http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/oct42/f28oct42.htm
Germans drawn to Australian advance
Wednesday, October 28, 1942 www.onwar.com
In North Africa... The Battle of Alamein. The Australian 9th Division makes progress toward the sea and continues to draw more German troops to oppose them, specifically the German 90th Light Division.
In French West Africa... American diplomat Robert Murphy informs French General Mast that the Allied invasion of the area will take place in November. Mast protests that he will be unable to organize support for either General Giraud or the Allied cause in time.
In the Mediterranean... The British carrier Furious brings another cargo of Spitfires to within flying range of Malta from Gibraltar. The situation on the island continues to deteriorate as the supplies are reaching the island are brought by submarine or fast minelayer. Axis intelligence is award of the shortages and interprets the build up of shipping at Gibraltar to yet another attempt at a large convoy run to Malta rather than the transports carrying troops for Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm
October 28th, 1942
UNITED KINGDOM: Destroyer HMS Rocket launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY:
U-531 commissioned.
U-953, U-954 laid down.
U-243, U-346, U-478, U-1221 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
NORWAY: U-586 made a ground reconnaissance of Jan Mayen Island in Mary Mass Bay. (Dave Shirlaw)
FINLAND: Shtsh-304 and Shtsh-306 are mined in Gulf of Finland. (Mikko Härmeinen)
GIBRALTAR: The British carrier HMS FURIOUS sails with Spitfires for Malta.
ALGERIA: Robert Murphy, US Consul in Northwest Africa, tells French General Mast that the invasion will occur in November. Mast insists that he does not have enough time to organize the Allied sympathizers and to arrange for Giraud to be accepted.
NEW GUINEA: Along the Kokoda Track the Japanese are finally forced off the high ground at Eora Creek. (William L. Howard)
SOLOMON ISLANDS: GUADALCANAL: Japanese reinforcements, nicknamed the “Tokyo Express” by the Americans, start landing on the north-west coast. They meet stiff resistance.
U.S.A.: After completing Officer Candidate School, Clark Gable is commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Forces. (Jack McKillop)
Minesweeper USS Spear laid down.
Destroyer USS Erben laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-627 (Type VIIC) which had left Kiel for its first combat patrol on 15 Oct is sunk 12 days later south of Iceland, at position 59.14N 22.49W by depth charges from a British Fortress aircraft (Sqn 206/F). 44 dead (all crew lost).
U-509 sank SS Nagpore and damaged SS Hopecastle in Convoy SL-125.
U-606 sank SS Gurney E Newlin and damaged SS Kosmos II in Convoy HX-212.
SS Bic Island, 4,000 GRT, Canadian merchant ship, formerly the Italian CAPO NOLI, captured on 10 Jun 40 by HMCS Bras D’Or, was sunk in the North Atlantic by U-624, KptLt Ulrich Graf Von Soden-Fraunhofen, CO. All of her crewmembers plus the survivors of 2 other sunken merchant-ships were lost. Bic Island was part of HX 212, a 43-ship convoy from New York City to Liverpool. She is not listed among the 5 other ships that were lost, which means that she was likely a ‘straggler’. The materiel lost from the 5 ships that were sunk while in convoy amounted to 21,000 tons of crude oil, 20,300 tons of fuel oil, 12,000 tons of petrol, and 8,200 tons of grain, plus the cargo from Bic Island. 243 merchant sailors were lost from the 5 sunken merchant ships. The size of Bic Island’s crew is not known. The convoy eventually reached the UK on 02 Nov 42. The convoy was escorted by the American Escort Group A 3, Commanded by Capt Paul Heineman USN. The ships included the US Coast Guard cutters Badger and Campbell, Corvettes HMS Dainthus, HMCS Rosthern Trillium. 3 assigned for passage and for further duties in Operation TORCH were also included - HMCS Alberni, Summerside and Ville de Quebec. (Dave Shirlaw)
Most likely the I400 but keel not laid until Jan, 1943
Crew was 157 but imagine it could transport more. Actual tonnage 6,600 vs 4500 in article.
There was a sub that made it to Germany and back with supplies, but not this one?
What is the Korean Front reporting this?
Japanese attack on the west coast was a very real possibility at that time.
Info on I400, interesting read.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-400_class_submarine
Here is the book that Kilsoo translated in the spring of 41. They stole it from the hotel room of 2 Japanese war officers. Further research of Kilsoo is that he was very anti communitst. I think I like this guy.
http://corregidor.org/chs_japan/japanwin.htm