1942 - THE YEAR IN REVIEW

01/01/2013 | CougarGA7

[CougarGA7]

1942 – THE YEAR IN REVIEW

1942 is arguably one of the busiest years of the Second World War. It stands as the fulcrum point of the war. The final advances of the Axis powers would be reached during this year and the beginning of the Allied press to ultimate victory would take hold. The war was finally truly global. The final month of the previous year had seen to that and now the battles raged from the waters of the Pacific Ocean to the Caucuses. It would also be a year of unprecedented brutality. Unknown to the general public, a conference would take place in January that would change the face of Nazism forever. The Wannsee Conference would take the unwritten policy of the extermination of the Jews and make it official policy. Eighty percent of the Jews that would die during the Second World War would meet their end in 1942. If would reach a scope so large that it would begin to be impossible to keep a secret. The New York Times would even report over a million deaths. As large as that number was, it was still a gross underestimate. This war was now total war.

Japan would begin the year with a free hand in the waters of the Pacific. The Allied forces would make a desperate attempt to throw together a defensive command to face the Japanese called ABDACOM. This fleet, initially under the command of American Admiral Thomas C. Hart would have a short and very unsuccessful life with command eventually being turned over to the Dutch and Admiral K.W.F.M. Doorman. The Japanese would sweep aside any advances by this patchwork force as it began to consolidate the Dutch East Indies under the rising sun. By March 1st, Batavia on the island of Java would fall and ABDACOM would be no more.

Elsewhere the Japanese were also making their presence felt. In Burma, a long and slow campaign began to finally cut off the hated Burma Road from supplying the Chinese nationalists. Singapore, thought to be an impenetrable fortress of the Southern Pacific much like Gibraltar in the Mediterranean, would be exposed for its ultimate weakness. While it was a stalwart of the ocean approaches, it was desperately vulnerable from land. The Japanese would take advantage of this landing in multiple places down the Kra Peninsula and eventually forcing Lieutenant General Arthur Perceval to surrender over eighty thousand British Commonwealth troops, some of them recent additions to the impossible situation.

In the Philippines the same situation was playing itself out. General MacArthur had decided to make an attempt to defend the beaches only to find that his personnel was not equipped or trained to make such a defense. Men would retreat without supplies to the Bataan Peninsula on the island of Luzon. As MacArthur was spirited to Australia and Major General Jonathan Wainwright tried to hold on at Corregidor thousands would die as they were marched from Bataan up to Camp O’Donnell. It looked as if the Japanese were truly unstoppable and the American public, still stinging from Pearl Harbor was desperate for a win.

That win would come in the form of a most unlikely bomber strike. General James Doolittle would lead a group of B-25 Mitchell’s in an airstrike on Japan. This flight would launch from the deck of the American aircraft carrier Hornet. The strike on Japan didn’t do any significant damage to the Japanese war effort. It had a major effect on the moral of the American public. This would be the first of a series of victories by the United States in the Pacific.

On paper, the battle of Coral Sea was not a win for the U.S. Navy. The USS Lexington had been sunk and the Yorktown damaged. In return U.S. forces had only sunk the Japanese light carrier Shoho and a destroyer. However, it was a strategic victory for the U.S. forces. The Shokaku was damaged and the Zuikaku had lost most of its aircraft. Both of these carriers would not be available for the follow up battle at Midway. The invasion fleet that was to land at Port Moresby turned back. The advance of Japan in the South Pacific had finally reached its apex.

The follow up battle would have larger implications for the war in the Pacific. Determined to engage in a Mahan style “decisive battle” with the American fleet, Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto would engage in a grand and inflexible plan to lure the American carriers out around the island of Midway. Unknown to Yamamoto at the time, the American code breakers had deciphered his communications and the trap was set. The Yorktown, which had been severely damaged at Coral Sea, was repaired in record time and available for the fight against Yamamoto’s fleet. At the end of the battle, four large Japanese carriers slipped beneath the waves and the core of the Japanese airmen, many veterans from Pearl Harbor, were lost.

Two months later, the United States took their first offensive action against the Japanese when they landed at Guadalcanal. What would follow would be an ongoing struggle both on land and at sea to maintain this toehold in the Solomon chain. Seven major sea engagements would take place pitting Japan’s superior night fighting skills against the introduction of radar weapons control. Some, like the Battle of Savo Island, were absolute disasters for the U.S. Navy. At one point, the Enterprise stood as the only remaining aircraft carrier in the Pacific. The battleship South Dakota showed the toughness of America’s new class of battle wagons when it became a pin cushion for the Kirishima after knocking out its own fire control with its first outgoing salvo. All the while the Marines on shore looked on hoping that victory would be won and the ever important supplies they needed to hold on and keep the Cactus Air Force flying would make it to shore. By the end of the year, Guadalcanal was mostly secure, the Japanese Navy, though not defeated was starting to fall victim to their own lack of supply, and the stage was set for roll back of the gains they had achieved in the first months of the year.

The war in Europe maintained its viciousness throughout 1942. Even though some documentation shows that Adolf Hitler knew as early as December 1941 that he was never going to be able to defeat the Soviet Union, there was no sign that he was ready to back down. The spring offensive by the Nazis took on a different look though as they focuses on just the southern portion of the long Russian front. The task was to cut the Soviets off from their oil supplies in the Caucuses and theoretically weaken the Red Army’s ability to wage war. The stumbling block became the city of Stalingrad. When the Wehrmacht got to Stalingrad the fighting devolved into a street skirmish in victories were measured in the taking of individual buildings and snipers became the superheroes of the theater. In November, the Soviets launch Operation URANUS which quickly cut the Wehrmacht’s Sixth Army off and isolated it in Stalingrad. The beleaguered army would still be holding on, though only barely, by the end of December.

The final major front of 1942 was in North Africa. The continually back and forth battle for the Libyan coast began the year with another advance by Erwin Rommel. As Winston Churchill conferred with Roosevelt in the United States he received the tragic news of the fall of Tobruk and watched as once again the 8th Army was pushed back into Egypt. After Rommel was finally stopped by General Sir Claude Auchinleck in the first battle of El Alamein, the general found that he was unable to capitalize on this success. As a result Churchill replaced him with Lieutenant-General William Gott. Gott would go on to achieve great things with the 8th Army, first advancing against Rommel all the way to Tunisia, then on to Sicily and finally in the final advance into France and Germany itself. OR…the R.A.F. would crash the plane he was in while trying to fly him to take command of the 8th Army and that command would then fall to Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery. Wladyslaw Sikorski apparently never knew of the R.A.F. Airlines transport difficulties.

