Date                Time   Location         Damage

06/11/1942    19.28  Bowers           A British Wellington Bomber No. BJ894 believed to

Gifford            belong to “P” Squadron, crashed on the marshes near South Staine Farm, caught fire and was completely destroyed.  The crew of 6 were killed.  Wireless Air Gunner (No. R.55836) J.S.C. Crottan.  Sergt. (No C.A.N.R. 66697) J.Tritt, Sergt Pilot (No R.105801) A. Ash, Sergt (No. R.96120) J. Laplamme, Officer (No. J. 11807) W.G. Lautue, Sergt. (No. 79238) J.A. Patry all of whom belonged to the 425th R.C.A. Squadron.  RAF were informed and an RAF guard mounted.  All official documents and personal effects taken possession of by RAF Intelligence Officer from Rochford Aerodrome.  There were no civilian casualties or damage to property.

07/11/1942    5.35    Billericay        A Meteorgraph Instrument with Parachute and

Balloon attached came down in a field adjoining “Western Lodge” Harty Corner and found by Mrs E Horton of “Western Lodge”.  Instruments and attachments being forwarded to HQ.

23/11/1942    Found  Laindon       A suspected U.X.A.A. Shell found on waste ground

60 yards S.W. of bungalow known as “St Elmo”, Rayleigh Drive, Laindon.  Date and time of falling unknown.  Report Centre informed.  (Disposed of BDS 19.12.42).

The Battle of Brisbane

In Australia, reports were suppressed of hostilities between Australian servicemen/civilians and United States military personnel. Queensland is the territory located on the north-east coast of Australia nearest to the Philippine Islands. Serious brawling occurred in Brisbane, Queensland’s capital city, on the 26^th/27^th November 1942.

The Battle of Brisbane, as it became known, began on the 26^th November 1942 following a number of fatal events. There is some uncertainty about what happened but it would appear that intoxicated American Private James R. Stein left a hotel at 6.50pm where he had been drinking when it closed. Along the way he stopped to talk with three Australians and was approached by Private Anthony E. O’Sullivan, U.S. Military Police (MP) asking Stein for his leave pass.  Becoming impatient the MP arrested Stein. The Australians remonstrated with the MP and when the MP raised his baton as if to strike one of the Australians, they attacked him. Several nearby American MPs and Australian servicemen rushed to help their fellow countrymen. Outnumbered, the American MPs, including O’Sullivan and Stein retreated to the U.S. Post Exchange (PX). A crowd of up to 100 Australian servicemen and civilians began to besiege the PX. As the crowd continued to grow, they also besieged the American Red Cross Club across the street from the PX. The local Police were unable to control the crowd and the Fire Brigade was reluctant to turn on water hoses. In the meantime the MPs inside the PX were armed with shotguns to protect the building. This demonstration of force was not viewed very kindly by the Australians and in one scuffle a shotgun was discharged. Australian Gunner Edward S. Webster was shot dead and seven other Australians received injuries during the scuffle. By 10.00 pm the crowd had dispersed leaving the ground floor of the PX destroyed.

On the second night, the 27^th November 1942 a crowd of approximately 500 Australian servicemen gathered outside the Red Cross building. The building had heavily armed American MPs located on the first floor as protection. These heavily armed MPs also provided the protection for the PX. In an attempt to defuse the gathering, Australian NCOs went through the crowd and confiscated several hand grenades. In a separate incident a group of Australian soldiers, armed with MP batons, confronted 20 American MPs who immediately formed a line and drew their weapons. An Australian officer intervened and persuaded the American commander of the MPs to move away from the area. The crowd moved on to General MacArthur’s headquarters and began shouting abuse at the building. Things finally settled down and eventually the crowd dispersed.

Although the two nations were fighting the Japanese as a common enemy, problems developed owing to the different circumstances of the two nations involved. Australia entered the Second World War in September 1939, following the governments’ acceptance of the United Kingdom’s declaration of war on Nazi Germany. America, on the other hand, did not enter the war until December 1941 when the Japanese invaded Pearl Harbour. Although not physically involved in 1939 it is doubtful if the Allies could have continued had it not been for the supplies from America.

