Air Operations, Aleutians

A Patrol Wing 4 PBY severely damages the Japanese submarine that torpedoed the seaplane tender Casco the previous day. The submarine is later sunk by a US destroyer.

Air Operations, Bismarcks

5th Air Force B-17s attack shipping in Rabaul's St George Channel.

Air Operations, CBI

8 11th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s based at Yunnani, China attack the airfield at Myitkiyna, Burma.

Air Operations, Europe

Soviet aircraft raid Berlin and other German cities.

Air Operations, Libya

USAMEAF B-24s attack Tobruk harbor.

Air Operations, Solomons

• 18 carrier-borne A6M Zeros attack a US fast transport loaded with aviation supplies that had run aground near Tulagi while fleeing the previous day's attack. The Zeros are intercepted by 67th Fighter Squadron P-400s and late-arriving VMF-223 P-400s. The pilots claim 19 of the Zeros are shot down. In fact, only 5 are downed. 4 P-400s and 2 pilots are lost and 3 F4Fs are written off due to damage leaving only 5 serviceable F4Fs at Henderson Field.
• 18 G4M 'Betty' bombers arrive over Guadalcanal at 1500 hours and sink a US destroyer-transport in an uncontested attack.

Aleutians

Adak is reoccupied by US troops who encounter no opposition. The intention is to use it as an air and naval operating base in the North Pacific area.

Army makes unopposed landing on Adak, 30 August 1942

Landing on Adak

The Casco beached on Atka during Adak landing, 30 August 1942

Casco Beached on Atka

Battle of the Atlantic

• The US tanker Jack Carnes (10,907t), bound for Aruba, is shelled by U-705. After the tanker's Armed Guard gufire force the submarine to submerge, she torpedoes the tanker. 42 of the tanker's crew and 14 of the Armed Guard take to the life boats. They are rescued over the next few days.
• The US freighter Star of Oregon (7176t), en route to Trinidad, is torpedoed by U-162 and abandoned losing 1 sailor. 52 sailors that were on board survive the loss of the ship and are rescued by patrol craft.
• The US freighter West Lashaway (5637t) is torpedoed and sunk by U-66 about 375 miles east of Trinidad. 42 of the 56 on board manage to reach four rafts.

Eastern Front

The German LI and VIII Corps secure the Don-Volga land bridge as the XLVIII Panzer Corps advances to within 30 miles of Stalingrad. The Soviet 62nd and 64th Armies retreat into the city. In the Caucasus, meanwhile, the 1st Panzer Army approaches Grozny and crosses the Terek at Ishcherskaya. As at Stalingrad, the Red Army is battling fiercely and giving ground grudgingly.[MORE]

Guadalcanal

Flying cover for the Japanese bombers this day are planes from the carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku. With an alert from coastwatchers all 19 flyable fighters are in the air including 7 of the P-400s. The transport Burroughs, aground off Tulagi, is discovered to be under attack by the Japanese carrier planes. The American fighters attack the Japanese planes catching them by surprise. 8 Japanese fighters are shot down. The engagement lasts only about 5 minutes. 4 P-400s are lost but 2 pilots rescued. No F4Fs are shot down, but 3 need repair. Only 5 operational F4Fs are available at Henderson.

Just after 1500 18 Bettys appear on a bombing run. They are not interested in the airfield but in the ships in the sound. The Burroughs (APD-6) on the far side, the destroyer transport Colhoun (APD-2) on the Guadalcanal side with the destroyer transport Little (APD-4) and the auxiliary Kopara (AG-50) delivering a load of supplies. The Colhoun (APD-2) is surrounded by near misses and some hits and within two minutes sinks with 51 of her crew.

Tokyo Express runs that night and lands a battalion of troops carried by 3 destroyers. Over the next two weeks, almost nightly under cover of darkness, troops are landed.

Landing at Henderson are 19 new F4Fs and 12 SBDs representing the other 2 squadrons of Marine Air Group 23 and the commander Col William Wallace.

New Guinea

In the evening the Japanese attack at Milne Bay and seize a landing strip. The next morning they are driven back after bloody fighting. Inland they are still advancing towards Port Moresby.

North Africa

The Battle of Alam Halfa begins. At 11:00p.m Rommel's forces begin a final attack designed to clear the British out of Egypt. This action is referred to as the Battle of Alam el Halfa, because the main fighting is around the ridge of that name southeast of El Alamein. Rommel's plan is for diversionary attacks against the British XXX Corps on the left, towards El Alamein, by the German 164th Div and the Italian Trento and Bologna Divisions. The main attack will be delivered against the British XIII Corps in the southern sector of the German line by the 90th Light Div, the Italian motorized corps consisting of the Ariete and Littorio Divisions, the Folgore Division and the reconnaissance group. Rommel's intention is to turn the British positions from the south, then move east from Alam el Halfa Ridge and surround the whole of the British 8th Army.

What makes Rommel's offensive necessary at this moment is the realization that the rebuilding and redeployment of Gen Alexander's forces can only improve with time. Rommel declares: 'The decision to attack today is the most serious I have taken in my life. Either we reach the Suez Canal now, or else. . .'

Already, however, British preparations have been more extensive that he realizes. Much has been done to reconstitute formations shattered earlier in the summer and the British intelligence is effective, enabling Montgomery to improve on the good dispositions established by Auchinleck. Rommel has received some reinforcements, particularly the German 164th Div and a parachute brigade. He is desperately short of supplies and decides to mount his attack on the strength of promises of future shipments. As well as helping the Royal Navy strike at the supply routes, the RAF is dominant over the desert and causes Rommel many casualties.

As usual the cutting edge of Rommel's attack is the German tank formations and these are sent, shortly before midnight, to break through the British minefields between Alam Nayil and Qaret el Himeimat. The British minefields, however, are more elaborate and better defended that Rommel's staff have anticipated and progress is slow.

Occupied Luxemburg

The Grand Duchy of Luxemburg is annexed to the German Reich.