Montgomery would turn it around for the 8th Army though and after victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein he began a steady advance across Libya. In early November, the U.S. Army would get into the act as well with its landings in Vichy North Africa. Landings at Algiers, Oran, Fidala, and Safi marked Eisenhower’s entrance into the fight against the Nazis. For them it would begin with quick skirmishes against some dedicated Vichy and some minor German units. It would have to wait until next year before they would get the full experience of the Wehrmacht soldier. At year’s end the American and British were pushing from the west along with Free French, and the 8th Army was coming from the East. Hitler’s time in Africa was coming to an end.

Those of us following this year’s events through Homer’s fifth year of continual updates got to experience these events from the eye of the average American in 1942. As usual he has put an incredible amount of effort in providing us this fantastic walk through history. We are starting to see the beginning of the end of the Axis powers. It will be interesting to see what next year brings.

• European Events

• Asian Events

• American Events

• Sports

• Entertainment

• Other

1942

January

• Movie Reviews: Louisiana Purchase, Babes on Broadway, Two-Faced Woman – Jan 1

• Manila in Peril as Reinforced Foe Closes in: M’Arthur Fights On; Ship Evacuates Wounded – Jan 1

• Fordham Topples Missouri on Early Safety before 73,000 in the Sugar Bowl – Jan 2

• Movie Review: The Man Who Came to Dinner – Jan 2

• M’Arthur Unites His Lines for Crucial Stand; Hitler Reported on East Front to Stem Rout – Jan 2

• Manila and Cavite Base Fall, Army Fights On; Russians Gain, Nazis Build Home Defense Lines – Jan 3

• 60 Planes Bomb Corregidor, Damage Slight; Wavell Named Unified Commander in Pacific – Jan 4

• Corregidor Downs 4 of 21 Raiders; Foe Gains in Malaya and Borneo – Jan 5

• U.S. Fliers Hit Enemy Battleship and Sink Destroyer off Davao; M’Arthur Repels Foe on Luzon – Jan 6

• President Says We Will Carry War to Foe; Asks 60,000 Planes, 45,000 Tanks this Year – Jan 7

• Roosevelt Submits Budget of $58,927,902,000 and Asks at Least $9,000,000,000 in New Taxes – Jan 8

• Sevastopol Reports Siege Ended; Wake Toll Now 7 Tokyo Warships – Jan 9

• Japanese Penetrate Malaya Line; Chinese Gain Foothold in Canton – Jan 10

• Japanese Continue Malaya Gains; Storm Kuala Lumpur from Rear – Jan 11

• Japanese Invade Dutch Indies at Two Points; U.S. Fliers Join Defense, Hit a Battleship – Jan 12

• Allies Hit 2 Japanese Cruisers, 2 Transports in Bitter Fighting at Indies Invasion Points – Jan 13

• U.S. Guns Win 24-Hour Luzon Duel; Japanese Take Indies Oil Island – Jan 14

• Tanker Torpedoed 60 Miles off Long Island; British Mass in Johore; M’Arthur Repels Foe – Jan 15

• Movie Reviews: Ball of Fire, The Corsican Brothers – Jan 16

• Welles at Rio Urges Axis Break; U.S. Submarine Sinks Tokyo Liner – Jan 16

• Navy Sinks Five Japanese Ships; British Check Enemy in Malaya – Jan 17

• Japanese Gain in Singapore Drive; U.S. Sinks Three Ships off Tokyo – Jan 18

• Raiders Set fires at Singapore’s Navy Base; British Hold Burma’s Premier in Tokyo Plot – Jan 19

• U-Boats Off Coast Hit 4th Ship After 22 Die in Blazing Tanker – Jan 20

• U.S. Fliers Sink Cruiser near Philippines; Russians Take Mozhaist, Nazis’ Line Sags – Jan 21

• All American Republics to Break with Axis; Two More Ships Torpedoed off Coast, 46 Dead – Jan 22

• Foe’s Ships off Australian Isles; New Drive Pound M’Arthur Line – Jan 23

• Movie Review: All Through the Night – Jan 24

• Navy Reports Victories over Submarines; Russians Gain 65 Miles North to Kholm – Jan 24

• Roberts Board Blames Kimmel and Short; Warning to Defend Hawaii not Heeded – Jan 25

• U.S. Navy Sinks Five Japanese Transports; Dutch Planes Hit 3 Ships; M’Arthur Routs Foe – Jan 26

• New A.E.F., Thousand Strong, in North Ireland; U.S. Submarine Torpedoes Japanese Carrier – Jan 27

• Six to Ten A.E.F.’s Abroad, Says President; Churchill See U.S. Air Attacks on Reich – Jan 28

• Movie Reviews: Sullivan’s Travels, A Yank on the Burma Road – Jan 29

• Canadian Ship Sunk, 250 Missing; Enemy 40 Miles from Singapore – Jan 29

• M’Arthur’s Guns Smash Infantry Attacks; Russians Take Rail City in Donets Basin – Jan 30

• Enemy 18 Miles from Singapore; Hitler Threatens U-Boat Drive – Jan 31

February

• Japanese Lay Siege to Singapore Island; British Give up Strategic Burmese Port – Feb 1

• U.S. Pacific Fleet Batters Japanese Bases in Marshall and Gilbert Isles; 11 Planes Lost – Feb 2

• M’Arthur Beats off Two Divisions; Burma Line Firm under Pressure – Feb 3

• Japanese Raid Java, Pound Surabaya; M’Arthur Defeats Landing Attempts – Feb 4

• Aid on Way, Wavell Tells Singapore; M’Arthur Parries Blows at Flank – Feb 5

• Movie Reviews: Woman of the Year, Jail House Blues, Design for Scandal – Feb 6

• Singapore Silences Foe’s Guns in Duel; U.S. Fighters over Java Bag 2 Planes – Feb 6

• M’Arthur Blasts Foe’s Guns, Ignores Plea by Aguinaldo; More Invaders Reach Luzon – Feb 7

• Dutch Sink Cruiser Transport; Rangoon Has Its Worst Night Raid – Feb 8

• Japanese Land on Singapore Isle; Open All-Out Drive on M’Arthur – Feb 9

• Fire-Swept Normandie Keels Over at Pier; Blaze Termed Accident; Enemy Nearer Singapore – Feb 10