During the Pacific War approximately one million U.S. military personnel were stationed at various locations in Eastern Australia from 1942 until 1945. Brisbane was the location for the headquarters of American General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander, South-west Pacific Area. United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt had ordered MacArthur to relocate from the Philippines to Australia in March 1942. Many American personnel were stationed in and around Brisbane to allow combat troops to either prepare for battle, to rest or to convalesce.

Prior to America’s entry into the Pacific War, Brisbane’s population was approximately 330,000. Increasing the population with approximately 80,000 American forces, Brisbane was finding it difficult to cope.  For the Australian civilian population rationing caused problems for the lack of amenities in the city, and the shortage of food was responsible for a poor diet. The Americans, on the other hand, were paid considerably more than the Australian military, coupled with the U.S. Army rations they could afford to be generous. Tensions began to appear when shops and hotels regularly gave preferential treatment to the Americans.

Military thinking was different also. Australians tended to look down on the fighting qualities of the Americans as being inferior but full of “gung-ho” and brashness. Although the Australians were bearing the brunt of land war in New Guinea the Americans would report back to the U.S. about “American victories”. But Australian victories were reported as “American and Allied victories”. The American view was that Australia lacked a “get up and go” attitude which also helped to sour relationships.

In conclusion, following the Battle of Brisbane every unit involved in the riot was located away from Brisbane. American MPs were increased to ensure further riots were avoided. The PX was relocated and Australian canteens were closed down. American Private Norbert Grant was court-marshalled for the manslaughter of Webster as he was carrier of the discharged shotgun. He was acquitted on the on the grounds of self-defence. Brisbane’s Chief Censor ordered that reports of the riot were not to be published. However, similar riots did follow; Melbourne in December 1942, Bondi in February 1943, Perth in January 1944 and Freemantle in April 1944.

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Operation Harling – ‘42

Operation Harling was a British Special Operations Executive (SOE) mission in cooperation with the Greek resistance groups ELAS and EDES. 0n the 25^th November 1942 they destroyed the heavily defended Gorgopotamos viaduct in Central Greece. This sabotage act was one of the first to be conducted against Axis occupied Europe. This success brought about the beginning of the permanent British involvement with the Greek Resistance.

Greece had been totally occupied by the Axis Powers of Germany, Italy and Bulgaria since June 1941. Supplies were being transported through Greece and across the Mediterranean to support the German Afrika Korps participation at the Battle of El Alamein. In an effort to stem these supplies Operation Harling was conceived in the late summer of 1942. British Special Operation Executive (SOE) based in Cairo decided to send a sabotage team to cut the Athens to Thessalonica railway line. The team selected came from the Royal Engineers and were led by Lieutenant Colonel E.C.W. “Eddie” Myers with Major Chris Woodhouse as his Second-in-Command.

In the summer of 1941 the first group of armed resistance fighters were suppressed by the Axis Powers. By the spring/summer of 1942 the Greeks had established two separate resistance groups. The first was the Communist led Greek People’s Liberation Army (ELAS) founded by Aris Velouchiotis. The second group was the National Republican Greek League (EDES) led by Colonel Napoleon Zervas. The SOE plan was to leave a team of saboteur’s behind to liaise with the Greek resistance groups after the raid was completed, one of whom was Woodhouse. The proposal was for 13 men to be formed into three groups, each with a leader, sapper, interpreter and radio operative. In the planning stage British officers in Cairo were unaware of the ground difficulties in Greece.

On the 30th September 1942, three B-24 Liberator aircraft dropped the group of saboteurs into Greece. The first and main group, commanded by Myers, made for the hills and located ELAS. The local Greek population kept the group hidden whilst they were constantly on the move. The second group led by Woodhouse set out to Amifissa in an effort to establish contact with Cairo. On the 2^nd November 1942 with contact established Woodhouse set out to meet up EDES. The third and final group were hidden by local Greek civilians as they made for the hills and made contact with the resistance group ELAS on the 14^th November 1942. In the meantime, on the 30^th September 1942, after having made contact with ELAS, Myers and an interpreter set out on a reconnaissance mission for the most suitable target to sabotage. Of the three possible targets, Gorgopotamos Railway Bridge was the one considered to be the most effective by Myers. It offered good access, cover and a line of retreat and the garrison of 80 Axis troops was small enough.

