Known as the Battle of Rennel Island during the Guadalcanal Campaign, the last major naval engagement between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy engaged between the 29^th/30^th January 1943. The battle was fought in the straights between Rennel Island and Guadalcanal. American intelligence viewed the Operation Ke activity in the region as a ploy to draw the Japanese navy into a battle, allowing replacement Japanese troops to land on Guadalcanal. To combat this, on the 29^th January 1943, Admiral William Halsey Jr., the Allied theatre commander sent five task forces toward the Guadalcanal region. The task forces, consisting of U.S. warships who were protecting convoys of Allied transport ships carrying replacement troops for Guadalcanal. The total number of warships in the five task forces consisted of two fleet carriers, two escort carriers, three battleships, 12 cruisers and 25 destroyers. Task Group 62.8, consisting of four transport vessels and four destroyers were destined to land U.S. Marines on Guadalcanal. Ahead of Task Group 62.8 was the close support group of three heavy cruisers, three light cruisers, two escort carriers and eight destroyers. The support group was Task Force 18 (TF18) and commanded by Rear Admiral Robert Giffen who was stationed on board the heavy cruiser USS Wichita. On the 29^th January 1943, failing to meet up with four destroyers who were to sweep “The Slot” north of Guadalcanal, Giffen proceeded with TF18, leaving TF18’s slower moving two escort carriers and two destroyers behind. Allied intelligence indicated Japanese submarines were likely to be in the area. Therefore Giffen, not expecting an air attack, arranged his cruisers and destroyers for anti-submarine defence. Giffen’s TF18 was being tracked by Japanese submarines who reported its location and directional movement. 32 Japanese bombers, each carrying a torpedo, took off from Rabaul airbase on East New Britain Island to attack TF18. Whilst steaming northwest at sunset several of TF18’s ships detected unidentified aircraft on radar. Giffen had ordered for radio silence therefore there was not any response to the radar activity. The air cover for TF18 had withdrawn to the carriers as it was sunset. The radar contact was the Japanese bombers, half of which launched their torpedoes at TF18. One Japanese bomber was shot down by anti-aircraft fire from Giffen’s ships and all the remaining torpedoes missed their targets. Unaware further bombers were on their way to attack TF18, Giffen ordered his cruisers to sail the same course and speed as before the attack. Thinking the attack was over, the zig-zag pattern for advancing was suspended for the night. In the meantime, a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft dropped flares and float lights to illuminate the cruisers. At 19:38 (7:38 pm) the second Japanese bomber formation Attacked TF18. Heavy cruiser USS Chicago was struck by two torpedoes bringing her to an instant stop. Heavy cruiser USS Wichita was also hit by a torpedo which did not explode. During the attack two bombers were shot down by anti-aircraft fire. Giffen ordered his ships to slow down, reverse direction and cease firing the anti-aircraft guns. The remaining Japanese aircraft departed the area as the absence of muzzle flashes in the dark concealed the U.S. ships. Under cover of darkness heavy cruiser USS Louisville was able to tow the crippled Chicago away from the battle area.