• Singapore, Tottering, Fights 100,000 of Foe; Japanese Gain in Indies, Converge on Java – Feb 11

• Singapore Scorns Surrender, Fights On; Foe Grips Celebes – Feb 12

• Nazi Fleet Escapes British in Dover Fight; U.S. Navy Sank 16 Ships in Marshall Raid – Feb 13

• Singapore’s Water Supply Cut; Failure at Dover Angers Britain – Feb 14

• Japanese Parachutists Attack Sumatra; Singapore Defenders are Pressed Back – Feb 15

• Singapore Surrenders Unconditionally; Churchill Asks Unity in Hour of Defeat – Feb 16

• U-Boats Raid Dutch West Indies, Sink Tankers; Japanese Win Hold on Sumatra – Feb 17

• Japanese Closing Pincers on Java – Feb 18

• New Burma Defense is Pierced – Feb 19

• Churchill Reorganizes War Cabinet; British Flank in Burma Forced Back – Feb 20

• Bali Invaded in Pincer Drive on Java as Allied Bombers Smash at Fleet – Feb 21

• Allied Forces Strike 19 Japanese Ships in Sharp Sea, Air Battles around Java – Feb 22

• Churchill Shifts Cabinet Again; Allies Fight Foe on Java Flanks – Feb 23

• LIVE THREAD: President Roosevelt’s Address to Nation on America’s Progress in the War – Feb 23

• Submarine Shells California Oil Plant; Roosevelt Sees Allies on Offensive Soon – Feb 24

• 189 Die in Wreck of 2 Navy Ships in Gale on Newfoundland Coast – Feb 25

• Rangoon Ablaze, India Prepares; 56 Enemy Ships Sunk by our Navy – Feb 26

U.S. Submarines Hit 4 Enemy Ships; M’Arthur’s Raids Edge Foe Back – Feb 27

• Allied Fleet in Naval Battle with Japanese in the Java Sea – Feb 28

• LEAP YEAR EXTRA – 1916: German Drive at Verdun Checked; Battle Still Rages at Douaumont – Feb 29 1916

March

• Japanese Land on Java, Battle Defenders, After Allied Fleet Defeats First Attempt – Mar 1

• Japanese Drive into Java from 3 Beachheads; Allies Blast 26 Ships, But Own Loss is Heavy – Mar 2

• 70 Enemy Ships Nearing Java under Attack; Our Army Reorganized in Three Sections – Mar 3

• Navy in Pacific Foray Bags 16 of 18 Bombers; Foe Driven Back 7 Miles in One Java Sector – Mar 4

• Japanese Gain in Java, Command the Air; M’Arthur Planes Sink 3 Big Enemy Ships – Mar 5

• Japanese Announce Occupation of Batavia; M’Arthur Air raid Killed Thousands of Foe – Mar 6

• Movie Review: To Be or Not to Be – Mar 7

• Dutch Make Last Stand in Central Java; Big U.S. Force Reported in South Pacific – Mar 7

• Japanese Smash Bandung Lines as the Java Radio is Silenced; Offensive by U.S. Seen Near – Mar 8

• Japanese Invade New Guinea at 2 Points; Java Silent, Reported Surrender Denied – Mar 9

• Foe Clearing Path to Australia; Reports 98,000 Give Up in Java – Mar 10

• Japanese Take Third New Guinea Port; British Join Chinese in Mid-Burma – Mar 11

• Invasion Ships Menace Port Moresby after U.S. Fliers Help Smash 7 Craft – Mar 12

• Allied Flier Slow Australia Drive; U.S. Submarine Bags 4 Ships of Japan – Mar 13

Enemy Fleet off Solomon Islands near Our Australian Supply Route – Mar 14

• Twelve Warships Lost by Allies in Java Sea, 5 of Them Cruisers – Mar 15

• Hitler Predicts Soviet Rout This Summer, Admits Delay; Russians Report Advances – Mar 16

• Darwin is Bombed; Big Enemy Fleet Reported on Move – Mar 17

• M’Arthur in Australia as Allied Commander; Move Hailed as Foreshadowing Turn of Tide – Mar 18

• 23 Japanese Ships Blasted by Allied Fliers; Strong Enemy Force Moves North in Burma – Mar 19

• Movie Review: Bedtime Story – Mar 20

• Japanese Crossing New Guinea as Pac of Aerial War Increases – Mar 20

• M’Arthur Ordered to Take Offensive; Japanese Press Advance in Burma – Mar 21

• Sharp Skirmishes in the Philippines Seen as Opening of Japanese Drive – Mar 22

• Allies Smash 23 Planes in Day off Australia; Bataan Scorns Demand to Yield – Mar 23

• U.S. Submarines Hit 6 Ships off Japan; Port Moresby Blasted in Biggest Raid – Mar 24

• U.S. Fliers in Burma Smash 40 Planes; 54 Enemy Bombers Pound Corregidor – Mar 25

• Movie Review: To the Shores of Tripoli – Mar 26

• U.S. Navy Raids Wake and Marcus Islands; Smashes Bases in Foray Deep in Enemy Seas – Mar 26

• 3 Enemy Columns Advance in Burma; M’Arthur Pledges ‘We’ll Win or Die’” – Mar 27

• Movie Reviews: The Male Animal, The Strange Case of Dr. Rx – Mar 28

• Chinese Retake Toungoo Airdrome; Reinforced, But Face Rising Pressure – Mar 28

• British Raid St. Nazaire U-Boat Base, Ram Dock with Exploding Destroyer – Mar 29

• Dominion Status Offered to India after War if She Cooperates Now – Mar 30

• Warships Battle on Arctic Route; Allies in Australia Claim Air Rule – Mar 31

April

• British Force in West Burma Cut Off; Chinese Hold New Line near Toungoo – Apr 1

• Movie Reviews: My Favorite Blonde, Joe Smith, American – Apr 2

• Foe Takes Outposts in Bataan Attack; British Cut Burma Ring, But Fall Back – Apr 2

• Japanese Land Close to India; Cut Bataan Line, But Enter Trap – Apr 3

• Langley, Destroyer, Tanker Sunk by Japanese in Southwest Pacific Battles; 700 Lives Lost – Apr 4