The individual groups had made contact and collectively assembled at the sabotage site by the 25^th November 1942. A total of 150 men were available for the operation. 86 ELAS and 52 EDES resistance fighters were to provide cover whilst a twelve man British team, led by Myers, would form the demolition party. The operation began 23.00 hrs on the 25^th November 1942. Two teams of eight guerrillas cut the railway and telephone lines in both directions, but overran the allotted time, then provided cover for the approaches to the bridge. In the meantime the remainder of the guerrillas neutralised the garrison of mostly Italian troops. Because of the delay Myers decided to send in the demolition team whilst the fight at garrison was still under way. The demolition party divided into three teams of four men each. Owing to the different shape of the girders they had expected the laying of the charges were also delayed. They were forced to modify plastic explosives to suit and finally the charges were set and lit. When the explosion occurred at 01.30 the central pier was badly damaged but the spans either side had collapsed. The demolition teams attached new explosives to the second pier and the remaining span and a second explosion occurred at 02.21. In the meantime a train carrying Italian reinforcements was engaged and halted by the guerrillas providing cover to the approaches of the bridge. With only four wounded the entire attacking force had successfully disengaged and retreated to their assembly area by 04.30.

SOE’s original plan for the destruction of the bridge was the disruption of the Afrika Korps supply line. The mission had been rendered obsolete by the Allied victory at El Alamein. Being the largest operation carried out by SOE to date, the mission was a major success. Despite the success, Woodhouse’s team of saboteurs were left behind to liaise with the resistance groups, but clashes between ELAS and EDES occurred which eventually led to civil war from 1946 to 1949.

The bridge was repaired and operations resumed in 19 days by the Italian Railway Engineers.

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November 1942

When German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel (The Desert Fox) was retreating from El Alamein the Allies launched Operation Torch against the Vichy-French territory of North Africa on the 8^th November 1942.

American General Mark Clarke had met with Vichy-French officers in Algeria the previous month who stated they were willing to support the Allies. Operation Torch was a planned three-prong attack along the north coast of Africa. The three attacks being Casablanca (Western) in Morocco, Oran (Centre) and Algiers in Algeria.

For propaganda purposes, a U.S. landing force supported by British warships and aircraft was proposed. The thinking was it would be more acceptable to the French public, who were of mixed opinions, than an Anglo/American invasion. Before entry into the war the Americans had officially accepted the Vichy government whereas the British had not.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied forces in the Mediterranean duly ordered the attack to begin before daybreak on the 8th November 1942. They had hoped the French would not resist, therefore there was no preliminary bombardment. An attempted coup d’état against the Vichy-French command in Morocco was thwarted and enabled the French to strengthen their coastal defences.

Bad weather disrupted the landings at the long beach at Fedala port, east of Casablanca,. Despite the weather and heavy resistance by the French defenders, the beachhead was secured later in the day. The port of Casablanca was surrounded by the 10^th November 1942 and an hour before the Americans were to make a final assault the city surrendered.

At the time Casablanca was the principle Vichy-French Atlantic naval base. The Americans landed 35,000 assault troops from 102 ships. The Naval Battle of Casablanca resulted in a series of sorties with French cruisers, destroyers and submarines opposing the landings. However, the Allied invasion fleet either drove back the French warships or they were sunk. 

The second of the three-pronged attack was at Oran in Algeria (Centre) which were split between three beaches. Two of which were west of Oran and one to the east. Allied minesweepers, clearing a path, were delayed at the westernmost beach when a French convoy appeared. As there had not been any reconnaissance undertaken prior to the invasion, landing ships were damaged. The confusion and delays were mainly caused by unexpected shallows and sandbars leading to the beach. The landing east of Oran was successful and shore batteries were quickly captured. In order to prevent the destruction of Oran’s port facilities and the scuttling of French ships, an attempt was made to land assault troops directly at the harbour. The attempt failed when two Allied ships were destroyed by French vessels who had left the harbour to attack the Allied invasion fleet.

