise Moller will rescue 14 survivors on 5 October; seven survivors will reach the west coast of Ceylon by boat on 17 October 1942.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter John Winthrop, straggling from convoy ON 131, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-619 at 56°00'N, 31°00'W. There are no survivors from the 39-man merchant complement or the 13-man Armed Guard.
U.S. freighter West Chetac is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-175 north of British Guiana, 08°06'N, 58°12'W; only 17 of the 39-man crew and two of the 11-man Armed Guard reach the rafts that float free of the ship as she sinks in heavy seas. U-175 conducts a brief interrogation of the survivors before departing (see 2 or 3 October 1942).
U.S. freighter Antinous, torpedoed the previous day, is reboarded by the rest of the crew and is taken in tow by British rescue tug HMS Zwarte Zee. Soon thereafter, however, Antinous is torpedoed by U-512. Again, Antinous is abandoned, and all hands are picked up by Zwarte Zee and HMS Busy. The freighter sinks later that day.
West Indian fishing boat rescues last two survivors (one of whom subsequently dies of exposure) of U.S. freighter West Lashaway (sunk by German submarine U-66 on 30 August 1942). All told, only 12 of the 38-man merchant complement, one of the 9-man Armed Guard, and five of nine passengers survive West Lashaway's loss. - September 25, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Sargo (SS-188) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Teibo Maru (ex-Danish Nordbo) off coast of French Indochina, 180 miles east of Saigon, 10°31'N, 109°31'E.
Japanese land on Beru, Gilberts.
USAAF B-17s damage Japanese light cruiser Yura off Shortland Island, Solomons.
Japanese submarine I-5 is damaged by gunfire off Guadalcanal.
USAAF P-39 fighters damage Japanese submarine RO 67 off Kiska, Aleutians. - September 26, Sat.
Pacific
Japanese submarine I-33 accidentally sinks while undergoing voyage repairs at Truk, Carolines.
Japanese weather observation ship No.6 Kyoei Maru is damaged by aircraft (nationality unspecified) off Woodlark Island. - September 27, Sun.
Pacific
1st Battalion, 7th Marines (Lieutenant Colonel Lewis B. Puller) withdraws from Matanikau River, Guadalcanal, area in landing craft; extraction of marines is covered by gunfire from destroyer Monssen (DD-436) and SBD (VMSB ). All available Higgins boats (24 in number) are sent to extract the marines, under Signalman 1st Class Douglas A. Munro, USCG. Munro, with a volunteer crew, interposes his boat so as to draw fire away from the five boats that are embarking marines. Munro is killed, two of his three-man crew are wounded (one mortally). He succeeds in his object, but at the cost of his own life. For his heroism, Munro is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.
Japanese land on Kuria, Gilberts.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Stephen Hopkins engages German auxiliary cruiser Stier (Schiffe 23) and supply ship Tannenfels in a surface gunnery action in the central South Atlantic on the shipping lane between Capetown, South Africa, and Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana. Stier sinks Stephen Hopkins but the German raider sinks after having received heavy damage inflicted by the freighter's Armed Guard (Ensign Kenneth Willett, USNR) and civilian volunteer (Cadet Midshipman Edwin J. O'Hara) gunners, 28°08'S, 20°01'W. Tannenfels rescues Stier's survivors (see 27 October 1942). Ensign Willett will receive a posthumous Navy Cross. - September 28, Mon.
Pacific
Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) torpedoes and sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship No.6 Tamon Maru east of Japan, 40°35'N, 141°50'N.
Submarine Sculpin (SS-191) torpedoes Japanese seaplane carrier Nisshin east of Kokoda Island; the submarine is damaged by depth charges off New Britain, 03°47'S, 151°36'E but continues her patrol.
Submarine Trout (SS-202) torpedoes Japanese escort carrier Taiyo east of Truk, 06°59'N, 151°45'E.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Alcoa Mariner is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-175 approximately 20 miles off the mouth of the Orinoco River, 08°57'N, 60°08'W; all hands survive the loss of the ship. Canadian motorship Turret Cape rescues 41 merchant seamen and the 13-man Armed Guard. - September 29, Tue.
Pacific
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-25 drops incendiary bombs on a forest in southern coastal Oregon--the second and last time a Japanese aircraft will bomb the continental United States during World War II in an attempt to ignite forest fires.
Cargo ship Alhena (AK-26) is damaged by Japanese submarine I-4, 20 miles south of San Cristobal Island, Solomons, 10°47'S, 161°16'E.
Atlantic
Open lighters YC-898 and YC-899 sink off Key West, Florida, while in tow en route from New Orleans to Key West. - September 30, Wed.
Pacific
Heavy cruiser San Francisco (CA-38) and light minelayer Breese (DM-18) are damaged in collision, New Hebrides area, 15°39'S, 167°39'E.
October
- October 1, Thu.
Pacific
Submarine Grouper (SS-214) torpedoes and sinks Japanese army transport _Lisbon Maru_20 miles north of Chushan Island, 29°57'N, 122°56'N. [Unknown to the Grouper, Lisbon Maru was a "hell ship" transporting British Prisoners of War--over 850 of whom were murdered by the Japanese, either shot or drowned locked in the holds.]
Submarine Kingfish (SS-234) torpedoes and sinks merchant cargo ship Yomei Maru off Ichiezaki, Japan, 33°31'N, 135°26'E.
Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) sinks merchant cargo ship Tosei Maru east of Shiriyazaki, Japan, 41°20'N, 141°35'E.
Submarine Sturgeon (SS-187) damages Japanese aircraft transport Katsuragi Maru off Cape St. George, New Ireland, 05°51'S, 153°18'E.
Atlantic
Advanced Group, Amphibious Forces, Atlantic Fleet becomes Amphibious Forces, Europe under the Commander U.S. Naval Forces Europe (Admiral Harold R. Stark).
Destroyer Roe (DD-418), 20 miles off the coast of Trinidad, rescues the 19 men (17 merchant seamen and 2 Armed Guard sailors) from U.S. freighter West Chetac, sunk by German submarine U-175 on 24 September 1942, and transports them to Port-of-Spain. - October 2, Fri.
Pacific
5th Defense Battalion, USMC, occupies Funafuti, Ellice Islands.
Transport St. Mihiel (AP-32) is damaged when she strikes uncharted underwater object off Turn Island, Alaska.
USAAF B-17s bomb Rabaul harbor, damaging Japanese light cruiser Tenryu.
Atlantic
USAAF B-18 (99th Bombardment Squadron) sinks German submarine U-512 off French Guiana, 06°50'N, 52°25'W.
U.S. freighter Alcoa Transport is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-201 about 100 miles southeast of Trinidad, 09°03'N, 60°10'W. Submarine chaser PC-490 rescues the surviving 31 merchant seamen (three crewmen are killed; a fourth dies of wounds later) and five-man Armed Guard sailors.
British steamship Loch Dee rescues 23 survivors from lifeboat from U.S. tanker Patrick J. Hurley, sunk by German submarine U-512 on 12 September 1942. All told, 31 of 44 merchant seamen and 14 of 18 Armed Guard sailors survive the loss of Patrick J. Hurley. - October 3, Sat.
Pacific
SBDs (VS 71, VMSB 141, VMSB 231, VS 3) and TBFs (VT 8) from Henderson Field attack Japanese supply convoy en route to Guadalcanal, damaging seaplane carrier Nisshin.
Submarine Greenling (SS-213) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Kinkai Maru, 38°46'N, 142°02'E.
Submarine Trout (SS-202) is damaged by Japanese aerial bomb off Truk, forcing the submarine to end her patrol. - October 4, Sun.
Pacific
Destroyers Drayton (DD-366) and Flusser (DD-368) are damaged in collision during exercises in Hawaiian Operating Area.
Submarine Greenling (SS-213) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Setsuyo Maru off Sanriku, 39°48'N, 142°08'E.
U.S. tanker Camden is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-25 off the coast of Oregon, 43°42'N, 124°52'W, and is abandoned. One crewman drowns as the men leave the ship. Swedish motorship Kookaburra rescues the 38 merchant seamen and the 9 Armed Guard sailors (see 5 October 1942).
Caribbean
U.S. freighter Caribstar is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-175 off the mouth of the Orinoco River, 08°30'N, 59°37'W. The 29-man merchant crew suffers 4 dead and 13 wounded (two of whom later die of their wounds); there are no casualties among the 6-man Armed Guard. Submarine chaser PC-469 rescues survivors.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker Robert H. Colley, in convoy HX 209, is torpedoed by German submarine U-254 at 59°06'N, 28°18'W, and breaks in two, with the forward part sinking first. Twenty of the 44-man merchant complement perish, as do eight of the 17 Armed Guard sailors (see 5 October 1942). - October 5, Mon.
Pacific
Planes from carrier Hornet (CV-8) (Rear Admiral George D. Murray) bomb Buin-Tonolei area and Faisi, Bougainville, Solomons.
SBDs (VS 3, VS 71, VMSB 141) from Henderson Field attack Japanese convoy, damaging destroyers Minegumo and Murasame 150 miles from Guadalcanal.
PBY (COMAIRSOPAC) sinks Japanese submarine I-22 near Indispensable Strait, Solomons.
Submarine Trigger (SS-237) damages Japanese transport Shinkoku Maru, 31°40'N, 142°06'E.where°
U.S. tanker Camden, torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-25 the previous day and abandoned, is taken in tow by tug Kenai see 10 October 1942).
Atlantic
PBY (VP 73) sinks German submarine U-582 at 58°52'N, 21°42'W.where°
German submarine U-175 torpedoes, shells, and sinks U.S. freighter William A. McKenney about 50 miles east of Corocoro Island, Venezuela, 08°35'N, 59°20'W; one man is killed. Destroyer Blakely (DD-150) rescues the survivors (30 merchant seamen and the 4-man Armed Guard).
British corvette HMS Borage rescues the 24 merchant seamen and nine Armed Guard sailors from the after section of U.S. tanker Robert H. Colley (the ship had been torpedoed by German submarine U-254 the previous day). Borage scuttles the stern section of the ship with gunfire and depth charges. - October 6, Tue.
Pacific
U.S. tanker Larry Doheny is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-25 off the coast of Oregon, 42°20'N, 125°02'W, and abandoned. Two of the ship's 34-man merchant complement die in the attack, as do four of the 8-man Armed Guard. Small seaplane tender Coos Bay (AVP-25) rescues the survivors. Larry Doheny sinks the next morning. - October 7, Wed.
Pacific
Submarine Amberjack (SS-219) sinks Japanese supply ship Senkei Maru, southern Carolines, 01°55'N, 153°01'E.
Submarine Sculpin (SS-191) sinks Japanese army transport Naminoue Maru off Rabaul, 03°14'S, 150°01'E.
Japanese merchant cargo ship Midori Maru founders and sinks above Woosung, China.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Chickasaw City is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-172 approximately 85 miles south-southwest of Cape Town, South Africa, 34°00'S, 17°16'E; 5 of the 37-man crew, 1 of the 11-man Armed Guard and the sole passenger perish in the attack (see 8 October and 2 November 1942).
U.S. freighter John Carter Rose is attacked by German submarine U-201; one dud torpedo fails to damage the merchantman and Armed Guard gunfire drives off the ship's assailant (see 8 October 1942). - October 8, Thu.
