http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1943/jan1943/f12jan43.htm
Red Army Shatters Hungarian Defenses
Tuesday, January 12, 1943 www.onwar.com
On the Eastern Front... The Soviet Voronezh Front (General Golikov) and Bryansk Front (General Reiter) attack the Hungarian 2nd Army and the German 2nd Army, respectively. The Hungarian defenses are quickly shattered. Soviet forces breaking through drive toward Kharkov. To the south, Army Group Don (Field Marshal Manstein) is also being pressured by Soviet attacks aimed at reaching Rostov and cutting off German Army Group A in the Caucasus. The Soviet breakthrough to the north represents a threat to the position of Manstein’s army group.
In the Aleutian Islands... Amchitka Island is occupied by a small US force led by General Jones. The destroyer Warden is lost in an accident.
In New Guinea... Australian infantry and tanks attack Japanese positions north and west of Gona.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm
January 12th, 1943
UNITED KINGDOM: Minesweeping trawler HMS Prophet commissioned.
ASW trawler HMS Kingston Jacinth mined and sunk off Portsmouth. (Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY: U-342 commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.S.R.: The attack on Stalingrad is extended with assaults on the Hungarian and German Second Armies.
LIBYA: General Leclerc’s Fighting (Free) French army captures the Fezzan from the Italians.
PACIFIC: Submarine U.S.S. Guardfish (SS-217), patrolling the waters of the Bismarck Archipelago on her third patrol, fires three torpedoes during a night underwater radar attack. One torpedo finds the mark and destroys the ex-DD Shimakaze, now re-named patrol boat P 1 (1215T). She sinks about 10 miles southwest of the Tingwon Islands near New Hanover in position 02°51’S, 149°43’E. (Chris Sauder)
SOLOMON ISLANDS: 2nd Btn 27th Infantry takes over from Third Btn 27th Infantry (25th Division) on the hind legs of the US attack on the Galloping Horse on Guadalcanal and begins an attack gaining little ground.
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Amchitka Island is occupied by a small American force under General Jones.
The AMULET FORCE consisted of 2,000 men under command of Brigadier General Lloyd E. Jones. The invasion was covered by the USN’s Task Group 8.6 (TG 8.6) consisting of the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35), light cruisers USS Detroit (CL-8) and USS Raleigh (CL-7) and four destroyers, which patrolled off Amchitka and Kiska Islands. The transport group consisted of the transports USS Arthur Middleton (AP-55), US Army Transport Delarof, and SS Lakona; the cargo ship USS Vega (AK-17); and the destroyers USS Dewey (DD-349), USS Gillespie (DD-609), USS Kalk (DD-611) and USS Worden (DD-352).
There is no enemy opposition but a fierce storm hits and continues for two weeks. The transport USS Arthur Middleton, manned by a US Coast Guard crew, runs aground as it rescues 175 sailors from the destroyer USS Worden.
On 12 January, USS Worden was guarding the transport USS Arthur Middleton as that transport put the preliminary Army security unit on the shores of Constantine Harbor Amchitka Island. The destroyer manoeuvred into the rock-edged harbour and stayed there until the last men had landed and then turned to the ticklish business of clearing the harbour.
A strong current, however, swept USS Worden onto a pinnacle that tore into her hull beneath her engine room and caused a complete loss of power. USS Dewey passed a towline to her stricken sister and attempted to tow her free, but the cable parted, and the heavy seas began moving USS Worden totally without power inexorably toward the rocky shore. The destroyer then broached and began breaking up in the surf; Commander William G. Pogue, the stricken destroyer’s commanding officer, ordered abandon ship, and, as he was directing that effort, was swept overboard into the wintry seas by a heavy wave that broke over the ship.
Commander Pogue was among the fortunate ones, however, because he was hauled, unconscious, out of the sea. Fourteen of his crew drowned. USS Worden, herself, was a total loss. (Jack McKillop & Paul Holland)
U.S.A.: Destroyer escort USS Pope launched.
Destroyer escorts USS Brackett, Donaldson, Mitchell and Reynolds laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)