Air Raid Damage Reports Brentwood Division Essex Fire Service November 1942.

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).

SECOND WORLD WAR

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 26th/27th November 1942.

The Battle of Brisbane, as it became known, began on the 26th 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 27th 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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SECOND WORLD WAR

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 25th 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 2nd 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 14th November 1942. In the meantime, on the 30th 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 25th 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 25th 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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Operation Torch

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 8th 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 10th 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 9th 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 8th 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 10th 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 10th, officially Operation Torch ended on the 16th 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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SECOND WORLD WAR

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 3rd 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 10th 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 8th 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 10th 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 27th 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 12th 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 19th 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 6th 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 19th November 1942, another attack developed on the southern flank of the German 6th Army’s flank. The Red Army continued to apply pressure on the German Army during the 20th/ 21st November 1942. By the 22nd November 1942 the encirclement south of Stalingrad was complete. On the same day Paulus sent a telegram to Hitler to say the 6th 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 6th Army would be fully supplied by air. By the 25th 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 25th October 1942. On arrival, he was forced into a more defensive role due to lack of fuel and much needed reinforcements.

By the 23rd 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 1st 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 25th and promptly ordered Australian infantry divisions to attack Rommel’s southern flank.  On the 23rd October 1942 Montgomery reshuffled his forces and moved the 7th Armoured Division to the south. By the 2nd 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 2nd 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 3rd 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 3rd November 1942 ending the Second Battle of El Alamein.

When Britain’s King George VI knighted Montgomery on the 10th November 1942 his efforts at El Alamein were formally recognised. Montgomery allowed his forces to recuperate and gather their strength and by the 10th 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 13th November 1942 the Eighth Army had recaptured Tobruk. Continuing west they recaptured Derna on the 15th November 1942. With the Afrika Korps retreating westward the Eighth Army took Benghazi in Libya on the 20th November 1942. The Allied offensive met with minimum success when they arrived in Tunisia on the 29th 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 8th 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 10th November 1942 when Vichy-French Admiral Francois Darlan signed an agreement with the Allies, officially Operation Torch ended on the 16th 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 11th 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 5th Marine Regiment, under General Alexander Vandegrift, crossed the river. The 1st Battalion (1/5) crossed at the mouth, the 2nd 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 2nd November 1942 the encirclement was complete and U.S. artillery bombarded the Japanese positions throughout the day. By noon of the 3rd 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 2nd November 1942. American radio intelligence had intercepted the Japanese communication and were determined to intercept the landings. Only the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment (2/7), under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Herman H. Henneken was available. Having marched from the early hours of the 2nd 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 3rd 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 4th November 1942. Naval artillery fire bombarded the Japanese whilst the American troops were heading towards Koli Point. Eventually, on the 12th 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 2nd Raiders began their patrol on the 6th November 1942 and ended 29 days later on the 4th 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 8th 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 4th December 1942.

The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal was primarily between American and Japanese naval forces which took place between the12th/15th 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 12th/13th 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 15th November 1942. In the engagement South Dakota was damaged and withdrew but Washington sank Kirishima thus ending the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on the 15th 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 12th 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 12th 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 13th 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 30th 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 25th 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 26th/27th 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 26th 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 27th 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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Air Raid Damage Reports Brentwood Division Essex Fire Service October 1942.

Date                Time   Location         Damage

13/10/1942    Found  Doddinghurst          1 – Unexploded H.E. found in field 1/4 mile

South of Park Farm, Doddinghurst.  Date and time of falling unknown.

19/10/1942    11.00  Rayleigh        1 – U.X.B. fell in Wright’s Nurseries Hullbridge

                                                            Road.  No damage or casualties.

19/10/1942    12.08  Brentwood     3 – 500  kg H.E fell in Westwood Avenue causing 3

fatal casualties (1 female and 2 children) 14 seriously injured  and admitted to hospital (10 females 1 male and 3 children) and a number of minor casualties.  Extensive damage was caused to property and main Westwood Avenue (unclassified) completely blocked by craters and debris.  1 500 kg H.E. exploded in open fields 50 yards East of Golden Fleece P.H. Brook Street.  No casualties or damage.

25/10/1942    Found  Great            1 – Small Yellow U.X.B. on New England Island,

Wakering       500 yards N.E. of Havengore Farmhouse and 400 yards N of Foulness Road.  Date and time of falling unknown.  (Disposed of BDS 31.10.42).

26/10/1942    08.45  Little                A Naval Barrage Balloon was found grounded at

Wakering       Barrow Hall Farm marked R.N. 50279.  Naval Control informed.

