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September 14th, 1942

UNITED KINGDOM: USAAF 31st Fighter Group is transferred to XII Fighter Command, 12th Air Force. It will continue to operate under VIII Fighter Command.

The Handley-Page Hampden makes its last operation with RAF Bomber Command when No. 408 Squadron attack Wilhelmshaven. (22)

Frigate HMS Inver laid down.
Destroyer HMS Wizard laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

GERMANY: U-429 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.S.R.: Thunderous attacks by 200,000 Germans stagger the Soviets at Stalingrad. In coordinated offensives, the German 6th and 4th Panzer Armies storm into the heart of the wrecked city and nearly reach the main ferry landing where Soviet reinforcements land after crossing the Volga River. Realizing the Germans have nearly conquered the city, Lieutenant General Vasily Chuikov, Commanding General 64th Army, calls for, and gets, reinforcements. The first of them, the 13th Guards Rifles Division, commanded by General Konstantine Rokossovsky, marches 25 miles down the east bank, is brought across the Volga and immediately counterattacks up the Mamai Kurgan . Several other divisions will bolster Stalingrad’s defenses during the next few days. (Jack McKillop)

ARCTIC OCEAN: The German submarine U-589 is sunk in the Arctic Ocean southwest of Spitzbergen, in position 75.04N, 04.49E, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Onslow, and depth charges from a Swordfish of No 825 Squadron in the escort carrier HMS Avenger. All hands, 44 men, on the U-boat are lost. The day before she had rescued four Luftwaffe airmen in the Arctic, they too were lost. (Jack McKillop and Alex Gordon)

NORWEGIAN SEA: German torpedo planes continue attacks upon Archangel-bound convoy PQ 18, sinking U.S. freighter SS Mary Luckenbach about 600 miles (966 kilometres) west of North Cape, Norway; she is lost with all hands (41 merchant seamen and a 24-man Armed Guard). The violent explosion of SS Mary Luckenbach’s ammunition cargo rains debris on nearby freighter SS Nathanael Greene 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 SS Wacosta, which is later torpedoed and sunk about 400 miles (644 kilometres) northeast of Jan Mayen Island; 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 SS Wacosta’s loss. (Jack McKillop)

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: US Army, Middle East Air Force B-24s attack shipping at Suda Bay, Crete, setting 1 vessel afire, while other B-24s hit Tobruk, Libya; P-40s fly a sweep with the RAF over the frontlines. (Jack McKillop)

LIBYA: Tobruk: After a three-hour bombardment and heavy air raids, the British last night launched a raid on this much-fought-over port - aiming to do as much damage as possible to the port and Rommel’s supply dumps. But Operation Agreement, as it was called, was a disaster.

The intention was for 350 marines and 150 troops to land on the north and south sides of the harbour respectively and seize coastal defences. The captured defences would then cover a force of destroyers as they entered the harbour, destroyed shipping and port facilities, and took off the marines and soldiers.

A head-on assault by a small force in the face of blistering German counter-fire was risky from the start. Of 21 coastal craft, 19 failed to get troops ashore, and an assault craft with the first wave of marines failed to return. Two destroyers and the anti-aircraft cruiser HMS COVENTRY were also lost, and an MTB was captured; 579 Allied servicemen have been taken prisoner.

Whilst participating in a raid on Tobruk, and in company with HMS Coventry and HMS Zulu, Tribal class destroyer HMS Sikh is illuminated by a searchlight associated with a Luftwaffe 88mm. Flak battery and receives heavy, well-directed fire. The gearing room, the turbine lubrication system are destroyed and ready use 4,7 ammunition along side A turret is exploded, as are the demolition charges set around Y turret. HMS Zulu attempts to tow Sikh away but is herself hit and is ordered away. Sikh is scuttled at 0708 and the crew abandon the ship. There are 275 casualties. Location: off Tobruk at (sic) 32 65N 24 00E.

Cruiser HMS Coventry is attacked by a force of Ju.87 aircraft and so badly damaged that she has to be sunk by HMS Zulu off Tobruk at 32 48N 28 17E.

