Air Operations, Aleutians

7 28th Composite Bomb Group are sent to attack Kiska. 4 return due to mechanical problems, the other 3 do not attack due to cloud cover over the target.

Air Operations, Bismarcks

13 19th Heavy Bomb Group B-17s attack the Vunakanau airfield at Rabaul. 1 B-17 is lost.

Air Operations, Europe

• 3 Mosquitos to Germany
• Only 1 drops bombs on either Mannheim or Worms
• No losses

Air Operations, New Guinea

22nd Medium Bomb Group B-26s attack Lae. A 5th Air Force B-17 and a B-26 attack a Japanese submarine in the Gulf of Papua.

Air Operations, Solomons

At 1315 hours, 27 Rabaul-based G4M 'Betty' medium bombers, escorted by 17 A6M Zeros, attack the Allied invasion fleet off Guadalcanal but are driven off by 18 VF-5 and VF-6 F4Fs who down 8 of the 'Betty' bombers and 1 Zero over the fleet. 8 F4Fs and 1 SBD are lost, but most of the American airmen are rescued. A second attack comes in at 1430 hours by 9 D3A 'Val' dive bombers. 1 US destroyer is lightly damaged by a bomb. 5 'Vals' are shot down by VF-6 F4Fs and 4 ditch on their return flight to Rabaul.

Aleutians

The Japanese-held island of Kiska is bombarded by an American naval task force of cruisers and destroyers commanded by Rear-Adm William W. Smith. Some military installations are damaged.

Eastern Front

Fierce fighting continues around Rzhev as the Soviet and German armored units struggle to gain headway. Losses to both combatants are very heavy.

The Germans launch a massive effort to crush the 62nd Army in the Don Elbow. The 24th and 16th Panzer Divisions hit both flanks of the 62nd.

Mediterranean

The British submarine Proteus sinks the German steamer Wachtfels (8467t) near Sicily.

North Africa

(8th?)Gen William H. E. Gott is killed on the flight back to Cairo when his plane is intercepted by 2 German Messerschmidts. Gen Gott, XIII Corps commander, had been chosen to take over the command of the 8th Army. Gen Sir Bernard Law Montgomery is chosen to replace him.

Occupied Holland

987 Dutch Jews are sent to Auschwitz.

Pacific

The US submarine Tambor (SS-198) sinks the Japanese auxiliary netlayer Shofuku Maru (891t) off Wotje, Marshalls.

Palestine

Sir John Grigg announces the creation of a Palestine Regt in the British Army. This unit will be made up of separate Arab and Jewish battalions. The training provided for service in these units will provide valuable experience for the postwar operations of both sides.

US Marines Hitting the Beach

US Marines debark from LCP(L)s onto Guadalcanal on 7 August 1942

Solomons

Operation WATCHTOWER begins. After massive air and naval bombardment of the areas selected for the landing, the US 1st Marine Div under the command of Gen Alexander A. Vandegrift lands on the islands of Florida, Tulagi, Gavutu, Tanambogo and Guadalcanal. With close support from naval guns and carrier-based aircraft under the command of Vice-Adm F. J. Fletcher, the Marines land at 7:40a.m. on Florida and at 8:00a.m. on the south coast of Tulagi. The Japanese put up strong resistance on Tulagi who hold the Marines about half a mile from the southeast point. At 9:10a.m. a Marine regiment lands without opposition on the north coast of Guadalcanal, about 4 miles from Lunga Point. A bridgehead between the mouths of the Tenaru and Tenavatu Rivers is established. It extends southwest towards Mount Austen. Benefiting from bad weather by evening the landing force of about 11,000 has penetrated about a mile into the island. At midday a parachute battalion lands on the twin islands of Gavutu and Tanambogo, east of Tulagi, and occupies them almost completely despite enemy fire.

Japanese aircraft attack the landing force and damages the American destroyer Mugford (DD-389).[MORE]

US Marines Landing at Lunga Point, Guadalcanal

On August 7, 1942, US Marines landed at Lunga Point on the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomons group. Their immediate objective was the seizure of a partially completed airfield, later finished by the US military and renamed Henderson Field in honor of USMC Major Lofton Henderson who was killed during the Battle of Midway. Along with landings on Tulagi and Florida Islands, the campaign was designed to take Japanese pressure off New Guinea and secure communications lines between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.