26/10/1942    12.45  Rochford       4 – 250 kg H.Es exploded in gardens at rear of

Ashingdon Road and Roach Avenue as a result of which 7 persons were injured (1 seriously and 6 slightly).  Extensive damage was done to 15 houses and slight damage to approximately 60 others.

26/10/1942    12.46  Rochford       A German Dornier 217 crashed on a hut on

Rochford Aerodrome after being hit by gun fire and was completely destroyed.  Two of the crew were killed, 1 seriously injured and taken prisoner.  3 RAF personnel were trapped in the hut on which the plane crashed – one was killed, one seriously injured and one slightly injured.  High tension electric cables over Stambridge Road (Millbourne Farm) were broken by the plane colliding with them and put out of action.

26/10/1942    Found  Little              A fawn deflated Barrage Balloon marked R.N.

Wakering       50279, believed to have grounded during the night of 25/26.10.42 at Barrow Hall Farm.  Report Centre and Naval Control informed.

27/10/1942    17.05  Ramsden       An explosion occurred in a Military workshop at

Ramsden Hall occupied by 14th Training Battalion as a result of which 4 soldiers and 1 ATS private were killed, and 9 soldiers injured.  The cause of the explosion due to accidental handling of MacNaughton Tubes.

27/10/1942    Found  Rochford      A Naval Barrage Balloon, Mark 6 No. 5660x  was

found grounded at Beauchamps Farm, Shopland.  Naval Control informed.

27/10/1942    Found  Hawkwell     A Naval Barrage Balloon, Mark 6 No. 35669 found

grounded in a damaged condition at Hawkwell Chase Nurseries.  Naval Control informed

27/10/1942    Found  Hockley        A Naval Barrage Balloon in damaged condition

Mark 6 No. 55360 grounded in military camp in Lower Road.  Naval Control informed.

27/10/1942    Found   Rochford     A Naval Barrage Balloon No 507107 with cable

attached grounded at Little Wakering Wick Farm.  Naval Control informed.

27/10/1942                Downham     A British Meteorological Balloon with parachute

                                                            and instruments attached was found at Brock Hill.

28/10/1942                                        Private Albert Thomas Kirby (N. T/204617) of the

202nd O.C.T.U. Royal Army Service Corps, stationed at Southend, was on night operations when blank ammunition was being used.  He was struck in the abdomen by a bullet (Ball ammunition) and removed to St Andrew’s Hospital Billericay where he died on the 1 November.

31/10/1942    0.15    Great              1 – 500 kg S.D.H.E and 7 Firepot I.Bs exploded at

Wakering       Star Lane Brickfields and 1 Firepot I.B. failed to explode.  No casualties or damage.  1 500 kg S.D.H.E. exploded 200 yards S.W. of Exhibition Lane, High Street causing slight damage to approximately 7 houses.  No casualties.

31/10/1942    20.30  Basildon        1 – A.A. Shell exploded in a garden at the side of

Oaklands Bungalow, Gardiners Lane, 50yards North of Oak Road and 100 yards West of Gardiners Lane.  No damage or casualties.

31/10/1942    20.40  Basildon        1 – Unexploded Shell found in a ploughed field 200

yards West of Gardiners Lane and 100 yards South of Oak Road between Sumners Hill Cottage and Nutton Wood.  No damage or casualties.  (Disposed of BDS 15.12.42).

SECOND WORLD WAR

U.K. Commando Raid on Sark – Oct ‘42

Following the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 Nazi Germany had invaded most of the lowlands of Europe. With the fall of France the Nazis invaded and occupied the Channel Islands from July 1940. The Channel Islands were the only part of the U.K. territory to be occupied by the Nazis throughout the war.

