Posted on 01/15/2012 5:44:27 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
"Mid-January 1942: The first Jews are deported from Lódz, Poland, to the Chelmno extermination camp."
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/15.htm
January 15th, 1942
UNITED KINGDOM: SS Barra Island, Canadian Atlantic Transportation Co, wrecked in a storm in the Hebrides Sea, two miles off Barra Island, west of Scotland. There was no loss of life in this incident.
Corvette HMS Chrysanthemum commissioned. Taken over by Free French Navy 26 Jan 42 and renamed Comandant Drogou. (Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY: RAF bombers raid Hamburg and Emden. (Jack McKillop)
Stuka pilot Hans Ulrich Rudel is awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.
U-605 commissioned.
U-211, U-413 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
SWITZERLAND: Geneva: Two Allied officers, a Briton, Lt Airey Neave and a Dutchman, Tony Lutyen, have arrived safely in Switzerland after escaping from Colditz Castle and walking all the way to the border posing as Dutch labourers. The news of their “home run” will be greeted with cheers at Colditz, where the most persistent escapers are confined. Neave, who was wounded and captured at Calais in 1940, had already made one attempt from a PoW camp in Poland. The two men simply walked out of Colditz wearing fake uniforms, with Lutyen boldly fobbing off a suspicious sentry by demanding a salute.
NORWAY: Tirpitz moves to Norwegian waters from France on orders from Hitler.
U.S.S.R.: Moscow: Official Soviet figures claim that Germany lost 55,000 soldiers and 777 tanks in the battle for Moscow.
Army Group Center (Field Marshal Günther Hans von Kluge) evacuates the Kaluga sector and takes up winter positions 20 miles (32 kilometres) further west. (Jack McKillop)
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: U-577 (Type VIIC) Sunk in the Mediterranean northwest of Mersa Matruh, in position 32.40N, 25.48E, by depth charges from a British Swordfish aircraft (Sqdn. 815/G). 43 dead (all crew lost). (Alex Gordon)
NORTH AFRICA: Lt. George Herbert Goodman (1900-45), RNVR, carried out the dangerous task of dismantling the only Italian self-destroying torpedo recovered in North Africa. (George Cross)
BURMA: Troops of the Japanese 55th Division advance into Burma north of Mergui. Though not one of Japan’s original war aims, Burma is invaded to eliminate a possible threat to the Japanese army in Malaya. The Japanese also want to cut the Burma Road which is feeding supplies and equipment to China and seize Burma’s oil fields. Two Japanese army divisions pour into southern and eastern Burma. To oppose them, the British have two divisions: one Burmese, one Indian. Many of the Burmese hate the British and desert. Later 5,000 join the Burmese National Army and fight alongside the Japanese. (Jack McKillop)
MALAYA: Forward elements of the Australian 27th Brigade Group inflict more casualties on the Japanese in the Gemas area before pulling back to their main position. On the west coast, the Japanese reach the northern bank of the Muar River and land a small party between Muar and Batu Pahat, threatening the communications of the West Force in the Yong Peng area. The boundary between the West Force and the Indian 3 Corps is altered to give this region, which the Indian 45th Brigade is defending, to the 3 Corps. (Jack McKillop)
Seven USAAF Far East Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses based at Singosari Airdrome on Java and flying out of Palembang Airdrome on Sumatra, Netherlands East Indies, attack Sungei Patani Airfield, Malaysia. Two B-17s abort due to weather but the other five bomb the target through light AA fire. One B-17 is damaged beyond repair in a bad landing at Singosari Airdrome tomorrow. (Jack McKillop)
NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES: General Archibald Lord Wavell, Commander in Chief Australian-British-Dutch-American (ABDA) Command, South West Pacific, officially establishes the headquarters of ABDA at Batavia, Java, at 1200 hours GMT. (Jack McKillop)
Six new USAAF Far East Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses and four LB-30 Liberators arrive at Singosari Airdrome on Java. (Jack McKillop)
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: In the II Corps area on Bataan, the Japanese, attacking vigorously at the junction of the 41st and 51st Divisions, Philippine Army (PA), gain a foothold on the bank of the Balantay River. The 51st Division commits its reserves and service troops to no avail. Further reinforcements, the Philippine Division (less the 57th Infantry) from the U.S. Army Forces, Far East (USAFFE) reserve and the 31st Division (-) (PA) from the I Corps, are sent forward. The Japanese enveloping column in central Bataan arrives in position to turn the corps’ west flank but pauses to reorganize. Regrouping is conducted to the east as the enemy threat there diminishes. In the I Corps area, the two Japanese columns driving on Moron converge and push closer to their objective. (Jack McKillop)
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: The USAAF’s Alaskan Air Force is activated at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Everett S. Davis. (Jack McKillop)
CANADA: Submarine FS Surcouf arrived Halifax, Nova Scotia for refit. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.A.: In Washington, Secretary of War Henry Stimson says nearly two million men will be inducted into the military during 1942. By years end it will have 3.6 million men. (Jack McKillop)
The State Department issues a memorandum outlining its position with respect to French sovereignty over bases the United States intends to build in French Oceania. (Jack McKillop)
In baseball, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gives baseball the go-ahead to play despite the war. In his famous “green light” letter the President says, “I honestly think it would be best for the country to keep baseball going.” He encourages more night baseball so that war workers may attend. The Chicago Cubs, who had signed contracts to install lights at Wrigley Field, drop their plans because of the military needs for the material. (Jack McKillop)
The first “blackout” Cadillacs were completed by General Motors. Due to restrictions on materials necessary for the war effort, these cars had painted trim rather than chrome. They also lacked spare tires and other luxuries. (Jack McKillop)
Minesweeper USS Auk commissioned.
Destroyers USS Blean and Tickham launched.
