Posted on 01/12/2012 4:39:23 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
* C. Brooks Peters surfaces in Washington. I wondered what became of him since we got his last story filed from Berlin on 9/30/41 – Homer.
** The last line of column 2 on page 11 should read “In Western Cyrenaica enemy ar- . . .”
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/jan42/f12jan42.htm
Rommel planning counteroffensive
Monday, January 12, 1942 www.onwar.com
Rommel and his staff discussing operationsIn North Africa... Rommel adopts his subordinates’ plan to prepare a surprise counteroffensive against the British. Neither the German nor the Italian High Command are informed of the plans. Rommel has continued to receive new tanks during the retreat. The Australian divisions and the British 7th Armored Brigade have been scheduled to leave the area for service in the Far East against Japan.
From London... General Simovic resigns and Professor Yonvanvic becomes Premier of the Yugoslavian Government in exile. He takes Colonel Mihajlovic as Minister for War.
In the Dutch East Indies... After fierce fighting, the Japanese take Tarakan. Tarakan and Manado islands are quickly made into air fields to support the Japanese attack.
In Malaysia... Japanese troop enter Kuala Lumpur.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/12.htm
January 12th, 1942
UNITED KINGDOM: Destroyer HMS Venus laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY: Berlin: Hitler orders the battle cruisers GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST to sail from Brest to Norway.
U-649 is laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: U-374 (Type VIIC) is sunk in the western Mediterranean east of Cape Spartivento, in position 37.50N, 16.00E, by torpedoes from the British submarine HMS Unbeaten. 43 dead, but 1 survivor taken into captivity. (Alex Gordon)
At 0157, U-77 sighted two destroyers off Tobruk and fired at 0238 hours a spread of four torpedoes of which one hit the stern of HMS Kimberley. The explosion blew her stern off and immediately stopped the vessel, which was missed by a coup de grâce at 02.45 hours. HMS Heythrop towed the destroyer to Alexandria. After temporary repairs towed in February 1942 to Bombay, where she was repaired and returned to service in January 1944. (Dave Shirlaw)
TUNISIA: Tangiers: A German plan to detect Allied shipping movements in the Mediterranean by sending an infra-red beam across the Straits of Gibraltar is foiled when British agents blow up the transmitter.
LIBYA: Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, General Officer Commanding Panzer Gruppe Africa, adopts his subordinates’ plan to prepare a surprise counteroffensive against the British. Neither the German nor the Italian High Command are informed of the plans. As a result, British codebreakers who are reading top-secret German messages with their Enigma machine can’t warn the unprepared 8th Army. (Jack McKillop)
U.S.S.R.: Friedrich Mennecke writes to his wife: “Since the day before yesterday, a large delegation from our Aktion [`T4´ Osteinsatz], headed by Herr Brack, is on the battlefields of the East to help in saving our wounded in the ice and snow. They include doctors, clerks, male nurses and female nurses from Hadamar and Sonnenstein, an entire detachment of 20-30 persons! This is top secret! Only those who could not be spared for carrying out the most urgent tasks of our Aktion were excluded.” (84)
Field Marshal Walter von Reichenau, Commander in Chief Army Group South suffers a heart attack at his HQ in Poltava. (Jeff Chrisman)
MALAYA: The Japanese take Port Swettenham and Kuala Luxmpur, the Malaysian capital, when elements of the Japanese 25th Army enter the city. This completes the first phase of Japan’s planned conquest of Malaya.
The consequences for Singapore are grave. Despite attempts to burn them, huge quantities of supplies have fallen into Japanese hands, and the possession of the airfields in the area will facilitate the intensification of the air bombardment against Singapore’s bases and installations.
The fall of Kuala Lumpur has followed swiftly on the collapse five days ago of the 11th Indian Division on the Slim River. Shortly afterwards, General Wavell visited the III Indian Corps, whose main supply base was at Kuala Lumpur, and ordered its withdrawal to Johore for rest and re-organization.
The exodus from Kuala Lumpur began on 10 January. All day and all night an interminable convoy of every description of vehicle carrying civilians and military rolled south. Little silent groups of Malays, Indians and Chinese gazed in wonder from the roadside as the humbled white tuans departed, leaving them to the Japanese.
The Japanese army embarked on the conquest of Malaya when they landed at Kota Bahru, on the north-eastern coast. The landing began on 8 December, two hours before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Shortly after the Kota Bahru landing elements of the 5th Japanese Division went ashore at Singora and Patani, in southern Thailand. The British defenders in Malaya and Singapore comprised two Indian divisions in northern Malaya and the 8th Australian Division in the south, together with the Singapore fortress and mobile formations.