On the 3/4th October 1942 twelve British commandos conducted Operation Basalt, a raid on the German occupied island of Sark. The object of the raid was for reconnaissance and the capture of German prisoners for interrogation. The commandos departed Portland by motor torpedo boat and landed on Sark during the hours of darkness. They were not spotted, nor did they encounter any German sentries or guards. Mrs. Frances Pittard, whose house some of the commandos broke into, provided them with useful information. This included the existence of about 20 Germans located in the annex of the nearby Dixcart Hotel. The annex was a long hut-type building outside the hotel, comprising a corridor and six rooms, which was guarded by a German soldier. Five sleeping German soldiers were captured after the guard was silently killed by a Danish commando using his commando knife. The commandos decided to go on to the hotel, in order to capture more soldiers, after having tied the prisoner’s hands with toggle ropes However, one prisoner started shouting to alert those in the hotel and was instantly shot dead. The raiders elected to return to the beach with the remaining four prisoners after the enemy was alerted at the hotel. Three of the prisoners attempted to escape, two of whom were shot dead and one stabbed but did manage to escape. With the Germans on the island alerted the commandos returned to the waiting motor torpedo boat and safely landed in England without any injuries. The remaining prisoner was also conveyed to England and provided useful undisclosed information. Also accompanying the raiders was an agent of SOE posing as a Polish worker being subjected to forced labour. A total of three Germans were shot dead, one guard and one prisoner wre stabbed and one was captured. The raid on Sark resulted in the Germans imposing increased security arrangements. 201 Channel Island civilians, of whom 48 were from Sark, were deported to Germany.

In Germany, on the 18th October 1942 when Führer Adolf Hitler learnt of Operation Basalt he was furious. German propaganda immediately swung into action and indicated the commandos had bound the hands of the German soldiers after they had surrendered and shot them to stop them attempting to escape. The facts had been modified from five soldiers who had been captured whilst asleep and had been bound to avoid escaping. When one prisoner had started shouting to alert his colleagues, three of the other four attempted to escape and they were shot. Hitler issued his Commando Order whereby all men operating against German troops in a so-called commando raids were to be executed if captured. Historians believe this raid contributed to Hitler’s decision to issue his Commando Order on the 18th October 1942. By issuing this directive, Hitler was willing to contravene the International Geneva Convention regarding prisoners. By contrast he accused the British of war crimes for their raid on Sark.

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SECOND WORLD WAR

October 1942

(Britain)

Twelve British commandos conducted Operation Basalt, a raid on the German occupied island of Sark on the 3/4th October 1942. The Channel Islands, which included Sark, had been invaded and occupied by the Germans since July 1940. Reconnaissance and capturing Germans as prisoners were the object of the raid. For further details of the raid and German Führer Adolf Hitler’s reaction see the separate article “U. K. Commando raid on Sark – Oct ‘42”. The successful raid provided the U.K. with useful undisclosed information regarding the German occupation of the Channel Islands.

The U.S. 1st Armoured Division, nicknamed “Old Ironsides”, moved from Northern Ireland to England on the 29th October 1942. The 1st Armoured Division was the first U.S. armoured division to see battle in the Second World War. In 1940 the 7th Cavalry Brigade was reorganised and expanded into the 1st Armoured Division. The division comprised tanks, artillery and infantry which was supported by tank destroyers, medical teams, supply teams and engineering battalions. Training began in the U.S. prior to America’s entry into the war until May 1942 when they deployed overseas to Northern Ireland. They further trained on the moors of Northern Ireland until the division, now commanded by Major General Orlando Ward, crossed the Irish Sea to England.

—

(Atlantic)

In the early hours of the 14th October 1942 S.S. Caribou was sunk by a German U-boat in the North Atlantic. Caribou was a Newfoundland Railway passenger ferry that ran between Port aux Basques in Newfoundland and North Sydney, Nova Scotia. Caribou was about 60 km from her destination of Port aux Basques when she was spotted by German U-boat U-69, who was patrolling the area on the surface under the cover of darkness. Minesweeper HMCS Grandmére was screening Caribou from astern and both vessels were sailing without lights. Also in accordance with wartime regulations a constant change of course was employed. Remaining on the surface U-69 moved ahead of the two ships. At approximately 3.30am U-69 fired a torpedo at a range of 650 metres which struck Caribou amidships. The boiler exploded causing instantaneous and catastrophic damage includirng many lifeboats and rafts. Within minutes Caribou sank. Passengers and crew, many of whom were in their nightclothes, were in the water where they clung to any piece of debris available. A lucky few were able to scramble aboard the remaining lifeboats and rafts but survival was not guaranteed. After the torpedo struck Caribou, U-69 was briefly seen on the surface by Grandmére, who turned in order to ram her. U-69 immediately dived and managed to escape despite Grandmére dropping a pattern of depth charges. The minesweeper, whose radar was rudimentary, fired additional depth charges whenever fleeting contact was established. After about 2 hours Grandmére’s Captain Lieutenant James Cuthbert returned to pick up survivors. He managed to locate and pick up 103 survivors although two were to die later. At about 8.30am several other warships and Newfoundland fishing vessels took up the search for survivors. In total 31 crew and 136 passengers lost their lives. One of the survivors was Naval Nursing Sister Margaret Brooke who tried in vain to save the life of Nursing Sister Agnes Wilkie. For this act of compassion Sister Brooke was later made a Member of the Order of the British Empire.

