Air Operations, Aleutians10 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s attack the main camp and harbor at Kiska in two separate missions. [ | ]Air Operations, EuropeBOMBER COMMANDDaylight Ops:
Air Operations, MediterraneanAxis air forces launch a final major air offensive against Malta. Defending Spitfires, however, inflict heavy losses. From October 16 Ju-88 bombers will be restricted to night operations. All daylight bomber raids are abandoned on October 17. (see November 8, 1942.) [ | ]Air Operations, Solomons39 Cactus Air Force F4Fs and 12 P-39s and P-400s intercept a two-part Japanese Navy air attack at 1230 hours. Preceded by 17 A6M Zeros which are not intercepted, a force of 18 G4M Betty bombers and 30 A6M Zeros is force to low altitude by low clouds. The F4Fs with an altitude advantage shoot down 9 Bettys and 2 Zeros. Also in the action are 2 339th Fighter Squadron P-39s which down 2 more Bettys. 1 F4F and 1 P-39 are lost. [ | ]Battle of the AtlanticThe US freighter Steel Scientist, en route to Paramaribo, British Guiana, is torpedoed and sunk by U-514 losing 1 crewman in the attack. The survivors, 37 merchant seamen and the 9-man Armed Guard, take to a gig and 3 lifeboats. [ | ]
Eastern FrontFor the first time in almost two months, 51 days, there is a complete lull in the Stalingrad sector.
GuadalcanalAdm Yamomoto postpones X-Day, but the fleet air arm and supply organization operations will continue as planned. [ | ]MadagascarGen Sir William Platt hands over command in the theater to Gen Gerald R. Smallwood. [ | ]PacificThe Japanese submarine I-25, heading home after her deployment of the US west coast, torpedoes and sinks the Russian submarine L-16 sailing from Dutch Harbor, Alaska to San Francisco, California. [ | ]Battle of Cape EsperanceBoth sides mount supply operations to the forces on Guadalcanal. During the night and continuing throughout the next day, the covering squadrons of cruisers and destroyers meet off Cape Esperance and a confused night action ensues. The American force consists of 4 cruisers, the San Francisco (CA-38), the Salt Lake City (CA-25), the Boise (CL-47) and the Helena (CL-50), and 4 destroyers led by Rear-Adm Norman Scott. The Japanese squadron, commanded by Rear-Adm Aritomo Goto, has 3 cruisers, the Aoba, the Kinugasa and the Furutaka, and 2 destroyers. Although the Americans have the crucial advantage of radar, communications between their ships are poor and their actions are not well led and they fail to make best use of their superior torpedo equipment. At various stages in the battle both sides fire on their own ships. The Americans lose 1 destroyer, the Duncan (DD-485), and 2 cruisers, the Salt Lake City (CA-25) and the Boise (CL-47), and another destroyer, the Farenholt (DD-491), are seriously damaged. The Japanese come off worse, losing a cruiser, the Frutaka and 1 destroyer and having the other 2 cruisers damaged. Their remaining 2 destroyers are sunk by air attack by planes from Henderson Field during the daylight of October 12th. With these additional losses the Japanese will be hard pressed to block further reinforcement of US forces on Guadalcanal. Both sides' transports get through. On the 11th the Japanese land various supplies including artillery and tanks, and on the 13th the Americans land 3,000 more men from the Americal Div.
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[October 10th - October 12th] |