PRESIDENT FOR DRAFTING YOUTHS AT 18 YEARS; 3 U.S. CRUISERS SUNK IN EARLY SOLOMONS FIGHT (10/13/42)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 10/13/42 | W.H. Lawrence, Charles Hurd

[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
Allied Advance Across Owen Stanley Mountains, 26 Sept.-15 Nov. 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 October 12.

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

[Homer_J_Simpson]

May Draft Labor (Lawrence) – 2
Sea Battle in Dark (Hurd) – 3-4
2 Old Destroyers Fought to the End – 4
United States Cruisers That Went Down in Solomons Action and Their Skippers (photos) – 5-6
Nazis Again Strike Inside Stalingrad – 7
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the War – 8-9
War News Summarized – 9

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/oct42/f13oct42.htm

Germans on Volga in southern Stalingrad
Tuesday, October 13, 1942 www.onwar.com

On the Eastern Front... In the southern part of the city of Stalingrad, German 48th Panzer Corps, part of German 4th Panzer Army reaches the Volga River. However, to the north the Soviets hold on to the large factory buildings, continuing their counterattacks.

In the Solomon Islands... On Guadalcanal, 3000 American troops land from the convoy which were the subject of the Battle of Cape Esperance. The Japanese bring up the battleships Kongo and Haruna to bombard the airstrip at Henderson Field during the night. 50 American planes are destroyed on the ground, about one half of the aircraft present. While the shelling is occurring, Admiral Tanaka takes advantage of the break in American air cover and lands 4500 men and large quantities of supplies at Tassafaronga.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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

October 13th, 1942

UNITED KINGDOM: Submarine HNLMS Zwaardvis (ex-HMS Talent) laid down at Clydebank.

Sloop HMS Kite launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

GERMANY: U-773 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.S.R.: One Corps of the German 4th Panzer Army reach the Volga River in the southern part of Stalingrad. The Soviets continue to hold areas to the north in strength.

BALTIC STATES: The German authorities declare all Jewish property confiscated.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: US Army, Middle East Air Force P-40s fly a fighter sweep, patrol, and interception missions west of El Alamein, Egypt; fighters claim 2 Bf 109s destroyed and 1 damaged. (Jack McKillop)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Admiral Turner brings reinforcements to Guadalcanal. 210 men of the First Marine Aircraft Wing and 85 Marine replacements join 2,850 men of the Army’s 164th Infantry Regiment. The Marines are no longer alone on Guadalcanal.

At 1202 hours local, as the Army reinforcements are being put ashore, 27 “Betty” bombers (, Navy Type 1 Attack Bombers) escorted by 18 “Zeke” fighters (Mitsubishi A6M, Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighters), all based on Rabaul on New Britain Island, attack Henderson Field. The runway is cratered and 5,000 U.S. gallons (18,927 liters) of aviation fuel is destroyed. Forty two Navy and Marine F4F Wildcats and 13 USAAF P-39and P-400 Airacobras take off but only one bomber and a fighter are destroyed; one F4F is lost but the pilot is recovered.

At 1350 hours local, a second attack by 18 “Betty” bombers and 18 “Zeke” fighters occurs while the Cactus Air Fighters are being refuelled. The Henderson Field runway is further damaged.

A Japanese convoy of six transports and 8 destroyers is spotted, 200 miles (321.9 km) north of Guadalcanal, by the afternoon search of the Cactus Air Force. Under the direct command of Admiral Takama, 4,500 new soldiers, a battery of both 10cm and 15cm artillery, the 1st Independent Tank Company, and various supplies are headed for Japanese positions on Guadalcanal.

Six B-17s bomb Buka Island and Tonolai on Bougainville Island.

About 1830 hours local, the first shell from a Japanese 15cm howitzer, unloaded from the HIJMS Chitose, lands on Henderson Field. “Pistol Pete” is finally in battle.

Also heading down the Slot towards Guadalcanal tonight is Admiral Kurita with the battleships HIJMS Kongo and HIJMS Haruna on a bombardment mission. They carry special Type 3 shells designed for antiaircraft use, but equally deadly for bombardment use. For tonight spotting is assisted by a naval gunnery officer atop Mount Austen and another leading a group of spotter and illumination aircraft. (Jack McKillop)

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC: 15 Fifth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses again bomb Rabaul, New Britain Island, concentrating on Vunakanau and Lakunai Airfields. In New Guinea, a B-17 bombs Buna. (Jack McKillop)

NEW HEBRIDES: The Japanese submarine HIJMS I-7 launches a “Glen” reconnaissance aircraft (Kugisho E14Y, Navy Type 0 Small Reconnaissance Seaplane) to reconnoiter American installations on Espiritu Santo Island. (Jack McKillop)

CANADA: Corvettes HMCS Edmunston, Quesnel, Timmins, Dundas and New Westminster arrived Halifax from Esquimalt. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: Marine Photo Squadron VMD-154 departs San Diego bound for operations out of Espiritu Santo in the Solomons.

Destroyers USS Philip and Renshaw launched.

Minesweeper USS Broadbill commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

ATLANTIC OCEAN:

U-221 sank SS Ashworth, Fagersten and Senta in Convoy SC-104.

U-159 sank SS Empire Nomad.

1 man was killed and 3 wounded on U-453 in an accident during handling the machine gun. [Matrosengefreiter Horst Saupe + on 13th Oct., Steuermannsgefreiter Helmut Lorenz died 2 months later]. (Dave Shirlaw)

[Seizethecarp]

Kongō class battlecruiser (two of them bombarding Henderson Field): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kong%C5%8D_class_battlecruiser The Kongō class battlecruisers (金剛型巡洋戦艦 Kongō-gata jun'yōsenkan?) were a class of ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) constructed immediately before World War I. Designed by British naval architect George Thurston, the lead ship of the class was the last Japanese capital ship constructed outside of Japan. Displacing 27,500 long tons (27,941 t) upon completion, the vessels of this class were considered the first fully modern capital ships of the IJN.[2] Four vessels of the class (Kongō, Hiei, Kirishima, and Haruna) were completed from 1913 to 1915: Kongō in a Vickers shipyard in Britain, the latter three in Japanese shipyards.

[CougarGA7]

• After the Battle of Cape Esperance, Admiral Turner brought transports into Guadalcanal dropping off supplies as well as the troops of the 164th Infantry.

[PAR35]

Kongo was a good bit longer and a lot faster than her contemporary, the USS Texas (and had one fewer rear turrets than the Texas) but the ships were about equal in displacement and both had 14 inch main guns.

The Texas is probably as close as one can come among existing ships.