Posted on 09/05/2012 4:26:10 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Richard Tregaskis, Guadalcanal Diary
‘Red Verdun’ Holds (Parker) – 2-3
U.S. Tank Men Fight – 3-4
U.S. Fliers Hit Foe in 5 China Forays – 4-5
War News Summarized – 4
Polish ‘Black Book’ Lists Nazi Crimes – 5
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on Fighting in Various Zones – 8-9
13,000,000 Addicts Laid to Japanese (Forman) – 9
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/sep42/f05sep42.htm
Japanese abandon Milne Bay
Saturday, September 5, 1942 www.onwar.com
In New Guinea... The Australians force the Japanese to evacuate Milne Bay.
On the Eastern Front... German forces penetrate the port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm
September 5th, 1942
UNITED KINGDOM: Because of Major General Carl Spaatz’s convincing protests, Lieutenant General Dwight D Eisenhower changes his mind concerning his recent orders to suspend Eighth Air Force operations from the UK in order to devote total air effort to support of the Twelfth Air Force and the forthcoming African campaign; General Eisenhower informs General George C Marshall that he considers air operations from the UK and in Africa mutually complementary.
The VIII Bomber Command flies Mission 9: 42 bombers and 24 fighters, in 2 forces, attack targets in France without loss; (1) 11 DB-7s, escorted by 24 Spitfires, attack the port area at Le Havre at 0932 hours and (2) 31 B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb the locomotive depot at Sotteville marshalling yard at Rouen; this is largest force of 8th Air Force heavy bombers to attack to date; almost 20% of the high explosive bombs burst within the marshalling yard. (Jack McKillop)
FRANCE: Vichy police round up the last of 9,872 Jews for loading on trains to the concentration camp at Auschwitz, Poland. (Jack McKillop)
GERMANY: U-475 laid down.
U-733 and U-847 launched.
U-195 and U-270 commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
HUNGARY: Budapest: The blackout is introduced because of Soviet air raids.
U.S.S.R.: (Sergey Anisimov)(69)Baltic Fleet, Ladoga and Onega Flotillas: Shipping loss. MMS “Piksha” - mined at Leningrad Sea Channel.
German troops lay siege to the Black Sea naval base of Novorossiisk.
Stalingrad: Fighting is now taking place in the suburbs; yesterday the Germans reached the Volga, south of the city. General Friedrich Paulus has delayed his attempt to seize Stalingrad quickly in order to mop up the considerable Russian forces which he had bypassed and which he now considers a threat to the northern flank of his salient.
At the same time Russia’s Marshal Zhukov, newly arrived to take command, is energetically preparing an attack on the Germans. He is fully aware of the dangers of the situation. In a directive issued two days ago he told his officers: “Stalingrad could be seized today or tomorrow if the northern group of forces is not rendered immediate assistance.” His orders are for the “troop commanders north and north-west of Stalingrad to strike the enemy quickly ... No procrastination will be tolerated. Delay now is regarded as criminal.”
As he did in Leningrad and Moscow, Zhukov is conscripting the civilian population to prepare and to man last-ditch defences in front of the city. Young boys and old men are marching off to war still in their civilian clothes. There is no doubt that Zhukov intends to impose Stalin’s order of “Not a step backwards”. Stalingrad is ringing with the slogan: “There is no land beyond the Volga.”
Today the Soviet 24th and 66th Armies attack, but fail to gain any ground however, they take pressure off 62nd and 64th Armies, giving them time to lay barbed wire, dig trenches, plant mines, and infuse manpower. The Soviet 87th Division is down to 180 men, the 112th has 150, and the 99th Tank Brigade has 120 men and no tanks. (Jack McKillop)
CRETE: U.S. Army, Middle East Air Forces B-24s strike shipping and dock area in Candia Bay. (Jack McKillop)
EGYPT: The Germans and Italians complete their withdrawal from Alam Halfa, and dig in. British General Montgomery issues an Order of the Day, congratulating Eighth Army on its “devotion to duty and good fighting qualities which have resulted in such a heavy defeat of the enemy and which will have far-reaching results.” (Jack McKillop)
In the air, U.S. Army, Middle East Air Forces P-40s escort RAF bombers over the battle area southeast of Alam-el-Halfa Ridge near Rayil Dayr Ar Depression as the enemy offensive falters and is pushed back. (Jack McKillop)
NEW GUINEA: The Japanese evacuate Milne Bay.
On the Kokoda Track the Australians withdraw from the Myola drop area, destroying supplies. (William L. Howard)
The Australian 2/9th Battalion attacks behind an artillery barrage and RAAF P-40 fighter strafing. The Japanese are forced to retreat and the Australians capture the Wagga Wagga supply dump, the main Japanese supply base. Nearly one-third of the 2,000-man Japanese force has been killed. (Jack McKillop)
In the air, USAAF 5th Air Force P-400 Airacobras strafe Kokoda, Kaile, Isurava, Alola, Buna, Sanananda, and Buna-Kokoda trail; and the airfield at Buna is strafed and bombed by P-400s and A-20 Havocs. (Jack McKillop)
SOLOMON ISLANDS: Guadalcanal: Japanese forces are again reinforced during the night. IJN light cruiser Sendai and 11 destroyers brought 1000 men of the 2nd Btn 4th Infantry and remaining troops from Col. Ichiki’s 28th Regiment to Taivu Point. DDs Yadachi, Hatsuyuki and Murakumo were detailed to bombard Henderson Field. APD’s Little and Gregory are spotted with interrupts this mission. They are spotted due to light from flares dropped by PBY crew attempting to assist Marine gunners on Guadalcanal. Little and Gregory attempt gunnery, but with 3 4 inchers apiece they are no match for the more modern IJN DDs. Both sink within minutes.