• U.S. Submarines Sink a Cruiser, Torpedo 6 Other Japanese Ship – Apr 5

• 75 Japanese Planes Raid Ceylon; Foe Makes Small Bataan Gains – Apr 6

• Japanese Bomb 2 Ports in India; Gain in Heavy Fighting on Bataan – Apr 7

• Bataan Defenders Forced Back Again; British Retire to New Line in Burma – Apr 8

• Marshall and Hopkins Arrive in London to Discuss American ‘Expansion’ in Europe – Apr 9

• Movie Reviews: The Courtship of Andy Hardy, The Night before the Divorce – Apr 10

• Japanese Capture Bataan and 36,000 Troops; Sink Two British Cruisers – Apr 10

• Wainwright Saves 3,500 on Bataan; British Carrier Lost off Ceylon – Apr 11

• 12,000 Japanese Landing on Cebu, as Guns Hammer at Corregidor – Apr 12

• Allied Fliers Hit Japanese Carrier; Corregidor Bombed 12 Times in Day – Apr 13

• Big Japanese Fleet in Bay of Bengal; Corregidor Guns Blast Ships, Tanks – Apr 14

• Vichy Reinstates Laval at Nazi Demand; Fighting Goes on at 4 Points in Philippines – Apr 15

• U.S. Planes from Australia Raid Manila, Sink Japanese Ships at Cebu and Davao – Apr 16

• U.S. to Fix Stand on Vichy Today; Foe Invades Panay in Philippines – Apr 17

• Japan Reports Tokyo, Yokohama Bombed by ‘Enemy Planes’ in Daylight; Claims 9 – Apr 18

• Kobe and Nagoya Bombed, Japanese Say; Fire Damage Laid to 60 ‘American’ Planes – Apr 19

• Tokyo Factories Reported Hit in Raid; Two New Alarms Keep City on Alert – Apr 20

• U.S. Seizes 4 Plane Plants; Stilwell’s Chinese Army Hurls Back Foe in Burma – Apr 21

• Chinese Smash Ahead in West Burma, But Allies Grid for a Triple Attack – Apr 22

• British Commandos Raid Boulogne; Nazis Shoot More Hostages in Paris – Apr 23

• U.S. Bomber Down in Soviet Far East after the Tokyo Raid, Says Moscow – Apr 24

• Movie Review: Larceny, Inc. – Apr 25

• R.A.F. Carries out Record Attacks on Rostock Plane Plants, Flushing – Apr 25

• U.S. Troops Land on New Calendonia; Japanese Push Ahead in East Burma – Apr 26

• Hitler Now Looks to ‘Next Winter’; R.A.F. Blast Rostock, Skoda Plant – Apr 27

• $25,000 Income Limit, Ceiling on Prices, Stable Wages, Taxes, Asked by President – Apr 28

• Sales Prices, Rents, Service Charges Frozen; Roosevelt See Axis Cracking – Apr 29

• Japanese Reach Lashio in Burma, British and Chinese Face a Trap – Apr 30

May

• Lashio Falls, Fighting Rages near By; Stalin Says He Seeks No Foreign Soil – May 1

• Hitler-Mussolini Meeting Followed by Fascist, Crown Councils in Rome – May 2

• Mandalay Captured, Japanese Claim; Chinese Repulse Foe on Burma Road – May 3

• Foe Strikes up Burma Road to Within 30 Miles of China; Moves Inland in New Guinea – May 4

• Madagascar Occupied by British; Raids Left 7,000 Dead in Rostock – May 5

• Corregidor Surrenders under Land Attack after Withstanding 300 Raids from the Air – May 6

• 10,000 Prisoners in Manila Bay Forts; Japanese Advancing Deeper into Yunnan – May 7

• Movie Reviews: Saboteur, Rio Rita, Murder in the Big House – May 8

• Great Naval and Air Battle Rages in Pacific; U.S. Navy Sank 7 Japanese Warships Monday – May 8

• Movie Review: In This Our Life – May 9

• Japanese Repulsed in Great Pacific Battle, with 17 to 22 of Their Ships Sunk or Crippled – May 9

• U.S. Fleet Hunts Battered Enemy; Chinese Threaten Japanese Burma Line – May 10

• Churchill Warns Nazis of Gas Reprisals; U.S. Reveal Army Bombers Raided Tokyo – May 11

• Nazis Open Drive in South Russia; Battle Raging on Burma Road – May 12

• Movie Review: This Above All – May 13

• Fighting Severe on Crimean Front; Germans Sink 3 British Destroyers – May 13

• Nazis Drive Russians Back in Crimea; Soviet Opens an Attack on Kharkov – May 14

• Russians Break Line at Kharkov, But Fall Back Again in Crimea – May 15

• Russians Still Gain at Kharkov, But Are Hard Pressed in Crimea – May 16

• Russians Widen Drive against Kharkov; Churchill Sees the Beginning of Victory – May 17

• Russians Flank Kharkov, Claim Toll of 12,000; Fierce Rear Guard Battles Rage in Crimea – May 18

• Big U.S. Force Arrives in Ireland with Tank Units and Heavy Guns – May 19

• Nazis Take Offensive below Kharkov; Doolittle Says Navy Yard, Plane Plant Were Hit – May 20

• Russians Report News Gains as Nazis Throw in Reserves; R.A.F. Smashes at Mannheim – May 21

• Russians By-Pass Nazi Forts into Plains near Kharkov; Japanese Cruiser is Sunk – May 22

• Fog Blanket Aids in Blackout Test of All Manhattan – May 23

• Russians Give up Kerch Peninsula, Hurl Back Nazi Attacks at Kharkov – May 24

• Soviet Army on Defensive in Battle below Kharkov, But Claims Gain before City – May 25

• Nazis Hurl Waves of Tanks into Battle below Kharkov; Russians Report Lines Hold – May 26

• Soviet Reports Nazi Attacks Parried; U.S. Air Chiefs Plan Blows at Germany – May 27

• Nazi Tank Force Moves East in Libya; Bomb Wounds Reich’s Chief in Prague

• Nazi Tanks Push toward Tobruk – May 29

• Movie Review: Yankee Doodle Dandy – May 30

• Our Soldiers Will Land in France, Marshall Tells West Point Class – May 30

• British Counter-Attacking in Libya – May 31

June

• 1,000 British Bombers Set Cologne on Fire; Germans are Hurled Back in Bid for Tobruk – Jun 1

