Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

U.S. SUBMARINES SINK A CRUISER, TORPEDO 6 OTHER JAPANESE SHIPS (4/5/42)
Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 4/5/42 | C. Brooks Peters, George Gallup, Hanson W. Baldwin, George Axelsson, Charles Hurd

Posted on 04/05/2012 4:24:47 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson

1

Photobucket

2

Photobucket

3

Photobucket

4

Photobucket

5

Photobucket

6

Photobucket

7

Photobucket

8

Photobucket

THE NEWS OF THE WEEK IN REVIEW

9

Photobucket

10

Photobucket

11

Photobucket

12

Photobucket

13

Photobucket

14

Photobucket

15

Photobucket

16

Photobucket

17

Photobucket

18

Photobucket

19

Photobucket

20

Photobucket

21

Photobucket

22

Photobucket



TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: milhist; realtime; worldwarii
Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile. Also visit our general discussion thread
1 posted on 04/05/2012 4:24:53 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Homer_J_Simpson
Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
Battle of Bataan, 1942
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941 – American Carrier Operations, 7 December 1941-18 April 1942
Micronesia, Melanesia and New Guinea: Japanese Centrifugal Offensive-Japanese Fourth Fleet and South Seas Detachment Operations, December 1941-April 1942
Luzon, P.I., 1941: Centrifugal Offensive, 10 December 1941-6 May 1942-Fourteenth Army Operations on Luzon
Netherlands East Indies, 1941: Japanese Centrifugal Offensive, December 1941-April 1942, Sixteenth Army and Southern Force (Navy) Operations
Southern Asia, 1941: Japanese Centrifugal Offensive (and Continued Operations), January-May 1942
Eastern Europe, 1941: Soviet Winter Offensive – Operations, 6 December 1941-7 May 1942
North Africa, 1940: Rommel’s Second Offensive, 21 January-7 July 1942
2 posted on 04/05/2012 4:25:48 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Homer_J_Simpson
Photobucket

John Toland, The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945

3 posted on 04/05/2012 4:26:35 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Homer_J_Simpson
Photobucket

Barbara W. Tuchman, Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45
4 posted on 04/05/2012 4:27:15 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: r9etb; PzLdr; dfwgator; Paisan; From many - one.; rockinqsranch; 2banana; henkster; meandog; ...
U.S.M.C. alert – note the last iitem on page 3.

Action Near Java (Peters) – 2
Kupang is Raided – 2-3
War News Summarized – 3
Drastic Pay-Price Control Law is Favored by 2 to 1 in Gallup Poll (Gallup) – 4
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on Fighting in Various Zones – 7-8

The News of the Week in Review
Twenty News Questions – 9
War at Sea Rises to a New Peak of Intensity (Baldwin) – 10-11
Hitler Exploits Fears of the German People (Axelsson) – 11-12
Answers to Twenty News Questions – 13

The New York Times Magazine
We Can Win the War, IF – (Baldwin) * – 15-19
The Navy’s ‘Cominch’ (Hurd) – 20-22

* The first line on page 18 should be, “. . . and until at least some of them . . .”

5 posted on 04/05/2012 4:34:21 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Homer_J_Simpson

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/apr42/f05apr42.htm

Main British Eastern Fleet eludes Japanese
Sunday, April 5, 1942 www.onwar.com

HMS Cornwall listing after Japanese attack off CeylonIn the Indian Ocean... The Japanese believing the British Fleet to still be in port launch 130 plane attack against Colombo. A small British counterattack is sent against the Japanese fleet, but it is unsuccessful. The Japanese begin scouting for the British ships and the HMS Dorsetshire and Cornwall are found, attacked and sunk, however the main portion of the British Fleet eludes them.

In the Philippines... The Japanese offensive down the Bataan peninsula continues. In fierce fighting, at Mount Samat, the US 21st Division takes heavy losses as the Japanese take the position. Elsewhere, Japanese forces leave Luzon for Cebu Island.

In the North Atlantic... US naval forces (Task Force 39) arrive to reinforce the British naval position at Scapa Flow, with the aircraft carrier, USS Wasp and the battleship, USS Washington. The British are in need the assistance as ships have been drawn for Operation Ironclad which is directed against Madagascar.