Operation Reservist was an attack on Oran harbour by two Allied ships packed with assault troops. The troops comprised of British Commandos, U.S. Armoured infantry and U.S. Marines. Commanded by Canadian born Captain Frederick Thornton Peters of the Royal Navy the two ships sailed through the boom toward the harbour jetty in the face of point-blank fire from the shore. Peters ship managed to reach the harbour jetty ablaze and disabled but managed to secure her sufficiently to allow the assault troops to land. Twenty-four officers and ratings survived but were captured when the ship sank. Peters did not survive his fatal injuries and was posthumously awarded the British Victoria Cross and the U.S. Distinguished Service Cross. The second ship failed to locate the harbour entrance and struck the southern jetty, where she lost most of her gun crew and troops crouching below decks. The survivors were also captured. French shore batteries and the invasion fleet exchanged fire, with French troops stubbornly defending Oran and surrounding areas. Following a heavy bombardment by British battleships Oran surrendered on the 9^th November 1942.

The third invasion was at the port of Algiers with landings on three beaches, two west and one east of the port. Lack of French opposition was caused by French resistance groups neutralising all coastal batteries allowing the Allies to advance inland. The only fighting took place in the port of Algiers when two British destroyers attempted to land troops on the dockside. Heavy French artillery firing prevented one destroyer from landing, but the other disembarked 250 troops before it too was driven back to sea. The city of Algiers surrendered to the Allies at 18.00 after all the invasion troops had congregated on the city on the 8^th November 1942.

Commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces, Admiral Francois Darlan was in Algiers visiting his hospitalised son when Operation Torch began. Darlan was also a political figure in the Vichy-French government. Eisenhower recognised Darlan as High Commissioner of France in Africa. On the 10^th November 1942 Darlan signed an agreement with the Allies and ordered all French forces to join the Allies. Not only was that order obeyed in French North Africa but also the Vichy forces in French West Africa. Apart from various mopping-up skirmishes from the 10^th, officially Operation Torch ended on the 16^th November 1942.

A total of 107,000 Allied troops were involved in the Battle of Operation Torch who were opposed by the Vichy-French army of 60,000 combatants. Of these the losses to both sides were, for the Allies nearly 500 were killed and 720 wounded. For the Axis powers nearly 1,000 were killed with almost 2,000 wounded. For the Allies it was the largest amphibious operation conducted in warfare and the first big success of the war.

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November 1942

(Britain)

At the Lord Mayor of London’s luncheon in Mansion House on the 10th November 1942, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was finally able to report that we had finally won a victory. After three years of war, which included defeats from Dunkirk to Singapore, the British Eighth Army had defeated the German forces during the Second Battle of El Alamein on the 3^rd October 1942. His speech at the Mansion house was as follows:- “Now this is not the end. It is not the beginning of the end. But it is perhaps, the end of the beginning”. He later went on to say that El Alamein was a glorious chapter in British military history, and the turning point where the fortunes of war turned against the Axis Powers. Later, this prompted him to write, “Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat”.

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(France)

The German/Vichy-French alliance of 1940 was violated with the occupation of Corsica and Vichy-France on the 10^th November 1942. An alliance had been agreed between Germany and the Vichy government whereby the French people would abide by German military rules. For Führer Adolf Hitler, the German dictator, the main reason for permitting an independent France to exist was to deny the French colonies to the Allies. The Allies launched Operation Torch against French North Africa on the 8^th November 1942. Hitler knew he couldn’t risk an exposed flank in the French Mediterranean. Hitler’s ambition was to capture the demobilised French fleet intact at Toulon. Vichy-French naval commanders were unwilling to allow the fleet to fall into the hands of the Axis Powers. On the 10^th November 1942 they had signed on armistice with the Allies in North Africa following Operation Torch. By negotiation they managed to delay the seizure and on the 27^th November 1942 they had scuttled their ships and submarines. The scuttled fleet consisted of three battleships, seven cruisers, 28 destroyers and 20 submarines. The destruction of the fleet also denied any possible access by the Free French Navy.  The French declined another option – to join Allied fleets in North African waters. The Vichy regime were allowed to exercise civil authority over the population but was little more than a puppet government. This arrangement continued until the Allied invasion and liberation of France in 1944.