—

(Germany)

On the 3rd October 1942, a German rocket was successfully launched at Peenemunde, an island off Germany’s Baltic coast. German scientists had been developing these rockets since the 1930s. Three previous trial launches had ended in failure. Once launched the rocket travelled for 118 miles. With the successful launching the scientists, led by Wernher von Braun, developed the rocket into the deadly V-2 missile. Virtually impossible to intercept once launched, it would rise 6 miles vertically before proceeding on to an arched course. Dependant on the desired range the fuel supply would cut off.  The missile would tip over and fall onto its target at a speed of 4,000 mph. hitting the ground at such a force it would bury itself several feet before its 1 ton warhead exploded. With a potential of 200 miles range and the launching pads having been designed to be portable they would be almost impossible to detect before being launched. The first offensive launches did not occur until September 1944.

On the 18th October 1942 when Führer Adolf Hitler learnt of Operation Basalt he was furious. Operation Basalt was the successful British commando raid on the Channel Island of Sark. For details of Hitler’s fury and the U.K.’s involvement of events see the “U.K. Commando raid on Sark – Oct ‘42”.

—-

(Mediterranean and Desert War)

The Second Battle of El Alamein began on the 23rd October 1942 and ended on the 11th November 1942. Prior to the battle Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, commander of the Afrika Korps left North Africa for medical treatment in Germany on the 23rd September 1942. General Georg Stumme was given command as his replacement and his orders were to carry out Rommel’s directive. On the 13th August 1942 Lt. Gen. Bernard Montgomery was appointed as a replacement for General Claude Auchinleck as commander of the Eighth Army.

The First Battle of El Alamein was effectively ended on the 19th September 1942 when the Allies failed to recapture Tobruk from the Axis. The 64km (40 mile) stretch of desert extended from the coast in the north to the Qattara Depression in the south. The defensive line, set up by the Axis powers, was contested by the Afrika Korps to the west and the British Eighth Army to the east. Whilst the Allies were able reinforce their troops the Axis were awaiting hopeful replacements from the Eastern Front which never materialised. Rommel had laid an anti-tank minefield approximately in the centre of the line with tanks positioned either side. The Allies armoured army was distributed fairly evenly along the line. Montgomery had planned the battle to be the opposite of what was expected by the Axis. He used deception successfully by creating a fake flotilla of tanks and building a mock fuel pipeline to convince the Axis powers they would attack northward in a bid to cut off German armour.

By the 23rd October 1942 Montgomery had assembled a powerful multinational Allied force. On the night of the 23rd he launched Operation Lightfoot, a 1,000-gun barrage along the line which lasted for five and half hours. Part of the operation entailed the infantry attacking the minefield, which was named Devil’s Gardens. The anti-tank mines were not tripped by the infantry since they were too light.

 

Following the infantry, engineers cleared a path for the following tanks. The task was difficult and the desired outcome was not achieved because the depth of the Axis minefield was greater than expected. However, Montgomery ordered the clearance of the minefield be completed after an air reconnaissance showed very little change in the Axis tank formations. The plan was to break through the minefield but German Panzers attacked the British tanks who were stopped in their tracks on the 24th October1942 despite having penetrated 6 miles into the minefields. However, on the morning of the 24th October 1942 the German High Command were stunned by the British attack. During the ensuing battle General Stumme went forward to investigate and suffered a heart attack and died. Still not fully recovered Rommel hurriedly returned from his sickbed in Germany to yet again take charge of the Afrika Korps on the 25th October 1942. Rommel was forced into a more defensive role due to lack of fuel combined with the lack of much needed reinforcements. By the 31st October 1942 British were in a position to make a critical breakthrough and end the Second Battle of El Alamein on the 11th November 1942.       

—

American General Mark Clark secretly landed in Algeria on the 20th October 1942.  The North African countries of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia were part of the French colonial empire. They were formally aligned with Germany via Vichy France. In order to provide a pincer operation against the Axis powers in Libya the Allies proposed to attack these countries. With the British forces advancing from Egypt the Allies were confident the desert war could be ended. However, the loyalties of the colonial population in Algeria was mixed. Gibraltar based American General, Dwight D. Eisehower, as supreme commander of the Allied forces in the Mediterranean, was keen to capitalise on the situation. To gauge the mood of the Vichy French forces the American consulate to Algeria was successful in contacting French officers who were willing to support the Allies. The Vichy French officers requested a clandestine conference with a senior Allied General and Eisenhower dispatched senior commander General Clark aboard a submarine for a meeting in Algeria on the 20th October 1942. The meeting was concluded on the 22nd October 1942 when Clark returned to Gibraltar by submarine. The outcome was Operation Torch which began in November 1942. The Americans did not inform the Vichy French authorities for fear the French would object. The objection is likely to have been a grudge with Britain over the attack on the French Navy whilst at anchor in the harbour of Mers-el-Kébir thus preventing the Germans acquiring the vessels.

