ALLIES MEET A SETBACK IN TUNISIA; REGROUP FORCES; TANK BATTLE RAGES (12/5/42)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 12/5/42 | James MacDonald, Drew Middleton, David Anderson, Ralph Parker, Foster Hailey

[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
The Solomons: Guadalcanal and Florida, 1942
Southwest Russia, 1942: Soviet Winter Offensive, Operations, 19 November-12 December 1942
North Africa, 1941: Pursuit to Tunisia, November 1942-February 1943
Tunisia 1942: The Race for Tunisia-Situation 1 January 1943, and Operations Since 17 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]

See also photo and article on page 9 of today’s news post.

Stephen E. Ambrose, Band of Brothers

[Homer_J_Simpson]

This excerpt picks up in the middle of a chapter called “The Darlan Episode.”

Winston S. Churchill, The Hinge of Fate

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Billboard Top Ten for the Week of December 5, 1942

#1 - “White Christmas” - Bing Crosby
#2 - “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” - Kay Kyser, with Glee Club
#3 - “Serenade in Blue” - Glenn Miller, with Ray Eberly and the Modernaires
#4 – “Der Fuehrer’s Face,” Spike Jones, with Carl Grayson
#5 - “There Are Such Things” - Tommy Dorsey, with Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers
#6 - “Mister Five by Five” – Harry James, with Helen Forrest
#7 – “When the Lights Go On Again All Over the World” - Vaughn Monroe
#8 – “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” - The Merry Macs
#9 - “I Had the Craziest Dream” - Harry James, with Helen Forrest
#10 - “Daybreak” - Tommy Dorsey, with Frank Sinatra

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Allies Lose Towns (MacDonald) – 2-3
Lack of Allied Fields Gives Axis an Air Edge in Tunisia – 3
Allies Put to Test in Djedeida Fight (Middleton) – 4
New British Ships Aid African Fight – 5
War News Summarized – 5
Censor’s Gag Held Danger to Allies (Anderson) – 6
Red Army Seizes Don-Volga Towns – 6-7
Guadalcanal Finds Infiltration Cure (Hailey) – 7-8
M’Arthur Inspires New Guinea Front – 9
American Paratroopers Show Their Mettle (photo) * – 9
Paratroops Hike 3 Days * – 9
Nazi Morality on Animals’ Level, German Catholic Bishops Warn – 10
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on Fighting in Various Zones – 12-13

* See also reply #3 above.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Allies Lose Towns (MacDonald) – 2-3
Lack of Allied Fields Gives Axis an Air Edge in Tunisia – 3
Allies Put to Test in Djedeida Fight (Middleton) – 4
New British Ships Aid African Fight – 5
War News Summarized – 5
Censor’s Gag Held Danger to Allies (Anderson) – 6
Red Army Seizes Don-Volga Towns – 6-7
Guadalcanal Finds Infiltration Cure (Hailey) – 7-8
M’Arthur Inspires New Guinea Front – 9
American Paratroopers Show Their Mettle (photo) * – 9
Paratroops Hike 3 Days * – 9
Nazi Morality on Animals’ Level, German Catholic Bishops Warn – 10
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on Fighting in Various Zones – 12-13

* See also reply #3 above.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Band of Brothers ping. (I got a few names from an earlier thread about the 101st.)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/dec42/f05dec42.htm

Japanese defense defeats Americans
Saturday, December 5, 1942 www.onwar.com

US troops move towards Japanese positions [photo at link]

In New Guinea... Japanese forces repel a strong US attack on their defensive positions at Buna.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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

December 5th, 1942

UNITED KINGDOM: Fighter squadrons from seven Allied countries took part today in the biggest series of daylight raids yet mounted on targets in Europe. Among them were two from the Royal Norwegian Air Force, a famous Free French Squadron and three from the USAAF.

Crack Polish squadrons flew alongside others from Canada and New Zealand, and this truly Allied effort was completed by battle-hardened RAF units.

They made independent sweeps to draw off enemy fighters and provided cover for British light bombers to make the main raid, a successful low-level attack on the Philips radio factory at Eindhoven in Holland, and for American B-17s and B-24s which raided an engineering works at Lille and the Abbeville fighter airfield.

Frigate HMS Findhorn launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

GERMANY:
U-734 commissioned.

U-309 launched.

U-998, U-1163 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: The Allies sink the German hospital ship GRAZ off Libya.