Pacific
Japanese guardboat 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). - October 9, Fri.
Pacific
U.S. troop convoy, consisting of transports McCawley (AP-10) and Zeilin (AP-9) and eight high speed transports (Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner) sails from Nouméa, New Caledonia, for Guadalcanal with the U.S. Army 164th Infantry Regiment embarked.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-7 reconnoiters Espiritu Santo.
Submarine Drum (SS-228) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Yawatasan Maru, 33°27'N, 136°01'E.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Coloradan is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-159 approximately 214 miles southwest of Cape Town, South Africa, 35°47'S, 14°34'E; six crewmen are killed in the attack. Survivors (who include 33 merchant seamen and the 15-man Armed Guard) divide themselves between two lifeboats; the men in lifeboat no.1 are questioned by the Germans and are given a course to Cape Town (see 11 and 19 October and 2 November 1942). - October 9, Sun.
Pacific
Japanese oiler Shiretoko is damaged, cause and location unspecified.
Japanese army cargo ship Shinju Maru is damaged, cause unspecified, northeast of Kasa Island.
Atlantic
German submarine U-505 is damaged by aircraft off Trinidad, B.W.I.
U.S. freighter Examelia is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-68 20 miles south of the Cape of Good Hope, 34°52'S, 18°30'E; U-boat officers question the survivors before the enemy submersible leaves the area. U.S. freighter John Lykes subsequently rescues the survivors (30 of 38 merchant sailors and 10 of the 13-man Armed Guard) (see 2 November 1942). - October 10, Sat.
Pacific
Submarine Amberjack (SS-219) damages Japanese transport Tenryu Maru and auxiliary Tonan Maru off Kavieng, 02°36'S, 150°48'E.
Submarine Seadragon (SS-194) sinks Japanese transport Shigure Maru off Samarinda, Borneo, 01°01'S, 117°22'E.
Submarine Wahoo (SS-238) sinks Japanese collier Kamoi Maru off Bougainville, Solomons.
Japanese submarine chaser Ch 14 is damaged by planes (USAAF B-24s and B-17s, accompanied by P-38s, bomb shipping in Trout Lagoon and off South Head) off Kiska, Aleutians.
U.S. tanker Camden, torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-25 on 4 October 1942, catches fire and sinks off the mouth of the Columbia River, 46°46'38"N, 124°31'15"W. - October 11, Sun.
Pacific
Japanese transport force (Rear Admiral Joshima Koji), formed around seaplane carriers Chitose and Nisshin and six destroyers, reaches Tassafaronga, Guadalcanal, to disembark elements of the Japanese Army's 2d Infantry Division. Three heavy cruisers and two destroyers (Rear Admiral Goto Aritomo, his flag in heavy cruiser Aoba) are to provide cover by shelling Henderson Field. Battle of Cape Esperance commences shortly before midnight, however, as naval surface force TG 64.2 (Rear Admiral Norman Scott) bars Goto's way. Heavy cruiser Salt Lake City (CA-25) and light cruiser Boise (CL-47) are damaged, but combine to cripple Japanese heavy cruiser Furutaka; destroyers Duncan (DD-485) and Farenholt (DD-491) are also damaged by Japanese gunfire, the latter possibly by friendly fire from either Boise or Helena (CL-50). American cruiser and destroyer gunfire sinks Japanese destroyer Fubuki (09°06'S, 159°38'E) and damages heavy cruiser Aoba (Rear Admiral Goto is killed on board his flagship) and destroyer Hatsuyuki.
Japanese submarine I-25, homeward bound from her deployment off the U.S. West Coast, torpedoes and sinks Russian submarine L 16 (bound from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, to San Francisco, California), 46°41'N, 138°56'E.
Submarine Searaven (SS-196) torpedoes German blockade runner Regensburg in Sunda Strait, N.E.I.
British destroyer HMS Active rescues 23 survivors from No.2 lifeboat from U.S. freighter Coloradan, which had been torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-159 on 9 October 1942 (see 19 October 1942).
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Steel Scientist, en route to Paramaribo, British Guiana, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-514, 05°48'N, 51°39'W; one crewman is killed in the attack. Survivors (who include 37 merchant seamen and the 9-man Armed Guard) take to a gig and three lifeboats (see 19 and 20 October 1942). - October 12, Mon.
Pacific
Battle of Cape Esperance continues as TG 64.2 engages Japanese cruiser and destroyer force. As the result of damage received in the battle, Japanese heavy cruiser Furutaka sinks, 09°02'S, 159°34'E; destroyers Murakumo and Shirayuki rescue survivors of Rear Admiral Goto's ships sunk in the engagement with TG 64.2.
Despite efforts of a salvage party from destroyer McCalla (DD-488), destroyer Duncan (DD-485) sinks as a result of damage received off Cape Esperance. McCalla also conducts unsuccessful attempt to sink Japanese submarine I-2 off Guadalcanal.
Destroyers Gwin (DD-433), Nicholas (DD-450), and Sterett (DD-407) shell Japanese artillery positions on Guadalcanal.
SBD (VS 71) sinks Japanese destroyer Natsugumo off Savo Island; destroyer Murakumo, after being damaged by TBF (VT 8), Navy and Marine SBDs (VS 3, VS 71, VMSB 141) and Marine F4Fs (VMF 121, VMF 212, and VMF 224) off New Georgia, Solomons, is scuttled by destroyer Shirayuki.
Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) is damaged by depth charges off northern Honshu, 41°05'N, 141°58'E, but remains on patrol.
Motor torpedo boats PT-38, PT-46, PT-48 and PT-60 arrive at Tulagi, having been towed from Espiritu Santo to a point 300 miles south of that place by high speed minesweepers Southard (DMS-10) and Hovey (DMS-11).
Transport Mount Vernon (AP-22) is stranded by storm, Sydney, Australia, harbor, but is not damaged in the accidental grounding.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Pan Gulf, in convoy TAG 18S, blunders into U.S. minefield at 10°01'N, 61°50'16"W; she returns to Trinidad under her own power. There are no casualties among the 38-man merchant complement and 21-man Armed Guard. - October 13, Tue.
Pacific
1st Marine Division is reinforced by 164th Infantry Regiment of Americal Division, the first major U.S. Army unit to reach Guadalcanal.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-7 reconnoiters Espiritu Santo.
Japanese submarine I-30 is sunk by mine, three miles east of Singapore (see 9 September 1942).
North Russia
German torpedo bombers attacking convoy PQ.18
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Susana, in convoy SC 104 and bound for Cardiff, Wales, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-221, 53°41'N, 41°23'W; 27 of the 42-man crew perish with the ship, as do 10 of the 16-man Armed Guard. British rescue ship Gothland rescues the six Armed Guard survivors and the 15 merchant seamen who survive Susana's loss.
U.S. freighter West Humhaw rescues 18 survivors of freighter John Carter Rose, sunk by U-201 and U-202 on 8 October 1942. Argentinean tanker Santa Cruz picks up the remainder of those who survive the merchantman's loss. - October 14, Wed.
Pacific
Motor torpedo boats PT-60, PT-38, PT-46, and PT-48 (Lieutenant Commander Alan R. Montgomery) engage Japanese surface force (Rear Admiral Kurita Takeo) comprising battleships Haruna and Kongo, light cruiser Isuzu, and seven destroyers bombarding Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. Destroyer Naganami turns back the motor torpedo boats; Japanese bombardment destroys 48 of 90 planes at the field, putting the facility temporarily out of action. PT-60 is damaged by grounding on coral reef off Guadalcanal.
SBDs (Guadalcanal-based VS 3) attack six-ship Japanese convoy escorted by eight destroyers heading southward toward Guadalcanal between Santa Isabel and Florida Islands, 08°50'S, 160°00'E, but inflict no damage.
Japanese submarine I-7 shells Espiritu Santo.
Submarine Finback (SS-230), attacking Japanese convoy, sinks army transport Teison Maru about 20 miles off Tansui harbor, on northwest tip of Formosa, 25°20'N, 121°25'E.
Submarine Greenling (SS-213) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Takusei Maru six miles off Todo Zaki, off northeast coast of Honshu, 39°33'N, 142°15'E.
Submarine Grampus (SS-207) lands Australian coastwatchers on coast of Vella Lavella (see 19 October 1942).
Submarine Sculpin (SS-191) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Sumiyoshi Maru 75 miles southwest of Kavieng, New Ireland, 03°51'S, 151°21'E.
Submarine Skipjack (SS-184) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Shunko Maru about 450 miles west-southwest of Truk, 05°35'N, 144°25'E. - October 15, Thu.
Pacific
Submarine Base, Fremantle-Perth, Australia, is established.
Patrol Wing 14 (Captain William M. McDade) is established at San Diego, California, for operations in Western Sea Frontier.
Heavy cruiser Portland (CA-33) bombards Japanese shipping and installations at Tarawa, Gilberts.
Japanese heavy cruisers Chokai and Kinugasa (Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi) bombard Henderson Field, covering the movement of six destroyers and eleven transports to Tassafaronga, Guadalcanal. Planes from Henderson Field, including USMC and Navy SBDs (VMSB 141, VB 6, other unidentified units), USAAF B-17s and P-39/P-400s, Navy F4Fs (VF 5), and USMC PBY (personal "flag" plane of Commanding General 1st Marine Aircraft Wing), conduct a succession of attacks upon Japanese supply convoy off Tassafaronga undamaged by VS 3's strike the previous day. USAAF B-17s damage transport Azumasan Maru which, along with merchant cargo ship Kyushu Maru, is run aground, where uncontrollable fires destroy both ships. Air attacks also sink Sasago Maru and damage destroyer Samidare.
Off San Cristobal, Solomons, destroyer Meredith (DD-434) takes on board the crew of tug Vireo (AT-144) at approach of planes from Japanese carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku. Before Meredith can scuttle the tug with a torpedo to prevent her from falling into enemy hands, however, the destroyer is overwhelmed and sunk in the ensuing air attack, by bombs and aerial torpedoes; Vireo and her tow (a gasoline barge), though, having been abandoned, drift off, untouched by the enemy. Some Meredith survivors reach safety on board the tug (see 21 September 1942).
Submarine Skipjack (SS-184) engages Japanese auxiliary Kifuku Maru at 04°36'N, 146°59'E. Skipjack's torpedoes miss; Kifuku Maru returns fire with her guns and escapes into a rain squall. - October 16, Fri.
Pacific
Japanese surface force (Rear Admiral Omori Sentaro), with heavy cruisers Maya and Myoko, and Rear Admiral Tanaka Raizo, with light cruiser Isuzu and seven destroyers) shells Henderson Field.
TF 17, formed around carrier Hornet (CV-8) (Rear Admiral George D. Murray), strikes Japanese troops on Guadalcanal, and seaplane base at Rekata Bay, Santa Isabel, Solomons.
Seaplane tender (destroyer) McFarland (AVD-14) is damaged by Japanese dive bombers, Lunga Roads, Guadalcanal, 09°24'S, 160°02'E.
After attacks by PBYs fail, USAAF B-26s (11th Air Force) sink Japanese destroyer Oboro about 20 miles northeast of Sirius Point, Kiska, 52°17'N, 178°08'E, and damage destroyer Hatsuharu.
