Air Operations, Europe

• 1 Mosquito to Mainz, but is lost

Damage to Mainz after the Recent Series of Raids

• 131 aircraft of 5 types to Düsseldorf
• Visibilty poor, bombing scattered. Ground reports only a light raid. A 4,000lb bomb hits in center of Neuss, causes a lot of blast damage to buildings, 1 person killed in Neuss
• 2 Lancaster, 1 Hampden and 1 Wellington lost

• 9 aircraft lay mines in the Frisians
• 1 Stirling lost

Air Operations, Solomons

Rabaul-based A6M Zeros reconnoiter Henderson Field on Guadalcanal and drop food parcels to troops hiding in the bush near the Marine Corps' Lunga Perimeter.

Battle of the Atlantic

The US freighter Balladier, in Convoy SC-95, is torpedoed and sunk by U-705 about 550 miles southeast of Iceland. In the attack 11 of the 34-man crew are lost as are 2 of the 11-man Armed Guard. The survivors are rescued by the merchantman Norluna.

Britain, Command

The Pathfinder Force is established within the RAF Bomber Command under Air Commodore Don Bennett. To increase the potency of their bombing missions, the RAF assemble this team of their finest aircrews to lead the main bomber formations and mark the target with flares dropped in a complex pattern. This not only increases accuracy but cuts the time needed for deployment over the target by 50 per cent.

Eastern Front

The Germans make further gains in the foothills of the Caucasus, especially around Georgivesk. The German 6th and 4th Panzer Armies open their major offensive toward Stalingrad.

A new offensive by the German 6th Army shatters the Soviet 1st Guards and 4th Tank Army in the Don Elbow and also hits the flank of the 62nd Army at Perepolnyi. Red Army units continue to stream back across the Don. The city of Stalingrad is becoming the focus of the campaign as each side reinforces its armies in the battle for the city. On the Soviet side the Stalingrad Front has the 1st Guards, 4th Tank, 21st, 24th, 63rd and 66th Armies - 414,000 troops, 200 tanks and 200 artillery pieces. The Southeastern Front has the 51st, 57th, 62nd and 64th Armies - 160,000 troops, 70 tanks and 1,400 artillery pieces. On the German side the 6th Army under Gen Friedrich Paulus numbers 430,000 troops, 440 tanks and 5,300 artillery pieces, and Gen Hermann 'Papa' Hoth's 4th Panzer Army musters 158,000 troops and 2,100 artillery pieces.[MORE]

Guadalcanal

The Marines are busy preparing the airstrip and consolidating their perimeter around it. Rations are cut. The Americans receive their first supplies since landing. The destroyer transports Colhoun (APD-2), Gregory (APD-3), Little (APD-4) and McKean (APD-5) bring in aviation gas, bombs and ammunition. Among the passengers landing are Maj Charles H. Hayes, who will be the operationns officer for the airfield and Ens George W. Polk and 120 aircraft mechanics who were to service the planes that are expected.

Adm Yamamoto orders the creation of Guadalcanal Reinforcement Force. He chooses Rear-Adm Raizo Tanaka and his Destroyer Squadron 2 for the task. Tanaka is loading supplies at Truk and is told to pick up 900 officers and men of Ichiki Detachment and take them to Guadalcanal. It was believed at Japanese army headquarters that, due to the superior Japanese fighting spirit, 1,000 men could do the job of defeating the Americans at Guadalcanal.

The tanker Ohio hit by a torpedo on the 12th and after repairs is able to make 13 knots.

Tanker Ohio Underway After Repairs

The Ohio limped into Grand Harbour on August 15, 1942, as part of Operation PEDESTAL, bringing in vital supplies to the starving population

Tanker Ohio Sails into Grand Harbor

Middle East

Gen Alexander takes over from Gen Auchinleck as Commander-in-Chief, Middle East.

North Africa

Gen Montgomery, having just arrived from Britain, begins at once strengthening and reorganizing the British 8th Army. The X Corps is held in reserve. The 44th Div and the 10th Arm are brought up from the Delta zone to man the Alam el Halfa Ridge behind the El Alamein line, which Montgomery regards as a position of vital importance for the defense of Alexandria. One brigade of the 44th Div is attached to the New Zealand 2nd Div at El Alamein.