Posted on 04/29/2012 5:42:37 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Barbara W. Tuchman, Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45
* Don’t worry, readers. I took care of some folks at the ODT to ensure I will be able to deliver the news without any bureaucratic hassles.
Japanese raid on Corregidor
Wednesday, April 29, 1942 www.onwar.com
Japanese planes on a bombing run over CorregidorIn the Philippines... On Mindanao, Filipino resistance continues but they are pushed back from their positions when the invading Japanese receive reinforcements and greater air support. The Japanese continue to bomb the remaining American troops who have retreated to Corregidor.
In New Guinea... Operation Mo is being prepared by the Japanese. It calls for an amphibious assault on Port Moresby.
In Burma... Despite a desperate defense, the Japanese take Lashio, terminus of the Burma Road. All supplies to China must now go by air as China has been cut off by land. General Alexander decides to remove his troops to new position in the Chinwin and Irrawaddy Valley.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm
April 29th, 1942
UNITED KINGDOM: The Luftwaffe’s bombers have added Norwich and York to their list of historic towns visited in revenge for the RAF’s attacks on Lübeck and Rostock. They bombed and machine-gunned Norwich for over an hour two nights ago, and last night, by the light of a brilliant moon, they struck at the heart of York.
These Baedeker raids follow the attacks on Exeter and Bath; in each case the bombers delivered about half their loads on target and despite their small numbers, caused considerable damage and killed 400 people. British experts are sure that the bombers accuracy is due to a new electronic target beam and are working on a way of confusing the pilots so that they drop their bombs in open country.
The Germans are also suffering heavy casualties on these raids. Seventeen bombers have been shot down out of 150 used, and many of the lost crews are instructors thrown into action to appease Hitler’s rage over the RAF attacks.
The Baedeker raids can be seen, therefore, to be doing more harm to the German war effort than to the British in the long run.
Tonight sees the last bombing operation by the Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys of Bomber Command with a raid on Ostend, Belgium.
ASW trawler HMS Bredon commissioned.
Minesweeping trawler HMS Sir Gareth commissioned.
Corvette HMS Borage commissioned.
Submarine HMS Sibyl launched.
Submarine FS Curie (ex-HMS Vox) laid down.
Submarine KNM Ula (ex-HMS Varne) laid down.
(Dave Shirlaw)
BELGIUM: An explosion in a chemical factory, believed to be sabotage, kills 250 people.
GERMANY:
U-412 commissioned.
U-627, U-628 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: U class submarine HMS Unge is believed to have been attacked by Italian fighter aircraft off Ras el Hilal whilst she was shelling MV San Giusto. (Alex Gordon)(108)
The Alliance struck a mine laid on 13 April by U-562 off Famagusta and sank. (Dave Shirlaw)
BURMA: The Japanese enter Lashio. China is now cut off from the Allies by land. All supply will be by air. The dangerous route of “Flying the Hump” is born.
CHINA: Japanese troops lay siege to the Nationalist 39th Army at Buxian, in south-west Shantung.
PACIFIC OCEAN: Preparations for the Japanese Operation “MO” are well underway. This is an amphibious attack on Port Moresby, New Guinea.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: As part of Operation “MO”, the 3rd Kure Special Landing Force occupies the former RAAF seaplane base on Tulagi Island. (Jack McKillop)
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Japan applies steady pressure to force the defenders of Mindanao to retreat, and shells Corregidor heavily.
U.S.A.: The movie marquees in Times Square, New York City are ordered blacked out. (Jack McKillop)
Destroyer USS Daly laid down.
Destroyer USS Murphy launched.
Destroyer USS Lansdowne commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0857, the unescorted Mobiloil was torpedoed by U-108 about 350 miles NE of Turks Island. The tanker had been spotted by the U-boat already at 1950 in grid DC 9592 the day before, but she was steaming at 14 knots and it took so long to come into an attack position. At 0412, a first torpedo already missed, before the U-boat fired a spread of two torpedoes at 0857 and hit the tanker with one between the #1 and #2 tanks on the starboard side and blew a large hole in the bow. Then the U-boat surfaced and began shelling the tanker from a distance of 2000 meters with all weapons, while Mobiloil was firing 12 rounds from the 4-in stern gun (the ship was also armed with two .50cal and two .30cal guns). After three hits on the tanker, Scholtz had to cease fire after 50 minutes because the target could not be seen properly, the 2cm AA gun jammed and the gun sight of the 37-mm AA gun was defect. In the meantime the tanker swung around to show the stern towards the U-boat, shifted some ballast and set course toward Bermuda. At 1112 and 1113, the U-boat fired two torpedoes, the first missed and the second struck on the starboard side of the #4 tank, destroying a lifeboat, opening the pumproom, wrecking the living quarters and the gyro compass, but the tanker was able to continue. The sixth torpedo fired at 1645 hit between #7 and #8 tanks on the port side, stopping the engines and caused flooding, this caused the ship to break in two in the middle. The eight officers, 33 crewmen, two workaways and nine armed guards abandoned ship in three lifeboats just before the ship sank at 1712 in 26°10N/66°15W with bow and stern pointing skyward. All survivors were picked up about 86 hours after the attack by submarine chaser USS PC-490 after being spotted and circled twice by aircraft and landed on 4 May at San Juan, Puerto Rico. The master was later convicted of violating convoy routing orders, because he had been ordered to await a convoy off Norfolk, but the vessels did not arrive at the appointed hour, so he proceeded alone.
U-573 was attacked with 325-pound depth charges launched by an RAF 223 Sqn Hudson NW of Argel. Seriously damaged, U-573 headed for Spain, which she reached on 2 May. Unable to finish repairs in time, the boat was interned in Spain.
Sailing ship Terpsithea sunk by U-562 at 35.09N, 33.56E.
Motor tanker Harry G. Seidel sunk by U-66 at 11.50N, 62.50W. 2 killed with 48 survivors.
(Dave Shirlaw)
A German truck that refuels near the Lódz (Poland) Ghetto carries luggage belonging to "resettled" Jews who have already been murdered at the Chelmno death camp.
price controls... those things never work
“2nd World War”.... hhmmmm.... that might work as a title
“Survival War”? That is just lame. Of course my grandpa, who was one of Merrill’s Marauders would have called it “The War to Destroy the Nip Bastards.”
I think World War II works good. I’d bet that one sticks.
I think the administration needs to come up with something that has more marketing appeal so people will accept Roosevelt’s austerity measures more gracefully. How about, “The Great Patriotic War”?
Hmm. Sounds good, but I think Stalin has already taken it.
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