http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/dec42/f02dec42.htm
American General sacked in New Guinea
Wednesday, December 2, 1942 www.onwar.com
General Harding [photo at link]
In New Guinea... The Australians capture a portion of the Japanese defenses at Gona. A Japanese convoy carrying reinforcements is diverted by air attacks, but manages to land its troops along the coast to the west. General Eichelberger, sent by General MacArthur to investigate the lack of progress at Buna, decides to relieve General Harding of command of the US forces there.
In the United States... The first manmade self-sustaining chain reaction is achieved in the atomic pile at Chicago University.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm
December 2nd, 1942
UNITED KINGDOM: Aircraft carrier HMS Pioneer laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
Sloop HMS Cygnet commissioned.
Submarine HMS Sickle commissioned.
Minesweepers HMS Fancy and Espielgle commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
ENGLISH CHANNEL: ASW trawler HMS Jasper torpedoed and sunk by the German motor torpedo boat S-81. (Dave Shirlaw)
BELGIUM: Members of the Rexist (fascist) movement are asked to help Germany by spying.
GERMANY: U-320, U-792, U-793, U-804, U-927 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
ITALY: Rome: Mussolini reveals that 40,000 Italians have been killed in action, 86,000 wounded and 231,000 taken prisoner since the war broke out.
MALTA: A British naval squadron was guided to its target tonight by RAF aircraft dropping flares over a convoy carrying tanks and 2,000 troops from Sicily to North Africa. Once it had made contact, the squadron - three light cruisers, HMS AURORA, HMS ARGONAUT and HMS SIRIUS, with the destroyers HMS QUENTIN and HMAS QUIBERON - attacked from the darkness using RDF [radar]. All four enemy ships and an escorting destroyer were sunk.
HMS QUENTIN was later sunk by Italian torpedo planes off Galita Island at 37 40N, 08 55E. HMAS QUIBERON picked up survivors. (Alex Gordon)(108)
TUNISIA: Allied troops beat off a German attack on Tebourba but lose forty tanks.
ABYSSINIA: Ethiopia declared war on Germany, Italy, and Japan. (Dave Shirlaw)
NEW GUINEA: Australian troops capture part of the Japanese positions at Gona.
US General Eichelberger is sent by MacArthur to find out about the lack of progress at Buna, New Guinea. He will decide to relieve General Harding.
Allied air superiority forces Japanese reinforcements trying to land at Buna to land further west.
AUSTRALIA: Vice-Admiral Carpenter USN sends the Dutch destroyer Tjerk Hiddes from Fremantle to Darwin, thence to Portugese Timor to take off the men of Sparrow Force. (William L. Howard)(188, 189, 190, 191)
Minesweeper HMAS Armidale hit by two torpedoes from Japanese torpedo aircraft and sank within five minutes in position 10°S, 126°30´E. while on its second journey to Timor to evacuate refugees and bring relief personnel from Port Darwin. 40 of her crew perished along with 60 Dutch passengers. (Dave Shirlaw)
CANADA: Frigate HMCS New Glasgow laid down.
Corvette HMCS Oakville completed refit Halifax , Nova Scotia.
Fairmile depot ship HMCS Provider commissioned.
Tug HMCS Glenlea laid down Owen Sound, Ontario.
(Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.A.: At the University of Chicago; the first manmade, self-sustaining atomic chain reaction is achieved. In a squash court under the university football (American) stadium a group of scientists led by the Italian physicist, Enrico Fermi, allowed the “pile” of uranium, moderated by graphite rods, to run for four and a half minutes, which produced just one half-watt of power, but proved man can control atomic power.
Scientists waited in awe as the neutron counter clicked faster. Then Fermi raised his hand. “The pile has gone critical,” he said. Someone telephoned Dr. James Conant, the head of defence science in Washington. “Jim,” he said, “the Italian navigator has just landed in the new world.”
Two prototype examples of the Beechcraft Model 28, are ordered. These will be known as the XA-38-BH Grizzly, USAAF s/ns 43-14406 and 14407. The aircraft were designed to deliver knock-out blows to fortified gun emplacements, AFVs and surface ships. Beech designed them to be highly manouverable and be able to absorb heavy battle damage. The main armament was a 75mm T15E1 cannon in the nose fitted with a Type T-13 automatic feed mechanism with 20 rounds of ammunition. (Jack McKillop)
During WW II, the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) produced numerous documents, most commonly known are the Intelligence Bulletins. The Military Intelligence Special Series continues with “Enemy Air-Borne Forces.” (William L. Howard)
Minesweeper USS Captivate launched.
Frigate USS Asheville commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
U-508 sank SS Trevalgan.
U-375 damaged HMS Manxman. (Dave Shirlaw)