Posted on 11/10/2012 5:26:57 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/nov42/f10nov42.htm
Admiral surrenders French North Africa
Tuesday, November 10, 1942 www.onwar.com
In Algeria and Tunisia... Oran falls to the American attack. In the east, troops under General Patton begin to move into the town. Admiral Darlan, takes up the Allied cause and broadcasts orders for all the French forces to cease fighting and join the Allies. A similar appeal is sent to the powerful French Fleet at Toulon.
In Germany... Hitler, Vichy France President Laval and Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano meet in Munich to discuss developments in Africa.
In London... British Prime Minister Churchill describes the events in North Africa as the “beginning of the end.”
On the Eastern Front... In response to reports of a Soviet build-up on the flanks of Stalingrad, units from German 48th Panzer Corps are sent to reinforce the Romanian 3rd Army, north of the city.
In the Solomon Islands... On Guadalcanal, the Japanese forces around Koli Point are dispersed by the American attacks. American attacks to the west are renewed.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm
November 10th, 1942
UNITED KINGDOM: London: Buoyant after the desert victory at El Alamein, the Allied landings in North Africa, the relief of the island of Malta and prospects of success in Russia - but still warning of hardships to come for the people of Britain - Churchill told a Mansion House dinner tonight: “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps the end of the beginning” for the Allies.
Submarine HMS Tiptoe laid down.
Submarine HMS Universal launched.
Corvette HMCS Ville de Quebec arrived Londonderry for Operation Torch duties. (Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY: Hitler, Laval and Ciano meet at Munich to discuss the situation in Africa. Hitler decides to hold on.
U-342 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.S.R.: Units of the XLVIII Panzer Corps are sent north from around Stalingrad to reinforce reserves in the area of the 3rd Romanian Army. This action comes in response to reports of a Soviet build up in that area.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA:
Submarine FS Meduse damaged off Casablanca on 8 November 1942 by American aircraft. Beached at Mazagan north off Cape Blanco and wrecked after being bombed again by an aircraft from light cruiser USS Philadelphia.
After being battered with depth charges in the Mediterranean, the periscope of U-565 was damaged so severely that the boat was forced return to base. (Dave Shirlaw)
ALGERIA: Oran falls to US forces. Patton’s units begin moving into Casablanca. Admiral Darlan broadcasts orders for French forces to cease fighting the Allies.
No heavy gunfire announced the beginning of Operation Torch. As the huge fleet loomed out of the darkness two days ago and waves of landing craft raced across the ocean swell, shipboard loudspeakers broke the silence: “Don’t shoot,” they blared in French, “we are Americans.” The invaders were hoping fervently that French defenders in Morocco and Algeria would welcome them as friends. It was not to be. All three invasion forces faced fierce French resistance. At Algiers, where 33,000 troops were to land, two British destroyers, HMS MALCOLM and HMS BROKE, flying American flags, came under shellfire as they tried to land 600 US troops. The MALCOLM was badly damaged; the BROKE was sunk. The 250 men who managed to get ashore were made prisoners. The beach parties were more successful.
By early evening, General Juin had surrendered Algiers. Oran, under attack by a landing force of 39,000, fell today, but not without heavy losses. Bad weather foiled an airborne attempt to take the town’s airports.
Destroyer HMS Martin is torpedoed and sunk by U-431 85 miles NE of Algiers at 37 53N 03 57E. Martin was incorrectly identified by Korvettenkapitan Wilhelm Domnes as a Leander class cruiser and he observed three of the four torpedoes that he fired to hit the destroyer. There are 161 casualties and 63 survivors.
Sloop HMS Ibis is attacked by Italian aircraft 10 miles North of Algiers at 37N 03E. She shoots down three of the attacking aircraft but a torpedo dropped by another hit the ship amidships and she capsized and sank almost immediately. 102 survivors are picked up by cruiser HMS Scylla after dark. (Alex Gordon)(108)
FRENCH MOROCCO: The toughest resistance was to come at Casablanca where 34,300 troops were to land. The French battleship JEAN BART, still under construction, used her 15-inch guns to challenge the US battleship USS MASSACHUSETTS until eight direct hits put the French ship out of action. Major General George S. Patton Jnr., the US commander, arrived on the beach to find his army in chaos with landing craft waiting to be unloaded and men, unused to battle, cowering in foxholes as French aircraft roared in from the sea strafing tempting targets. Wearing two pearl-handled Colt revolvers, Patton strode among his men bellowing orders until they moved slowly forward.
EGYPT: Lieutenant-General Bernard Law Montgomery is knighted and promoted to general.
NEW GUINEA: The 25th Australian Brigade takes Gorari. This cuts off General Horii and the Japanese forces at Oivi.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: Guadalcanal: The Japanese survivors (about 3000) that escaped from the pocket on the Metapona River, east of the Lunga perimeter are led inland by Col. Shoji. During their trek around the Marine perimeter, they will be pursued by Col. Evans Carlson’s 2nd Marine Raiders. They will reach other Japanese forces west of the perimeter after 13 days, subsisting on what edible items they can find in the jungle. The jungle, disease and the 2nd Raiders will whittle their number down to about 1300.
CANADA:
Frigate HMCS Dunver launched Quebec City, Province of Quebec.
Minesweeper HMCS Westmount commenced refit and engine repairs Halifax , Nova Scotia.
U.S.A.: The 78th Fighter Group, USAAF, departs March Field for New York City where they are due to sail on the Queen Elizabeth on 24 November.
The Boeing XB-40-BO flies for the first time. This is the prototype of the B-17 with extra armament and armour.
(Jack McKillop)
CARIBBEAN SEA:
The Cuban Minister of State announced that diplomatic relations with the Vichy Government had been broken off.
Nicaragua and Haiti severed diplomatic relations with France.
Eight survivors of US freighter WEST KEBAR reach Guadelupe, French West Indies. (Rodney Sanders)(83)
U-505 shot down RAF Hudson a/c, Sqn 53/L in the Caribbean. The II WO and one lookout from U-505 were seriously wounded. The boat was damaged heavily and returned to base. 12 days later the wounded II WO was transferred to the Milk Cow U-462. (Dave Shirlaw)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Soviet submarine M-121 sunk by mine off the Norwegian coast - Varangerfjord. All crew - 22 men - lost.
U-128 sank SS Cerinthus and Start Point.
U-181 sank SS KG Meldahl.
U-81 sank SS Garlinge.
U-73 fired four torpedoes at the battleship Rodney from a distance of nearly 3 miles; not surprisingly, all missed.
U-77 fired four torpedoes at the aircraft carrier Furious, with no result.
U-128 captured an officer and the chief from the sunken ship Start Point. Some hours later the captives were transferred to the milkcow U-462.
U-458 fired three torpedoes at a destroyer, with no result.
U-608 laid a minefield in New York Harbor near the Ambrose lightship, but it was detected before any ships were lost to it.
One seaman from U-620 was killed in another air attack. [Bootsmaat Josef Leisten].
U-561 fired four torpedoes at the carrier Argus, with no result.
(Dave Shirlaw)
“Stocks Plunge In Sweden Over Idea Peace Is Near”
A little premature!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.