July 18th, 1942 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: In London, Harry Hopkins, General George C Marshall, Admiral Ernest V King, Prime Minister Winston S Churchill and the British Chiefs of Staff begin a conference in London on the proposed invasion of North Africa (Operation TORCH).Boom defence vessel HMS Barfoil launched.
Escort carrier HMS Pursuer launched.
GERMANY: Leipheim: Powered by two Junkers Jumo 109-004B turbojets the Messerschmitt Me262 V3 prototype jet fighter makes its maiden flight.
U-384 is commissioned.
U-666 is commissioned.
POLAND: Auschwitz: Impressed by the camp's harsh regime and efficient gas chambers, Heinrich Himmler promotes its commandant, Rudolf Hoess, to SS major.
U.S.S.R.: The Germans take Voroshilovgrad, a mining centre in the Donets basin.
Soviet submarine Shch-138 of the Pacific Fleet is lost off Nikolaevsk-na-Amure by explosion of its own torpedo compartment. 17 men are lost. Submarine Shch-118 is also damaged by this explosion. (Mike Yared and Dave Shirlaw)(146 and 147)
SOLOMON ISLANDS: USAAF Fifth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress with two USMC observers aboard flies a reconnaissance and photographic mission over Gavutu, Guadalcanal and Tulagi Islands in preparation for the U.S. invasion next month.
JAPAN: The Allied Combined Operations Intelligence Centre summaries captured by the German commerce raider THOR on 10 May at last reach Japan. (Daniel Ross)
AUSTRALIA: Rescue tug HMAS Reserve launched.
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: In the Aleutian Islands, an 11th Air Force
B-17 Flying Fortress flying weather and photo reconnaissance over Kiska Island crashes on
Umnak Island.
U.S.A.: "Jingle Jangle Jingle" by Kay Kyser with vocals by Harry Babbitt, Julie Conway and The Group reaches Number 1 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in the U.S. This song, which debuted on the charts two weeks earlier, was charted for 13 weeks, was Number 1 for 8 weeks and was ranked Number 3 for the year 1942.
Escort carrier HMS Ameer (ex-USS Baffins) laid down.
Destroyer escort USS Pillsbury laid down.
Destroyers USS Kalk, Hall, Conner launched.
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
At 1633, the unescorted and unarmed Carmona was hit by one torpedo from U-160 at the starboard side in the engine room, wrecking the engines and killing four men. Ten minutes later a second torpedo hit the starboard side at #2 hatch. Two other torpedoes hit also the starboard side about five minutes later. The ship turned on her side and sank 30 minutes after the first hit southeast of Trinidad. The survivors abandoned ship in two lifeboats after the first hit and were picked up by USS YPC-68, which was about two miles inshore of the Carmona when she was hit and were taken to Port of Spain.
U-575 sank the sailing vessels Glacier and Comrade with gunfire
Steam tanker San Gaspar damaged by U-575 at 10.30N, 60.27W.