—-

(Pacific)

On Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands American Marines suffered a defeat by the Japanese by which they barely escaped. This was the first “Battle along the Matanikau” fought from the 23rd to 27th September 1942. A second action involving a far larger force of Marines successfully crossed the Matanikau River on the 7th October 1942. The Japanese had reinforced their troops in preparation for their planned major offensive against U. S. defences. The U.S. Marines attacked the newly landed troops and inflicted heavy losses which forced the Japanese from their position east of the Matanikau on the 9th October 1942.

In an effort to expand the Japanese forces on Guadalcanal it was necessary to operate “Tokyo Express” runs, to deliver troops from the 2nd Infantry Division based at Rabaul in Papua New Guinea. The “Tokyo Express” employed destroyers to deliver Japanese troops instead of the slow moving transports. Whilst the destroyers were able to reach Guadalcanal and return in a single night, most of the heavy equipment and supplies had to use the slow-moving transports.

Immediate reinforcements of U.S. Marines were urgently needed to defend the island against the next expected Japanese attack. On the 8th October 1942 nearly 3,000 men of the American 164th Infantry Regiment boarded ships at New Caledonia were expected to land at Guadalcanal on the 13th October 1942. Four cruisers and five destroyers escorted the ships carrying the U.S. Marines whose brief was to intercept and engage any Japanese ships approaching Guadalcanal.

The Japanese scheduled a large “Tokyo Express” run for the 11th October 1942 consisting of two seaplane tenders and five destroyers who would deliver 728 soldiers plus artillery and ammunition to the island. Running concurrently but in a separate mission three Japanese heavy cruisers and two destroyers were preparing to bombard Henderson Field whose objective was to destroy the airfield and airfield facilities.

On the night of the 11th October 1942 the U.S. escort vessels detected the Japanese vessels and the Battle of Cape Esperance commenced. The Japanese had not expected opposition as there had not been any attempt to oppose any of the “Tokyo Express” mission to Guadalcanal previously. With the U.S. warships in position they opened fire on the unsuspecting Japanese formation. One of the Japanese cruisers and one of the destroyers were sunk with another cruiser heavily damaged. With the mortal wounding of Rear Admiral Aritomo Goto, as commander of the Henderson Field attack force, the remainder of the ships abandoned the bombardment mission and retreated. One U.S. destroyer was sunk and one cruiser plus one destroyer was badly damaged during the exchange of gunfire.

In the meantime the “Tokyo Express” supply convoy began their return journey after successfully unloading their supplies on Guadalcanal without being discovered. On the morning of the 12th October 1942 four destroyers from the Japanese supply column turned back to assist the retreating Henderson Field damaged warships. Attacks by aircraft from Henderson Field sank two of these destroyers later in the day. The convoy of U.S. Marines arrived on the 13th October 1942 at Guadalcanal as scheduled and successfully delivered all the reinforcements.

Despite these reinforcements they were insufficient to repel the expected Japanese attack being delivered by the large “Tokyo Express” and supply convoy. The U.S. Guadalcanal Campaign was only just hanging on around Henderson Field. On the 18th October 1942 Admiral William Halsey arrived at Area Headquarters in Nouméa in New Caledonia. He was handed an order from Pacific Fleet Commander Chester Nimitz to take command of the South Pacific Area and South Pacific forces.

Despite the U.S. victory at the Battle of Cape Esperance, the Japanese continued their plan for the large offensive later in October 1942. Two Japanese battleships, one light cruiser and nine destroyers were sent to protect the slow-moving transports carrying the heavy equipment and supplies. By the 14th October 1942 they reached Guadalcanal and opened fire on Henderson Field. The bombardment lasted over an hour by which time both the runways were heavily damaged. 41 men were killed, 48 of the 90 aircraft were destroyed on the ground and most of the available aviation fuel was burnt. Upon completion of the bombardment the battleships immediately retired.