The RAF committed to Malaya 476 aircraft, many of which were obsolescent, such as the Wildebeest biplane. However, 64 modern bombers, including Blenheims, and six Catalina flying boats arrived, while 51 Hurricanes are on their way to the region. The RAF planned to deploy 336 first-line planes, but the plan came to nothing owing to the speed of the Japanese advance. In any case these 336 planes would still have been outnumbered 2-1 by Japanese aircraft.
By 12 December the Japanese had routed the British positions at Jitra, taking 3,000 prisoners. On 26 December a heavy engagement was fought north of Ipoh, and when Japanese tanks succeeded in “hooking” around Indian positions the road to Kuala Lumpur - and beyond it to Singapore - was open.
Eight RAAF Brewster Buffalo fighters intercept 27 Japanese bombers after they had bombed Singapore. Seeing the fighters, the bombers went into a shallow dive and outran the fighters. One RAAF pilot put it, “Bombers outpacing fighters. You’ve got to bloody-well laugh.” (Jack McKillop)
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: On Bataan, the Japanese exert strong pressure against the II Corps, particularly on the west, while taking up positions for a concerted assault. The 51st Division, Philippine Army (PA), is hard hit and gives ground, some of which is regained after reserves are committed. In the center, the Japanese push back the outpost line of the 41st Division (PA). On the east coast, the Japanese regain positions on the south bank of the Calaguiman River; to meet threat there, the 21st Infantry (PA) is released from reserve to assist the 57th Infantry, Philippine Scouts. In the I Corps area, a Japanese detachment moves by boat and seizes undefended Grande Island in Manila Bay. (Jack McKillop)
AUSTRALIA: Three USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses arrive in Australia after flying a new southern ferry route from Hawaii. (Jack McKillop)
The Japanese submarine HIJMS I-121 mines Clarence Strait, the body of water connecting Van Diemen Gulf and the Timor Sea, off Australia’s Northern Territory, at the approaches to Darwin, the Asiatic Fleet’s main logistics base. (Jack McKillop)
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Amchitka Island is occupied by a small American force under General Jones.
The AMULET FORCE consisted of 2,000 men under command of Brigadier General Lloyd E. Jones. The invasion was covered by the USN’s Task Group 8.6 (TG 8.6) consisting of the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35), light cruisers USS Detroit (CL-8) and USS Raleigh (CL-7) and four destroyers, which patrolled off Amchitka and Kiska Islands. The transport group consisted of the transports USS Arthur Middleton (AP-55), US Army Transport Delarof, and SS Lakona; the cargo ship USS Vega (AK-17); and the destroyers USS Dewey (DD-349), USS Gillespie (DD-609), USS Kalk (DD-611) and USS Worden (DD-352).
There is no enemy opposition but a fierce storm hits and continues for two weeks. The transport USS Arthur Middleton, manned by a US Coast Guard crew, runs aground as it rescues 175 sailors from the destroyer USS Worden.
On 12 January, USS Worden was guarding the transport USS Arthur Middleton as that transport put the preliminary Army security unit on the shores of Constantine Harbor Amchitka Island. The destroyer manoeuvred into the rock-edged harbour and stayed there until the last men had landed and then turned to the ticklish business of clearing the harbour.
A strong current, however, swept USS Worden onto a pinnacle that tore into her hull beneath her engine room and caused a complete loss of power. USS Dewey passed a towline to her stricken sister and attempted to tow her free, but the cable parted, and the heavy seas began moving USS Worden totally without power inexorably toward the rocky shore. The destroyer then broached and began breaking up in the surf; Commander William G. Pogue, the stricken destroyer’s commanding officer, ordered abandon ship, and, as he was directing that effort, was swept overboard into the wintry seas by a heavy wave that broke over the ship.