For further details on Operation Torch Refer to section (Mediterranean and Desert War)

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(Eastern Front)

With Stalingrad surrounded by the Axis Powers from September 1942, General Georgy Zhukov was promoted to deputy commander-in-chief to take charge of the defence of Stalingrad. He began preparing defences for the city and by the 12^th November 1942 Zhukov was ready to attempt to relieve Stalingrad. He had observed that German troops were ill-prepared for a winter offensive operation. Therefore he decided to conduct a series of offensive operations. On the 19^th November 1942 the Soviet Union launched Operation Uranus. An eighty minute artillery bombardment was directed primarily at the non-German Axis units protecting the German flanks of the 6^th Army commanded by Lieutenant General Friedrich Paulus. Many Romanian soldiers, who formed most of the non-German Axis units, began to flee to the rear. Their forward observation posts had been devastated, communication lines breached and ammunition dumps destroyed. The collapse of the Romanian defenders allowed the Soviet attackers to outflank the German defences. Late in the day, the 19^th November 1942, another attack developed on the southern flank of the German 6^th Army’s flank. The Red Army continued to apply pressure on the German Army during the 20^th/ 21^st November 1942. By the 22^nd November 1942 the encirclement south of Stalingrad was complete. On the same day Paulus sent a telegram to Hitler to say the 6^th Army was completely surrounded by strong Soviet forces. 290,000 Axis were trapped in what was to become the cauldron (Der Kessel). Where once the Germans trapped the Soviet soldiers in the Kessel they were now experiencing the reverse at Stalingrad. Hitler ordered to Paulus not to retreat at any cost as the 6^th Army would be fully supplied by air. By the 25^th November 1942 what supplies did arrive they were grossly inadequate and remained so until the end of January 1943 when Paulus surrendered at Stalingrad.

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(Mediterranean and Desert War)

The German Desert Fox, Field Marshall Erwin Rommel had returned from his sickbed to resume command of the Afrika Korps on the 25^th October 1942. On arrival, he was forced into a more defensive role due to lack of fuel and much needed reinforcements.

By the 23^rd October1942 British commander of the Eighth Army Lt General Bernard Montgomery had assembled a massive Allied force and launched Operation Lightfoot which began the Second Battle of El Alamein. By the 1^st November 1942, Montgomery was ready to launch his breakthrough, Second Battle of El Alamein. Rommel was expecting an attack near the coast and sent some reinforcements even though he knew he only had 90 tanks remaining to face 800 British tanks.

Montgomery was aware of the German depleted defensive line 25^th and promptly ordered Australian infantry divisions to attack Rommel’s southern flank.  On the 23^rd October 1942 Montgomery reshuffled his forces and moved the 7^th Armoured Division to the south. By the 2^nd November 1942 Rommel had received a report saying he would have only 35 tanks, and one third of the artillery and anti-tank weapons available to face the Allied forces in the south.

The battle entered the next phase codenamed “Operation Supercharge” on the 2^nd November 1942 with the object to destroy enemy armour and force them to fight in the open. At 01.00 a seven hour aerial bombardment began followed by four and a half barrage of 360 guns firing along the whole front. Rommel signalled Hitler that the Afrika Korps was not capable of any opposition to the next British breakout attempt, Hitler replied on the 3^rd November 1942 that they were to stand and fight. When Montgomery ordered his reserve infantry brigade to advance, Rommel again requested permission to retreat. Having not received a reply from Hitler, Rommel gave orders for the Afrika Korps to retreat on the 3^rd November 1942 ending the Second Battle of El Alamein.