One of the runways was soon restored to operational condition by the efforts of the Henderson Fields personnel. 37 aircraft were quickly flown to the airfield as replacements and both Army and Marine transport aircraft began to supply aviation fuel. Aware of the Japanese reinforcement supply convoy which arrived at Guadalcanal at midnight on the 14th October 1942, U.S. aircraft bombed and strafed the unloading convoy. Three cargo ships were destroyed and the remainder departed whilst still having approximately one-third of the supplies still on board. In the meantime several Japanese heavy cruisers bombarded Henderson Field but apart from a few aircraft destroyed they failed to cause further damage to the airfield.  

The Japanese continued to deliver troops to their base west of the Matanikau River for their planned offensive against Henderson Field, despite the Marines success at Cape Esperance east of Matanikau. The offensive was scheduled for the 23rd October 1942, and with 20,000 troops at their disposal the Japanese decided the attack would be from the south of Henderson Field. Departing on the 12th October 1942 Japanese engineers began the 15 mile long (24km) trail called the “Maruyama Road” toward Henderson Field. The trail traversed dense jungle, steep ridges, numerous rivers/streams and muddy ravines which was some of the most difficult terrain on Guadalcanal. On the 16th October 1942 approximately 7,000 Japanese troops began the march through the jungle and finally arrived at the airfield’s southern perimeter on the 24th October 1942. The Americans, at that time, were unaware of the approaching Japanese troops. To distract the Americans from the planned southern attack, two battalions of the Japanese 4th Infantry Regiment and nine tanks attacked the U.S. Marine defences at the mouth of the Matanikau from the west. The attack was repulsed and all nine tanks were destroyed over the next two days. More than 1,500 Japanese troops were killed with the U.S. Marines suffering the loss of 60 troops. There were approximately 23,000 American troops on the island as against the Japanese estimate of 10,000. The southern attack force, having marched through the jungle, arrived at the perimeter of Henderson Field on the 24th October 1942 and conducted numerous frontal assaults. The Japanese suffered heavy losses and by the 26th October 1942 further attacks were called off. Coupled with the defeat of the western distraction attack the Japanese were ordered to retreat back to their base. They began arriving at their bases west of the Matanikau on the 4th November 1942, their forces having been decimated by battle deaths, injuries, malnutrition and topical diseases. For the rest of the Guadalcanal Campaign the Japanese fought as a defensive force along the coast as they were incapable of further offensive action, The battle for Henderson Field cost the Japanese 2,200- 3.000 killed whilst the Americans lost a total of approximately 80.

At the same time that Japanese troops were attacking the U.S. Marines at Guadalcanal, Japanese aircraft carriers and other large warships assembled near the southern Solomon Islands. Newly promoted Commander of the South Pacific forces, Admiral Halsey had hoped to meet the Japanese naval forces in battle. On the 26th October 1942 the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands commenced when the two opposing carrier forces confronted each other. Both sides launched search aircraft and located each other’s naval forces about the same time. Japanese aircraft attacked the American carrier force and sank one carrier and severely damaged another. They also sank one destroyer and severely damaged two others which forced the American fleet to retreat from the battle area. American aircraft inflicted significant damage to both Japanese carriers, a heavy cruiser and a light cruiser. Both sides had many aircraft destroyed. The Americans lost 81 aircraft and the Japanese lost 99 aircraft resulting in the Japanese fleet being forced to retire. Technically the Japanese could claim a tactical victory in the Guadalcanal Campaign. However, they were prevented from any further significant carrier participation as they were never able to replace the loss of veteran aircrew personnel. The Americans went on to longer term strategic advantage in the Pacific.

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Air Raid Damage Reports Brentwood Division Essex Fire Service September 1942.

Date                Time   Location         Damage

01/09/1942    14.00  Ramsden       2 small boys were playing with a cartridge

Bellhouse      (believed 303) when it exploded and caused slight injuries to both boys.

01/09/1942    Found  South            1 – H.E. unexploded bomb found 50 yards North

Benfleet       East of Boyce Golf Club House.  Believed to have fallen 7.11.40.  (Disposed of BDS 5.9.42).

05/09/1942    15.00  Great              2 – H.Es exploded in open fields 300 yards N.W. of

                                    Wakering       Abbott’s Hall.  No casualties or damage.

09/09/1942    07.00  Foulness       Found on shore off Eastwick Head part of a

barrage balloon with poles 8ft long and balloon fabric attached.  RAF informed.

12/09/1942    Found  South            1 – H.E. unexploded bomb found in the garden of

Benfleet       253 Philmead Road.  Report Centre informed.  (Disposed of BDS 6.10.42).