Escort carrier USS Bogue launched.
Destroyer USS Caldwell launched.
Submarine USS Herring launched.
(Dave Shirlaw)
BRAZIL: A united Latin-American front against the Axis powers is now the express aim of a conference which opened in Rio de Janeiro today. Representatives of 21 American republics are attending. In an unprecedented opening address Sumner Welles, the chief US delegate, asked the Latin Americans to break off relations with the Axis. He said that Axis diplomats were informing their capitals of ship movements and continued: “Cast aside the shibboleth of classic neutrality and unite in the common front against the Axis aggressors seeking to conquer the entire world.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-93 (Type VIIC) is sunk in position 36.40N, 15.52W by the British destroyer HMS Hesperus. 6 dead and 40 survivors.
Previously on 7 May, 1941 3 men were wounded on the U-93 in an accident with the machine-gun. (Alex Gordon)
At 0941, the unescorted tanker Coimbra was hit by one torpedo from U-123, which had spotted the lights of the tanker astern while the U-boat was proceeding eastbound following the southern shore of Long Island. The torpedo struck on the starboard side just aft of the superstructure. A huge towering explosion lit up the night sky and the cargo of oil quickly caught fire and spread across the water. Residents from the Hamptons on Long Island could see the fire at sea 27 miles away and alerted the authorities. A second torpedo hit the tanker and her stern immediately sank, striking the sea floor. Like his previous victim, the Norness, the bow of the Coimbra was sticking out of the water. Hardegen suggested that, “it was a good thing that my wrecks were partly sticking out of the water. Otherwise how would other ships find the harbour?” The tanker later sank completely. The master, 29 crewmembers and six gunners were lost. Ten survivors, six of them wounded were rescued from the rough seas. Two crewmembers were picked up by destroyer USS Rowan and landed at Argentia, Newfoundland. The remaining survivors were rescued by another American destroyer and landed at St John’s.
At 1134, U-203 torpedoed a ship, which exploded and sank immediately. Mützelburg thought that he had sunk an ammunition ship, but his victim was the trawler Catalina.
At 0138, the unescorted Dayrose was torpedoed and sunk by U-552 west of Cape Race. Altogether, the U-boat fired five torpedoes of which two struck the vessel and broke her in two. The master, 31 crewmembers and six gunners were lost. Four crewmembers were picked up by destroyers USS Ericsson and USS Stockton and landed at Argentia, Newfoundland.
At 2317, tanker Diala was torpedoed and damaged by U-553 about 300 miles ESE of Cape Race in 44°50N/46°50W (grid BC 8524). The vessel was proceeding at maximum speed (12 knots) after the convoy ON-52 was dispersed on 11 January. The bow was blown off and the superstructure was extensively damaged. The tanker was abandoned but remained afloat and was reported drifting NE. 48 crewmembers and nine gunners were lost. The master, six crewmembers and one gunner were picked up by the British SS Telefora de Larrinaga and landed at New York. Four survivors from the Athelcrown, which had been sunk by U-82 on 22 January, boarded the abandoned, drifting wreck of the Diala. They remained on board for eight days before they were rescued by the Swedish merchant Saturnus and landed on the Faroes Isles. On 19 March, Allied ships in position 47°N/37°W last saw the drifting wreck, after attempts to tow her were unsuccessful.
The wreck of the Diala was sunk on 23 March by U-587. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/jan42/f15jan42.htm
Japanese invade Burma
Thursday, January 15, 1942 www.onwar.com
Australian troops fighting in BurmaIn Burma... Troops of the Japanese 55th Division advance into Burma north of Mergui.
In Occupied Norway... The German battleship Tirpitz is moved to Norwegian waters.
In Malaysia... Japanese troops are now south of Malacca. The Japanese 5th Division engages Australian troops at Batu Anam in heavy fighting. Japanese Imperial Guard troops breach the coastal section of the Allied area fighting against the 45th Indian Brigade.
I rarely ever comment on these posts, but I thank you for posting them. I read them all.
You are welcome. And thanks for the morale-boosting comment. Since the view counter went down a while back there is no way to tell if anybody is reading the posts other than replies.
TIRPITZ moves to Norway from France? I was not aware TIRPITZ had ever been stationed anywhere but Germany,the Baltic and Norway. Details, please?
Ever since the war in the Pacific opened up, you can bet yours truly will be watching & reading the posts, eagerly...
I, like umgud, read your WWII +70 post every day but don't reply.
Thanks for posting.
I read your posting almost every day. Really enjoy looking over the old headlines.
Have no fear Homer-my guess is that you have quite a load of fans that read and appreciate your efforts. Even those who, like myself, only post intermittently, usually never miss your daily posts.
Thank-you for the effort it takes to post these dailies. It’s much appreciated.
I read them all whether I comment on them or not.
Any comments on the value/uselessness of the Japanese taking of Burma? It, of course, led to one of the greatest Japanese blunders of the war—the attempted invasion of India and the great debacle at Imphal and Kohima.
Homer, add me to the list of huge fans of these posts who rarely comments. It is so interesting to see how things unfolded in real time. It also make one wonder how today’s media would treat the same stories.
I was a kid during WWII and remember my dad, who worked at the Seaman's YMCA in NYC, telling me that the government wouldn't allow anyone on the East Coast beaches to hide how bad things were going. It seems that bodies and debris from torpedoed ships were washing ashore in great numbers.
No doubt Stark will try keeping an eye on that pesky Japanese fleet, with intentions to warn Admiral King the next time it approaches Hawaii.
Let's hope this increased focus of Stark's attentions will keep our guys better informed in the future.
Me as well first thing I read in the morning. Interesting about the aside today about the German sub in a small firefight right in front of bathers on the east coast in 1918.
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