STALINGRAD’S PERIL MOUNTS AS NAZI TANKS CROSS DON (8/24/42)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 8/24/42 | David Anderson

[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
Japanese Advance, 21 July-16 Sept. 1942
The Solomons: Guadalcanal and Florida, 1942
Southwest Russia, 1942: German Advance to Stalingrad, Operations, 24 July-18 November 1942
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]

Continued from August 23.

John Toland, The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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Richard Tregaskis, Guadalcanal Diary

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Germans Advance – 2
New Command South of Caucasus is Set Up by British to Meet Nazis (Anderson) – 3
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the War – 4-5

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/aug42/f24aug42.htm

Naval clash over Guadalcanal
Monday, August 24, 1942 www.onwar.com

Bomb exploding on the Enterprise during the battleIn the Solomon Islands... The Battle of the Eastern Solomons. US Task Force 61, commanded by Admiral Fletcher is comprised of the American aircraft carriers Saratoga, Enterprise and Wasp. The Japanese split their forces into two, Admiral Nagumo commanding the Zuikaku and Shokaku and Admiral Hara, the Ryujo. Both forces are attempting to cover the ferrying of supplies to the respective forces on Guadalcanal. American scout planes discover the Ryujo and Admiral Fletcher dispatches a strike force. When the other two Japanese carriers are sighted, he attempts to redirect the attack, but most of his planes do not receive the new orders and proceed to sink the Ryujo. Admiral Nagumo’s planes find the USS Enterprise inflicting damage, however planes can still land on the carrier. Both carrier groups disengage at the end of the day without a clear result.

From Berlin... Hitler appoints Thierack as Minister of Justice, giving him powers to set aside any and all laws.

In New Guinea... Japanese forces from Buna, land on Goodenough Island in preparation for the taking of Milne Bay.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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

August 24th, 1942

UNITED KINGDOM:

The US 8th Air Force in England flies Mission 5: B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb the shipyard of Ateliers et Chantiers Maritime de la Seine at Le Trait, France.

Major General Carl Spaatz, Commanding General US 8th Air Force, reports the RAF attitude towards US daylight precision bombing seems to be changing from one of skepticism to one of tentative approval.

USAAF 307th Fighter Squadron moves to Merston, Surrey. (Jack McKillop).

Prime Minister Winston Churchill returns to England after meeting with Soviet Premier Josef Stalin in Moscow. (Jack McKillop)

Trawler HMS Magdalen commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

GERMANY: Thierack is appointed by Hitler as the new Minister of Justice. He has the power to set aside any or all written law. (Gene Hanson)

U-193 launched.
U-981and U-982 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.S.R.: Black Sea Fleet and Azov Flotilla: Submarine “M-3” - mined and sunk in Odessa Gulf, close to Bolshoi Fontan (raised in 1951).
Baltic Fleet, Ladoga and Onega Flotillas: Shipping loss. SKR “Burya” - mined at Bolshoi Tuters Is. (later raised) and MS “T-204” (”Fugas”) - mined close to Lavensari Is.
Black Sea Fleet and Azov Flotilla: Shipping loss: GB “Bug” and SKR “Shturman” exploded by crew to prevent capturing, in Temruk. GB “Don” - damaged by aviation and exploded by crew to prevent capturing, in Temruk (Sergey Anisimov)(69)

The slowing German offensive in the Caucasus creeps to within 85 miles (137 kilometres) of the Grozny oil complex. (Jack McKillop)

LIBYA: U.S. Army, Middle East Air Forces B-24 Liberators attack Tobruk harbor. (Jack McKillop)

NEW GUINEA: A Japanese amphibious force leaves Buna in seven large barges and New Ireland Island, Bismarck Archipelago, in transports, heading for Milne Bay; the barges are detected by an Australian coastwatcher during the afternoon. (Jack McKillop)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Guadalcanal: East of Guadalcanal, US scout planes flying from Enterprise spot carrier Ryujo. A strike is dispatched. Then Shokaku and Zuikaku are sighted. Attempts to redirect the attack from Admiral Fletcher are unsuccessful.
The Ryujo is sunk.

Japanese attacks from the two fleet carriers find Enterprise and while damaged, she is still able to land planes. One of the bombs is caught on film at the exact moment of explosion. Most of the Japanese planes in this strike choose the Enterprise, only a few attack North Carolina for superficial damage. The steering gear on Enterprise goes out of commission during damage control, and for 30 minutes the “Big E” circles with her rudder jammed hard to starboard. A second Japanese strike is spotted on radar while the Enterprise is disabled. It heads for an estimated position and does not find the US forces.