When Britain’s King George VI knighted Montgomery on the 10^th November 1942 his efforts at El Alamein were formally recognised. Montgomery allowed his forces to recuperate and gather their strength and by the 10^th November 1942 he was ready to chase Rommel’s Afrika Korps the 2,000 miles across the desert as far as Tunisia. On the same day Montgomery began a major British offensive on Libya/Egyptian border. By the 13^th November 1942 the Eighth Army had recaptured Tobruk. Continuing west they recaptured Derna on the 15^th November 1942. With the Afrika Korps retreating westward the Eighth Army took Benghazi in Libya on the 20^th November 1942. The Allied offensive met with minimum success when they arrived in Tunisia on the 29^th November 1942 and the offensive continued into the following month.

With Rommel in retreat from El Alamein the Allies launched Operation Torch against the Vichy-French territory of North Africa on the 8^th November 1942.  American General Mark Clarke had met with Vichy-French officers in Algeria the previous month who stated they were willing to support the Allies. Operation Torch was a planned three-prong attack along the north coast of Africa. The three attacks being Casablanca (Western) in Morocco, Oran (Centre) and Algiers in Algeria. For propaganda purposes, a U.S. landing force supported by British warships and aircraft was proposed. The thinking was that would be more acceptable to the French public, who were of mixed opinions, than an Anglo/American invasion. Before entry into the war the Americans had officially accepted the Vichy government whereas the British had not. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied forces in the Mediterranean duly ordered the attack to begin before daybreak on the 8th November 1942. The hostilities having on the 10^th November 1942 when Vichy-French Admiral Francois Darlan signed an agreement with the Allies, officially Operation Torch ended on the 16^th November 1942. For further details of Operation Torch see separate article.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

There is no definite date for the end of the Siege of Malta but it was thought to be around the 11^th November 1942. The previous month, German General Field Marshall Albert Kesselring had called off the Luftwaffe offensive against Malta. Following successful resupplying of the island the defenders were too strong. Also Kesselring, as General Commander in the Mediterranean theatre was forced to support the German retreat from El Alamein. The Siege of Malta had begun in June 1940 and the islanders had suffered terribly during the siege. The privations of the island were recognised when King George VI presented the island with the George Cross, the British highest civilian bravery award.

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(Pacific)

On the island of Guadalcanal the Japanese occupied the north of the island and west of the Matanikau River. On the 1st November 1942 U.S. Marine engineers constructed three footbridges across the Matanikau. At approximately 06.30, U.S. Army artillery and three U.S. warships opened fire on the Japanese on the west bank of the Matanikau. Bombs were dropped at the same time on the same area by nineteen B-17 heavy bombers. Three Battalions of the 5^th Marine Regiment, under General Alexander Vandegrift, crossed the river. The 1^st Battalion (1/5) crossed at the mouth, the 2^nd Battalion (2/5) and the Whaling Group crossed the river further inland. The Whaling Group were specially selected marines trained in scouting, stalking and ambush tactics under the command of Acting Colonel William J. Whaling. South of Point Cruz the 2/5 and the Whaling Group encountered very little resistance and occupied several ridges by early afternoon. However, after crossing the river the 1/5 suffered heavy casualties. They were driven back to the river by Japanese defenders of Point Cruz. The retreat was halted by the determined effort of further drafted-in troops of the 1/5. Staff of Vandegrift made the decision to attempt to encircle the Japanese at Point Cruz. On the 2^nd November 1942 the encirclement was complete and U.S. artillery bombarded the Japanese positions throughout the day. By noon of the 3^rd November 1942 the Japanese at Point Cruz were all killed and the Americans emerged victorious.