On the 30^th January 1943, in an effort to protect Chicago, Halsey notified the escort carriers to ensure there were combat air patrols (CAP) in position at first light. In addition he ordered fleet tug Navajo to release Louisville from towing Chicago which was completed by 08:00. Numerous Japanese scout aircraft observed the position of Chicago when they approached TF18 between daybreak and 14.00. Although chased away by the CAP they reported Chicago’s position to their naval commander. Leaving their airbase at Kavieng on Papua New Guinea at 12:15, eleven Japanese torpedo bombers headed to attack Chicago. The U.S. naval forces were forewarned by Australian coast watchers based in the Solomon Islands who estimated their arrival to be at 16:00. At 15:00, Halsey ordered for six destroyers to protect Chicago and Navajo while the remaining cruisers were to head for Efate in the New Hebrides. Sailing 43 miles behind crippled Chicago was fleet carrier USS Enterprise who had ten of her fighters forming a CAP for the damaged cruiser. At 15:40 four of the CAP fighters located, chased and shot down an advanced Japanese bomber. Enterprise’s radar detected the remaining incoming bombers and at 15:54 launched ten more fighters to oppose the Japanese bombers. Six CAP fighters began to engage with the bombers as it seemed Enterprise was the target. However, the Japanese bombers turned toward Chicago after six CAP fighters engaged with them. When the bombers entered the anti-aircraft fire from the destroyers protecting Chicago, eight were shot down. Two before they released their tornadoes and six after their tornadoes were dropped. Four of the torpedoes struck Chicago, which began to sink. Captain Ralph O. Davis ordered the ship to be abandoned before she sank stern first twenty minutes later. 62 members of her crew died in the attack but 1049 survivors were rescued by Navajo and the escorting destroyers. In the meantime one torpedo hit destroyer USS La Vallette killing 22 members of her crew. The remaining bombers returned to their base after failing to locate any further U.S. ships. La Vallette was towed back to Espiritu Santo by Navajo without any further incident together with the remaining ships of TF18.

Giffen was blamed for the defeat by Admiral Halsey whose comments were included on his official performance report. The resulting recriminations for the defeat did not affect Giffen’s career because he continued to lead Allied task forces in the Pacific and in 1944 was promoted to Vice-Admiral.

Technically the Japanese won the Battle of the Rennel Islands as they successfully forced the U.S. Navy to withdraw. In doing so they ensured Operation Ke, the evacuation of Japanese troops from Guadalcanal, was completed successfully. The Allies did not realise the evacuation was happening until it was all over. Of the 43 Japanese bombers involved, 12 were destroyed and 60-84 Japanese killed. The U.S. Navy lost cruiser USS Chicago sunk, La Vallette badly damaged and 85 personnel killed.

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January 1943

(Britain)

The Battle of Berlin began in November 1943. However, a prelude to the 1943 raids was on the 30^th January 1943 when propaganda raids were carried out by De Havilland Mosquito bombers. The raids coincided with the 10^th anniversary of the Nazis Machtergreifung (takeover). Late November 1941, RAF Bomber Command launched a large raid on Berlin which ended in failure mainly on account of by the weather. Prior to 1941, Berlin was at the extreme range attainable by British bombers available at that time. The distance from London to Berlin is 590 miles (910 km). Not too many raids were carried out as the bombing was conducted at night and damage was slight. However, the psychological effect on German Fuhrer Adolf Hitler was greater because he ordered the Luftwaffe to concentrate on British cities. Sir Arthur Travers Harris took over as commander of RAF Bomber Command from Sir Richard Peirse in February 1942. Harris was convinced the Nazis were quite happy to bomb indiscriminately but were not to be bombed in retaliation. Harris’ view was:- “They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind”. The whirlwind was to come in the form of the newly introduced Avro Lancaster and the American B-17 Flying Fortress long rang heavy bombers.

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(America)

On the 27^th June 1943 saw the launching of the first all-American daylight air raid against Germany at the port of Wilhelmshaven. Sixty-four 8^th Air Force bombers were dispatched from their bases in England which consisted of B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberator long range heavy bombers. Only 53 of the 64 aircraft participating in the raid reached their target and accurately dropped 137 tons of bombs on warehouses and factories. During the raid the 8^th Air Force lost three bombers, but they shot down 22 German planes in return. U.S. military planners were encouraged to begin regular daylight bombing raids owing to the success of this first mission. With regular daylight raids on Germany the eventual result was the high casualty rate for the American crewmen involved.