6 posted on 04/05/2012 4:36:49 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Homer_J_Simpson

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm

April 5th, 1942 (SUNDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: Of the eleven merchant ships that left Sweden on 1 April, two have reached Britain, six have been sunk or scuttled, and three have returned to Sweden.

FRANCE: During the night of the 5th/6th, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 20 Whitleys to bomb the Gnome and Rhone aircraft engine factory in the Paris suburb of Gennevilliers; 14 aircraft bomb but the main target is not hit. Local records show one house destroyed and four damaged, with no casualties. In a second mission, 14 aircraft bomb the port area at Le Havre. (Jack McKillop)

NETHERLANDS: During the night of the 5th/6th, RAF Bomber Command dispatches six Blenheim intruders to attack airfields; individual aircraft hit De Kooy, Leeuwarden, Schipol and Soesterberg Airfields. (Jack McKillop)

NORWAY: In Oslo, 654 of the 699 Lutheran ministers resign their civil service positions in protest of the German occupation of their country. (Jack McKillop)

GERMANY: Fuhrer Directive 41 is issued and the Wehrmacht has its marching orders for 1942. Leningrad is to finally be captured and contact is to be made with the Finns east of Lake Ladoga, but that is a secondary objective. The big plan is in the South, which involves 2nd Army and 4th Panzer Army breaking through to Voronezh on the Don River. 6th Army will break out south of Kharkov and combine with the 4th Panzer Army to surround the enemy. After that, the 4th Panzer Army and 6th Army will drive east under the command of Army Group B and surround Stalingrad from the North, while Army Group A’s 17th Army and 1st Panzer Army will do so from the South. Once Stalingrad is taken, the 6th Army will hold the flank defence line while Army Group A drives South into the Caucasus to seize the oilfields and become the northern punch of a grand pincer movement (the southern half being Rommel) to seize Suez, the Nile Delta, the Middle-East and its oilfields. (Mikko Härmeinen and Jack McKillop)
During the night of the 5th/6th, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 263 aircraft, 179 Wellingtons, 44 Hampdens, 29 Stirlings and 11 Manchesters, to bomb the Humboldt works in Cologne; 219 bomb the target claiming good results with the use of GEE but the nearest bombing photographs developed were 5 miles (8 kilometres) from the Humboldt works. The Cologne report lists just one industrial building hit, a mill in the Deutz area, with 90 houses destroyed or seriously damaged and other buildings, including a hospital, hit. Seven people were killed and nine injured in the bombing. There were further casualties among a crowd who were watching a burning bomber which had crashed in the middle of Cologne; the bomb load exploded killing 16 people and injuring 30 more. The bomber’s crew had been killed in the original crash. Two of the aircraft dispatched bombed Bonn and another bombed Koblenz. (Mikko Härmeinen and Jack McKillop)

MALTA: Destroyer HMS Lance which is in dry-dock at Valetta for repair is damaged beyond repair by German air attacks on this date and also the 9th. April.

Minesweeper Abingdon is alongside the jetty at Valetta awaiting repair when she is sunk by a German air attack. (Alex Gordon)(108)

INDIAN OCEAN: The Japanese fleet that sailed from Kendari, Celebes, Netherlands East Indies, has reached a point about 200 miles (322 kilometres) south of Colombo and commences Operation C.

The Japanese force under Vice Admiral KONDO Nobutake consists of the battleships HIJMS Haruna, Hiei, Kirishima and Kongo; the aircraft carriers HIJMS Akagai, Hiryu, Shokaku, Soryu and Zuikaku; heavy cruisers HIJMS Chikuma and Tone; light cruiser HIJMS Abukuma; and nine destroyers.

At dawn, the carriers launch 127 aircraft [53 Nakajima B5N2, Navy Type 97 Carrier Attack Bombers (later assigned the Allied Code Name “Kate”), 38 Aichi D3A1, Navy Type 99 Carrier Bombers (”Val”) and 36 A6M2, Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighters (”Zeke”)]. Of these, seven are lost (6 “Vals” and a “Zeke”) and 15 damaged (five “Kates”, seven “Vals” and three “Zekes”). Two additional “Zekes” are damaged downing an RAF Catalina over the Japanese fleet.