Submarine Thresher (SS-200) mines the approaches to Bangkok, Thailand, in the first U.S. Navy submarine mine plant of World War II.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Winona, in convoy bound for Rio de Janeiro, is torpedoed by German submarine U-160 at 11°00'N, 61°10'W; and veers out of line, grazing the stern of steamship Austvangen. One merchant seaman and two Armed Guard sailors suffer injuries in the attack, but there are no fatalities among the 42-man crew or 15-man Armed Guard (see 17 October 1942). - October 17, Sat.
Pacific
Submarine Trigger (SS-237) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Holland Maru close inshore near the mouth of Bungo Suido, off Kyushu, 32°21'N, 132°04'E.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Angelina, straggling from New York-bound convoy ON 137, is torpedoed by German submarine U-618 at 49°39'N, 30°20'W (see 18 October 1942).
U.S. freighter Winona, torpedoed the day before by German submarine U-160, arrives at Port of Spain, Trinidad, under her own power. - October 18, Sun.
Pacific
Vice Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. relieves Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley as Commander South Pacific Area and South Pacific Force, on board auxiliary Argonne (AG-31) at Nouméa, New Caledonia.
Submarine Grampus (SS-207) torpedoes Japanese light cruiser Yura, 07°47'S, 157°19'E, but her "fish" fails to explode.
Submarine Greenling (SS-213) sinks Japanese transport Hakonesan Maru close inshore off northeast coast of Honshu, 38°46'N, 142°03'E.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Angelina, straggling from New York-bound convoy ON 137, is again torpedoed by German submarine U-618 at 49°39'N, 30°20'W, and abandoned; an "exceptionally heavy sea" claims 33 crewmen and 13 Armed Guards; British rescue ship Bury rescues six men(one of whom dies later) from a raft and three from a lifeboat. Only four merchant seamen and four Armed Guards thus survive the ship's loss.
U.S. freighter Steel Navigator, also straggling from convoy ON 137, takes on 40° list as her sand ballast shifts; Armed Guard volunteers shovel ballast for 30 hours without relief (reducing the list to 12°) until financial bonus offered by ship's master induces reluctant merchant sailors to lend a hand in the arduous work (see 19 October 1942). - October 19, Mon.
Pacific
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-19 reconnoiters Nouméa, New Caledonia.
Destroyer O'Brien (DD-415), damaged by submarine torpedo on 15 September 1942, breaks in two and sinks en route to United States for repairs, 53 miles north-northwest of Tutuila, Samoa, 13°30'S, 171°18'E.
Submarine Amberjack (SS-219) arrives at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, assigned temporarily to Commander, Aircraft, South Pacific, for duty. Over the next three days, two of the submarine's fuel tanks will be cleaned and converted to carry aviation gasoline. She will also take on board 100-pound bombs and embark USAAF enlisted ground crew for transportation to Guadalcanal.
SBDs (VS 71, VMSB 141, VB 6) from Henderson Field attack three Japanese destroyers north of Guadalcanal, damaging Uranami.
Submarine Grampus (SS-207) lands Australian coastwatchers on Choiseul Island, Solomons.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Steel Navigator, straggling from convoy ON 137, is attacked by German submarine U-610; Steel Navigator briefly drives off the shadower with 5-inch gunfire, but the U-boat returns and torpedoes and sinks the freighter at 49°20'N, 32°00'W. Hastily launched motor boat swamps in heavy seas; no.3 lifeboat swamps as the ship plunges and spills its 35 occupants into the sea. U-610 surfaces and approaches the survivors' boats and rafts; when questions shouted by the submarine's commander fail to get answers, the enemy threatens to cut a raft in two. After answers are given in the brief interrogation, the Germans refuse to provide a course to the nearest land and depart. Subsequently, survivors right no.3 boat and redistribute themselves; the boats becomes separated (see 27 October 1942).
Fishing boat (nationality not determined) tows no.1 lifeboat, with 25 men on board, from U.S. freighter Coloradan, which had been torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-159 on 9 October 1942, into Thorne Bay, South Africa; the Americans reach Cape Town the next day (see 2 November 1942).
Atlantic
Master and radio operator in gig from U.S. freighter Steel Scientist, sunk by German submarine U-514 on 11 October 1942, reach Tarlogie, British Guiana (see 20 October 1942). - October 20, Tue.
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. - October 21, Wed.
Pacific
Destroyer Grayson (DD-435) is damaged in collision with fleet tug Vireo (AT-144) during efforts to salvage the latter, Solomons area, 12°08'S, 161°04'E. Salvage party from Grayson ultimately brings the tug (abandoned on 15 September 1942) and its tow safely into Espiritu Santo after a 400 mile voyage.
Japanese carrier Hiyo is damaged by engine room fire after departing Truk; she thus cannot participate in the Battle of Santa Cruz (see 26 October 1942).
Submarine Guardfish (SS-217) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Nichiho Maru about 120 miles north-northeast of Formosa, 27°03'N, 122°42'E.
Submarine Gudgeon (SS-212), attacking Japanese convoy in the Bismarck Sea, sinks transport Choko Maru about 110 miles west-northwest of Rabaul, 03°30'S, 150°30'E.
Mediterranean
In advance of the North African landings, Major General Mark W. Clark, USA; Brigadier General Lyman M. Lemnitzer, USA; two additional Army officers; and Navy Captain Jerauld Wright are landed at Cherchel, French North Africa, from British submarine HMS Seraph to meet with a French military delegation to ascertain French attitudes toward impending Allied operations. Among issues discussed is the French request for an American submarine to evacuate General Giraud from occupied France. Since none is available for that mission, a British submarine under temporary U.S. command will be substituted (see 5 November 1942). - October 22, Thu.
Pacific
Naval Air Facility, Otter Point, Alaska, is established.
Destroyers Mahan (DD-364) and Lamson (DD-367), detached from TF 16 to "shoot up the Japanese picket boat line" west of the Gilberts, sink gunboat Hakkaisan Maru southwest of Tamana, 03°30'S, 175°15'E. - October 23, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Kingfish (SS-234) sinks Japanese gunboat Seikyo Maru at entrance to Kii Suido, Honshu, 33°20'N, 135°27'E.
USAAF B-17s damage Japanese submarine chasers Ch 31 and Ch 32 at Rabaul.
Japanese submarine I-7 shells Espiritu Santo.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Reuben Tipton, bound for Trinidad, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-129; three merchant seamen are killed in the attack (see 25 and 26 October 1942). - October 24, Sat.
Pacific
Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Kenun Maru about 20 miles east of Shiriya Zaki, off northern tip of Honshu, 41°24'N, 141°50'E.
Submarine Trigger (SS-237) damages Japanese oiler Nissho Maru in Bungo Channel, 32°06'N, 132°34'E. - October 25, Sun.
Pacific
Submarine Whale (SS-239) lays mines off Honshu, Japan, at entrance to Inland Sea.
Second division of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three, consisting of motor torpedo boats PT-37, PT-39, PT-45, and PT-61, arrives at Tulagi.
Off Guadalcanal, tug Seminole (AT-65) and district patrol craft YP-284 are sunk by gunfire of Japanese destroyers Akatsuki, Ikazuchi, and Shiratsuyu; submarine Amberjack (SS-219), which has arrived that morning to deliver her cargo and passengers at Tulagi, is unable to attain a firing position to help Seminole and YP-284. Later, high speed minesweeper Zane (DMS-14) is damaged by the same trio of enemy warships in Sealark Channel. Japanese destroyers, however, do not emerge from the day's action unscathed. Off Lunga Point, Marine shore batteries (and VMF 121 F4Fs) damage Akatsuki, while USMC F4Fs (VMF 121) damage Ikazuchi; USAAF P-39s damage Samidare and Akizuki. Amberjack later disembarks USAAF enlisted men (67th Fighter Squadron and 347th Fighter Group), 200 100-pound bombs and 9,000 gallons of aviation gasoline at Tulagi. Released from duty under ComAirSoPac, Amberjack sets course for Brisbane.
USAAF B-17s sink Japanese auxiliary minelayer Kotobuki Maru at Rabaul.
Japanese light cruiser Yura, damaged by SBD (VS 71) and USAAF B-17 or P-39 off Santa Isabel, Solomons, is scuttled by destroyers Harusame and Yudachi, 08°40'S, 160°00'E.
Dutch submarine O 23 damages Japanese army cargo ship Shinyu Maru off Penang, Malaya, 05°28'N, 99°56'E.
Atlantic
Master and one merchant seaman from U.S. freighter Reuben Tipton, sunk by German submarine U-129 on 23 October 1942, are recovered by PBM and transported to Trinidad (see 26 October 1942).
Caribbean
U.S. freighter Daniel Boone strikes mine while off coast of Panama; there are no casualties to the 42-man crew and 11-man Armed Guard, and the ship reaches port under her own power. - October 26, Mon.
Pacific
Battle of Santa Cruz Islands occurs as TF 16 (Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid) and TF 17 (Rear Admiral George D. Murray) engage a numerically superior Japanese force (Vice Admiral Nagumo Chuichi). Although the Japanese achieve a tactical victory, the failure of their simultaneous land offensive on Guadalcanal means that they cannot exploit it to its fullest. The dwindling number of Japanese carrier planes cannot eliminate Henderson Field, while fuel shortages compel the Combined Fleet to retire on Truk. Americans control the skies above the sea routes to Guadalcanal.
The victory, however, does not come cheaply in this, the fourth major carrier battle of 1942, for Enterprise (CV-6) is damaged by planes from carriers Junyo and Shokaku; Hornet (CV-8) is damaged by planes from Junyo, Shokaku, and Zuikaku; battleship South Dakota (BB-57) and light cruiser San Juan (CL-54) are damaged by planes from Junyo; destroyer Smith (DD-378) is damaged by a crashing carrier attack plane; during the operation of fighting Hornet's fires and taking off her survivors, destroyer Hughes (DD-410) is damaged in collision with the doomed carrier (as well as by friendly fire earlier in the action). The attempt to scuttle the irreparably damaged Hornet, by gunfire and torpedoes from destroyers Mustin (DD-413) and Anderson (DD-411) fails; destroyer Porter (DD-356) is accidentally torpedoed by battle-damaged and ditched TBF (VT 10), and, deemed beyond salvage, is scuttled by destroyer Shaw (DD-373).
SBDs (VS 10) from Enterprise damage carrier Zuiho; SBDs (VB 8, VS 8) from Hornet damage carrier Shokaku and destroyer Terutsuki; TBFs (VT 6) from Hornet damage heavy cruiser Chikuma.
Battle of Henderson Field ends as marines repulse Japanese land and air attacks.
U.S. liner President Coolidge, chartered for use as a troop transport, blunders into U.S. minefield off Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides; the ship is beached to facilitate salvage, but slips into deep water and sinks. Four of the 5,050 Army troops are lost in the accident, as is one of the 290-man merchant complement. There are no casualties among the 51-man Armed Guard.
Submarine S-31 (SS-136) sinks Japanese transport Keizan Maru off Paramushiro, 50°10'N, 155°36'E.
Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Anne Hutchinson is torpedoed and shelled by German submarine U-504 some 90 miles off East London, South Africa, 33°12'S, 29°03'E; three crewmen are killed in the attack. The rest of the ship's complement (37 merchant sailors and the 17-man Armed Guard) take to two lifeboats (see 27, 28, and 31 October 1942).