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(Eastern Front)

In all Nazi occupied Europe, the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland, had more than 400,000 Jews crammed into an area of 1.34 square miles (3.4 km ²). During late summer 1942 over 265,000 Polish Jews were deported to Treblinka extermination camp. This operation was code-named “Grossaktion Warsaw” (Great Action) by the Nazis as part of their “Final Solution”. After Grossaktion Warsaw the remaining Jews began to organise themselves into the left-wing Jewish Combat Organisation (ZEB) and the Jewish Military Union (ZZW). They smuggled weapons and explosives into the Ghetto supplied by the Polish resistance. On the 18^th January 1943 the Nazis faced the first instance of armed insurgency from within the ghetto when they began their second deportation of the Jews. Fighters of the ZZW and ZOB engaged the Germans in direct clashes whilst being hidden in Jewish cellars, the so-called “bunkers”. The deportations were halted within a few days when 5,000 of the expected 8,000 Jews were removed. Although lightly armed hundreds of Warsaw Ghetto Jews were ready to fight. They included Jewish children who were armed with handguns, petrol bombs and any weapons smuggled in by the Polish resistance. As a protest against the world’s silence and a battle for the honour of the Jewish people was their reason for taking up arms against the Nazis. Most of the Jewish fighters were aware that their actions were an ineffective way in which to save themselves. The uprising was finally defeated in May 1943 with the surviving Jews being deported to Majdanek and Treblinka.

In late August 1942 Georgy Zhukov took charge of the defence of Stalingrad as deputy commander-in-chief. He took advantage to plan for the Stalingrad counteroffensive. To achieve this he was promoted to Marshall of the Soviet Union on 19th January 1943, and was also awarded the first of two Order of Suvorov I^st Class on the 28th January 1943. The German 6^th Army was ready to collapse after Soviet troops launched the all-out offensive attack on Stalingrad. Following the Soviet offencesives, the commander of the German 6^th Army, Friedrich Paulus and his troops were cut-off and surrounded. Upon approaching German Fuhrer Adolf Hitler for permission to break-out or surrender, the Fuhrer replied the 6^th Army was to continue to fight on. With Stalingrad’s emergency airstrip over-run by Soviet troops on the 25^th January 1943, Paulus was offered the chance to surrender to the Soviet Union but declined. He again appealed to Hitler but the request was once again rejected out of hand. By the 30^th January 1943 the 6^th Army was out of food, ammunition and medical supplies and Paulus informed Hitler they were only hours away from collapse. Hitler’s response was to promote Paulus to Field Marshall on the understanding that a Field Marshall would commit suicide rather than be captured. On the morning of the 31^st January 1943 Paulus surrendered to Soviet troops, the same day he was informed of his promotion. By the 2^nd February 1943 the remainder of the 265,000 strong 6^th Army capitulated. Upon hearing of the surrender Hitler flew into a rage and vowed never again to promote another Field Marshall.

Like Stalingrad the city of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) had been besieged by the Germans since September 1941. It had been Hitler’s intention to totally destroy Leningrad. Rather than overrun the city and relocate and feed the population the Germans allowed the siege to continue. With continued success at Stalingrad the Soviets followed up by attempting to relieve Leningrad. On the 18^th January 1943, the Red Army overcame powerful German fortifications to relieve the Siege of Leningrad.  Operation Iskra was a full scale offensive to provide relief to the besieged population. The Volkhov Front’s 372^nd Rifle Division linked up with the defenders 123^rd Rifle Brigade of the Leningrad Front to open a land corridor along the coast of Lake Ladoga to the city. However, unlike the Siege of Stalingrad, and despite the relief, the Siege of Leningrad continued until June 1944.