• Cologne Death Toll Put as High as 20,000; Axis Tanks Struggle to Escape in Libya – Jun 2

• R.A.F. in Third Major Raid on Germany; Libya Drive Curbed, Rommel Makes Stand – Jun 3

• Japanese Bomb Dutch Harbor, Alaska, Twice; Rommel Drives Wide Wedge in Libyan Line – Jun 4

• Movie Review: Mrs. Miniver – Jun 5

• Japanese Battleship and Carrier Damaged, Many Planes Shot Down in Raid on Midway – Jun 5

• Severe Damage Inflicted on Japanese Fleet in Battleships, Carriers, Cruisers, Transports – Jun 6

• 2, Perhaps 3, Japanese Carriers Sunk with all Their Planes, Nimitz Reports – Jun 7

• Japanese Destroyer Sunk, Two Cruisers Hit; Enemy Withdraws, Midway ‘Section is Quiet’ – Jun 8

• U.S. Flier Saw 3 Enemy Carriers Afire; Big One among Those Lost off Midway – Jun 9

• U.S. and British Pool All Production and All Food Resources for Victory – Jun 10

• U.S. Denies Threat to Aleutians; Japan Admits Some Sea Losses – Jun 11

• Soviet and Britain Sign War and Peace Pact; Molotoff and Roosevelt Plan for 2d Front – Jun 12

• Japanese Make Landings in Aleutian Islands; Enemy Lost 15 Warships in Coral Sea Battle – Jun 13

• U.S. Bombers Strike in Black Sea Region, Reported Attacking Rumanian Oil Wells – Jun 14

• President Appeals for Revolt in Axis as 28 Allies Mass – Jun 15

• U.S. Fliers Blast 6 Ships in Aleutians; Red Navy Shells Nazis at Sevastopol – Jun 16

• U.S. – British Fliers Cripple Italian Navy; Russians Counter-Attack at Kharkov – Jun 17

• Convoy Loss Big, British Report; Axis is Repulsed around Tobruk – Jun 18

• Churchill Here for Talks on Second Front; British Retire in Libya, Tobruk Again in Peril – Jun 19

• Roosevelt, Churchill Chart Course; British Retire to Egyptian Border - Jun 20

• Axis Troops Reported in Bardia; Nazis Advance in Kharkov Area – Jun 21

• Tobruk Falls, Axis Claims 25,000 Prisoners; Japanese Ashore on Kiska in the Aleutians – Jun 22

• Roosevelt, Churchill Map Massing of Power; Sevastopol’s Peril Grave, Foe’s Losses Rise – Jun 23

• Russians Fall Back at Kharkov; U.S. Bombers Blast Libyan Base – Jun 24

• Russian Marines Land in Crimea; Nazis Turn to British Flank in Egypt – Jun 25

• Axis Drives 60 Miles into Egypt; U.S. Sets up European Command – Jun 26

• Germans Gain, Red Armies Hold Intact; Rommel’s Forces 30 Miles from Matruh – Jun 27

• FBI Seizes 8 Saboteurs Landed by U-Boats Here in Florida to Blow up War Plants – Jun 28

• Matruh Battle Rages as British Attack; New List by Navy of Foe’s Midway Losses – Jun 29

• Matruh Lost, British Reinforced by U.S. Planes, New Zealanders – Jun 30

July

• Foe 100 Miles from Alexandria as British Retire from El Daba; Russians at Kursk Strike Back – Jul 1

• Germans Report Capture of Sevastopol; Battle Joined 70 Miles from Alexandria – Jul 2

• Movie Reviews: Eagle Squadron, The Magnificent Dope – Jul 3

• British Sweep around Axis Flank in Egypt, U.S. and R.A.F. Fliers Deal Smashing Blows – Jul 3

• British Strike Again at Rommel as He Withdraws to Reorganize – Jul 4

• U.S. Fliers Strike in Aleutians; British Continue Attack in Egypt – Jul 5

• British Attacks Force Back Rommel; Nazis Hammer Wedge into Soviet Line – Jul 6

• Nazis Advance to Don Rail City; British Power Rising in Egypt – Jul 7

• Berlin Reports Voronezh Taken; Artillery Duel Rages in Egypt – Jun 8

• Russians Strike Back near Voronezh; Soviet Submarine Torpedoes Tirpitz – Jul 9

• Nazis Sweep Ahead East of Kharkov; Heavy Push Stalled in Voronezh Area – Jul 10

• Nazis Take Rossosh, Cut Railway; Fierce Fighting Rages in Egypt – Jul 11

• Russians Slowing German Advance, But Nazis Widen Front on the Don – Jul 12

• Germans Deepen Don Salient; Take 2 Towns, Voronezh Holds – Jul 13

• Nazis Smash Line at Voronezh, Gain in Offensive near Moscow – Jul 14

• Nazis Advance Again in South Russia; Japan Lost 20 of 80 Ships off Midway – Jul 15

• Movie Review: The Pride of the Yankees – Jul 16

• British Hold New Axis Drive in Egypt; Russians Pry Apart Voronezh Pincers – Jul 16

• Major Tank Battle Joined in Egypt; Soviet Takes Initiative at Voronezh – Jul 17

• Germans Recross the Upper Don; British Repel Attacks in Egypt – Jul 18

• Germans Push on in South Russia; Allies Blast Rommel’s Supplies – Jul 19

• Russians Abandon Voroshilovgrad; British Inch Ahead in Lull in Egypt – Jul 20

• Russians Seize Bridgeheads in Bitter Voronezh Battle – Jul 21

• Russians Still Retreat, But Hit Back; Japan Loses 3 Warships in Aleutians – Jul 22

• German Armies Drive a Deep Wedge between Rostov and Stalingrad – Jul 23

• Russians Continue to Fall Back on Rostov; British Forces Push Ahead Slowly in Egypt – Jul 24

• Russians in Desperate Rostov Stand as Germans Claim City’s Capture – Jul 25

• Russians Pushed Back in Streets of Rostov; U.S. Submarines Sink Five Japanese Ships – Jul 26

• Fierce Fight for Rostov Continues; R.A.F., Russians bomb German Cities – Jul 27

• Supreme Court is Called in Unprecedented Session to Hear Plea of Nazi Spies – Jul 28

• Nazis Push South of Rostov, Hurl More Men across the Don; Japanese Set Back in Papua – Jul 29