In spite of the prior days warning of the approaching Japanese Task Force, the Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter units are caught fairly unprepared. In the massive air battle that follows, the RAF and Fleet Air Arm (FAA) losses a total of 30 aircraft, six Swordfish, four Fulmars, 17 Hurricanes, a Catalina, an Albacore and a Walrus. The FAA’s No. 788 Squadron, the Eastern Fleet Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Pool unit equipped with Swordfish Mks I and II and based at China Bay, Ceylon, is caught unaware in transit from the Trincomalee area and loses all six Swordfish and their pilots. FAA Nos. 803 and 806 Squadrons operating two sub-flights together while based at Ratmalana, Ceylon, each lose two of three Fulmar Mk. II fighters and four crewmen. RAF No. 258 Squadron operating from Colombo Racecourse had 9 Hurricanes Mk. IIBs forced down of the 14 that sortied with the loss of five pilots, while No. 30 Squadron based at Ratmalana, had 8 Hurricanes Mk. IIA and IIBs forced down although the actual number that sortied is unclear; four pilots were killed and one later died of his wounds.

Meanwhile, a 205 Squadron Catalina of the morning search found the Japanese fleet, but was shot down by the Japanese Combat Air Patrol (CAP) before getting off a report; all eight crewmen were killed. Also an FAA No. 700 Squadron Walrus operating from the light cruiser HMS Glasgow is dispatched on a search after the raid but on its return, it crashes while landing, killing the pilot. The Japanese also sink the destroyer HMS Tenedos and the armed merchant cruiser HMS Hector. (Mark Horan, John Nicholas and Jack McKillop)

A Japanese scout plane from the heavy cruiser HIJMS Tone sights two British cruisers southwest of Ceylon and the Japanese aircraft carriers launch 53 “Vals.” The two heavy cruisers, HMS Dorsetshire and Cornwall, had sailed from Colombo, Ceylon, at 2200 hours yesterday and during the night orders were received from the commander in chief Eastern Fleet to join him at 1600 hours today. Starting at 1100 hours, aircraft, some friendly, were sighted but none attacked. At about 1340 hours, both ships were attacked by the Vals and both were severely damaged. HMS Dorsetshire sank at 1351 hours and HMS Cornwall at 1355 hours. Between the two ships, 424 crewmen were lost and 1,122 are rescued tomorrow after spending 30 hours in the water.

No Japanese aircraft were lost in this attack. (Mark Horan and Jack McKillop)

After the attack, the Japanese Second Expeditionary Fleet, Malay Force (Vice Admiral OZAWA Jisaburo) is divided into three groups to disrupt Allied shipping in the Bay of Bengal. The British also are active after the attack. RAF No. 11 Squadron, based at Colombo Racecourse, dispatches ten Blenheim Mk. IVs on a retaliatory strike but estimates of the Japanese position are off and, with no further reports being received, the target is not found. During the day, a pair of No. 827 Squadron Albacore Mk. Is from the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable, on a reconnaissance flight, run into the Japanese CAP and one is shot down with the loss of three crewmen. Later in the day another No. 827 Albacore is intercepted by the CAP, but escapes.

Unfortunately, the lack of a proper sighting report from the later plane (its radio had been destroyed) left Admiral Somerville to assume no contact had been and thus he did not change course to close. By the time his scout returned two hours later, the Japanese Force had doubled back and further FAA search efforts failed to make the contact necessary for Somerville to execute his planned night aerial torpedo attack. (Mark Horan)

AMC Hector which was not in commission at the time, being in the process of re-conversion to trade, receives hits from 4 bombs dropped from IJN aircraft from Akagi, Soryu, Hiryu which are attacking Port of Colombo, Ceylon. Hector sinks in shallow water with her upperworks awash, and a fire on her deck and the dockside alongside, burns for 14 days before being extinguished.

Unable to put to sea due to defects, S class destroyer HMS Tenedos suffers an air attack in which she receives two direct hits aft, a third near the foremast and a near miss astern and sinks rapidly. There are 33 casualties.