The Japanese needed reinforcements and as part of the Tokyo Express run the Japanese dispatched five destroyers, each to land 300 fresh troops plus their equipment at Koli Point on the night of the 2^nd November 1942. American radio intelligence had intercepted the Japanese communication and were determined to intercept the landings. Only the 2nd Battalion, 7^th Marine Regiment (2/7), under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Herman H. Henneken was available. Having marched from the early hours of the 2^nd November 1942 they reached Koli Point after dark the same day. The 2/7 awaited the arrival of the Tokyo Express by deploying their troops along a 2,000 yd. (1,800 m) line in the wood facing the beach. The five Japanese destroyers arrived at Koli Point in the early hours of the 3^rd November 1942 and began unloading their troops and equipment. The 2/7 remained concealed and attempted to radio headquarters to report the landings but were unsuccessful. At dawn the 2/7 were discovered by a Japanese patrol and an immediate attack began on the Americans. After having suffered significant losses, running short of ammunition and still unable to contact headquarters for assistance the 2/7 decided to retreat. At 14.45 the 2/7 finally made contact with headquarters and U.S. reinforcements began the march towards Koli Point on the 4^th November 1942. Naval artillery fire bombarded the Japanese whilst the American troops were heading towards Koli Point. Eventually, on the 12^th November 1942, the U.S. Marines overran the Japanese who had not retreated and victory was secured by the Americans at Koli Point.

Lieutenant Colonel Evan Carlson, as commander of the Second Marine Raiders Brigade began a series of engagements known as Carson’s Patrol. The 2^nd Raiders began their patrol on the 6^th November 1942 and ended 29 days later on the 4^th December 1942. Travelling northward from their starting point at Aola on Guadalcanal they marched through the jungle and arrived southeast of Koli Point on the 8^th November 1942. 2,000/3,000 Japanese troops had escaped the Koli Point encirclement and Carson’s Patrol killed Japanese soldiers whenever they were located. Of the Japanese troops who escaped from the Koli Pint encirclement only700/800 reached the main Japanese army west of the Matanikau River. Carson’s Patrol had hiked approximately 150 miles (240 km) which covered a straight line distance of 40 miles (64 km) on their 29 day patrol. They claimed 488 Japanese killed or captured and destroyed large amounts of Japanese equipment. The raiders suffered 16 killed and 17 wounded with 225 non-battle casualties from some form of tropical ailment when they arrived back at their headquarters on the 4^th December 1942.

The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal was primarily between American and Japanese naval forces which took place between the12^th/15^th November 1942. A series of air and sea engagements were related to Japanese efforts to reinforce the land forces on the island of Guadalcanal.  On the 12^th/13^th November 1942 Japanese battleships Hiel and Kitishima escorted transport ships to reinforce Japanese troops on Guadalcanal. They successfully reinforced their troops the following day and returned for another delivery. The Americans sent a task force to Guadalcanal following an Intelligence report the Japanese were planning an attack on Henderson Field. On a separate engagement Kirishima and Hiel were attacked by the U.S. fleet. Hiel suffered serious damage and Kirishima attempted to tow her to safety, but eventually Hiel was scuttled. Kirishima withdrew but then engaged with USS Washington and USS South Dakota on the 15^th November 1942. In the engagement South Dakota was damaged and withdrew but Washington sank Kirishima thus ending the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on the 15^th November 1942. For further information see the article “The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal”.

USS Juneau was a light cruiser escorting reinforcements to Guadalcanal. Arriving at their destination on the 12^th November 1942 the transport ships began unloading. Juneau along with the other warships set up a protective screen around them. At 14.05 on the 12^th November 1942 the unloading convoy was attacked by 30 Japanese aircraft. The dockside and warships were waiting for the arrival of the attackers as they had been pre-warned the attack was coming. Shore based ante-aircraft fire was effective as only one bomber escaped. Juneau had accounted for six aircraft and U.S. fighters shot down the remainder. Upon receiving another report that two Japanese battleships, one light cruiser and nine destroyers were headed for the island, the U.S. support warships engaged the Japanese at 01.48 on the 13^th November 1942. The engagement occurred in near pitch darkness and at almost point-blank range, because bad weather and poor communications has allowed the two sides to intermingle. A Japanese torpedo was launched and Juneau was struck on her port side which caused her to list severely. Juneau along with two other damaged cruisers were heading for repairs when at 11.00 Juneau was struck by another Japanese torpedo fired from a submarine. Following a massive explosion she broke in two and immediately sank. Fearing another attack by the submarine the two cruisers departed, assuming there were not any survivors from Juneau. More than 100 sailors did survive the sinking of Juneau including three of the five Sullivan brothers. The brothers had all wanted to serve together on the one warship. Two apparently were lost when Juneau went down. The other three brothers survived the sinking only to die in the water. The remaining survivors were left to fend for themselves in the open ocean. All but ten survivors died from the elements or shark attacks. They were finally rescued on the 20th November1942 by either USS Balllard or PBM seaplane. At the time of the attack on Juneau, a patrolling U.S. B-17 bomber was signalled to notify Allied headquarters to send ships or aircraft to search for survivors. For various reasons the order for the rescue operation was delayed.