• Court Gets Spies’ Defense; Nazis Slowed South of Don as Russians Use Reserves – Jul 30

• Russians Push Back Foe in Don Bend; Fight off Assaults South of River – Jul 31

August

• Nazis Push on in Western Caucasus, but Drive on Stalingrad is Stalled – Aug 1

• British Bomb Dusseldorf; Germans Still Gaining in Caucasus – Aug 2

• Nazis Slowed below Rostov, Reds Clean up Fifth Column – Aug 3

• Red Army Holding German Tide Back in Most Sectors – Aug 4

• Movie Review: Holiday Inn – Aug 5

• Nazis Sweep on in Caucasus and Advance in Don Elbow; Shift Civilians in the West – Aug 5

• Stalingrad is Menaced from South as Germans Advance in Pincer Move – Aug 6

• Movie Review: Tarzan’s New York Adventure – Aug 7

• Russians Again Forced Back on Two Fronts in Caucasus, But Advance West of Don – Aug 7

• Nazis Gain 80 Miles in Caucasus, Plunge Ahead below Stalingrad – Aug 8

• Navy Attacking Solomon Islands, Shells Enemy in the Aleutians; 6 Nazi Spies Die – Aug 9

• Fierce Battle Still Rages in Solomons; Navy Meets ‘Considerable Resistance’ – Aug 10

• Americans Force Landings in Solomons; U.S. Cruisers Sunk, 5 Other Ships are Hit – Aug 11

• Americans Hold Ground in Solomons; Nazis Plunge Deeper into Caucasus – Aug 12

• Marines Gain Hold on 3 Solomon Islands; Russians Again Pushed Back in Caucasus – Aug 13

• Movie Review: Bambi, The Big Street, The Magnificent Ambersons – Aug 14

• Marines Cut Way Inland in Solomons; Nazi Drive for Grozny Gains 50 Miles – Aug 14

• Marines Tighten Grip in Solomons; Russians Retire at Don, Gain in North – Aug 15

• Nazis Strike Hard for Stalingrad; Tokyo Concedes Solomons Setback – Aug 16

• Russians ‘Scorch’ Oil Field in Retiring from Maikop; U.S. Fighters Sweep France – Aug 17

• U.S. ‘Established’ on Solomons; Our Bombers Strike in France – Aug 18

• Russians Fall Back near Stalingrad; British Change Middle East Command – Aug 19

• U.S. – Allied Troops, Tanks Raid Dieppe 9 Hours; More Than 1,000 Planes Aid in Land Action – Aug 20

• British Hail Dieppe as Invasion Test; Russians Hard Pressed at Stalingrad – Aug 21

• Marines Repel Attack in Solomons; U.S. Raids Island in Gilbert Group – Aug 22

• Brazil Declares War on Axis; Nazis Force Don Bend Crossing – Aug 23

• Stalingrad’s Peril Mounts as Nazi Tanks Cross Don – Aug 24

• Nazis Make 50-Mile Gain in Caucasus; Twin Drives Closing in on Stalingrad – Aug 25

• New Sea-Air Battle Raging in the Solomon; Germans Smash Harder at Stalingrad Lines – Aug 26

• U.S. Blasts 6 Ships in Solomons; Foe Lands at Tip of New Guinea – Aug 27

• Movie Review: The Talk of the Town, Somewhere I’ll Find You, Give Out, Sisters – Aug 28

• Foe Quits Tulagi Area, Sea Battle Halts; Russians in Rzhev, Hold at Stalingrad – Aug 28

• R.A.F. Bombs Widely in Germany; Reds Stiffen around Stalingrad – Aug 29

• Red Armies Hold in the South and Push Offensive in the North – Aug 30

• Japanese Forces at Milne Bay Crushed, Trapped Enemy Being Driven into Sea – Aug 31

September

• Rommel Launches New Attack in Egypt; Stalingrad’s Lines Dented in the South – Sep 1

• Movie Review: Wake Island – Sep 2

• British Check Rommel’s Thrust; Nazis Gain on Stalingrad Flank – Sep 2

• Stalingrad Line Again Pierced; British Hold Desert Defenses as Fliers Blast Rommel’s Units – Sep 3

• U.S. Fights New Landings in Solomons; Nazis Advance North of Stalingrad – Sep 4

• Movie Review: Across the Pacific – Sep 5

• Russians Check Stalingrad Drive; Rommel Again Retires in Africa – Sep 5

• Allied Bombs Fall across Europe; Stalingrad’s Defenders Hold Fast – Sep 6

• Nazis Pushed Back above Stalingrad; 10th Fortress Raid Costs 2, first Loss – Sep 7

• President to Congress: Curb Prices or I Will; Nazis Gain in Frontal Attack on Stalingrad – Sep 8

• Churchill Pledges Full Aid to Soviet; Nazis Gain Anew West of Stalingrad – Sep 9

• Russians Retreat Again at Stalingrad; Japanese Gain Menaces Port Moresby – Sep 10

• Nation-Wide Gasoline Curb Pledged Soon by Roosevelt after Baruch Asks Action – Sep 11

• Russians Stem Stalingrad Assault but Yield Novorossiisk Naval Base – Sep 12

• Stalingrad Defenders Give Ground to Southwest; More Japanese Land in Solomons – Sep 13

• Foe Gains below Stalingrad and Claims Entry into City; Renews Attack at Voronezh – Sep 14

• Federal Workers Put on Draft Basis under Orders of Manpower Board – Sep 15

• Japanese Strike Hard on Guadalcanal; Stalingrad Army Repels Spearhead – Sep 16

• Movie Review: The Major and the Minor – Sep 17

• Nazis Fight in Outskirts of Stalingrad; Carrier Yorktown Sunk after Midway – Sep 17

• Nazis Halted within Stalingrad; R.A.F. Raids Ruhr, 39 Planes Lost – Sep 18

• Germans Widen Grip in Stalingrad, But Russians Retake Some Streets – Sep 19

• Fortresses Rout a Japanese Fleet off Solomons; Defenders Hold inside Stalingrad – Sep 20

• Stalingrad’s Armies Hurl Nazis Back; R.A.F. Flies 1,200 Miles to Raid Munich – Sep 21

• Russians Drive Forward in One Sector; Nazi Guns Pour Shells on Stalingrad – Sep 22

• Germans Wrest Two Streets from Stalingrad’s Armies; Japanese Cruiser is Blasted – Sep 23