Tribal class destroyer HMS Zulu is attacked by a force of 6 Ju.87 and 12 Ju.88. A bomb enters the engine room and brings the ship to a stop. Croome takes off all crew except for a towing party, whilst Hursley takes her in tow. When it became clear that Zulu was sinking, the tow is cast off, but before Croome can come alongside to take off the towing party, Zulu rolls over and sinks East of Tobruk at 32 00N 28 56E. There are 40 casualties. (Alex Gordon)(108)

EGYPT: Cairo: An ambitious scheme to hit three Libyan targets in a combined operation has blown up in the face of its British planners. At Benghazi, David Stirling’s Special Air Service (SAS) found the enemy waiting and ready, so withdrew under heavy fire, losing 18 Jeeps and 25 other vehicles. At Tobruk the assault from sea and desert using infantry, Marine commandos and the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was a failure costing three big ships and many lives. At Barce a New Zealand LRDG patrol blew up 24 enemy aircraft, but few of these men are expected to survive the Luftwaffe manhunt across the desert.

NEW GUINEA: The Japanese edge to within 32 miles (51 kilometres) of Port Moresby but run into units of the Australian 7 Division at Imita Ridge on the Kokoda Trail. It is the last advance the Japanese will make on the island and the high water mark of their conquests. Henceforth, all their moves will be retreats. (Jack McKillop)

A single US 5th Air Force A-20 Havoc bombs ground forces and installations at Myola. (Jack McKillop)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: At 0515, Admiral Turner sails from Espiritu Santo, with the 7th Marines bound for Guadalcanal.

At 1445 I-19 fires 6 torpedoes at the USS Wasp, sailing between New Caledonia and Guadalcanal. 1 hits the Wasp, the others continue on. One hits the battleship North Carolina and another the destroyer O’Brien. The Wasp is scuttled at 2100 by three US torpedoes, the North Carolina will fight again. The O’Brien will sink on October 19, 2800 miles toward home and a major refit.

IJA troops attempting to retake Henderson Field on Guadalcanal are driven back for the second day in a row. USAAF P-400 Airacobras attack the Japanese troops retreating south of the Lunga Perimeter. At about 1300 hours, 28 G4M “Betty” bombers escorted by an unknown number of A6M “Zekes” bomb Henderson Field; Marine F4F Wildcat pilots shoot down 2 G4Ms and 2 A6Ms. (Jack McKillop)

TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIANS: In the first combined heavy mission over Kiska Island in the Aleutian Islands, the US 11th Air Force dispatches 13 B-24 Liberators, 1 B-17 Flying Fortress, 14 P-38 Lightnings, and 14 P-39Airacobras to fly low-altitude and photo runs; the P-39s strafe and damage 2 submarines in the harbor; the other aircraft bomb and strafe many installations including AA guns and the submarine base; a single aircraft also strafes Segula Island; enemy losses are 5 float planes shot down and 1 flying boat destroyed on the water; an ammunition ship is sunk and another vessel slightly damaged; while a large cargo vessel and several small barges and vessels sustain hits; 2 P-38s are lost, colliding head-on while after a fighter. (Jack McKillop)

CANADA: MFV HMCS Chamiss Bay acquired. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: The 18-minute color documentary “The Battle of Midway” is released. Directed, produced and filmed by John Ford, narration is provided by Donald Crisp, Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell with James Roosevelt, the President’s son, appearing as an Army major. Ford was on Midway Island with a crew of Navy photographers during the epic battle in June 1942. (Jack McKillop)

Corvette HMCS Halifax arrived New York for duty under USN Commander Eastern Frontier, New York - Guantanamo convoys, Sep 42 - Mar 43. Submarines USS Capelin and Crevalle laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: After four days of attack by a wolfpack of 13 U-boats, convoy ON-127 has lost 12 freighters and one Canadian destroyer; one U-boat has been hit.

At 0005 hours, whilst escorting convoy ON.127, destroyer HMCS Ottawa is torpedoed and sunk by U-91 (Kptlt. Heinz Hungershausen CO) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence at 47 55N 43 27W. There are 112 casualties and 76 survivors. Reports state the CO gave his lifebelt to a rating. Corvette HMCS Arvida rescued survivors. U-91 was a VIIC type U-boat, built by Flender-Werke AG, Lubeck-Siems, commissioned 28 Jan 41, in service 25 months, on 04 Sep 42 U-91 was a member of Wolfpack group, “Vorwarts”, this Wolfpack sank 7 ships in Convoy ON 127, and 3 ships in convoy RB 1. 6 ships sunk for a total of 36,952 tons, Fate sunk 25 Feb 44 in Northern Atlantic, in position 48.12N, 40.56W by HMS Affleck, Gore and Gould. Of the U-91 crew of 51, there were 15 survivors and 36 lost.

U-408 sinks SS Atheltemplar in Convoy PQ-18
U-457 damaged SS Atheltemplar in Convoy PQ-18.
U-515 sinks SS Harborough. (Dave Shirlaw)