Atlantic
British motor torpedo boat rescues 39 merchant seaman and the 10-man Armed Guard from U.S. freighter Reuben Tipton, sunk by German submarine U-129 on 23 October 1942, and are transported to Barbados. - October 27, Tue.
Pacific
Abandoned carrier Hornet (CV-8), damaged by bombs and torpedoes and attempted scuttling the previous day, is sunk by Japanese destroyers Akigumo and Makigumo, 08°38'S, 166°43'E.
Battleship South Dakota (BB-57) and destroyer Mahan (DD-364) are damaged in collision while retiring from the Battle of Santa Cruz.
PBY (VP 91) bombs and damages Japanese destroyer Terutsuki.
Atlantic
German submarines attack convoy HX 212 as it heads toward the British Isles: U.S. tanker Gurney E. Newlin, is torpedoed by U-436; three crewmen are killed. The rest of the 37-man crew, and the 19-man Armed Guard, abandon ship into three boats and two rafts. Canadian corvette HMCS Alberni rescues six merchant seamen and six Armed Guard sailors; Canadian tanker Bic Island picks up 31 merchant seamen and 13 Armed Guard sailors (see 28-29 October 1942).
U.S. freighter Stephen Hopkins's survivors reach Itabopoano, Brazil; 32 of 40 merchant sailors, as well as 9 of the 15-man Armed Guard, have perished either in battle or from exposure during the month-long ordeal in the lifeboat.
Survivors (ten merchant seamen and six Armed Guard sailors) from U.S. freighter Steel Navigator, sunk by German submarine U-610 on 19 October 1942, are rescued by British destroyer HMS Decoy. The other lifeboat containing the other 17 survivors is never found.
Indian Ocean
Ten survivors from U.S. freighter Anne Hutchinson, torpedoed and shelled by German submarine U-504 on 26 October 1942, are rescued by U.S, freighter Steel Mariner (see 28 and 31 October 1942). - October 28, Wed.
Indian Ocean
Thirty-seven survivors from U.S. freighter Anne Hutchinson, torpedoed and shelled by German submarine U-504 on 26 October 1942, are rescued by civilian fishing trawler and taken to Port Alfred, South Africa. Aircraft sight the drifting freighter, now broken into two pieces, at 34°13'S, 26°55'E (see 31 October 1942).
Atlantic
German submarines continue to stalk British Isles-bound convoy HX 212: U.S. tanker Gurney E. Newlin, abandoned after being torpedoed the previous day by German submarine U-436, is given the coup de grace by U-606 and sinks (see 29 October 1942). - October 29, Thu.
Pacific Theater
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). - October 30, Fri.
Pacific
TG 64.2 (Rear Admiral Norman Scott), comprising light cruiser Atlanta (CL-51) and four destroyers, bombards Japanese positions at Point Cruz, Guadalcanal.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-9 reconnoiters Nouméa, New Caledonia.
Japanese land second invasion force at Attu, Aleutians. - October 31, Sat.
Pacific
While en route to from French Frigate Shoals to Midway, district patrol craft YP-345 is lost without trace to unknown causes, about 80 miles northeast of Laysan Island.
Submarine Grayback (SS-208) damages Japanese army cargo ship Noto Maru off Rabaul, 04°37'S, 152°30'E.
Indian Ocean
South African naval forces board the forward portion of U.S. freighter Anne Hutchinson, torpedoed and shelled by German submarine U-504 on 26 October 1942; British tug HMS David Haigh tows the bow portion (the after part has sunk in the meantime) to Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
November
- November 1, Sun. 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). - November 2, Mon.
Pacific
Fleet Air Wing 6 (Captain Douglass P. Johnson) is established at Seattle, Washington, for multi-engine aircraft training.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine _I-_reconnoiters Efate Island, New Hebrides.
Destroyer Conyngham (DD-371) and transport Fuller (AP-14) are damaged in collision in Sealark Channel, Guadalcanal.
Submarine Seawolf (SS-197) sinks Japanese water tender Gifu Maru west-southwest of Cape San Augustin, Mindoro, P.I., 06°14'N, 126°07'E.
Submarine Tambor (SS-198) lays mines in Hainan Strait, Tonkin Gulf.
Submarine Tautog (SS-199) sows mines south of Cape Padaran, French Indochina.
USAAF B-17s sink Japanese army cargo ship Yasukawa Maru off Buna, New Guinea, 07°16'S, 156°00'E.
Atlantic
Dutch motorship Zaandam is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-174 at 01°25'N, 36°22'W. Lost with the ship are men who have survived the loss of U.S. freighters: 18 (12 merchant seamen and 6 Armed Guard sailors) from Chickasaw City (sunk 7 October 1942), 15 sailors from Swiftsure (8 October 1942), 6 men from Coloradan and 15 from Examelia (9 October 1942) (see 24 January 1943). - November 3, Tue.
Pacific
Submarine Haddock (SS-231) sinks merchant cargo ship Tekkai Maru in the East China Sea between Shanghai and Korea, 32°02'N, 126°13'E.
Submarine Seawolf (SS-197) sinks Japanese transport Sagami Maru off Davao, P.I., 07°02'N, 125°33'E.
Submarine Tambor (SS-198) sinks merchant cargo ship Chikugo Maru in Tonkin Gulf, northwest of Hainan Island, 21°18'N, 108°39'E.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker Hahira, in convoy SC 107, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-521 approximately 400 miles south of Cape Farewell, 54°15'N, 41°57'E; two crewmen and one Armed Guard sailor are killed in the attack. British rescue ship Southport rescues the 36 surviving crewmen and 17 Armed Guard sailors.
U.S. freighter East Indian is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-181 300 miles southwest of the Cape of Good Hope; 17 of the 47-man crewmen and 6 of the 12 passengers perish (see 16 November 1942).
U.S. freighter George Thatcher, torpedoed by German submarine U-126 on 1 November 1942 and abandoned, eventually sinks. - November 4, Wed.
Pacific
TG 65.4 cruisers and destroyers bombard Japanese positions near Koli Point, Guadalcanal.
Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-31 reconnoiters Suva, Fiji Islands; small reconnaissance seaplane from I-9 reconnoiters Nouméa, New Caledonia.
Japanese submarine RO-65 is sunk when she accidentally dives into a reef while seeking to avoid attack, Kiska harbor, 51°58'N, 177°33'E.
Mediterranean
Submarines Shad (SS-235), Gunnel (SS-253), Herring (SS-233), Barb (SS-220), and Blackfish (SS-221) are deployed to reconnoiter French North African waters off Rabat, Fedala, Casablanca, Safi, and Dakar, in advance of Operation TORCH.
Arctic Convoys
U.S. freighter John H. B. Latrobe, proceeding independently from Reykjavik, Iceland, to Archangel, USSR, is attacked by HE 115s at 74°37'N, 02°00'E. Withering Armed Guard gunfire disrupts the attack by the enemy floatplanes and none of the seven torpedoes launched strike home; strafing, however, slightly damages the merchantman, and 3 of the 25-man Armed Guard are wounded. John H.B. Latrobe returns to Reykjavik for repairs.
U.S. freighter William Clark, proceeding independently from Hvalfjordur, Iceland, to Murmansk, USSR, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-354 at 71°05'N, 13°20'W. Survivors abandon ship into three lifeboats (see 7 November 1942). - November 5, Thu.
Mediterranean
British submarine HMS Seraph, under the temporary command of U.S. Navy Captain Jerauld Wright, embarks General Giraud and a party of French officers in the Gulf of Lyons. The general will transfer to a Catalina on the 7th for further transportation to Gibraltar.
Atlantic
PBY (VP 84) sinks German submarine U-408 off Iceland, 67°40'N, 18°32'W.
U.S. tanker Meton, enroute to Cienfuegos, Cuba, in convoy TAG 18, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-129 at 12°25'N, 69°20'W; one merchant seaman dies in the attack. Dutch motor torpedo boat MTB 23 rescues the survivors (37 merchant seamen and the 12-man Armed Guard). - November 6, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Grayling (SS-209) is damaged by Japanese aerial bombs off Truk, 06°44'N, 151°25'E.
Submarine Haddock (SS-231) damages Japanese army cargo ship France Maru, 33°46'N, 127°28'E. - November 7, Sat.
Pacific
SBDs (VMSB 132), TBFs (VT 8), Marine F4Fs, and USAAF P-39s from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, attack Japanese convoy, damaging destroyers Naganami and Takanami.
Off Guadalcanal, miscellaneous auxiliary Majaba (AG-43) is torpedoed by Japanese midget submarine Ha.11 (launched from submarine I-20) off Lunga Point. Destroyers Lansdowne (DD-486) and Lardner (DD-487) depth charge I-20, but the submarine escapes destruction. Ha.11, her mission completed, is scuttled.
Mediterranean
Transport Thomas Stone (AP-59) is torpedoed by German submarine U-205, western Mediterranean, 37°32'N, 00°01'E.
Italian submarine Antonio Sciesa is sunk by USAAF aircraft off coast of Libya, 32°05'N, 23°59'E.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter La Salle is torpedoed and sunk with all hands (including 13 Armed Guard) by German submarine U-159 about 350 miles southeast of the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, 40°00'S, 21°30'E. When the merchantman, which is carrying ammunition, explodes, the cataclysmic blast rains debris on her assailant's decks nearby, wounding three German submariners.
U.S. freighter West Humhaw, en route from Freetown, Sierra Leone, to Takoradi, Gold Coast, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-161 at 04°21'N, 02°42'W. There are no casualties among the 39-man merchant crew, the 16-man Armed Guard, and the five passengers. British ML 281 rescues all hands and transports them to Takoradi.
U.S. freighter Nathaniel Hawthorne, enroute to New York in convoy TAG 19, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-508 at 11°34'N, 63°26'W; the merchantman sinks with a rapidity that does not allow lifeboats to be launched. For his bravery as he directs his men to safety, Lieutenant Kenneth Muir, the Armed Guard commander, is awarded the Navy Cross (posthumously) (see 9 November).
British trawlers rescue two boatloads of survivors from U.S. freighter William Clark, sunk by German submarine U-354 on 4 November; HMS St. Elstan rescues 26; HMS Cape Palliser 15. The third boat, with 23 men, is never seen again; 18 of 41 merchant seamen are lost, as are 13 of the 30-man Armed Guard. - November 8, Sun.
Pacific
Motor torpedo boats PT-61, PT-39, and PT-37 engage two Japanese destroyers south of Savo Island, Guadalcanal; PT-61 and PT-39 and Mochizuki are damaged in the encounter.
Submarine Seawolf sinks Japanese gunboat Keiko Maru off Cape San Augustin, Mindanao, P.I., 06°22'N, 126°03'E.
U.S. freighter Edgar Allen Poe is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-21 in a spirited fight 56 miles southeast of Amadee Light, Nouméa, New Caledonia, 22°14'S, 166°30'E, during which two crewmen are killed. A part of the crew (including the 14-man Armed Guard) remains on board while New Zealand minesweeper HMNZS Matai and corvette HMNZS Kiwi tow the vessel to Nouméa, where she will be declared a total loss (see 9 November 1942).
