Posted on 07/12/2012 4:06:42 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
The News of the Week in Review
Twenty News Questions – 9
Germans Make Headway in Gigantic Offensive (Baldwin) – 10
On the Russian Steppes Germany’s Summer Offensive Gathers Momentum (map) – 12
Oil Held Key to Hitler’s Strategy (MacCormac) – 13
Answers to Twenty News Questions – 13
Again, thanks for sharing. I have always said that a 100 years of news were packed into the first half of the 1940’s decade. Just like the first half of the 1860’s decade.
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/jul42/f12jul42.htm
Timoshenko command Stalingrad Front
Sunday July 12, 1942 www.onwar.com
Marshal Timoshenko [photo at link]
From Moscow... Marshal Timoshenko is appointed commander of the newly constituted Stalingrad Front.
On the Eastern Front... German forces reach Lisichansk and Kanteminovka.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm
July 12th, 1942
UNITED KINGDOM: In England, the 8th Air Force borrows six RAF Bostons and bombs Drucat Airfield at Abbeville, France; two aircraft are damaged; no casualties. The 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light) stands down after this mission to prepare their own Bostons which are ex-RAF machines. (Jack McKillop)
U.S.S.R.: Under orders from Stalin, Marshal Semyon K.Timoshenko takes command of the Stalingrad Front. The Germans have now reached Lisichansk and Kanteminovka.
NEW GUINEA: After a five-day march across the Owen Stanley mountains, Australian troops arrive to defend Kokoda.
U.S.A.: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Three 11th Air Force B-24 Liberators dispatched on weather, photo and bombing mission to Kiska Island abort due to weather.
The US Navy sends a party to Akutan Island, located about 28 miles (45 km) northeast of Naval Air Facility (NAF) Dutch Harbor, to investigate the Japanese aircraft seen by a PBY Catalina crew two days ago. They find a Mitsubishi A6M2 Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter Model 21, Allied Code Name “Zeke,” laying on its back.
Later investigations reveal that the aircraft had participated in the Japanese attack on Dutch Harbor on 3 or 4 June and that an oil line had been severed by a bullet. Losing oil pressure, the pilot attempted to land in a high valley about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the beach. The pilot probably thought he was landing on hard ground and he made a normal wheels-down, flaps-down stall landing; actually, he was landing on soft, marshy ground. The “Zeke” skidded along for a short distance tearing away the landing gear and belly tank and damaging the flaps before it flipped over on its back. This action broke the pilot’s neck and damaged the wing tips, vertical stabilizer and trailing edge of the rudder. The engine was half buried in knee-deep mud and water and the pilot’s head and shoulders were submerged in water. The decomposed body of the pilot was removed and buried with simple military honors and a Christian ceremony. The Navy party realizes that they do not have the equipment to salvage the aircraft and word is sent back to Dutch Harbor to send heavy equipment.(Jack McKillop)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarines sink two armed U.S. merchant vessels. U-84 sinks a freighter 20 miles (32.2 km) off Cardenas, Cuba and U-129 sinks a tanker in the Caribbean. In the latter sinking, the survivors are interrogated and then provided medical assistance and directions to the nearest land. (Jack McKillop)
At 0022, the Cortona, dispersed from Convoy OS-33, was torpedoed and damaged by U-116 south of the Azores. Three minutes later, the ship was torpedoed by U-201, which sank her later with a coup de grâce. 29 crewmembers and two gunners were lost. The master, 18 crewmembers and four gunners in a lifeboat were picked up after ten days by destroyer HMS Pathfinder and landed at Londonderry.
At 0945, the Shaftesbury, dispersed from Convoy OS-33 on 11 July, was hit in the stern by two torpedoes from U-116 and sank after 15 minutes about 430 miles 115° from Las Palmas, Canary Islands. The master was taken prisoner by the U-boat, landed at Lorient on 23 August and was then taken to the POW camp Milag Nord. The second officer and 22 survivors were picked up on 23 July by Tuscan Star in 28°15N/22°15W, transferred to HMS Folkestone and landed at Freetown. The chief officer and 20 survivors made landfall at Villa Cisneros, Spanish Sahara and were later brought to Las Palmas.
At 0413, the Siris, dispersed from Convoy OS-33, was torpedoed by U-201 south of the Azores and sank at 0626 after the U-boat had fired 100 rounds from the deck gun at the vessel. One crewmember and two gunners were lost. The master, 46 crewmembers and five gunners were picked up after ten days by HMS Jonquil, transferred to HMS Ibis and landed at Milford Haven.
At 0147, the Port Hunter, dispersed from Convoy OS-33 on 11 July, was torpedoed by U-582 west of Madeira and disappeared after several heavy detonations, which were seen as flashes at the horizon by other ships of the convoy. The master, 68 crewmembers, 14 gunners and five passengers were lost. Three crewmembers sleeping on deck had been blown into the water and were later rescued by HMS Pelican. The master John Bentham Bradley had been in command of the Port Denison when she was bombed and sunk by a German aircraft on 26 Sep 1940. (Dave Shirlaw)
CARIBBEAN SEA: SS Tachira sunk by at 18.15N, 81.45W. One killed. (Dave Shirlaw)
Hanson Baldwin providing excellent analysis, as usual.
"The Akutan Zero, also known as Koga's Zero and the Aleutian Zero, was a type 0 model 21 Mitsubishi A6M Zero Japanese fighter plane that crash-landed on Akutan Island, Alaska Territory, during World War II. It was captured intact by the Americans in July 1942 and became the first flyable Zero acquired by the United States during the war.[1][2] It was repaired and flown by American test pilots. As a result of information gained from these tests, American tacticians were able to devise ways to defeat the Zero, which was the Imperial Japanese Navy's primary fighter plane throughout the war."
The Zero, piloted by petty officer Tadayoshi Koga,
over Dutch Harbor, moments after being hit. In this
picture, it is trailing oil.
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.