Posted on 11/21/2012 5:08:05 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
Tunisia Test Near (Daniell) – 2-3
Red Army Presses Foe in New Drives – 3-4
750 Die on Island (Hurd) – 4
Fighting for Buna Goes to High Pitch – 5
Navy Fliers’ Part in Solomons Told (Trumbull) – 6-7
Halsey Promoted to Admiral’s Rank – 7
Naval Officer, 31, Kept a Cruiser in Battle as Seniors Were Killed – 8
War News Summarized – 8
Hero of Yorktown Gets Medal Here – 9
Psychiatrist Describes War Fitness Test that Gauges a General’s Fighting Power – 9
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the War – 11-12
Tunisia Test Near (Daniell) – 2-3
Red Army Presses Foe in New Drives – 3-4
750 Die on Island (Hurd) – 4
Fighting for Buna Goes to High Pitch – 5
Navy Fliers’ Part in Solomons Told (Trumbull) – 6-7
Halsey Promoted to Admiral’s Rank – 7
Naval Officer, 31, Kept a Cruiser in Battle as Seniors Were Killed – 8
War News Summarized – 8
Hero of Yorktown Gets Medal Here – 9
Psychiatrist Describes War Fitness Test that Gauges a General’s Fighting Power – 9
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the War – 11-12
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/nov42/f21nov42.htm
Red Army breaks through toward Kalach
Saturday, November 21, 1942 www.onwar.com
On the Eastern Front... The Soviets have broken through on a 50 miles long front with 34 divisions. Tanks units from General Rokossovsky’s Don Front are advancing rapidly toward Kalach. The German response is somewhat disorganized as 6th Army’s headquarters has been forced to move due to the Soviet advances. As well, General Manstein, newly appointed, is in transit from Leningrad to take up his position as commander of the new Army Group Don.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm
November 21st, 1942
FRANCE: During the night of 21/22 November, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 30 bombers to lay mines off five ports in the Bay of Biscay: eight lay mines in the River Gironde Estuary, six each lay mines off Bayonne and Lorient, five lay mines off St. Nazaire and two lay mines off St. Jean de Luz. (Jack McKillop)
GERMANY: U-370 laid down.
U-737, U-762, U-957, U-958 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.S.R.: The Soviets have 34 division advancing on a 50 mile front opposite the Romanian 3rd Army. The Staff of the German 6th Army is forced to move because of the Soviet advance.
At Stalingrad, the situation in the rear of 6.Armee is deteriorating fast, not least owing to the fact that Army HQ is being relocated which leads to serious disruptions in communications with the troops in and outside the city.
ALGERIA: Axis aircraft again hit Algiers, damaging several aircraft and destroying a B-17 Flying Fortress. (Jack McKillop)
LIBYA: Fourteen USAAF Ninth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb Tripoli harbour, scoring a direct hit on a warehouse and during the night of 21/22 November, RAF bombers follow the U.S. raids with staggered attacks. P-40s patrol the battle area south of Bengasi. (Jack McKillop)
TUNISIA: Elements of the British Hart Force (mobile task force based on the 11th Brigade, 78th Division), succeed in rejoining the 36th Brigade of the 78th Division, British First Army. The Axis forces withdraw to the east bank of the river at Medjez, but the 78th Division is too weak to follow up and is ordered to await reinforcements. The 2d Battalion of U.S. 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment withdraws from Gafsa to FC)riana, 40 miles (64 kilometers) north. (Jack McKillop)
USAAF Twelfth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb Carthage Airfield west of El Aouina. (Jack McKillop)
NEW GUINEA: In Papua New Guinea, the 126th Infantry Regiment, U.S. 32d Infantry Division, upon reaching Soputa, is attached to the Australian 16th Brigade, Maroubra Force, which continues their costly and fruitless efforts to advance toward Sanananda. The 2d Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment, U.S. 32d Infantry Division, begins a drive on Buna Mission, moving from Ango along the Dobodura-Buna track; upon reaching the trail junction, called the Triangle, where the trails to Buna Mission and Buna Village converge, they are halted by well-organized bunker positions that are made more formidable by swampy terrain on both sides of the Triangle. Since no further progress can be made with the forces present, the 2d Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment is ordered to cross the Girua River and assist. The attack of the Warren Force is delayed by a series of mishaps, but gets under way by 1630 hours after air and artillery preparation, which is of little benefit. Casualties are again heav y and gains negligible. The 3d Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment, attempting to take the bridge between airstrips, is pinned down by Japanese fire. The Australian 2/6th Independent Company, Maroubra Force, tries to secure the eastern end of New Strip by infiltration and knocks out a few machine gun positions in the area. Along the coast, 1st Battalion of the 128th Infantry Regiment and Colonel Carrier’s detachment of the 1st Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, attack abreast, gaining a few yards and destroying some machine gun nests. The situation improves somewhat as additional guns are brought forward and the airstrip at Dobodura becomes operational. (Jack McKillop)
In Papua New Guinea, USAAF Fifth Air Force A-20 Havocs and B-25 Mitchells attack the airfield, antiaircraft positions, and a bridge at Buna and hit the village of Sanananda in support of Allied ground forces. The Australian-U.S. force is advancing from Soputa toward Sanananda but U.S. forces driving on Buna are halted by strong bunker positions at The Triangle where trails to Buna mission and Buna village meet. (Jack McKillop)
SOLOMON ISLANDS: Guadalcanal: Since moving west of the Matanikau River on the 18, the untried 1st and 2nd Btns of the 182nd Regiment have made little progress clearing Japanese positions. Last night the 1st and 3rd Btns of the 164th Regiment are moved into line. General Sebree, Asst. Div. Commander of the Americal Division, has been in charge of operations west of the Lunga perimeter. Again today these attacks make little progress. The Japanese defenders are 700 remaining men of the 16th Regiment, the 228th and 224th regiments, with Maj. General Ito in command.
The Japanese have, however, been pushed off Cruz Point.
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: USAAF Eleventh Air Force reconnaissance is flown over Agattu and Japanese-held Kiska and Attu Islands. (Jack McKillop)
The ALCAN Highway is opened. (Patrick Holscher)
CANADA:
Minesweeper HMCS Portage launched Port Arthur, Ontario.
Frigate HMCS Esquimalt arrived Halifax from builder Sorel, Province of Quebec. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.A.:
Destroyer escort USS Sloat laid down.
Destroyer escort USS Le Hardy launched.
Minesweeper USS Sage launched.
Destroyers USS MacKenzie and Philip commissioned.
Submarine USS Peto commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: USN destroyer USS Somers (DD-381) intercepts German blockade runner SS Anneliese Essberger in the South Atlantic. The German ship was spotted by aircraft on 7 November when the ship was outward bound through the Bay of Biscay. The ship is scuttled by her crew about 720 nautical miles (1 334 kilometers) southwest of Freetown, Sierra Leone, in position 00.54N, 22.34W. (Jack McKillop).
A German submarine is listed as missing and one is sunk:
- U-184, with 50 crewmen, is listed as missing about 318 nautical miles (590 kilometers) east-northeast of Saint John’s, Newfoundland, in approximate position 49N, 45W; there is no explanation of her loss.
- U-517 is sunk about 479 nautical miles (888 kilometers) southwest of Cork, County Cork, C ire, in position 46.16N, 17.09W, by depth charges from a Fleet Air Arm Albacore Mk. I, aircraft “I” of No. 817 Squadron in the British aircraft carrier HMS Victorious (38); 52 of the 53 crewmen survive. (Jack McKillop)
Uh oh.
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