Commander Pogue was among the fortunate ones, however, because he was hauled, unconscious, out of the sea. Fourteen of his crew drowned. USS Worden, herself, was a total loss. (Jack McKillop)
U.S.A.: Washington DC: Charles Lindbergh the celebrated aviator meets with Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson. Stimson tells him that his speeches decrying the war between the ‘white races’, mean that he could not be considered for a position of command and that in fact those speeches had raised doubts as to his loyalty to the country. Stimson then called in the Assistant Secretary of War for Air, Robert A. Lovett, to see if Lindbergh could help the government in a position of non-command. (Jack McKillop)
The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) approve U.S. plans to garrison the islands along the proposed ferry route from Hawaii to Australia. Local defence forces are to be based at American Samoa, Bora Bora, Canton Island, Christmas Island, the Fiji Islands and Palmyra Island. The CCS also approves the deployment of a USAAF fighter squadron to New Caledonia Island in the New Hebrides Islands. (Jack McKillop)
The wartime Office of Price Administration said standard frankfurters would be replaced by “victory sausages”, consisting of a mixture of meat and soy meal. (Mike Ballard)
Minesweeper USS Zeal laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
CARIBBEAN SEA: USS S-26 (SS-131) is sunk in a collision with a submarine chaser in the Gulf of Panama. (Jack McKillop)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: During heavy weather in the North Atlantic a lookout on U-654 broke his arm.
SS Yngaren sunk at 57N, 26W - Grid AL 1938 by U-43.
HMCS Red Deer, a Bangor-class minesweeper, rescued survivors from the British merchantship SS Cyclops, 125 miles south-east of Cape Sable. Cyclops was the first ship sunk in the German U-boat campaign against the East Coast of North America, known as Operation Paukenschlag (Drumbeat). She was sunk by U-123, Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen, CO. (Dave Shirlaw)
The "Happy Time" begins and the U-Boats of Operation Drumbeat claim victim #1. 1942 is going to be a long year, because in addition to belatedly gearing up for war, the US is going to have to learn and relearn a number of lessons about fighting a modern war. Fortunately we have the time a resources to do so, and will extract a steep payback from our enemies in due course.
"The seeds of the postwar Nuremberg Trials are sown when China and nine European nations pass a resolution to try Axis leaders for war crimes "whether they have ordered them, perpetrated them or in any way participated in them.""
"To encourage Lódz's Jews to participate in the deportations, the Germans distributed, according to the ghetto's chronicle, "twelve thousand pairs of warm underwear, earmuffs, gloves, stockings, socks, and clogs."
This child is dressed for the frigid conditions to be experienced on the deportation trains."
So Mr. Ford is here again apologizing for anti-Semitic material published in his name over 15 years earlier.
Fortunately for us today, no public figure is being forced to make similar apologies, for nasty stuff that went out under his name, but he didn't read it, and now disowns it.
Yeh, right, that would never happen today... ;-)
Thank God for all our soldiers who were outgunned and outmanned in the fallout of Pearl Harbor and gave it right back to the Japs. Their sacrifice isn’t mentioned enough.
Though I’ve seen mention of Japanese parachutists before in these reports, this is the first one I know of that’s legitimate. From what I know there were three paratroop operations conducted by the Japanese in 1942, the first was the parachuting into Manado in the Celebes yesterday, the second will be at Palenbang on the island of Sumatra on February 14th, then the third will be at Koepang on Timor, February 20th. All of them will suffer a rather high loss rate and these unites wont be used outside a defensive capacity again until December of 1944 on Leyte.
The incident at Amchitka with the USS Arthur Middleton occurred in January 1943 - not '42. My Dad served on that ship and he was there when the commander called for all hands to abandon ship.
January 12th, 1942
The USS Arthur Middleton was first acquired by the Navy in January 1942. My Dad was assigned to that ship in early Sept 1942. Somehow that link is a year off.
http://www.uscg.mil/History/webcutters/APA25ArthurMiddleton.pdf
You might send Andrew an email alerting him about the placement of that item.
webmaster@etherit.com
I have run into that sort of thing a time or two. He seems to appreciate the notice and will fix it. I would do it myself but I need to convince Dell that the Outlook in my Office suite is not supposed to expire after 30 days. In the meantime I can receive emails but not send.
okie dokie...
I will send an email to the addy you furnished.
thanks.
Okay, I just sent a nice email to Andrew, noting the error about the date of incident at Amchitka.
Hopefully he will notice it.
My Dad didnt officially join up until April 7, 1942. I never asked why 4 months after Pearl Harbor. He never gave lengthy answers when I did ask questions about his service in the war.
"Okay, I just sent a nice email to Andrew, noting the error about the date of incident at Amchitka.
Hopefully he will notice it.
My Dad didnt officially join up until April 7, 1942. I never asked why 4 months after Pearl Harbor. He never gave lengthy answers when I did ask questions about his service in the war."
Interesting. Do you know where he was inducted? My father must have been sworn in on April 9 or 10. I have a letter he wrote on April 11 that I plan to post, so watch for that.
Two weeks in a row with no dirty pictures?
Sorry to disappoint, but we have a war going on here.
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