The new tactic of centralized fighter direction, using radar, is marred by radio frequencies jammed with too many American transmissions. The mission of this Japanese Naval task force is to protect a supply and reinforcement convoy under command of Admiral Tanaka. This will become known as “The Battle of the Eastern Solomons”. The final act involving the convoy will occur tomorrow.
The battle pits 3 IJN aircraft carriers, HIJMS Ryujo, HIJMS Shokaku and HIJMS Zuikaku against 2 USN carriers, USS Enterprise (CV-6) and Saratoga (CV-3). The seaplane carrier is damaged by SBD-3 Dauntlesses of Bombing Squadron Three (VB-3) and Scouting Squadron Three (VS-3) and TBF-1 Avengers of Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8) in USS Saratoga (CV-3). Light cruiser HIJMS Jintsu is damaged by SBD-3s of Marine Scout Bombing Squadron Two Hundred and Thirty Two (VMSB-322) based on Guadalacanal. Planes from HIJMS Ryujo bomb USMC positions at Lunga Point on Guadalcanal but SBD Dauntlesses of Bombing Squadron Three (VB-3) and TBF Avengers of Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8) in USS Saratoga sink HIJMS Ryujo; 3 USAAF B-17s that are patrolling the area also bomb the Japanese ships from high altitude but hit nothing.

USS Enterprise is damaged by 3 direct hits and 4 near misses by aircraft from the two remaining IJN carriers but attacks against the battleship USS North Carolina (BB-55) are unsuccessful; USS Saratoga is hidden by a rain squall and escapes attack. As soon as the US carriers land all of their aircraft, they withdraw from the area. The Japanese do the same thing. (Jack McKillop)

During the night four Japanese warships shell Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. (Jack McKillop)

For more details on this battle, see Tim Lanzendörfer’s web site.

Japan loses 21 planes, the US just three.

BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: Allied Air Forces B-17s bomb Gasmata Island and airfields at Rabaul, New Britain Island. (Jack McKillop)

PACIFIC OCEAN: USN submarine USS Guardfish (SS-217) torpedoes and sinks a Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship off entrance to Sendai harbor, on the northeast coast of Honshu, Japan. (Jack McKillop)

TERRITORY OF ALASKA: In the Aleutians, a photo reconnaissance sortie scheduled to be flown by a US 11th Air Force B-24 Liberator is cancelled due to overcast.(Jack McKillop)
In a public opinion poll the following results were obtained:

CANADA Minesweeper HMCS Llewellyn and Lloyd George commissioned. Tug HMCS DW Murray assigned to Halifax. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: If the Allies build a strong enough air force do you think that they can win the war virtually alone?

Yes 40%

No 49%

No opinion 11%

August 29, 1942

As long as the war lasts would you favor or oppose a committee of judges with full power to set aside any peacetime laws and regulations that they felt were slowing the war effort?

Favor 58%

Oppose 23%

No opinion 19%

(Jay Stone)

Hollywood stars Tyrone Power, 28, and Henry Fonda, 37, join the armed forces. Power joins the Marine Corps but doesn’t go to boot camp until he finishes the motion picture “Crash Dive” about submarines. Fonda joins the Navy and goes straight to boot camp as a Seaman Apprentice. Power went to Officer Candidate School and was commissioned and then took flight training and was later assigned as a transport pilot in the Pacific. He was discharged in Jan 46. Fonda served on the destroyer USS Satterlee (DD-626) rising to the rank of Quartermaster Third Class. Based on the recommendation of the executive officer on the ship, Fonda was commissioned a Lieutenant (jg) and served in Air Combat Intelligence in the Central Pacific; he was discharged in Oct 45. (Jack McKillop)

Destroyer USS Beale launched.
Submarine USS Cero laid down.
Destroyer USS Luce laid down.

Escort carrier USS Santee is commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

BRAZIL: Rights of non-belligerency are granted to the Government of Brazil by Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay. (Dave Shirlaw)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-162 sank SS Moena.
U-601 sank SS Kujbyshew.
U-23 sank SS Shkval. (Dave Shirlaw)

[Gay State Conservative]

Thanks,Homer...you do great work!!!

[GreenLanternCorps]

Unfortunately for the Germans involved, the drive to Stalingrad is not going to end well...

[Rinnwald]

Unfortunately for the Germans involved, the drive to Stalingrad is not going to end well...

Man! Now you gave it away.

[CougarGA7]

• The Battle of the Eastern Solomons puts Admiral Fletchers carriers against a large Japanese fleet intended for reinforcing Guadalcanal. The Japanese group designated to bombard Henderson Field is discovered and Fletcher sends most of his force against it sending the light carrier Ryujo. The remaining Japanese carriers, Shokaku and Zuikaku launch on the American fleet scoring three hits on the Enterprise but not sinking her.

[CougarGA7]

[colorado tanker]

Stalingrad is such a lovely place to pass a winter . . .