ALLIES TAKE BUNA ON NEW GUINEA; FLIERS PROD ROMMEL’S RETREAT (12/15/42)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 12/15/42 | F. Tillman Durdin, Brooks Atkinson, Grant Parr, A.C. Sedgwick, David Anderson, Hanson W. Baldwin

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile. Also visit our general discussion thread.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
Papua, New Guinea, 1942
The Solomons: Guadalcanal and Florida, 1942
North Africa, 1941: Pursuit to Tunisia, November 1942-February 1943
Tunisia 1942: The Race for Tunisia-Situation 1 January 1943, and Operations Since 17 November 1942
Southwest Russia, 1942: Soviet Winter Offensive, Operations, 13 December 1942-18 February 1943
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941: Status of Forces and Allied Theater Boundaries, 2 July 1942
India-Burma, 1942: Allied Lines of Communication, 1942-1943

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Japanese Crushed (Durdin) – 2-3
War News Summarized – 3
Writer in Bomber’s Nose Finds Raid Pleasant as a Tennis Match (Atkinson) – 4
1,000,000 Japanese Now in Manchuria – 4
Libya Foe Harried (Parr) – 4-6
Rommel Retreat Mystifies British (Sedgwick) – 6
Tunisia Correspondents Flee for Nothing; False Retreat Alarm Sent Them Into Old Car – 6
Nazis Keep Up Push Against Russians – 7
Madagascar Given to Fighting French (Anderson) – 8
Prison Ship Sinking Told by Survivors – 8-9
British Wary on Libya (Baldwin) – 10
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the War – 11-12
Rationing at a Glance – 12

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Japanese Crushed (Durdin) – 2-3
War News Summarized – 3
Writer in Bomber’s Nose Finds Raid Pleasant as a Tennis Match (Atkinson) – 4
1,000,000 Japanese Now in Manchuria – 4
Libya Foe Harried (Parr) – 4-6
Rommel Retreat Mystifies British (Sedgwick) – 6
Tunisia Correspondents Flee for Nothing; False Retreat Alarm Sent Them Into Old Car – 6
Nazis Keep Up Push Against Russians – 7
Madagascar Given to Fighting French (Anderson) – 8
Prison Ship Sinking Told by Survivors – 8-9
British Wary on Libya (Baldwin) – 10
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the War – 11-12
Rationing at a Glance – 12

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/dec42/f15dec42.htm

“Tokyo Express” to New Georgia
Tuesday, December 15, 1942 www.onwar.com

Admiral Tanaka: Commander of the “Tokyo Express” [photo at link]

In the Solomon Islands... Admiral Tanaka’s supply flotilla begins missions to aid the building of an airfield on New Georgia to support the Japanese positions on Guadalcanal.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm

December 15th, 1942

UNITED KINGDOM: The government is to launch an all-out campaign to warn people of the dangers of venereal disease, using leaflets, films and broadcasts. The House of Commons today approved a regulation which provides that if two people report a third as a source of infection, that person may be compelled to go for treatment.

The minister of health, Ernest Brown, revealed that the number of new cases of syphilis had risen by 70% since 1939. The rate was now as bad as in 1932. Public education was essential, as well as free treatment available from GPs and an increasing number of clinics. The Labour MP Dr. Edith Summerskill said the new regulation did not go far enough. Last year 70,000 cases of VD had been seen by clinics. This meant that the total number was probably 150,000 - more than the casualties of the Blitz.

MPs reported that VD in the factories was seriously affecting the war effort, and that ships were sometimes unable to sail because of it. It was no longer confined to towns. Lady Astor said: “There has been a lowering of the moral tone and the government has done nothing about it.”

London: It was gazetted today that PO (Cook) Charles Henry Walker (b.1914) dived from his destroyer to rescue a survivor of a burning ship who was in difficulties. (Albert Medal)

Scotland: Convoy JW-51A sails from Loch Ewe for Kola Bay in the USSR, re-opening the Arctic convoy route.

Escort carrier HMS Trumpeter launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

GERMANY: U-670, U-671, U-843 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

NEW GUINEA: US forces enter Buna, which Japan has evacuated.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: During the next 10 days Admiral Tanaka’s Tokyo Express also runs supply missions to Munda airfield on New Georgia, while still making express runs to Guadalcanal.

U.S.A.: The 101st Infantry Battalion (Separate) - personnel of Austrian ancestry is formed at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. (Nick Minecci)

ATLANTIC OCEAN:
U-159 sank SS Star of Suez.

U-174 sank SS Alcoa Rambler.

U-626 sunk in the North Atlantic, in position 56.46N, 27.12W, by depth charges from USCGC Ingham. 47 dead (all hands lost).
Aircraft carrier USS Bennington laid down.

Destroyer escort USS Hopping laid down.

Submarines USS Lancetfish and Lionfish laid down.
Minesweepers USS Change and Clamour launched.

Destroyers USS Guest and Stevenson commissioned.

(Dave Shirlaw)

[Tainan]

Bad news about that VD problem. Quite a story about riding in the nose of a B-25. I think that comparing it to a tennis match is a bit understated though. Low altitude and all it must have been quite a ride!

[Invictus]

Buna soon became the American airbase from which flew America’s “Ace of Aces”, Richard Bong. He shot down more of the enemy than ANY American pilot, and in so doing won the CMH..... Bong, from Poplar, Wisconsin later died after doing many “Bond drives”, and becoming a test pilot for Kelly Johnson.... because being a combat pilot was considered “too damgerous” for a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, so his only way to continue flying was to become a “test pilot” for North American Aviation. He flew the P-38 in combat.

[PeterPrinciple]

Treasury to Lease-lend silver for coinage to Britain and Australia until end of war.

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.................The Arabs receive $5 in gold for bringing lost US airmen and another $5 for rescuing the parachute......

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Interesting the parachute was as valuable as the airman.