County class cruiser HMS Cornwall ( in company with HMS Dorsetshire) is overwhelmed by IJN air attacks and sinks after being rendered dead in the water. There are 190 casualties, survivors being rescued by HMS Panther and Paladin some 30 hours after the sinking in the Indian Ocean South of Ceylon at 01 54N 77 45E.

County class cruiser HMS Dorsetshire suffered in the same raid as HMS Cornwall. There were 234 casualties and the survivors were in the sea for some 30 hours prior to rescue by Panther and Paladin. (Alex Gordon)(108)

BURMA: Pilots of the American Volunteer Group’s 1st and 3d Fighter Squadron shoot down 12 Japanese fighters near Loiwing Airdrome during the afternoon. (Jack McKillop)

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: After air and artillery preparation, the Japanese resume their offensive in the II Corps area on Bataan, concentrating on the 21st Division, Philippine Army, which yields Mt Samat and is left virtually ineffective as a fighting force. The Corps prepares to counterattack tomorrow with all available forces. (John Nicholas and Jack McKillop)
A Japanese invasion force of 4,852 troops sails from Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, toward Cebu Island, in the Visayan Islands, east central Philippines. (Jack McKillop)

BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: In their combat debut, nine USAAF B-26 Marauders attack Lakunai and Vunakanau Aerodromes at Rabaul on New Britain Island. (Jack McKillop)

ADMIRALTY ISLANDS: Japanese forces occupy Lorengau on Manus Island without opposition. Several hundred Japanese troops of a Special Naval Landing Force are landed by a naval force consisting of the light cruiser HIJMS Tatsuta, destroyer HIJMS Mutsuki and a troop transport ship SS Mishima Maru. The island is defended by No. 4 Section, ‘B’ Platoon, First Independent Company, Australian Imperial Force. With little and limited resources the Australian Independent Company Section smartly withdraws to prepared positions in the jungle. (Jack McKillop)

CANADA: The port of Port Rupert, British Columbia, is opened to the U.S. for shipment of supplies to the Territory of Alaska, thus avoiding a logistics jam at Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. (Jack McKillop)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-154 sinks a US tanker en-route from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, to Wilmington, Delaware, USA, about 37 miles (60 kilometres) off the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic. (Jack McKillop)


7 posted on 04/05/2012 4:38:49 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Homer_J_Simpson

For a fraction of the resources committed to Fuhrer Directive 41, who knows for how far the Afrika Korps might have rolled in 1942?


8 posted on 04/05/2012 6:24:38 AM PDT by fso301
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Homer_J_Simpson

Whew... This is another great edition.
By the way, I wonder what branch of the service the McCoys joined?


9 posted on 04/05/2012 8:17:27 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lancey Howard
I wonder what branch of the service the McCoys joined?

I don't know, but I hope it was remote from the branch the Hatfields joined.

10 posted on 04/05/2012 9:28:57 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Homer_J_Simpson

April 5, 1942:

"The Lutheran Church of Norway issues "Kirken grunn" ("Foundations of the Church"), a letter condemning Nazism and racism and protesting efforts of Vidkun Quisling, Norway's German puppet, to "nazify" Norway's churches."


"On April 3, 1942, 1200 Jews were deported from the Ukrainian town of Tlumacz to the death camp at Belzec, which began operation the previous month.
They were among the approximately 600,000 Jews, most of them from Poland, who died in Belzec in 1942.
Here the Jews are being assembled for deportation."



11 posted on 04/05/2012 11:43:08 AM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lancey Howard
Lancy Howard: "By the way, I wonder what branch of the service the McCoys joined?"

My Uncle (by marriage) Robert McCoy was a Navy officer.
Of course they were from Ohio and Baltimore.
I can't say where the Kentucky McCoys served.

;-)

12 posted on 04/05/2012 11:54:34 AM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Homer_J_Simpson

I had never read about this British Navy disaster at Ceylon before, suffered at the hands of the same Japanese Navy ships that hit Pearl Harbor.


13 posted on 04/05/2012 5:54:55 PM PDT by Seizethecarp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson