Posted on 10/07/2012 4:59:01 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
When I read these stories of the Battle of Stalingrad I always think about how stupid Hitler was for invading Russia. Especially given the historical lesson of Napoleon, Hitler’s invasion of Russia might be the biggest military blunder in history.
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/oct42/f07oct42.htm
Factory fighting in Stalingrad
Wednesday, October 7, 1942 www.onwar.com
Soviet soldier in Stalingrad [photo at link]
On the Eastern Front... In the city of Stalingrad, fierce close combat occurs in and around the Tractor Factory.
In the Solomon Islands... On Guadalcanal, US 1st Marine Division attacks toward the mouth of the Matanikau River. They are attempting to remove much of the Japanese artillery which is firing on Henderson Field airstrip.
From London... Britain and the United States announce the creation of a United Nations Commission into war crimes committed by the Axis powers. It becomes a condition of any armistice that war criminals are to be surrendered to be tried.
In the South Atlantic... Off the coast of South America, a pack of four German U-boats begin a campaign which will sink 170,000 tons of shipping within the next six weeks.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm
October 7th, 1942
UNITED KINGDOM: Escort carrier HMS Emperor launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY: U-272 and U-469 are commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.S.R.: The Tractor Factory at Stalingrad is the scene of fierce fighting.
CRETE: US Army, Middle East Air Force B-24s score 7 direct hits on a tanker and 8 on fuel installations at Suda Bay. In Egypt, 66 P-40s escort bombers over the battle area west of El Alamein. (Jack McKillop)
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: The British destroyer HMS ACTIVE sinks U-179 off Cape Town.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: The 3rd Battalion 5th Marines advance west from the Lunga Perimeter on Guadalcanal. They meet the Japanese defenders on the east bank of the Matanikau River. Marine reinforcements arrive during the day and push the Japanese back against the river bank. Japanese commanders remain unaware, all day, of the actual situation and issue orders which are unrealistic.
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: 3 Eleventh Air Force B-24 Liberators taking off to bomb Kiska Island and patrol Near Island abort mission due to mechanical failure and instead fly reconnaissance over Agattu, Attu, and Semichi Islands with negative results. (Jack McKillop)
U.S.A.: The British and US governments announce a United Nations Commission to investigate Axis war crimes. It will be a condition of any armistice that accused war criminals will be handed over for prosecution.
Washington: Roosevelt says that a commission will be set up after the war to judge those guilty of atrocities and mass murder.
Submarine USS Tinosa is launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
Big Band leader Alton Glenn Miller reports for induction into the US Army. He is immediately assigned to the Army Specialist Corps.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Stormy weather in the North Atlantic made life difficult for those at sea. On U-507 one crewmember crushed his hand quite seriously. Some 1,000 miles to the north, one of the lookouts on U-621 broke his arm
U-507 crewmember died after illness at sea. [Obersteuermann Kurt Warkentin]
U-107 sank SS Andalucia Star.
U-159 sank SS Boringia.
U-172 sank SS Chickasaw City.
U-172 sank SS Firethorn.
U-202 damaged SS John Carter Rose. (Dave Shirlaw)
Did your dad get to see FDR? If so, did you ever hear any comments about FDR?
It’s a shame there was so much thievery going on. To get $45 bucks stolen has to be a staggering blow.
I suspect he would have mentioned it if he had actually seen the president instead of just getting extra duty out of the visit. I never heard anything else about the event. FDR's visit must have been part of his 2-week tour of war industry plants from Sept. 17 to Oct. 1. That is the subject of the lead article on Oct. 2. His itinerary is not described.
One cannot say enough about Guadalcanal and what the Marines did there. First time toe to toe with the undefeatable Japanese army and the Marines soundly defeated them. Much of the time they had limited naval support because the original starship Enterprise had to get out of the area. Thanks, guys.
You are welcome.
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