Atlantic/Mediterranean
French North Africa is invaded in Operation TORCH. Allied Expeditionary Force under the supreme command of Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower, USA, lands at Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers. Allied Naval Force (Admiral Sir Andrew B. Cunningham, RN) is composed of three principal parts: Western Naval Task Force (Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt) lands troops (Major General George S. Patton, USA) near Casablanca; Center Naval Task Force (Commodore Thomas H. Troubridge, RN) lands troops (Major General Lloyd R. Fredendall, USA) at Oran; and Eastern Naval Task Force (Rear Admiral Sir Harold M. Burrough, RN) put troops (Major General Charles W. Ryder, USA) ashore at Algiers.
U.S. naval vessels and carrier aircraft engage French naval forces at Casablanca, Morocco. On the morning of 8 November, French force (Rear Admiral Gervais de Lafonde in destroyer leader Milan) makes a valiant attempt to disrupt the landings off Casablanca, but is overwhelmed by gunfire from covering American ships.
U.S. ships damaged at Casablanca are battleship Massachusetts (BB-59), heavy cruiser Wichita (CA-45), light cruiser Brooklyn (CL-40), destroyers Ludlow (DD-438) and Murphy (DD-603), and high speed minesweeper Palmer (DMS-5) by French shore batteries off North Africa; high speed minesweeper Stansbury (DMS-8) by mine; and transport Leedstown (AP-73) by German aerial torpedo.
French ships sunk at Casablanca are merchant passenger liner Savoie Marseille and cargo ship Ile de Edienruder by Massachusetts; destroyer Fougeux by Massachusetts and heavy cruiser Tuscaloosa (CA-37); destroyer Boulonnais by light cruiser Brooklyn (CL-40) at 33°40'N, 07°34'W; destroyers Brestois and Frondeur by U.S. ships; submarines Oréade, Amphitrite, and Psyché by U.S. Navy carrier-based planes; submarine Sidi-Ferruch by planes (VGS-27) from aircraft escort vessel Suwannee (AVG-27); and merchant passenger liner Porthos, tanker Ouessant, and cargo ship Lipari. French ships damaged are battleship Jean Bart by battleship Massachusetts; submarine Le Tonnant by U.S. Navy ships; submarine Meduse by aircraft (VGS 29) from aircraft escort vessel Santee (ACV-29); and light cruiser Primaguet, destroyer leader Milan, and destroyers Albatros and Alcyon by naval aircraft.
French sloops Grandiere, Commandant Delage, and Gracieuse sortie on the afternoon of 8 November and pick up survivors from the French warships sunk in battle that morning. The latter two sloops will repeat the operation on 10 November.
French submarine Amazone makes unsuccessful attack upon light cruiser Brooklyn (CL-40).
Submarine Herring (SS-233) damages French cargo ship Ville du Havre off French Morocco, 33°34'N, 07°52'W.
German planes bomb Allied shipping off Algiers. U.S. freighter Exceller is damaged by near-misses; there are no casualties to the 32 merchant seamen and the 19-man Armed Guard.
Atlantic
British patrol boat rescues 34 survivors of U.S. freighter West Kebar, sunk on 29 October by German submarine U-129, and transports them to Barbados, British West Indies (see 10 and 18 November). - November 9, Mon.
Mediterranean
Transport Leedstown (AP-73), bombed and torpedoed by German planes, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-173 near Algiers.
Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Marcus Whitman, proceeding independently to Dutch Guiana from Cape Town, South Africa, is torpedoed by Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci at 05°45'S, 32°40'W, and abandoned without loss. Leonardo da Vinci then finishes off the merchantman with gunfire (see 11 November).
Atlantic
Destroyer Biddle (DD-151) rescues survivors (3 of 10 Armed Guard sailors, 10 of the 40-man merchant crew and 1 of the 2 passengers) from U.S. freighter Nathanael Hawthorne, sunk by German submarine U-508 on 7 November.
Pacific
Destroyer Russell (DD-414) rescues that portion of the crew of U.S. freighter Edgar Allen Poe who abandoned ship after she was torpedoed by I-21 the night before. - November 10, Tue.
Pacific
Light cruiser Raleigh (CL-9), patrolling along the 175th meridian, encounters no Japanese patrol activity estimated to be in those waters west of the Ellice Islands.
High speed minesweeper Southard (DMS-10) sinks Japanese submarine I-15 five miles off Hada Bay, the northwest point of San Cristobal Island, Solomons, 10°13'S, 161°09'E.
Japanese army cargo ship Chiyo Maru is sunk, agent unspecified, off Akyab, Burma.
Atlantic
Off French North Africa, aircraft escort vessel Chenango (ACV-28) ferries USAAF P-40s into Port Lyautey; French submarine Le Tonnant unsuccessfully attacks carrier Ranger (CV-4); submarines Meduse and Antiope conduct similarly fruitless attacks against battleship Massachusetts (BB-59) and heavy cruiser Tuscaloosa (CA-37).
German submarine U-608 lays mines off New York City, east of Ambrose Light.
Minelayer Salem (CM-11) is damaged when she is accidentally rammed by British landing craft HMS LCI(L) 166, South Brooklyn, New York.
Survivors (8) of U.S. freighter West Kebar, sunk on 29 October by German submarine U-129, reach Guadalupe.
Caribbean
Naval Station, Puerto Castillo, Honduras, is established.
Mediterranean
Oran, Algeria, surrenders to U.S. forces. - November 11, Wed.
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. - November 12, Thu.
Pacific
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal opens: TF 67 (Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner) unloading troops in Lunga Roads, Guadalcanal, under the protection of air and surface forces, is attacked by Japanese land attack planes. Heavy cruiser San Francisco (CA-38) is damaged when hit by a crashing bomber; destroyer Buchanan (DD-484) is hit by friendly fire.
Submarine Grenadier (SS-210) damages Japanese army cargo vessel Hokkai Maru off the south coast of French Indochina, 11°18'N, 109°02'E.
Japanese oiler Naruto is damaged by aircraft (nationality unspecified) off Shortland Island.
Mediterranean
Naval Operating Base, Casablanca, Morocco, is established.
Transports Tasker H. Bliss (AP-42), Hugh L. Scott (AP-43), and Edward Rutledge (AP-52) are torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-130 off French Morocco.
Caribbean
Gunboat Erie (PG-50) is torpedoed by German submarine U-163, Caribbean Sea, 12°03'N, 68°58'W, and is beached northwest of Willemstad, Curacao, N.W.I., to prevent sinking (see 28 November and 5 December).
Submarine chaser SC-330 accidentally collides with, and sinks, merchant vessel Rogist seven miles southeast of Cape Charles, Virginia, Lighthouse. - November 13, Fri.
Pacific
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal continues: TG 67.4, comprising two heavy cruisers, three light cruisers, and eight destroyers (Rear Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan) encounters Japanese Bombardment Force (Rear Admiral Abe Hiroaki) that includes two battleships, steaming to bombard Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, shortly after midnight on 12 November; a savage nocturnal naval action ensues. Abe's force inflicts heavy damage on TG 67.4 before it retires northward; Rear Admirals Callaghan and Norman Scott are killed on board their respective flagships, heavy cruiser San Francisco (CA-38) and Atlanta (CL-51). Both Callaghan and Scott are awarded Medals of Honor (posthumously). On board San Francisco, Lieutenant Commanders Herbert E. Schonland and Bruce McCandless prove instrumental in saving their ship, and Boatswain's Mate First Class Reinhardt J. Keppler performs a succession of heroic acts in fighting fires and removing wounded during the thick of the battle. Those three men (Keppler posthumously) also earn the nation's highest award for bravery. TF 16 (Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid), formed around carrier Enterprise (CV-6), the last operational fleet carrier in the Pacific, nears the battle area and launches air search and attacks against the enemy.
Light cruiser Atlanta (CL-51), irreparably damaged by Japanese naval gunfire and torpedo as well as by friendly fire from heavy cruiser San Francisco, is scuttled by demolition charges three miles off Lunga Point; light cruiser Juneau (CL-52), damaged by gunfire, is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-26, 10°34'S, 161°44'E, as Juneau retires toward Espiritu Santo. Loss of life is heavy. Also sunk are destroyers Cushing (DD-376) and Monssen (DD-435) to gunfire, Laffey (DD-459) to gunfire and torpedo, and Barton (DD-599) to two torpedoes. Heavy cruiser Portland (CA-33) suffers torpedo damage; San Francisco, light cruiser Helena (CL-50), and destroyer Aaron Ward (DD-483) are damaged by gunfire; friendly fire damages destroyer O'Bannon (DD-450).
The Japanese, however, do not emerge from the brutal nocturnal slugfest unscathed: battleship Hiei, damaged by gunfire from heavy cruisers Portland and San Francisco and destroyers Cushing, Laffey, and O'Bannon, is sunk by TBFs (VT 8) from carrier Enterprise and USMC SBDs (VMSB 142) and TBFs (VMSB 131) from Henderson Field. Destroyer Akatsuki is sunk by San Francisco and Atlanta gunfire near Savo Island, 09°17'S, 159°56'E. Destroyer Yudachi, damaged by gunfire, is sunk by Portland southeast of Savo Island, 09°14'S, 159°52'E. Japanese destroyers Murasame, Ikazuchi, and Amatsukaze are damaged by gunfire; destroyer Yukikaze is damaged by aircraft, off Guadalcanal. Destroyer Michisio is also damaged by aircraft off Shortland Island, Solomons.
On the night of 13 November, heavy cruisers Suzuya and Maya approach Guadalcanal to shell Henderson Field, intending to render it inoperable the following morning.
Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. schooner Star of Scotland is shelled and sunk by German submarine U-159 while en route from Cape Town, South Africa, to Paranagua, Brazil, 26°30'S, 00°20'W; one sailor (of the 17-man crew) drowns when the ship is abandoned (see 1 December).
Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Excello, proceeding independently from Port Said, Egypt, to Cape Town, South Africa, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-181 at 32°23'S, 30°07'E; one Armed Guard sailor and one merchant seaman perish in the attack (see 14, 15, and 20 November). - November 14, Sat.
Pacific
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal continues as bombardment of Henderson Field by heavy cruisers Suzuya and Maya fails to achieve the desired effect, prompting the postponement of the landing of troops from the 11 transports poised to proceed down the "Slot" toward Guadalcanal.
Japanese heavy cruisers Chokai and Kinugasa, light cruiser Isuzu and two destroyers (Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi) and heavy cruisers Maya and Suzuya, light cruiser Tenryu and four destroyers (Rear Admiral Nishimura Shoji), come under attack by planes from carrier Enterprise (CV-6) and from Henderson Field: Kinugasa is sunk by USMC SBDs (VMSB 132), 15 nautical miles northwest of Rendova Island, 08°45'S, 157°00'E. Maya (crashed by a crippled VB 10 SBD) and Isuzu are damaged south of New Georgia Island; Chokai, Tenryu, and destroyer Ayanami are also damaged.
That afternoon, USMC and Navy land-based SBDs and TBFs bomb Japanese convoy off Guadalcanal, sinking transports/cargo ships Arizona Maru and Canberra Maru and merchant transport/cargo ships Brisbane Maru (VS 10, VMSB 141); Kumagawa Maru (VMSB 130), Nagara Maru (VT 10), Nako Maru; and Shinano Maru (CVG 41). Cargo ship Sado Maru is damaged.