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(North Africa)

The British 8^th Army had defeated the Axis Powers of Germany and Italy in the desert campaign. Germany’s Desert Fox, Field Marshall Erwin Rommel lost the Battle of El Agheila on the 18^th December 1942. Rommel and his German/Italian armed forces began their retreat westward towards Tripoli in Libya. Tripoli is the capital of Libya which had been under Italian occupation since 1911. The retreating Axis powers were pursued by the British 8^th Army’s Field Marshall Sir Bernard Montgomery (Monty). By Christmas Day 1942 Rommel’s Afrika Korps had dug-in at Buerat but was over-run by Monty’s forces on the 15^th January 1943, thus beginning the offensive for far-off Tripoli. Rommel and his forces slipped away to the west to avoid meeting Monty’s pursuit. Rommel and his army managed to reach Tunisia and were scheduled to fight their last desert battle against the Americans in February 1943. In the meantime Monty’s pursuing 8^th Army were in Tripoli’s suburbs on the 22^nd January 1943.   On the 23^rd January 1943, Monty watched his victorious troops enter the last city of Italy’s once great domain. The Lord Mayor of Tripoli and the Vice Governor of Libya tendered the formal surrender of the city to Monty at noon. The Italians were in full uniforms including their decorations whereas Monty was still in his battledress including his famous beret. With the skirl of the bagpipes his 8th Army entered the city and passed the Union Flag fluttering high above the City Hall. Fascist rule was ended not only in Libya but the whole of Africa with the capture of Tripoli. When the Second Battle of El Alamein ended in early November 1942, the 8^th Army advanced the 1,400 miles to Tripoli in approximately 80 days.

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(Pacific)

The Battles for New Guinea and Guadalcanal were two separate campaigns during the Pacific theatre of war.

As part of the New Guinea campaign, the Japanese had occupied the Solomon Islands from January 1942. Owing to the close proximity of the Solomon Islands to Australia the Allies were determined to retake the islands. This was necessary to prevent the Japanese from cutting off Australia and New Zealand from the United States. Following the failure to seize control of Port Moresby in New Guinea, the Japanese were preparing to leave, as their forces were only being supplied by the slow moving “Tokyo Express”. The lack of supplies to the Japanese troops were insufficient to sustain any further occupation. The Japanese troops were ordered to withdraw and secure the northern bases at Buna, Sananda and Gona. They had developed a strong network of well-concealed defences from Port Moresby through the jungles to the northern bases. On the 22^nd January 1943 Australian and American troops captured Buna, Sananda and Gona beaches, despite the fact that it was the rainy season. The conditions hampered both the Japanese and the Australian/American troops with the climate and disease being the major problem. Supply constraints were also a major problem which led to questions being asked as to the suitability and performance of Allied equipment. This campaign highlighted the costly lessons of jungle warfare for both sides.

The Battle of Guadalcanal was being fought at the same time as the New Guinea Campaign. Guadalcanal, as part of the Solomon Islands, was invaded by the American forces on the 7^th August 1942. They captured Henderson Field, an airbase built by the Japanese and began using the airfield for their own aircraft. Attrition and shortages of supplies caused the Japanese strength to wane which eventually forced the Japanese to go on the defensive. What supplies were getting through were by the “Tokyo Express” which also supplied New Guinea. Whilst disease played a major role on the Japanese forces, both sides suffered malaria in the insect-infested jungles. Japanese troops were not being replaced or reinforced, but Americas’ increase in supplies, and additional troops was enough to take the island of Guadalcanal.  On the 31^st December 1942 the Japanese high command took the decision to evacuate Guadalcanal which became known as Operation Ke. The evacuation successfully took place between the 14^th January 1943 and ended on the 9^th February 1943. Further details of Operation Ke will be included in the February 1943 text.

The Battle of Rennel Island, fought between the 29^th/30^th January 1943 during the Guadalcanal Campaign, was the last major naval engagement between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy. The battle was fought in the straights between Rennel Island and Guadalcanal. American intelligence viewed the Operation Ke activity in the region as a ploy to draw the Japanese navy into a battle, allowing replacement Japanese troops to land on Guadalcanal. To combat this, on the 29^th January 1943, Admiral William Halsey Jr., the Allied theatre commander sent five task forces toward the Guadalcanal region. The task forces, consisting of U.S. warships who were protecting convoys of Allied transport ships carrying replacement troops for Guadalcanal. Allied intelligence indicated Japanese submarines were likely to be in the area. The task force was being tracked by Japanese submarines who reported its location and directional movement. 32 Japanese bombers, each carrying a torpedo, took off from Rabaul airbase on East New Britain Island to attack the task force. The Japanese attack on the U.S. task force resulted in the loss of one heavy cruiser sunk and one destroyer badly damaged. The remainder of the U.S. task force retreated from the battle area. On the 30^th January 1943 this reversal of the U.S, task force allowed the Japanese to successfully complete the evacuation of her troops from Guadalcanal on the 7^th February 1943. The U.S. now had control of the island, ending the Battle of Guadalcanal. For further details of the battle see the separate article on the Battle of Rennel Island,

