July 15th, 1942 (WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Brendan ("Paddy") Finucane, at 21 the RAF's youngest wing-commander, was shot down over the English Channel and drowned today. He joins another 122 fighter pilots said to be "missing" since 1 June. A quiet Dubliner, Finucane had been awarded several decorations after 32 kills.
He end was freakishly unlucky. Finucane was flying just above ground level when his engine was hit by a light-calibre Wehrmacht machine-gun set up temporarily on dunes near Le Touguet. As he approached the sea he told his comrades, by radio: "This is it, chaps." His Spitfire plunged underwater taking him down.
Destroyer HMS Relentless launched.
Frigate HMS Musk laid down.
FRANCE: Paris: Jews are forbidden to enter any public building such as restaurants, cinemas or libraries.
NETHERLANDS: Amsterdam: 2,000 Jews are deported to Auschwitz, told they are going to labour camps in Germany.
GERMANY: U-529 is launched.
U-746 and U-861 are laid down.
U-467 is commissioned.
FINLAND: Ruotsinsalmi and Patrol
Boat VMV 16 sink Soviet submarine Shtsh 317 at Kallbådagrund by depth charges.
NORTH AFRICA: The German Afrika Korps
regains some ground around Ruweisat Ridge, but take heavy losses from British Artillery.
The Allies hit two Italian divisions, forcing Rommel to postpone his offensive.
Ruweisat, Egypt: Sgt. Keith Elliott (1916-89), New Zealand Expeditionary Force, was wounded but led his men to capture four machine-gun posts, an anti-tank gun and 130 PoWs. (Victoria Cross)
Ruweisat, Egypt: Capt. Charles Hazlitt Upham (b.1908) was badly wounded,, but stayed with his men until so badly wounded that he was unable to move. (Victoria Cross, only VC and bar of the war)
In North Africa, US Army, Middle East Air Force (USAMEAF): B-24s strike the harbour and
ships at Benghazi, Libya during the night of 15/16 July.
CHINA: The first supplies from India reach China by flying over the "HUMP".
AUSTRALIA: Minesweeper HMAS Wallaroo commissioned.
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Three 11th Air Force B-24 Liberators on a bombing mission to Kiska Island turn back due to weather. In Washington, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) have their first discussion regarding the retaking of Attu and Kiska Islands from the Japanese. On Akutan Island, a salvage crew arrives with a medum sized bulldozer fitted with a winch, a second and heavier prefabricated sled and considerable equipment and lumber arrives to salvage the Mitsubishi A6M2 Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter Model 21, Allied Code Name "Zeke," that was first observed lying on its back by a crew of a PBY Catalina on 10 July.
NEWFOUNDLAND: Tug HMCS Lakeville assigned to St. John's.
CANADA: First photographic interpretation unit set up in the Pacific.
HM S/M P554 arrived Argentia for ASW training.
Frigate HMCS Swansea laid down Esquimalt, British Columbia.
U.S.A.: Glen Miller and his Orchestra record the classic song, "Jukebox Saturday Night", for Victor Records. The vocal on the record are by Marion Hutton, Tex Beneke and The Modernaires.
Submarine USS Sunfish commissioned.
Destroyer escorts USS Stewart, Sturtevant laid down.
Corvette USS Might launched.
Destroyer USS Thompson launched.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0146, the unescorted British Yeoman was torpedoed by U-201 SW of the Canary Islands. The tanker caught fire and was later sunk by gunfire. The master, 35 crewmembers and seven gunners were lost. Ten crewmembers were picked up by the Spanish tanker Castillo Almenara and landed at St Vincent, Cape Verde Islands.
At 0749, the unescorted Pennsylvania Sun was hit by one torpedo from U-571 about 125 miles west of Key West, while steaming on a zigzag course at 14 knots. The torpedo struck amidships on the port side between the #5 and #6 tanks and blew away the port wing of the bridge, killed the quartermaster and a seaman and ignited the cargo. The master steered for five minutes southeast at full speed and then ordered the engines stopped, while a distress signal was sent and confirmed. The survivors among the nine officers, 33 crewmen and 17 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in, one 3in, four 20mm and two .30cal guns) on board abandoned ship in three lifeboats, rowed away and put out sea anchors to wait for a rescue vessel. They were picked up by USS Dahlgren after three and one-half hours and taken to Key West the same day. The next evening, the master, three officers and the crew of salvage tug USS Willet returned to the Pennsylvania Sun, when a patrol aircraft reported that the fire had abated. They extinguished the flames and towed her to Key West, where temporary repairs were made. The tanker steamed under own power with her crew to Chester, Pennsylvania and returned to service after the permanent repairs were completed.
Between 2020 and 2025, U-576 fired four torpedoes at Convoy KS-520, the first damaged the Chilore, the second damaged the JA Mowinckel, the third sank the Bluefields and the fourth missed the second ship. U-576 sunk near Cape Hatteras, USA, in position 34.51N, 75.22W, by depth charges from two Scouting Squadron Nine (VS-9) OS2U Kingfishers and ramming by US bulk carrier MV Unicoi. 45 dead (all hands lost). The both damaged ships later run into a US defensive minefield. The Chilore sank and the JA Mowinckel was further damaged, but later repaired. (Jack McKillop and Dave Shirlaw)
At 0330, the Empire Attendant, dispersed from Convoy OS-33, was torpedoed and sunk by U-582 south of the Canary Islands. The master, 49 crewmembers and nine gunners were lost. U-582 reported her victim under the former name Domala.