[Homer_J_Simpson]

56-Mile Gain Made (Parker) – 2-3
War News Summarized – 3
23 Enemy Planes Downed over Tunisia in 24 Hours (Middleton) – 4
Action in Solomons (Hulen) – 5
Guadalcanal Epic in Pilot’s Letter – 6-7
Bench Work: Time Out for Three Marines in the Solomons (photo) – 7
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the War – 8-10

The News of the Week in Review
Twenty News Questions – 11
Strategic Islands of the South Pacific Battleground (map) – 12
War Scales in Pacific in an Uneasy Balance (Baldwin) – 13
Transport is Key to China’s Future (Atkinson) – 14
Goebbels ‘Explains’ Reverses (Axelsson) – 15
Russian Infantry Masses for Attack (Parker) – 15-16
The Mediterranean World: Focus of War (map) – 17
Allies Fight Hard for Mediterranean Mastery (Middleton) – 18
Answers to Twenty News Questions – 18

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1943/jan1943/f17jan43.htm

Soviets Advancing, Germans Retreating
Sunday, January 17, 1943 www.onwar.com

On the Eastern Front... There are Soviet advances from Orel to the Caucasus. Millerovo and Zimoviki are captured. Around Stalingrad, there is a lull in the fighting as the Red Army forces regroup for a final offensive.

In New Guinea... The Australians penetrate Japanese positions at Sanananda. Japanese resistance continues here and against the converging Americans attacking at Giruwa.

In Morocco... The Casablanca Conference. The Anglo-American strategy discussions continue.

[BroJoeK]

Headline: "War Scales in Pacific in an Uneasy Balance (Baldwin) – 13"

"MID-PACIFIC Quiet, since the Battle of Midway.
But Hawaii is still a logical strategic objective for the Japanese.
It is the key point in the Pacific and the one place that, if the Japanese were able to conquer it, might enable them to with the Pacific War.
But we hold it firmly; it is the nexus of our whole Pacific effort, and there is little doubt that 'The Islands' grow stronger day by day..."

In July 1943 Hawaii's strength will further increase on the arrival of the 33rd Infantry Division.
The 33rd had suffered 6,900 casualties in France in WWI, and would suffer another 2,400 in the Pacific in WWII.
In the mid 1930s it was the assigned unit of a certain Colonel George C. Marshall, who would move on to greater fame.
In September 1942, the 33rd moved from training at Camp (Nathan B) Forest in south-central Tennessee to Fort Lewis, Washington, where it "now" is being joined by over 100 freshly minted 90-day wonder lieutenants.
It will soon transfer to the Mohave Desert to train for North Africa.
But, eventually the 33rd will see combat in New Guinea and the Philippines before landing in Japan.
The 33rd includes a certain young lieutenant whose fate is of some importance to, ahem, yours truly... ;-)