13/09/1942 Found  South              1 – Unexploded A.A. Shell found in a field 120

Benfleet           yards S.W. of Railway Bridge South Benfleet.  Date and time of falling unknown.  (Disposed of B.D.S. 28.9.42).

15/09/1942    15.00  Paglesham    1 – Unexploded A.A. Shell found in the garden of

“Red Croft” East End.  Time and date of falling unknown.  (Disposed of BDS 22.9.42).

THE LACONIA INCIDENT

Sailing alone in the Atlantic Ocean the armed RMS Laconia, a converted civilian ocean liner which had been requisitioned by the Royal Navy, was transporting Italian prisoners of war from Cape Town in South Africa to Freetown, Sierra Leonne. On board Laconia there were 1,793 Italian prisoners, a guard of 103 Polish soldiers, 286 British soldiers, 87 civilians and the Laconia crew consisting of 463 officers and men.German U-boat U-156 was patrolling off the west coast of Africa when her commander Werner Hartenstein spotted the lone vessel. Armed troopships and merchantmen were legitimate targets for attacks without warning, and as such U-156 attacked Laconia at around 10 pm on the 12th September 1942.

At 10.22 pm Laconia transmitted the “SSS” message and gave her position. “SSS” was the code sign signifying “under attack by submarine”. Although there were sufficient lifeboats for the ships complement including the prisoners, Laconia was listing heavily preventing half the lifeboats from being launched until the ship had settled. Most prisoners managed to escape from their locked cargo holds by battering down the hatches or climbing ventilator shafts. By the time the last lifeboat had been launched most of the survivors were in the water. When Laconia began to sink U-156 surfaced in order to capture the ship’s surviving senior officers but to their surprise they saw over 2,000 people struggling in the water. Once the captain of U-156 realised the passengers were mostly POW’s and civilians, he sent a coded message to Admiral Karl Dönitz, head of U-boat operations, for further orders. Whilst waiting for a reply he flew a Red Cross flag and began rescue operations. U-156 rescued nearly 200 survivors including 5 women who were crammed above and below decks. He towed 4 lifeboats with another 200 on board. At 6 am on the 13th September 1942 U-156 broadcasted a message in English, not in code, requesting assistance with the rescue mission. U-156 gave her position and an assurance he would not attack providing he was not attacked by ship or air.

Dönitz immediately ordered seven U-boats to divert to the scene to pick up survivors. Fuhrer Adolf Hitler was furious and ordered the rescue to be abandoned and Admiral Erich Raeder ordered Dönitz to disengage. However, Raeder did order U-boats U-506, U-507 and Italian submarine Comandante Cappelli to rendezvous with U-156 and rescue any Italians they could find. Raeder requested the Vichy French to send warships from the Ivory Coast to rescue Italian survivors, and the French who in turn sent one cruiser and two sloops. As ordered Dönitz disengaged the original U-boats and issued another order to U-156 to remain on station. U-156 remained on the surface for the next two and half days and by mid-day on the 15th September 1942 she was joined by U-506, U-507 and Comandante Cappellini. The four submarines with lifeboats being towed headed for the African coast and a rendezvous with the Vichy French warships.

The British in Freetown, Sierra Leone intercepted the open message from U-156 but refused to take any action believing it to be a ruse by the Germans. On the 15th September 1942 a message was passed on to the Americans which implied Laconia had been sunk that day and a British merchant vessel was the way to pick up survivors. However, there was not a mention of the German rescue involvement under a ceasefire or that Vichy French ships were heading toward the rescue area.

During the night of the 16th September 1942 U-156 became separated from the other three Axis submarines and was spotted by an American B-24 Liberator bomber.

The U-boat had a Red Cross flag draped across her gun-deck and signalled the pilot for assistance in both Morse code and English. A British RAF officer on board U-156 also signalled that Laconia survivors were on board. The B-24 pilot turned away without responding, but notified his airbase on Ascension Island of the situation. The American airbase had been set-up in secret as it provided vital fuel supplies to aircraft patrolling the Atlantic, also to resupply the air route to British forces in Egypt and Soviet forces in Russia.  Later claiming he knew nothing about the Red Cross-sanctioned German rescue operation the senior officer of the day ordered the B-24 to “sink the sub”. He had assumed the German U-boat would attack the two Allied freighters diverted by the British to the site, and would only rescue Italian POWs. The Liberator flew back to where U-156 was spotted and attacked her with bombs and depth charges. Dozens of survivors were killed when a bomb landed among the lifeboats being towed by U-156. A number of bombs landed either side of U-156 but caused very little damage. However the captain of U-156 cast adrift the remaining lifeboats still floating. Laconia’s survivors who were travelling on the gun-deck were ordered into the water and the U-boat submerged slowly in order they may escape being sucked down. Two of the lifeboats being towed by U-156 decided to head for Africa ignoring the captain’s request to stay in the area and be rescued by Vichy French ships. One of the lifeboats reached the coast of Africa 27 days later with only 16 survivors out of 68 who began the journey. A British trawler rescued the second lifeboat but only 4 of the 52 occupants survived after 40 days at sea.

