Air Operations, CBI

A 23rd Fighter Group P-40 a Japanese twin-engine plane near the airfield at Kunming, China at 1048 hours.

Air Operations, Europe

• 12 Bostons bomb Cherbourg and Le Havre without a loss.

• 249 aircraft of 5 types to Frankfurt.
• Pathfinders unable to locate Frankfurt accurately; most bombs fall southwest of the city and in the town of Rüsselsheim, 15 miles away; Frankfurt reports only a few bombs hit the city
• Bomber Command says Opel tank factory and Michelin tire factory are hit; 1 person killed and 30 injured.
• 5 Wellingtons and 2 Halifaxes are lost.

Air Operations, Greece

USAMEAF B-24s attack shipping and port facilities at Suda Bay.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-17s and RAAF Hudsons attack a Japanese cruiser and destroyer north of the D'Entrecasteau Islands. V Fighter Command P-400s provide direct support to embattled Australian Army ground troops near Efogi.

Air Operations, Solomons

Throughout the day, Cactus Air Force F4Fs and P-400s provide direct support to a Marine ground attack on a Japanese Army support base east of the Lunga Perimeter. 3 F4Fs and 1 P-400 are lost due to accidents and another F4F crashes on takeoff. After failing to locate 11 Japanese Navy float planes attacking facilities at Tulagi, 4 of 14 Cactus Air Force F4Fs are written off and 2 others damaged in bad landings in foggy weather.

Allied Planning

Lt-Gen Carl Spaatz and the RAF reach an agreement on fighter support for 8th Air Force bombing operations. The RAF will support the US daylight bombing raids, while the British will concentrate on night bombing. Spaatz orders priority of effort to be given to TORCH, including the buildup of the 12th Air Force, which is to support Operation TORCH in North Africa. [ | ]

Atlantic

British MGBs engage German coastal convoys off Cherbourg and in the Straits of Dover. German shore batteries open fire at Cherbourg.

A German Messerschmitt pilot force landed in Stalingrad due to engine failure was arrested by the Russians. September 8, 1942.

German Messerschmitt Lands in Stalingrad

Guadalcanal

A provisional battalion composed of some of the 1st Raider and 1st Parachute Battalions moves east from Lunga Point by sea to destroy an enemy force at Tasimboko, near Taivu Point. Debarking east of Tasimboko, the battalion moves west clashing with outposts of a strong enemy force that has landed recently near Taivu Point. The Japanese are driven from Tasimboko. The battalion suffer 8 casualties while killing 27 Japanese. The raiders are supported by aircraft from Henderson Field. The Japanese in the Taivu Point area are the main body of a new assault force with a smaller part of this force is in the vicinity of Kokumbona.

New Guinea

The Australian 21st Bde is pushed back once more by Gen Tomitaro Horii's forces in the Owen Stanley Range. This time the position near Efogi has to abandoned.

North Africa

British aircraft step up their bombing attacks on Tobruk.

United States, Home Front

In one of his broadcast 'Fireside Chats' Roosevelt declares: 'This is the toughest war of all time. But', he adds, 'Americans are tough enough to meet this unprecedented challenge and the decision has already been made to launch a great offensive.' Here he is referring to Operation TORCH.

Vichy, Politics

Gen Robert de St Vincent, Military Governor of Lyons, is dismissed by the Vichy authorities for refusing to help arrest Jews in his area.