Beginning shortly before midnight, TF 64 (Rear Admiral Willis A. Lee Jr.), comprising battleships Washington (BB-56) and South Dakota (BB-57) and four destroyers, engages a Japanese naval force comprising a battleship, a light cruiser, and six destroyers (Vice Admiral Kondo Nobutake) in the Battle of Guadalcanal. Japanese gunfire sinks destroyers Preston (DD-379) (by light cruiser Nagara) and Walke (DD-416) (see 15 November).
Indian Ocean
First boatload of survivors from U.S. freighter Excello, sunk by German submarine U-181 the previous day, make landfall at Port St. John, South Africa. - November 15, Sun.
Pacific
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal ends as TF 64 repulses Vice Admiral Kondo's force. Battleship South Dakota (BB-57) is damaged by gunfire of Japanese battleship Kirishima and heavy cruisers Atago and Takao; destroyer Benham (DD-397), damaged by torpedo, is scuttled by destroyer Gwin (DD-433) in Savo Sound, Solomons; Gwin is damaged by gunfire. Gunfire from Admiral Lee's flagship, battleship Washington (BB-56), sinks Kirishima and destroyer Ayanami southeast of Savo Island, 09°10'S,159°52'E.
Navy SBDs (VS 10) and TBFs (VT 10), USMC SBDs (VMSB 132), Marine and Army coast artillery, and gunfire from destroyer Meade (DD-602) sink four Japanese merchant transport/cargo ships off the northern coast of Guadalcanal: Kinugasa Maru, Hirokawa Maru, Yamazuki Maru, and Yamura Maru. Meade also rescues survivors from sunken destroyers Walke (DD-416) and Preston (DD-379) (see 14 November).
Although the United States suffers the greater loss in warships in the savagely fought series of engagements on 12-15 November, the Japanese withdraw and never again send large naval forces into the waters around Guadalcanal; the ultimate outcome of the struggle for that island is decided.
USAAF B-17s bomb Japanese shipping at Rabaul, sinking supply ship No.3 Unkai Maru, 04°12'S, 152°00'E, and damaging transport Azuma Maru.
Mediterranean
Off North Africa, cargo ship Electra (AK-21) is torpedoed by German submarine U-173, 33°45'N, 07°52'W; cargo ship Almaack (AK-27) is torpedoed by U-155, 36°19'N, 07°52'W.
Atlantic
French submarine Le Tonnant, having been damaged by U.S. warships off Casablanca, French Morocco, is scuttled off Cadiz, Spain,
Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. schooner Lucy Evelyn is shelled by what she believes to be an enemy submarine at approximately 12°00'N, 75°00'W; apparently undamaged, she reaches Baranquilla, Colombia, soon thereafter, having suffered no casualties among the seven-man crew. - November 16, Mon.
Pacific
U.S. Army 32nd Division and Australian 7th Division land south of Buna, New Guinea.
Submarine Haddock (SS-231) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Nichinan Maru, 31°52'N, 126°14'E.
Submarine Seal (SS-183) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Boston Maru off Palaus, 06°18'N, 135°20'E. Just 12 seconds after firing her torpedoes at the cargo ship, Seal is rammed by another enemy vessel; the damage leads to the termination of her patrol.
Japanese destroyer Harukaze is damaged by mine off Surabaya, Java.
Mediterranean
Destroyers Woolsey (DD-437), Swanson (DD-443), and Quick (DD-490) sink German submarine U-173 off Casablanca, French Morocco.
German submarine U-218 is damaged by depth charges off North Africa.
Atlantic
British steamship Durando rescues the 18 survivors (13 of the 47-man crew, 4 of the 15-man Armed Guard and 2 of the 12 passengers) (one of whom dies later of his injuries) from U.S. freighter East Indian, sunk on 3 November 1942 by U-181. The remainder of those who survived the loss of the ship 13 days before (18 crewmen, 11 Armed Guards and 3 passengers) and managed to reach four rafts, are never found. - November 17, Tue.
Pacific
Submarine Searaven (SS-196) sinks Japanese transport Nissei Maru in Flying Fish Cove, off Christmas Island, 10°24'S, 105°41'E.
Submarine Salmon (SS-182), attacking Japanese convoy off west coast of Luzon, sinks repair ship Oregon Maru about 65 miles northwest of Manila, 14°16'N, 119°44'E.
Atlantic
Naval Air Station, De Land, Florida, is established.
German submarine U-566 is damaged by depth charges in Central Atlantic. - November 18, Wed.
Pacific
USAAF B-17s damage Japanese destroyers Umikaze and Kawakaze off Buna, New Guinea.
British submarine HMS Trusty sinks Japanese army cargo ship Columbia Maru off Penang, Malaya.
USAAF B-17s (5th Air Force) sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Havana Maru off Kahili airfield, Bougainville.
Mediterranean
German submarine U-613 is damaged by aircraft; U-91 is damaged by depth charges off North Africa.
Atlantic
German submarines attack west-bound convoy ONS 144. U.S. freighter Parismina is torpedoed and sunk by U-624 at 54°07'N, 38°26'W; of the 75 souls on board, 20 are lost with the ship: 15 crewmen, two Armed Guard sailors and three passengers. British rescue ship Perth and Dutch-manned corvette Rose rescue the 55 survivors between them. U.S. freighter Yaka also falls victim to U-624, at 54°25'N, 38°52'W, and is abandoned; all hands (41 merchant seamen and a 11-man Armed Guard) are rescued by Canadian corvette HMCS Vervain. German submarine U-522 torpedoes and finishes off Yaka.
U.S. tanker Brilliant, in convoy SC 109, is torpedoed by German submarine U-43 at 50°45'N, 45°53'E; an intense fire breaks out. Although ship's master and six merchant seamen and two Armed Guard sailors take to a lifeboat, apparently intending to remain nearby but the boat swamps, drowning two men; British corvette HMS Bury rescues the remainder of that boat's occupants and retains them on board for medical treatment. The ship's junior third officer, J. Cameron, meanwhile, takes command; the crew puts out the fire. Lieutenant John R. Borum, USNR, the Armed Guard officer, instills confidence by the casual attitude he assumes when things are the worst (see 19 November).
Spanish tanker Campares rescues nine survivors (including six Armed Guard sailors) from U.S. freighter West Kebar, sunk by German submarine U-129 on 29 October. - November 19, Thu.
Caribbean
District patrol craft YP-26 is destroyed by explosion of undetermined origin while on marine railway, Cristobal, C.Z.
Atlantic
Damaged U.S. tanker Brilliant proceeds back toward Newfoundland, obtaining her true position from passing warships (see 21 November). - November 20, Fri.
Pacific
Japanese submarine I-175 is damaged when she runs aground at Truk, Carolines.
Caribbean
District patrol craft YP-405 burns and sinks off Smith Shoal light.
Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Pierce Butler is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-177 off the coast of South Africa at 29°40'S, 36°35'E. All hands (41-man merchant complement and 21-man Armed Guard) abandon ship in four lifeboats (see 21 November).
British hospital ship Atlantis rescues the last 13 survivors from U.S. freighter Excello, sunk by German submarine U-181 on 13 November.
Atlantic
Damaged U.S. tanker Brilliant encounters auxiliary schooner Isabel H., whose master pilots the ship to Musgrave harbor, Newfoundland, where she anchors to await an escort to St. John's (see 21 November). - November 21, Sat.
Pacific
Submarine Stingray (SS-186) torpedoes Japanese seaplane carrier San'yo Maru off Shortland Island, 06°32'S, 156°05'E.
Indian Ocean
Survivors from U.S. freighter Pierce Butler, sunk by German submarine U-177 off the coast of South Africa the previous day, are rescued by British destroyer HMS Forward and transported to Durban, South Africa.
U.S. freighter Alcoa Pathfinder is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-181 approximately six miles off the coast of Portuguese East Africa, 26°41'S, 33°08'E; five merchant seamen are lost. Survivors row ashore (see 22 November).
Atlantic
Destroyer Somers (DD-381) intercepts German blockade runner Anneliese Essberger in the South Atlantic. The German ship is scuttled by her crew.
Damaged U.S. tanker Brilliant sails from Musgrave harbor for St. John's (see 22 November). - November 22, Sun.
Pacific
USAAF planes (14th Air Force) on shipping strike sink Vichy French ship Khai Dinh east of Haiphong harbor, French Indochina, 20°58'N, 106°40'E.
Atlantic
Damaged U.S. tanker Brilliant arrives at St. John's, Newfoundland, completing a 300-mile voyage under the command of the ship's junior third officer (see 18 December).
Indian Ocean
Survivors from U.S. freighter Alcoa Pathfinder, sunk the previous day by German submarine U-181, row ashore, reaching land about 12 miles north of Oro Point, whence they walk to lighthouse and to airfield. Entire 15-man Armed Guard unit survives, as do 55 of the 61-man crew and the solitary passenger. - November 23, Mon.
Atlantic
Aircraft escort vessels Sangamon (ACV-26) and Chenango (ACV-28) are damaged by heavy seas, North Atlantic.
U.S. tanker Caddo, en route from Baytown, Texas, to Iceland, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-518 at 42°25'N, 48°27'E, and abandoned, with the 58 men on board (42-man merchant complement and 17-man Armed Guard) taking to three lifeboats. U-518 briefly interrogates survivors, taking ship's master and another officer as prisoners, and departs after the German offer of cigarettes is refused (see 7 and 8 December). - November 24, Tue.
Pacific
Japanese forces land at Munda Point, New Georgia, Solomons.
Submarine Snapper (SS-185) is damaged by aerial bombs and depth charges off northern Solomons, 07°58'S, 156°12'E, but remains on patrol.
USAAF B-17s and B-25s and RAAF Beaufighters sink Japanese destroyer Hayashio in Huon Gulf between Lae and Finschafen, New Guinea, 07°00'S, 147°30'E, and damage torpedo boats Otori and Hiyodori east of Lae.
USAAF B-17s also damage Japanese seaplane carrier Sanuki Maru in Shortland Harbor, Solomons.
Mediterranean
Transport Thomas Stone (AP-59) is damaged by horizontal bomber off North Africa, 36°48'N, 03°10'E. - November 25, Wed.
Pacific
USAAF B-25s and P-40s damage Japanese merchant cargo ship Ryokusei Maru at Canton, China.
Japanese submarine I-17 lands 11 tons of supplies at Kamimbo Bay, Guadalcanal. Submarine missions to supply the beleaguered Japanese garrison on Guadalcanal will continue through the end of November.
Mediterranean
Transport Thomas Stone (AP-59), damaged by grounding, North African area, is left beached and abandoned, 36°49'N, 03°07'E. - November 26, Thu.
Pacific
USAAF B-26s damage Japanese merchant cargo ship Cheribon Maru off Attu, Aleutians. - November 27, Fri.
Pacific
USAAF B-26s sink Japanese army cargo ship Kachosan Maru off Attu.