USS Silversides (SS/AGSS-236) was a Gato-class submarine who began her first patrol of the Pacific Theatre when she departed from Pearl Harbour in August 1942. Her first three patrols were successful. After departing Brisbane on the 17^th December 1942 Silversides began her forth patrol and proceeded to New Ireland in New Guinea. When she surfaced on the 23^rd December 1942 she was immediately confronted by a Japanese destroyer. Silversides crash-dived and was subjected to a severe depth charge attack. She surfaced thinking she was safe after the depth charge attack but the Japanese destroyer was still in the vicinity. In the meantime a Japanese aircraft had arrived at the scene and dropped three bombs on Silversides. Despite her bow-planes being damaged causing them to lock on full dive, she managed to level before crush depth was reached. She surfaced to recharge her batteries and make emergency temporary repairs after avoiding the Japanese destroyer. On the 18^th January 1943 Silversides was off the Truk Atoll (now known as Chuuk Lagoon). Truk Atoll is positioned NE of New Guinea and was Japan’s Naval base in the South Pacific. Silversides sank the 10,024 ton oil tanker Toei Maru, her largest vessel of the war. Undetected and running parallel with a Japanese convoy two days later, she moved ahead and lay in wait for the convoy to arrive and positioned herself to fire torpedoes at the ships sides. Three cargo ships were sunk as they moved into range. The three ships were Surabaya Maru, Somedona Maru and Meiu Maru giving Silversides one of most productive days of the war. Unfortunately, one armed torpedo was stuck in one of the firing tubes. The submarine reversed at top speed and fired the torpedo safely out of the forward tube as it could not be disarmed in position. On the 31^st January 1943 Silversides returned to Pearl Harbour for a major refit after a serious oil leak had been discovered.  Silversides completed 14 patrols when hostilities with Japan ended in August 1945. All her patrols were in the Pacific Theatre and she was one of the most successful submarine in that theatre with 23 confirmed vessels sunk in total.

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(Other Theatres)

The Casablanca Conference was a meeting to discuss and plan the European strategy by the Allies for the next phase of the war. The plan also included the future global military strategy for the western Allies. The Casablanca Conference (codename SYMBOL) began on the 14^th January 1942 and ended on the 24^th January 1942 and was held at the “Anfa Hotel” in Casablanca, French Morocco.  The conference took place two months after the Anglo-American landings in French North Africa. In attendance was Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States and Winston Churchill, Britain’s Prime Minister. Also attending was Sultan Muhammad V, sovereign of Morocco, and Charles de Gaulle & Henri Giraud, representing the Free French forces. As they played only a minor role in the war, the French contingent were not part of the military planning. Known as the “Casablanca Declaration”, the debate and negotiations discussed tactical procedures, allocation of resources and diplomatic policy. During the course of the conference the question of a cross-channel invasion was discussed. However, it was Churchill’s belief that the Allied forces were not ready to contemplate the invasion of mainland Europe. The most controversial statement in the Declaration was for “unconditional surrender” which in fact meant the Allies would continue the war against the Axis Powers until their final defeat. Churchill did not fully agree to the unconditional surrender but supported Roosevelt who was in favour. When an invitation to attend the conference was sent to Stalin, he declined the offer owing to the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad requiring his presence in the Soviet Union.

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