• Movie Review: Orchestra Wives – Sep 24

• House, 284-96, Votes Bill Raising ‘Cost of Living 5%; Russian Flank Drive Gains – Sep 24

• Russians Gain on Flank for Second Day and Hold in Other Stalingrad Sectors – Sep 25

• Movie Review: Desperate Journey – Sep 26

• Russians Take a ‘Valuable Position,’ Repel All Attacks at Stalingrad – Sep 26

• Russians Still Smashing Forward on Germans’ Flank at Stalingrad – Sep 27

• Each Side Makes a Gain in Stalingrad; Russians Balk Attacks to Northwest – Sep 28>

• U.S. Fliers Bag 42 Planes without Loss and Hit 2 Cruisers in the Solomons – Sep 29

• Farm Bloc’s Price Demand is Voted into Senate Bill; Red Army Smashes Attacks – Sep 30

October

• Hitler Says Aim Now is to Hold Gains; Promises Stalingrad will be Taken – Oct 1

• Nation-Wide Roosevelt Trip to War Plants is Revealed; He lauds People’s Spirit – Oct 2

• President to Fix Wages, Farm Prices Today; U.S. Forces Bag 12 More Ships in the Pacific – Oct 3

• Roosevelt Freezes Wages, Rents, Farm Prices; U.S. Troops Move Out to a new Aleutian Base – Oct 4

• Stalingrad’s Armies Keep the Initiative – Oct 5

• More Japanese Land on Guadalcanal; Stalingrad Holds off New Nazi Drive – Oct 6

• Russians’ Flank Offensive Rolls On; U.S. Hits Japanese Cruiser in Solomons – Oct 7

• Foe Quit 2 Aleutian Isles, Navy Things; Allies Plan to Punish ‘War Criminals’ – Oct 8

• Naval Planes Damage 5 Japanese Ships Surprised in Solomons, One a Cruiser – Oct 9

• Stalingrad Stands off Attackers; 100 Big U.S. Bombers Batter Lille – Oct 10

• U.S. Fliers Sind Warship, Damage 2, But Guadalcanal Foe is Reinforced – Oct 11

• Stalingrad Assault Halts, But Nazi Reserves Move Up; Drive in Caucasus Pressed – Oct 12

• President for Drafting Youths at 18 Years; 3 U.S. Cruisers Sunk in Early Solomons Fight – Oct 13

• 6 Enemy Ships Sunk in Solomons Battle; Landing is Balked; Marines Extend hold – Oct 14

• Foe is Landing on Guadalcanal; U.S. Plans 7,500,000 Army in 1943 – Oct 15

• Movie Reviews: A Yank at Eton, Eyes in the Night – Oct 16

• Japanese Press Heavy Solomons Drive; Russians Fall Back in North Stalingrad – Oct 16

• Foe Lands Guns, Shells Marines, Sends Big New Fleet to Solomons – Oct 17

• No ‘Full-Scale Land Fighting’ Yet, Our Losses in Solomon ‘Minor’ – Oct 18

• Foe Massing for Guadalcanal Attack; Loses All of 14 Bombers in One Raid – Oct 19

• Japanese Shelled by U.S. Ships, Lose 19 Planes at Guadalcanal – Oct 20

• U.S. Fliers Hammer Japanese Troops; Russians Beat off Stalingrad Blows – Oct 21

• Movie Review: For Me and My Gal – Oct 22

• 2 American Destroyers Are Lost, 2 of Foe’s Ships Hit in Solomons – Oct 22

• Movie Reviews: My Sister Eileen, Flying Tigers, Now, Voyager – Oct 23

• Americans Repel Japanese Test Push, Bomb Foe’s Positions on Guadalcanal – Oct 23

• U.S. Fliers Hit 10 Ships at Rabaul; R.A.F. Starts Huge Fires in Genoa – Oct 24

• Allies Gain in Big North African Offensive; Halsey Replaces Ghormley in the Solomons – Oct 25

• Planes Blast Axis Line in Egypt; Guadalcanal Repels 5 Thrusts – Oct 26

• Japanese Open Major Attack on Guadalcanal; Hit Carrier, Sink Destroyer – Oct 27

• U.S. Army Repels Japanese on Guadalcanal; Fliers Sink 2 Destroyers, Hit a Battleship – Oct 28

• Guadalcanal Island Battle Subsides; British Tanks Win in African Clash – Oct 29

• Americans Repel 3 Japanese Thrusts, Bomb Enemy’s Guns on Guadalcanal – Oct 30

• Japanese Fleet Quits Solomons; U.S., Fliers Damage Enemy Carrier – Oct 31

November

• U.S. Carrier Sunk in Solomons; British Press Assault in Egypt – Nov 1

• U.S. Navy Struck 7 Major Ships in Battle East of Solomons; M’Arthur’s Planes Hit 7 Others – Nov 2

• Allies Retake Kokoda on New Guinea; Marines Gain in Guadalcanal Attack – Nov 3

• Dewey Elected Governor in States Sweep; Republicans Make Wide Gains in Nation – Nov 4

• Rommel in Full Retreat, Tanks, Guns Smashed, General Killed, Another and 9,000 Prisoners – Nov 5

• British General Announces Complete Victory as Fliers Pound Rommel’s Retreating Army – Now 6

• British Overtake Fleeing Nazis, ‘Chop them to Pieces’ at Matruh; Stalin Confident – Nov 7

• American Forces Land in French Africa; British Naval, Air Units Assisting Them – Nov 8

• U.S. Seizes African Beachheads and Airports; Vichy Navy Resisting; Algiers Capitulates – Nov 9

• Our Troops Sweep Past Oran, Move on Tunisia; Fight at Casablanca; British Land at Algiers – Nov 10

• Hitler to Take over All France and Corsica; Our Troops in Oran, Speeding Toward Libya – Nov 11

• Movie Reviews: Road to Morocco, Springtime in the Rockies, The Navy comes Through – Nov 12

• Axis in South France, Fleet’s Fate a Mystery; U.S. and Nazi Forces Race to Occupy Tunisia – Nov 12

• U.S. – British Army 50 Miles from Tunisia; Our Fliers Hit 4 Troopships in Solomons – Nov 13

• French Troops Fight Germans in Tunisia; Allies Cross Border; British Pass Tobruk – Nov 14