Mediterranean
French Fleet at Toulon is scuttled to prevent it from falling into German hands. French naval vessels immobilized in this manner include 3 battleships, 4 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, an aircraft depot ship, 30 destroyers, 3 torpedo boats, 16 submarines and 11 gunboats and auxiliaries.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Jeremiah Wadsworth is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-178 approximately 270 miles south of Cape Agulhas, South Africa, 39°25'S, 22°23'E; there are no casualties among the 43-man merchant crew and the 14-man Armed Guard (see 5 and 6 December). - November 28, Sat.
United States
"Cocoanut Grove" nightclub in Boston, Massachusetts, catches fire; Ensigns George W. Carlson and Mac A. Cason, SC-V(P), USNR, driving through the city at that hour, respond immediately when they see flames issuing from the burning building. Exhibiting courage, leadership and resourcefulness, these two Supply Corps officers, who organize rescue parties from enlisted men they see in the gathering crowd, are later deemed "the cause of saving more lives than any other single agency." Despite rescuers' efforts, however, 492 people perish in the tragedy.
Pacific
Cargo ship Alchiba (AK-23) is damaged by Japanese midget submarine Ha.10 (from submarine I-16) 3,000 yards northeast of Lunga Point, Guadalcanal (see 7 December).
USAAF B-17s attack Japanese convoy en route from Munda, New Georgia, to Guadalcanal, and damage cargo vessel Chihaya Maru.
Caribbean
Gunboat Erie (PG-50), torpedoed by German submarine U-163 on 12 November, is moved into the inner harbor at Willemstad, Curacao, N.W.I., to prevent her from sinking and to facilitate salvage (see 12 November and 5 December).
Atlantic
Aircraft escort vessel Chenango (ACV-28) is damaged by heavy seas, North Atlantic.
U.S. freighter Alaskan is torpedoed, shelled and sunk by German submarine U-172 about 400 miles north of St. Paul's Rocks, 03°58'N, 26°19'W; six merchant seamen and one Armed Guard sailor are killed in the attack (see 13 and 15 December 1942, and 5 January 1943). - November 29, Sun.
Pacific
USAAF B-17s damage Japanese destroyers Shiratsuyu and Makigumo in Vitiaz Strait off New Britain.
Aircraft from Henderson Field sink Japanese cargo ships Azusa Maru and Kiku Maru, Wickham Anchorage, New Georgia.
Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Sawokla is sunk by torpedo and gunfire of German auxiliary cruiser Michel (Schiffe 28) at approximately 28°00'S, 54°00'E, about 400 miles southeast of Madagascar, while en route from Colombo, Ceylon, to Cape Town, South Africa; 16 of the 41-man crew are killed in the attack, as are four of the 13 Armed Guard sailors. Michel rescues 25 crewmen, five Armed Guard sailors and the five passengers (see 30 November). - November 30, Mon.
Pacific
Battle of Tassafaronga: TF 67, comprising four heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, and six destroyers (Rear Admiral Carlton H. Wright) surprises Japanese destroyers (Captain Sato Torajiro) off Tassafaronga Point, Guadalcanal. The enemy presses on to jettison supply containers to sustain Japanese troops on Guadalcanal, while torpedoes launched from destroyers Kagero, Makinami, Kuroshio, Oyashio, Kawakaze and Naganami wreak havoc on Wright's ships, damaging heavy cruisers Pensacola (CA-24), Northampton (CA-26), New Orleans (CA-32), and Minneapolis (CA-36). Japanese destroyer Takanami is damaged by cruiser and destroyer gunfire off Tassafaronga (see 1 December).
USAAF B-24s (India Air Task Force) bomb Japanese torpedo boat Kari off Port Blair, Andaman Island, in a strike that inaugurates attacks on the sea approaches to Burma.
German auxiliary cruiser Thor (Schiffe 10) is sunk by explosion of supply ship Uckermark, moored alongside, Yokohama, Japan. The blast also sinks German prize ship Leuthen and Japanese harbor craft in the vicinity.
Indian Ocean
German auxiliary cruiser Michel (Schiffe 28) rescues four additional Armed Guard sailors who have survived the sinking of U.S. freighter Sawokla the previous day (see 18 February 1943).
December
- December 1, Tue.
Pacific
As a result of damage received in the Battle of Tassafaronga, heavy cruiser Northampton (CA-26) sinks at 09°12'S, 159°50'E; Japanese destroyer Takanami goes down about 10 miles south-southwest of Savo Island, 09°18'S, 159°56'E.
Submarine Peto (SS-265) sinks Japanese transport Konei Maru north of the Bismarck Archipelago. [sic: should be 1943 --- Peto did not begin her 1st war patrol until 2 April 43.]
Japanese destroyer Isonami is damaged by planes (USAAF B-25s, B-26s, A-20s, and P-400s are all involved in raids on Buna) off Buna, New Guinea.
Atlantic
Fleet Air Wing 15 (Captain George A. Seitz) is established at Norfolk, Virginia, for service at Port Lyautey, French Morocco.
Survivors (16) from unarmed U.S. schooner Star of Scotland, shelled and sunk by German submarine U-159 on 13 November, reach Angola after an open-boat voyage of 1,040 miles. - December 2, Wed.
Atlantic
Naval Operating Base and Naval Air Facility, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are established.
U.S. steamship Coamo is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-604 off Bermuda; some survivors from the 186 men on board manage to escape on rafts (see 3 December). - December 3, Thu.
Pacific
SBDs and TBFs from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, attack a Japanese Reinforcement Unit, ten ships strong, en route to Guadalcanal and damage destroyer Makinami. The Japanese throw some 1,500 supply canisters overboard for their troops on Guadalcanal, but only 310 reach the intended recipients.
Atlantic
Gale sweeps area in which U.S. steamship Coamo has been torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-604 off Bermuda; the survivors who managed to reach safety on rafts most likely perish on this and/or subsequent days. No survivors from the 133-man crew, the 37 Armed Guard sailors or the 16 Army passengers are ever found. - December 4, Fri.
Mediterranean
USAAF B-24s (9th Air Force) conduct first American bombing raid on Italy, targeting the port of Naples. Light cruiser Muzio Attendolo is sunk; light cruisers Raimondo Monteccucoli and Eugenio di Savoia and four destroyers are damaged. - December 5, Sat.
Pacific
Tug Grebe (AT-134) sinks after running aground south of Fiji, 19°49'S, 178°13'W.
Japanese merchant cargo ship Mansei Maru founders and sinks in storm in Formosa Strait, 23°30'N, 119°34'E.
VCS Detachment RINGBOLT is established at Tanambogo, B.S.I., composed of planes (SOCs) from heavy cruisers Pensacola (CA-24), Northampton (CA-26), New Orleans (CA-32), Minneapolis (CA-36), and light cruiser Honolulu (CL-48). Operations of the new unit commence immediately, taking precedence over setting up camp. Two SOCs patrol this night with PT boats. Lack of equipment and communication difficulties handicap operations that are carried out on moonless nights in rain squalls. Only facilities provided being a flashlight on the beach to guide returning plane through reef passage after landing.
Caribbean
Gunboat Erie (PG-50), damaged on 12 November and moved to facilitate salvage on 28 November, capsizes at her moorings at Willemstad, Curacao, N.W.I. (see 12 and 28 November).
Atlantic
U.S. freighter John Lykes rescues 19 survivors from freighter Jeremiah Wadsworth, sunk by German submarine U-178 on 27 November; an unidentified Allied ship rescues 20 more of Jeremiah Wadsworth's men the same day. - December 6, Sun.
Atlantic
British armed merchant cruiser HMS Alcantara rescues 18 survivors from freighter Jeremiah Wadsworth, sunk by German submarine U-178 on 27 November. - December 7, Mon.
Pacific
USMC SBDs (VMSB 132) from Henderson Field attack Japanese Reinforcement Unit (Captain Sato Torajiro), 12 ships strong, carrying reinforcements and supplies to Guadalcanal, damaging destroyers Nowaki and Arashi.
Cargo ship Alchiba (AK-23) is damaged by Japanese midget submarine Ha.38 (from submarine I-24) off Lunga Point, Guadalcanal (see 28 November).
Submarine Kingfish (SS-234) sinks Japanese transport No.3 Hino Maru west of the Bonins, 23°59'N, 138°43'E.
Atlantic
U.S. freighter James McKay, attempting to join convoy HX 217 in heavy seas east of Newfoundland, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-600 at 57°50'N, 23°10'W; although U-600 notes two boats clearing the ship's side containing survivors, none of the 48-man merchant complement or the 14-man Armed Guard are ever found.
Lifeboat from U.S. tanker Caddo capsizes twice; seven of the 13 occupants drown. Of the 17 men who originally occupied the boat, four have already perished at sea (see 8 December). - December 8, Tue.
Pacific
Motor torpedo boats PT-36, PT-37, PT-40, PT-43, PT-44, PT-48, PT-59, and PT-109 turn back eight Japanese destroyers (Captain Sato Torajiro) attempting to reinforce Guadalcanal.
Submarine Gar (SS-206) sinks Japanese cargo ship Heinan Maru, 00°52'N, 118°54'E.
USAAF B-17s and B-24s damage Japanese destroyers Asashio and Isonami off Buna, New Guinea.
Atlantic
Spanish motorship Motomar rescues the only six survivors (three merchant seamen and three Armed Guard sailors) from U.S. tanker Caddo, sunk on 23 November by German submarine U-518, at 38°10'N, 35°24'W. Neither of the other two lifeboats from Caddo are ever seen again, together with their occupants. - December 9, Wed.
Pacific
Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift, USMC, is relieved by Major General Alexander M. Patch, USA, as commander of Marine and Army troops, Guadalcanal.
Aircraft from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, begin what become daily attacks on Japanese installations at Munda, New Georgia.
Motor torpedo boat PT-59 sinks Japanese submarine I-3, engaged in a resupply mission to Guadalcanal, three miles northeast of Kamimbo Bay, 09°12'S, 159°42'E. - December 10, Thu.
Pacific
Submarine Halibut (SS-232) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Kosei Maru and damages Japanese transport Uyo Maru, off Hachinoihe, 40°40'N, 141°58'E.
Submarine Stingray (SS-186) is damaged by bombs off northern Solomons, 07°58'S, 156°12'E.
Submarine Wahoo (SS-238) sinks Japanese collier Kamoi Maru off Buin, Bougainville, 04°06'S, 154°58'E.
USAAF B-17s damage Japanese oilers Fujisan Maru and Toa Maru off Buin, Bougainville.
Atlantic
PBY (VP 84) sinks German submarine U-611, North Atlantic, 58°09'N, 22°44'W. - December 11, Fri.
Pacific
SBDs and USAAF P-39/P-400s from Henderson Field attack 11 Japanese destroyers (Rear Admiral Tanaka Raizo) on a resupply mission to Guadalcanal, north of New Georgia, without success.
Submarine Seadragon (SS-194) damages cargo ship Johore Maru off Cape St. George, 04°55'S, 152°44'E. - December 12, Sat.
Pacific
Five motor torpedo boats attack 11 Japanese destroyers (Rear Admiral Tanaka Raizo) off Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal. Motor torpedo boats PT-37 and PT-40 sink Terutsuki, but Kawakaze and Suzukaze sink PT-44 off Savo Island, 09°10'S, 159°45'E.
Submarine Drum (SS-228) damages Japanese aircraft carrier Ryuho off Hachijo Jima, 32°04'N, 142°30'E.
