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August 28th, 1942

UNITED KINGDOM: The US Eighth Air Force in England flies Mission 7: 11 B-17s bomb the Avions Potez aircraft factory at Meaulte, France at 1337-1344 hours.

A Junkers Ju86R bomber drops a bomb from a high altitude on Bristol, leaving 48 dead and 26 injured.

FRANCE: The Germans order the arrest of all French Roman Catholic priests who shelter Jews. During the day the Germans deport 1,000 people from Paris to Auschwitz, Poland; 148 of the deportees are children under the age of 15. (Jack McKillop)

VICHY FRANCE: The authorities complete the rounding-up of 7,000 Jews for deportation to Auschwitz.

GERMANY: Massive RAF raid against Nuremberg kills 4,000 civilians and destroys over 10,000 dwellings. (Jack McKillop)

KptLt. Helmut Rosenbaum is awarded the Knight’s Cross. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.S.R.: The Red Army initiates small unit actions around Leningrad.

Lake Ladoga: Italian Navy 12th Flotilla MAS 528 attacks two Soviet armed tugboats towing a very large (over 70 metres long and 1,300 tons) supply barge, and escorted by another tugboat, sinking the barge. (Arturo Lorioli)

Though their drive in the Caucasus is slowing, German forces are closing in on Novorossisk, a large Soviet Navy base on the Black Sea coast. (Jack McKillop)]

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: British codebreaking efforts to crack Italian cipher C38M pay off when Malta-based RAF aircraft sink the Italian tanker Dielpi, bound for Libya with 2,200 tons of aircraft fuel. The British know the exact times of sailing, routes and cargoes of every ship bringing Rommel munitions and fuel. (Jack McKillop)

LIBYA: 2 US Army Middle East Air Force B-24 squadrons bomb docks, shipping and jetties in Tobruk harbor.

FRENCH INDOCHINA: 8 US China Air Task Force (CATF) B-25 Mitchells hit barracks and ammunition dumps at Hoang Su Phi and a fuel dump at Phu Lo; this is the largest force of B-25s used by CATF to date, and the first B-25 mission flown without escort.

CHINA: Chekiang: The three-month-long Japanese offensive in Chekiang and Kiangsi has ended with Japanese troops completing their two-phase withdrawal eastward as Chinese Nationalists regain control of Chuchow.

The decision to withdraw the nine divisions of Japan’s XIII Corps was taken a month ago when the Japanese High Command was satisfied that the operation had achieved its main retaliatory objective - the destruction of the airfields where long-range US bombers landed after bombing Tokyo.

Chinese tactics throughout the retreat, as well as the offensive, have been to avoid direct confrontations. Instead, to conserve their strength, the Chinese have used guerrilla tactics.

NEW GUINEA: USAAF B-26s of the Allied Air Forces make ineffective air attacks on IJA forces at Milne Bay.

General Horii halts his march along the Kokoda Track so as to enable logistic support to be diverted to the Solomons. Horii’s forces are anyway incapable of advancing further, due to starvation and fresh Australian forces, including, for the first time, artillery and effective air attack.

Maj-Gen Vasey (DCGS-Aust) writes to Lt-Gen Rowell at Port Moresby that a state of near panic prevails at MacArthur’s GHQ in Brisbane. He also writes that that morning, MacArthur has finally taken the decision at a conference to fight the Japanese in New Guinea. (Michael Mitchell)

AUSTRALIA: George Hargrave, a stoker from HMAS Swan, was shot in the stomach by Ernest Helton, an American MP. The incident occurred in a Townsville fish and chip shop in Palmer Street, South Townsville. The argument developed over the possession of a salt shaker. George Hargrave eventually died in Townsville Hospital on 9 September 1942.

The official records state that George Hargrave died as the result of an accident. Ernest Helton was court martialled on 10 October 1942. The shooting was deemed as self defence. (Denis Peck)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: On Guadalcanal, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines returns from an attack begun yesterday, west across the Matanikau River. This is the second of many small unit actions, over the next 2 1/2 months, that will attempt to deny this area to the Japanese. The unit returns after having its Commanding Officer, Colonel Maxwell relieved. The Japanese units were allowed to slip away during the night, after he had requested evacuation of his unit by boat the previous afternoon. (John Nicholas)
In the air, two SBD Dauntlesses spot troop-laden IJN destroyers, carrying elements of the Kawaguchi Detachment, in New Georgia Sound at 1700 hours local; this is only 70 miles (112.7 km) from Guadalcanal. The two SBDs attack the ships but do not score any hits. By 1730 hours, eleven SBD Dauntlesses of Navy Scouting Squadron Five (VS-5) and Marine Scout Bombing Squadron Two Hundred Thirty Two (VMSB-232) are airborne and attack the ships at sundown. A VS-5 pilot scores a direct hit on the destroyer HIJMS Asagiri off Santa Isabel Island; three other destroyers are damaged. The destroyers retire without landing the troops. (Jack McKillop)
Light minelayer USS Gamble (DM-15, ex DD-123) sinks Japanese submarine HIJMS I-123 near Guadalcanal, in position 09.21S, 160.43E. (Jack McKillop)

IJN Rear Admiral Takaji Joshima, at Rabaul, forms a unit of float planes from various sources, known as “R Area Air Force”. These float planes will operate from bases in the Shortland Islands and Rekata Bay, and now begin regular nightly patrols over Guadalcanal. They will become known to the Marines as “Washing Machine Charlie” and “Louie The Louse”.

TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Thirty eight Alaskan Scouts debark from the submarines, USS Triton (SS-201) and USS Tuna (SS-203),and land on Adak Island to reconnoiter. They find no Japanese on the island. (Jack McKillop)
In the air, 3 USAAF 11th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses bombing Kiska Island, 1 fails to return; all available B-24 Liberators and 2 flights of P-38 Lightnings fly naval cover at Nazan Bay, Atka Island; and an attack mission to Attu Island is cancelled due to weather. (Jack McKillop)

CANADA: Patrol vessel HMCS Billow (ex F/V Kurashio) acquired. Later lost in RCAF service in Queen Charlotte Islands. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: A Japanese seaplane launched from the submarine I-25 drops incendiaries on a forest in Oregon.

One hundred twenty women, commissioned directly as USN Ensigns or Lieutenant (jg)s, report to Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, for training. (Jack McKillop)
In Richmond, California, the Liberty ship SS John Fitch is launched 24-days after her keel is laid at the Kaiser Shipyard. (Jack McKillop)
President Franklin D. Roosevelt calls for a “meatless day” once per week to help the war effort. (Jack McKillop)

Destroyer USS Taylor commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

CARIBBEAN SEA: The German submarine U-94 is sunk in the , in position 17.40N, 74.30W by depth charges from a USN PBY-5A Catalina of Patrol Squadron Ninety Two (VP-92), based at NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and ramming by the RCN corvette HMCS Oakville. 26 of the 45-man crew of the U-boat survived. (Jack McKillop)

BRAZIL: Under heavy pressure from the US, Brazil declares war on Germany. (Jack McKillop)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Corvette HMCS Trail and USS Bernadou rescued 16 fully loaded lifeboats of survivors from ‘SS CHATHAM’.

U-165 damaged SS Arlyn and USS Laramie in Convoy SG-6.
U-566 sank SS City of Cardiff and SS Zuiderkerk in Convoy SL-119.
(Dave Shirlaw)