• Series of Naval Battles Rages in Solomons; Tunis Fighting Intense as Allies Approach – Nov 15

• Allies Battling Nazis at Bizerte; New Guinea Pincers Close on Foe – Nov 16

• U.S. Smashes Japanese Fleet in Solomons; Sinks 23 Ships, Damages 7 in 3-Day Battle – Nov 17

• Allied Chutists in Tunisia Paving Way as Ground Columns Advance on Bases – Nov 18

• Allies Spreading over Tunisia – Nov 19

• Movie Review: I Married a Witch – Nov 20

• Allies Close in on Tunis, Bizerte; Japanese Routed on Guadalcanal – Nov 21

• Allied Forces Moving in to Hit the Axis at Bizerte and Tunis – Nov 22

• Russians Open Offensive at Stalingrad; British Batter Armored Unit in Tunisia – Nov 23

• Dakar, West Africa Join Allies; Air Action Slows Tunisia Push – Nov 24

• Nazis’ Grip on Stalingrad Broken; Brisk Fighting Spreads in Tunisia – Nov 25

• Stalingrad Vise Closing on Foe; Aerial Blows Traded in Tunisia – Nov 26

• Movie Review: Casablanca – Nov 27

• Russian Cut off More Nazi Troops; Take Dozens Towns, Gain in Stalingrad – Nov 27

• French Scuttle Fleet, Ruin its Toulon Base; General Attack Begun on Bizerte-Tunis Line – Nov 28

• Red Forces Break through German Lines in Three Places on the New Front at Rzhev – Nov 29

• Churchill Tells Italy to Oust Leaders or Face Shattering Allied Air Blows – Nov 30

December

• Germans Slow Soviet Advances; Allies Deepen Breach in Tunisia – Dec 1

• Planes Pound Tunisia without Let-Up as Allied Units Pierce Axis Defenses – Dec 2

• Allies Repel Strong Attack in Tunisia – Dec 3

• Movie Review: You Were Never Lovelier – Dec 4

• U.S. Sinks 9 Ships at Guadalcanal, Loses Cruiser, But Bars Landing – Dec 4

• Allies Meet a Setback in Tunisia; Regroup Forces; Tank Battle Rages – Dec 5

• M’Nutt Named Manpower Dictator of Nation; Navy Reveals Damage Done at Pearl Harbor – Dec 6

• Wickard Named Food Administrator; U.S. and 7 Allies Raid Europe in Biggest Daylight Attack – Dec 7

• Tank Battle Rages in Tunisian Hills as Air Struggle Grown in Intensity – Dec 8

• Allies Drive Back Foe near Tebourba; Air Struggle Crucial, Arnold Asserts – Dec 9

• Enemy Warship Sunk, 3 Hit by U.S. Fliers in Solomons; Allies in Tunisia Gain Power – Dec 10

• Movie Reviews: The Palm Beach Story, Seven Days’ Leave – Dec 11

• Hitler Changes Army, Air, Navy Chiefs; U.S. Tanks, Guns Brace Allies in Tunisia – Dec 11

• Two Axis Tank Columns Beaten Back after Making Deep Push in Tunisia – Dec 12

• Allies Repel All New Tank Attacks by the Axis in Northeast Tunisia – Dec 13

• Rommel Again Retreats to West as British Oust Him at Agheila – Dec 14

• Allies Take Buna on New Guinea; Fliers Prod Rommel’s Retreat – Dec 15

• Rommel’s Mines Slow British Pursuit; Japanese Forces Land North of Buna – Dec 16

• British Battle Rommel’s Rear Guard; Heavy Allied Raids Snarl his Lines – Dec 17

• Movie Review: Random Harvest – Dec 18

• British Cut Rommel’s Desert Army in Two and Maul his Encircled Armored Forces – Dec 18

• Resumption of A-B-C Gasoline Sales on a Reduced Basis Likely Monday – Dec 19

• British Army Advances 40 Miles into Burma; Russia Starts New Major Offensive on Don – Dec 20

• Soviet Drives Converging in Don Bend – Dec 21

• Germans Retreating ‘In Disorder,’ Russian Drive Advances 15 Miles – Dec 22

• Russians Seize ‘Several Dozen’ Towns, Put Nazi Loss at 55,000 in Don Drive – Dec 23

• Movie Review: In Which We Serve, The Black Swan – Dec 24

• Soviet Army Flanking Rail Junctions; Allies Hit 10 Ships in Mediterranean – Dec 24

• Darlan Shot Dead by Frenchman in Algiers; Russians Open Fourth Offensive in Caucasus – Dec 25

• Giraud Expected to Succeed Darlan; Russians in New Kotelnikov Drive – Dec 26

• Giraud Chosen Darlan’s Successor; Russians Within 105 Miles of Rostov – Dec 27

• Rationing of Canned Fruits, Soups and Vegetables Starts in February – Dec 28

• Soviet Tide Surges about Kotelnikov; Japanese Cruiser Smashed at Rabaul – Dec 29

• Red Army Captures Kotelnikov; Allies Lose Key Height in Tunisia – Dec 30

• Giraud Arrests 12 to Balk New Plot to Assassinate Him and U.S. Minister – Dec 31

[CougarGA7]

Happy New Year everyone.

[CougarGA7]

Thanks again Homer.

[CougarGA7]

Thanks again Homer.

[CougarGA7]

Thanks again Homer.

[Tainan]

Happy New Year !

[HChampagne]

Thank you for this wonderful service. I look for it every day.

[texanyankee]

Thanks, really have enjoyed this.

Happy New Years to both of you.

[TADSLOS]

Thanks again for your effort in putting all this together.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Thanks for all you do and Happy New Year!

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Nice work. What a difference a year makes, eh? I have linked this thread at the index by author on my profile. So any article listed there from 1938 on can be quickly accessed through your links.

Thanks again, Cougar, and on to 1943.

[Squantos]

Wow ! All in one history reference ! Bookmarked !

Thank you Homer and Cougar !

[CougarGA7]

Thanks Homer. I’m glad I can make this little contribution to the massive amount a work that you put into this.

[henkster]

Taking a break from football marathon to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Thanks for the Year in Review and I appreciate the efforts of everyone who contributes to these threads, and mostly to Homer for his daily devotion in posting them.

[colorado tanker]

Thanks, Homer. This is a fascinating experience.

I look forward to this thread to take my mind off the thoroughly depressing political news.