Submarine Halibut (SS-232) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Gyokusan Maru off northeast coast of Honshu, 40°37'N, 142°40'E.
Japanese merchant cargo ship No.2 Unyo Maru is lost to unknown cause, place unspecified. - December 13, Sun.
Atlantic
Spanish tanker Cilurum rescues eleven crewmen and three Armed Guard sailors from U.S. freighter Alaskan, sunk by German submarine U-172 on 28 November, and transports them to Las Palmas, Canary Islands (see 15 December 1942 and 5 January 1943). - December 14, Mon.
Pacific
Fleet Air Command, Nouméa, New Caledonia (Rear Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) is established.
Submarine Sunfish (SS-281) lays mines in entrance to Iseno Umi Bay, Japan. She continues these mining operations in those waters on 15, 16, and 17 December 1942.
On board submarine Grayback (SS-208), on war patrol in the Bismarck Archipelago, appendectomy commences (2300) by Pharmacist's Mate First Class Harry B. Roby, USNR, on Torpedoman First Class W.R. Jones (see 15 December).
Atlantic
U.S. freighter Alcoa Rambler is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-174 while en route from Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, to Santos, Brazil, 03°51'S, 33°08'W; one merchant seaman drowns when the ship is abandoned (see 17 December 1942). - December 15, Tue.
Atlantic
Coast Guard cutter Ingham (WPG-35) sinks German submarine U-626, North Atlantic, 56°46'N, 27°12'W.
Twelve Armed Guard sailors (one of whom dies later of his wounds) and 17 merchant seamen from U.S. freighter Alaskan, sunk by German submarine U-172 on 28 November 1942, reach Salinas, Brazil, by lifeboat (see 5 January 1943).
Pacific
Appendectomy is completed (0200) on board submarine Grayback (SS-208), by Pharmacist's Mate First Class Harry B. Roby, USNR, on Torpedoman First Class W.R. Jones. This is the second of three such procedures that will be performed on board U.S. submarines during the war. - December 16, Wed.
Atlantic
Submarine Halibut (SS-232) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Shingo Maru off Shiraya Zaki, Honshu, 41°18'N, 141°32'E; in the confusion that attends Halibut's attack upon Shingo Maru, cargo ship Genzan Maru is run aground, stranded, and abandoned, 41°10'N, 141°32'E. - December 17, Thu.
Pacific
Submarine Drum (SS-228) mines the Bungo Strait, Japanese home islands.
Submarine Grouper (SS-214) sinks Japanese army passenger-cargo ship Bandoeng Maru about 15 miles northwest of Cape Henpan, Buka Island, Solomons, 04°54'S, 154°17'E. Escorting submarine chaser Ch 29 carries out unsuccessful counterattack.
Atlantic
Coast Guard cutter Natsek (WPG-170) sinks after foundering in Belle Isle Strait off Newfoundland.
Twenty-five survivors from U.S. freighter Alcoa Ranger, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-174 on 14 December 1942, reach Natal, Brazil, by lifeboat. - December 18, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Albacore (SS-218) torpedoes and sinks Japanese light cruiser Tenryu just off Madang harbor, eastern New Guinea, 05°12'S, 145°56'E, and torpedoes armed merchant cruiser Gokoku Maru, 05°10'S, 145°57'E. Albacore survives counterattacks by escorting destroyer (Sukukaze or Isonami).
Submarine Sunfish (SS-281) damages Japanese transport Kyowa Maru 34°10'N, 136°52'E.
Atlantic
U.S. tanker Brilliant, torpedoed and damaged on 18 November 1942 by U-43, sets out from St. John's, Newfoundland, but is forced by heavy seas to return the next day (see 20 January 1943). - December 19, Sat.
Pacific
Japanese destroyer Mochizuki is damaged by aircraft, location unspecified (USAAF B-17s and B-24s attack warships in Astrolabe Bay and off the coast of the Huon Peninsula that day). - December 20, Sun.
Pacific
Submarine Amberjack (SS-219) is damaged by depth charges off northern Solomons, 07°10'S, 155°21'E, but remains on patrol.
Submarine Seadragon (SS-194) sinks Japanese submarine I-4 between New Britain and New Ireland, 05°02'S, 152°33'E, while I-4 is engaged in a resupply mission to Guadalcanal.
Submarine Trigger (SS-237) lays mines off Inubo Zaki, Honshu; one immediately sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Mutsuki Maru south of Daiozaki, Japan, 35°45'N, 140°55'E, as the enemy freighter happens by in the midst of the submarine's minelaying operation.
Light minelayer Gamble (DM-15) lays mines to reinforce minefield laid at Espiritu Santo on 3 August 1942.
Gunboat Tulsa (PG-22) is damaged when she runs aground in Milne Bay, New Guinea, 10°15'S, 149°27'E. - December 21, Mon.
Pacific
Submarine S-35 (SS-140) is damaged by electrical fire while on patrol off Amchitka, Aleutians.
Japanese army cargo ship Hakuyo Maru is sunk by aircraft (nationality unspecified) near Rabaul. - December 22, Tue.
Pacific
Submarine Greenling (SS-213), attacking Japanese convoy, sinks Patrol Boat No.35 about 70 miles north-northeast of Kieta, Bougainville, 05°05'S, 156°04'E.
Submarine S-35 (SS-140) is again plagued by electrical fires; on this day and the one previous, however, other than cases of smoke inhalation, exposure, and exhaustion, the boat suffers no casualties.
On board submarine Silversides (SS-236), submerged in the shipping channel off Rabaul, New Britain, Pharmacist's Mate First Class Thomas A. Moore performs successful appendectomy on Fireman Second Class George M. Platter. This is the third of three such procedures that will be performed on board U.S. submarines during the war.
Submarine Trigger (SS-237) damages Japanese merchant cargo ship Yoshu Maru south of the entrance to Tokyo Bay, 34°52'N, 139°49'E. Trigger clears the area without seeing her quarry sink.
USAAF B-24 sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Takasaka Maru off Gasmata, New Britain.
Japanese merchant cargo ship Kaiyo Maru is lost, cause unknown, Inland Sea, Japan. - December 24, Thu.
Pacific
Henderson Field, Guadalcanal-based SBDs, P-40s, and F4Fs attack 13 Japanese troop-laden barges bound for Munda, New Georgia, sinking nine of the enemy craft.
Japanese netlayer Koa Maru is sunk by aircraft (possibly a USAAF B-24 heavy bomber), Marcus Bay, New Britain.
Submarine Silversides (SS-236) is bombed and damaged by Japanese aircraft off Rabaul, but continues on her patrol.
Submarine Triton (SS-201) sinks Japanese water tanker No.1 Amakusa Maru south of Wake Island, 19°16'N, 166°36'E.
USAAF B-17s sink Japanese transport No.2 Tama Maru at Gasmata, New Britain, 06°18'S, 150°16'E.
Atlantic
Transports Florence Nightingale (AP-70) and Thurston (AP-77) are damaged in collision off North Africa, 34°41'N, 07°25'W. - December 25, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Seadragon (SS-194) damages Japanese transport Nankai Maru off Cape St. George, New Britain, 05°05'S, 152°28'E; escorting destroyer Uzuki, after depth-charging Seadragon (and claiming destruction of her quarry) is then damaged in collision with the damaged Nankai Maru. Despite enemy optimism, Seadragon emerges unscathed from her adventure.
Submarine Tautog (SS-199) sinks Japanese army cargoship No.2 Banshu Maru about 15 miles north of Dili, Timor, 08°40'S, 124°30'E.
Submarine Thresher (SS-200) sinks Japanese army transport No.1 Tokiwa Maru, 06°38'S, 112°44'E.
USAAF B-17s damage Japanese transport Kagu Maru and merchant cargo ship Kozan Maru at Rabaul.
Atlantic
Philippine motorship Dona Aurora is torpedoed and sunk by Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli about 200 miles off the coast of Brazil, 02°02'S, 35°17'W; Enrico Tazzoli takes two passengers and one Armed Guard sailor prisoner and leaves the rest afloat in a boat and three rafts (see 27 December 1942, 3 January 1943 and [...] 1943). - December 26, Sat.
Pacific
Henderson Field, Guadalcanal-based SBDs, F4Fs, and P-38s attack Japanese transports at Wickham Anchorage, New Georgia, sinking merchant cargo ships Takashima Maru and Iwami Maru.
USAAF B-24 bombs Japanese shipping in St. George Channel, Solomons, damaging destroyer Ariake as she escorts damaged transport Nankai Maru and destroyer Uzuki (see 25 December).
USAAF B-17s damage Japanese destroyer Tachikaze, Rabaul.
Mine laid by submarine Trigger (SS-237) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Teifuku Maru four miles northeast of Inubosaki, Japan, 35°45'N, 140°55'E.
Japanese merchant cargo ship Izumi Maru is sunk by aircraft (possibly USAAF heavy bomber) South Seas area.
Atlantic
Submarine Barb (SS-220) mistakenly torpedoes neutral Spanish tanker Campomanes off Cape Finisterre. - December 27, Sun.
Pacific
USAAF B-17s sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Italy Maru and Tsurugisan Maru off Rabaul, 04°21'S, 142°17'E.
Atlantic
British freighter Testbank rescues 50 survivors from Philippine motorship Dona Aurora, torpedoed and sunk by Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli on 25 December 1942 (see 3 January 1943). - December 28, Mon.
Pacific
Submarine Kingfish (SS-234) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Choyo Maru off northwest coast of Formosa, 24°46'N, 120°40'E.
Submarine Triton (SS-201) sinks Japanese merchant passenger/cargo ship Omi Maru, 06°24'N, 160°18'E.
Japanese army cargo ship No.8 Tokiwa Maru is sunk by mine, 06°50'S, 112°47'E.
Japanese minelayer Nichiyu Maru is damaged, cause unknown, off Kiska, Aleutians. - December 29, Tue.
Pacific
High speed minesweeper Wasmuth (DMS-15) is sunk by explosion of two of her own depth charges during a gale, 35 miles off Scotch Cape, the southwest point of Unimak Island, Aleutians.
Mine laid by submarine Tambor (SS-198) on 2 November 1942, sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Fukken Maru off northwest coast of Hainan Island, 20°04'N, 109°18'E. - December 30, Wed.
Pacific
Submarine Greenling (SS-213) attacks Japanese convoy about 180 miles northeast of Manus, Admiralties, sinking army cargo ship Hiteru Maru and damaging cargo ship Ryufuku Maru, 00°41'N, 148°52'E.
Submarine Searaven (SS-196) lands agents on south coast of Ceram Island, N.E.I.
Submarine Thresher (SS-200) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Hachian Maru (ex-British Kinshan) about 120 miles west of Mata Siri Island, off southeast tip of Borneo, 04°45'N, 113°54'E.
Japanese coastal minesweeper M 2 is sunk by mine, Surabaya Harbor.
USAAF B-17s (5th Air Force) bomb Japanese shipping in Simpson Harbor, Rabaul, sinking merchant cargo ship Tomiura Maru, 04°14'S, 152°11'E. - December 31, Thu. Japanese Imperial headquarters in Tokyo decides to begin the evacuation of Guadalcanal.
Pacific
USAAF B-24s damage Japanese merchant cargo ship Urajio Maru off Kiska.
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