During the Guadalcanal Campaign a night-time naval engagement was conducted on the 30^th November 1942. The Naval Battle of Tassafaronga was where five U.S. cruisers and four destroyers intercepted eight Japanese destroyers. The Tassafaronga area is in the channel between Guadalcanal Island and Florida Island. The Japanese destroyers were attempting to deliver food to what was left of their army who were stationed in the north-west of the island. Following radar contact U.S. commander Rear Admiral Carlton H. Wright waited 4 minutes for permission to launch torpedoes from his destroyers. When permission was granted he was in the wrong place and all torpedoes missed their targets. The U.S. cruisers opened fire on the Japanese destroyers and sank one. However, the muzzle flashes exposed the cruiser positions. The Japanese commander Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka ordered the launching of their Type 93 “Long Lance” torpedoes and sank one of the U.S. cruisers and badly damaging three others. The remaining seven Japanese destroyers escaped undamaged but did not deliver any supplies. Technically the naval battle was a Japanese victory with the loss of one destroyer and approximately 200 personnel killed. The U.S. force lost one heavy cruiser and three severely damaged cruisers with the loss 395 men. The aftermath brought about the standing orders to all U.S. ships that “destroyers are to attack the enemy on first contact without waiting orders from the task force commander”.

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 (Other Theatres)

Operation Harling was a British Special Operations Executive (SOE) mission in cooperation with the Greek resistance groups ELAS and EDES. The Axis Powers of Germany, Italy and Bulgaria had occupied Greece since June 1941. 0n the 25^th November 1942 SOE destroyed the heavily defended Gorgopotamos viaduct in Central Greece.  However, Italian Railway Engineers repaired the bridge and operations were resumed in 19 days. This sabotage act was one of the first to be conducted in Axis occupied Europe. This success brought about the beginning of the permanent British involvement with the Greek Resistance

For more details see the separate article “Operation Harling – Nov ‘42”.                                                                                             

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In Australia, overseas reports were suppressed of hostilities between Australian servicemen/civilians and United States military personnel. The hostilities occurred in Brisbane, Queensland’s capital city, on the 26^th/27^th November 1942. Queensland is the territory located on the north-east coast of Australia nearest to the Philippine Islands.  The Battle of Brisbane, as it became known, began on the 26^th November 1942.  It would appear that an intoxicated American private left a hotel at 6.50pm where he had been drinking when it closed. Along the way he stopped to talk with three Australians and was approached by a U.S. Military Police (MP) asking for his leave pass. The MP became impatient and arrested the private. The Australians remonstrated with the MP who raised his baton as if to strike one of the Australians.  A brawl developed between the Americans and Australians and one Australian soldier was killed and several injured. By 10.00 pm the crowd had dispersed after tempers had calmed down. On the second night, the 27^th November 1942 a crowd of approximately 500 Australian servicemen, ready for another confrontation, gathered outside the U.S Post Exchange, attended by heavily armed American MPs.  An Australian officer intervened and things finally settled down and eventually the crowd dispersed. In conclusion, Brisbane’s Chief Censor ordered that reports of the riot were not to be published.

See the separate article the “Battle of Brisbane” for further details.

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