U-73 was attacked in the Mediterranean by an aircraft, and was damaged so badly that she had to return to base. (Dave Shirlaw)

NIGERIA: ASW trawlers HMS Bengali and Spaniard sunk by an explosion at Lagos. (Dave Shirlaw)

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: Durban: At least three Allied ships have been sunk in the Indian Ocean in the past week by enemy submarines. Admiral Donitz, pursuing his policy of hitting at weak points in the Allied defences, has sent some of his long-range U-boats to operate from Japanese bases, sometimes with the help of Japanese boats. They have scored some notable successes. One British steamer, sunk off Zululand, had 1,000 South African troops on board. A British transport was sunk with South African troops and Italian refugees from Eritrea on board. A Greek ship, the CLEANTHIS (formerly the FRAMLINGTON CASTLE), was sunk on Monday.

NEW GUINEA: The Japanese defenders of Buna halt a renewed US attack.

AUSTRALIA: No. 18 Squadron RAAF equipped with the North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber moves to MacDonald, Northern Territory. (Jack McKillop)

CANADA:
Corvette HMCS Sorel completed forecastle extension refit Liverpool, Nova Scotia.

Frigate HMCS St Catharines launched Esquimalt, British Columbia. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: Washington: The US Navy publishes its report on the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor, revealing how much damage was done.

US: Pilots testing the Thunderbolt fighter plane report reaching 725 mph, just short of the speed of sound. (How accurate their measurements could be is a matter of debate.[AE])
Submarine USS Flounder laid down.

Destroyer USS Yarnall laid down.
Destroyer USS Heermann launched.

Minesweeper USS Swift launched.

Destroyer USS Renshaw commissioned.

(Dave Shirlaw)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-128 sank SS Teesbank. (Dave Shirlaw)

[101stAirborneVet]

Somebody say “101st”?

Hooah!

I love reading these threads.

[PeterPrinciple]

Paratroop Hike 3 days.

...................................When the commander, Colonel Robert F Sink, made a talk at the hike’s end, he congratulated those who fell out.

“When you fell, you fell face forward.”

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Some how I read that as leadership. A reminder that some of them will fall in battle and a nice way of saying you can do better next time.

[PeterPrinciple]

WPA ABOLISHED

My hopes went up for a moment in that a large beureacrate organizaiton like the EPA can be abolished but then maybe not:

http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/162.html
162.2 GENERAL RECORDS
1936-50

History: FWA established 1939 to supervise the PBA, a consolidation of the Public Buildings Branch (Treasury) and the Branch of Buildings Management (National Park Service); the PRA, formerly the Bureau of Roads (Agriculture); the PWA, formerly the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (FEAPW); the WPA; and the USHA, formerly the Housing Division, FEAPW. FFC (an independent agency) transferred to FWA, 1939. BCF established in FWA January 1, 1945. USHA transferred to National Housing Authority and redesignated Federal Public Housing Authority by EO 9070, February 24, 1942. PWA abolished by EO 9357, July 1, 1943. WPA abolished, effective June 30, 1943, by Presidential letter of December 4, 1942. When FWA was abolished in 1949, its surviving constituent units were organizationally or functionally assigned to GSA: PBA was abolished and reconstituted as the Public Buildings Service, PRA was renamed Bureau of Public Roads, BCF became the Community Facilities Service, and the FFC was transferred without change in name.

[PeterPrinciple]

Emmons Wants 25,000 Rat Traps.

Besides His regular problems, Lt Gen Emmons, commander of the Hawaiian Department of the United State Army was trying to get a priority today for 25,000 rat traps to end a serious rat problem in Honolulu. A survey of the city disclosed that there was not a rat trap available.

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The rat problem is just a continual battle..................

[PeterPrinciple]

Japan Said to Ban Dividends.

A German broadcast recorded by the United Press yesterday said the Japanese Ministry of Finance has prohibited all stock companies from paying dividends for the duration of the war.

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I am surprised that idea hasn’t come up recently for us. But wait, there are no profits so there are no dividends.

[CougarGA7]

• Eichelberger launches his first attack against Buna which is turned back with heavy casualties.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

pg 4:

Britons Offer Even Bets
War Will End by June
By The Associated Press
LONDON, Saturday, Dec. 5 -
The vast improvement in Allied
positions in November has
brought an increase in betting
as to the war's duration.
Some brokers are wagering
even money the war will end by
June, 1943, The News Chronicle
reported today.
Lloyds, however, is refusing to
lay any odds or take any wagers.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Bet the farm on “Not ended by June ‘43.”