U-506, U-507 and Cappellini continued to pick up survivors having been totally unaware U-156 had been attacked. The captain of Cappellini received a message to put the shipwrecked into rafts, with the exception of women, children, Italian POWs and British survivors and meet the French ships. German headquarters confirmed the attack on U-156 and requested the number of survivors held on each of the U-boats. U-507 replied they had 491, of whom 15 were women and 16 were children. U-506 reply was 151 including 9 women and children. The two U-boats chose to ignore the order from headquarters to cast adrift all British and Polish survivors, mark their positions and instruct them to remain where they were. Instead they began to tow them to the rescue rendezvous.

The American airbase on Ascension Island despatched five B-25s to search for the submarines. On the 17th September 1942 one B-25 located Laconia’s rafts and informed British merchant ship Empire Haven of their position. The original B-24 sighted U-506 and attacked. U-506 crash-dived but the B-24s bombs failed to drop. However, on the second run two 500 lb (237 kg) bombs and two 350 lb (159 kg) depth charges were dropped but not cause any damage. The commander of the Ascension Island airbase received an ambiguous message from the British in Freetown that three French ships were en route from Dakar. He assumed the French intended to invade the Ascensions and in order to prepare for an invasion he cancelled the submarine hunting.

The French cruiser Gloire picked up 52 British survivors whilst still 54 miles (100 km) from the rendezvous point. At approximately 2 pm on the 17th September 1942 she met up with the French sloop Annamite as well as U-507 and U-506 at the point of rendezvous. All survivors on the U-boats were transferred to the rescue ships with the exception of two British officers who were kept on board U-507. After the transfer Gloire sailed off on her own and within four hours had rescued another eleven lifeboats and by 10 pm she found another lifeboat then proceeded to the planned rendezvous. At about 1 am a light was spotted on the horizon and Gloire investigated and rescued another 84 survivors.

However, this meant Gloire had to arrange a new rendezvous of 9.30 am whereby Annamite transferred her survivors to Gloire. The survivors were recorded as 373 Italians, 70 Poles and 597 British which included 48 women and children. Gloire departed for Dakar to resupply on the 21st September 1942 then on to Casablanca. Arriving at Casablanca on the 25th September 1942 British Colonel Baldwin presented the captain of Cappellini with a letter of gratitude for the welfare to the survivors of Laconia.

The Italian submarine Cappellin radioed for instructions and waited for a reply as they were unable to locate the French warships. The French sloop Dumont d’Urville was sent to rendezvous with Cappellini, she stopped and rescued a lifeboat from torpedoed British cargo ship Trevilley en route which had been sunk on the 12th September 1942. They did not have any luck searching for other Trevilley survivors and proceeded to rendezvous with Cappellini on the 20th September 1942. The remaining survivors with the exception of six Italian and two British officers were transferred from Cappellini to Dumont d’Urville. In the meantime, the Italian POWs had been transferred to Annamite and arrived at Dakar on the 24th September 1942. Of the original 2,732 complement on board Laconia only 1,113 survived. Of the 1,619 who died, 1,420 were Italian POWs.

The Laconia Incident had far-reaching consequences because Dönitz issued an order prohibiting U-boat crews from attempting rescues and all survivors were to be left in the sea. Occasionally U-boat crews ignored the order and did provide aid for survivors by giving them food, water, simple medical kits for the wounded, and a compass bearing to the nearest landmass.

The Laconia Incident was a series of events and a lack of communications following the legitimate attack by U-156. The only person to come out of the incident with any credit was the commander of U-156, Korvettkapitän Werner Hartenstein. For his actions during the rescue mission he received a radio message, on the 17th September 1942, to say he had been awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross.

Unfortunately he did not survive the war as he and his crew were killed in action, east of Barbados, on the 8th March 1943 by depth charges dropped from an American PBY Catalina aircraft.  

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