A separate barge convoy in scheduled to arrive on Guadalcanal at 5:00 am bearing another 1000 troops under Col. Oka. Only 150 reach Guadalcanal today after interception by P-400s from the USAAF 67th Fighter Sqdn. Another 4-500 will be found in various places during the next several weeks. But those late comers will not be available for the next Japanese offensive.
PACIFIC OCEAN: The USN submarine USS Seal (SS-183) sinks a Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship southeast of Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina. (Jack McKillop)
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: Aleutians: Three B-24 Liberators of the USAAF 11th Air Force abort the bombing of Kiska Island due to an overcast. (Jack McKillop)
NEWFOUNDLAND: U-513 sinks SS Lord Strathcona and SS Saganaga.
U-506 sinks SS Myrmidon.
SS Lord Strathcona (7,335 GRT) Canadian bulk ore carrier was torpedoed and sunk while at anchor in Conception Bay, Newfoundland, in position 47.35N, 052.59W, by U-513, KKpt. Rolf RÜGGEBERG, CO. U-513 had just sunk the British ore carrier SAGANAGA, with the loss of 28 lives, when the Third Mate gave the order to abandon Lord Strathcona. The crew got away just as the ship was hit. The Canadian ore carrier ROSE CASTLE was alongside the loading pier and was the target of U-513’s third attack. But, the torpedoes went wide and hit the pier, badly damaging it. U-513 was a long-range Type IXC U-boat built by Deutsche Werft AG, at Hamburg. She was commissioned on 10 Jan 42. U-513 conducted four patrols and compiled a record of six ships sunk for a total of 29,940 tons and damaged two ships for a further 13,177 tons. She was sunk on 19 Jul 43, while under the command of KptLt. Friedrich GUGGENBERGER, Knights Cross, Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, in the South Atlantic off the coast of Brazil, in position 27.17S, 047.32W, by depth charges from a USN ‘Mariner’ patrol aircraft from VP-74 Sqn. KptLt Guggenberger, who was renowned for sinking the British aircraft carrier HMS ARK ROYAL, was among the 7 survivors, although he was seriously wounded. 46 crewmembers were lost. Rolf Rüggeberg was born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1907. He joined the navy in 1926 and was on exchange duties at the Spanish Naval Academy in Cadiz when the war began. In Jul 40 he was appointed as the Assistant to the Naval Attaché in Madrid and in Nov 40 was made the Acting Naval Attaché in Lisbon. Rüggeberg entered the U-boat force in Apr 41. After conversion training, due to his seniority, he entered directly in a U-boat commander’s at-sea training programme in the long-range Type IXB boat U-107, commanded by the ‘ace’ KKpt. Günter Hessler, Knight’s Cross. He was appointed to command U-513 on 10 Jan 42, and completed his tour of duty on 14 May 43, after three successful patrols. He was appointed as the Commander of the 13th U-boat Flotilla in Jun 43 and remained in that position until the end of the war. He was promoted to FKpt on 01 Nov 44. Rolf Rüggeberg was detained after the war and was freed in Oct 45. Rüggeberg, like many other U-boat commanders, demonstrated great ability as a wartime commander, despite his lack of experience in U-boats or, indeed, his lack of operational experience of any kind. His attack at Conception Bay was especially daring considering the size of the long-range Type IX boat and the confines of the harbor. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.A.: The Office of Price Administration (OPA) imposes rent controls to prevent price-gouging. (Jack McKillop)
The final details of Operation Torch, the allied invasion of French North Africa, are decided by British and American planners. The initial landings will be made by Americans because it’s believed the French won’t fight hard against Yanks but might against British troops. Nearly 60,000 American troops commanded by Major General George S. Patton, Commanding General Western Task Force, will sail from Norfolk, Virginia, land in Morocco and take Casablanca. Another 45,000 Americans under Major General Lloyd Fredendall, Commanding General Central Task Force, will sail from Scotland and storm Oran, Algeria. Americans will make up the first wave of a third landing near Algiers, where British troops will follow them ashore. (Jack McKillop)
ARGENTINA: President Castillo reaffirmed Argentina’s intention to abide by its neutrality policy. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/2012/09/day-1101-september-5-1942.html
Day 1101 September 5, 1942
Guadalcanal. Just before 1 AM, Japanese destroyers Yudachi, Hatsuyuki and Murakumo shell Henderson Field as they return from landing troops at Taivu. A US Navy PBY Catalina floatplane drops flares to illuminate the attackers but instead lights up US fast transport ships (converted WWI-era destroyers) USS Gregory and USS Little in Savo Sound, which are promptly sunk by Yudachi (USS Gregory 22 killed, 43 wounded; USS Little 62 killed, 27 wounded; survivors from both ships rescued by US destroyer USS Manley). During the day off Santa Isabel Island, US Cactus Air Force operating from Henderson Field again sinks barges carrying heavy equipment for the Japanese troops on Guadalcanal.
Is this where we learn that Russians are ‘tougher’ than Nazi’s?
“TERRITORY OF ALASKA: Aleutians: Three B-24 Liberators of the USAAF 11th Air Force abort the bombing of Kiska Island due to an overcast.”
Day after day after day it is the same thing! Bad weather cancels the operation.
“There is no land beyond the Volga.”
Which isn’t very far from the truth, actually...
One North-South Rail line, and one “Major” east-west road that was little more than a dirt track outside the cities, was really the only infrastructure west of the Volga in Southern Russia.
Cut that rail line, and you cut off Russia’s oil.
There is a book about a recon group from the 29th Motorized(???), that actually made it to the shore of the Caspian Sea, south of Astrakhan, but it’s been like three decades ago that I read it.
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