August 1st, 1942 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: USAAF 31st Fighter Group and the 309th Fighter Squadron move to Westhampnett, Sussex.
307th Fighter Squadron moves to Biggin Hill, Kent.
308th Fighter Squadron moves to Kenley, Surrey.
Minesweeping trawler HMS Gateshead launched.
GERMANY: Hitler scorns the US:
It is very difficult to argue with Americans. They immediately shout: "Say, take a look at what our workers earn!" True, but let us take a look at the shady side as well. The industrial worker earns his $80; but the man who is not in industry gets absolutely nothing. At one time they had no less than 13 million unemployed.... I grant you that our standard of life is lower. But the German Reich has 270 opera houses - a standard of cultural existence of which they over there have no conception. They have clothes, food, cars and a badly constructed house - but with a refrigerator! This sort of thing does not impress us. (207)
U-1305, U-1306, U-1307, U-1308 ordered.
U-545 laid down.
U.S.S.R.:
The Germans cut the railway line between Krasnodar and Stalingrad at Salsk.The Soviet Far East Command's Reconnaissance Bureau establishes the 88th Special Independent Sniper Brigade with the survivors of the NEAJUA [Northeast Ant-Japanese United Army], of Korea. Zhao Baozhong is appointed its commander. The 88th Special Independent Brigade's primary mission is to collect intelligence on Imperial Japanese Army movements in Korea and China. It has a total personnel (men and women) of approximately 600-800 and is initially organised into a headquarters, headquarters staff, four battalions (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th) and a signal unit. An independent Chinese language school and a separate accounting company are also attached to the brigade.
The 1st Battalion is commanded by Kim Il Song. This consists of approximately 200 personnel. (Mike Yared)
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: During the night of 1/2 August, US Army Middle East Air Force (USAMEAF) B-24s hit a convoy, scoring 3 direct hits on a large merchant ship which the last aircraft reports sinking; 1 B-24 is lost in crash landing at base.
The St Simon was sunk at 1325 by U-77 35 miles NW of Beirut.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: US B-17s attack the Japanese seaplane base on Gavutu Island.
PACIFIC OCEAN: A USN submarine sinks a Japanese
merchant freighter and oiler off Japan.
NEW GUINEA: Allied Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses attack installations at Gona and shipping 75 miles (121 km) east of Salamaua in Huon Gulf.
TERRITORY OF HAWAII: Ingram M.
Stainback is appointed governor. (Denis Peck)
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Weather and photo reconnaissance is flown by a US 11th Air Force B-24 and LB-30 Liberator over Korovin Bay and North Cape.
CANADA: Frigate HMCS Prince Rupert laid down Esquimalt British Columbia.
Former fishing vessels
HMCS Mayas and Sakura commissioned. Former
Japanese-Canadian owned gillnetters. Sakura became a boom attendant vessel at
Prince Rupert.
U.S.A.:
Roosevelt urges citizens in the eastern states to use coal rather than oil as a household
fuel.
An armed Grumman J4F Widgeon from Houma, Louisiana sinks U-166 off the mouth of the
Mississippi.
German submarine
U-166, which had laid mines off the mouth of the
Mississippi River, is sunk in the Gulf of Mexico, in position 28.37N, 90.45W, by
depth charges from the USN submarine chaser, USS PC-566. All hands, 52 men, on the U-boat are lost.
Gudmundur Helgason, who is Mr. U-boat.net, added the following:
The discovery of U-166 (June 10, 2001) This boat was finally discovered and documented in late May 2001 after years and years of unsuccessful research and wreck-hunting. The wreck was located some 45 miles (72.4 km) south of the mouth of Mississippi River, by C & C Technologies with their AUV during oil-survey work for BP Amoco and Shell.
In the U.S., the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) goes on strike because they are told that phonograph records are a "threat to union members' jobs." During the next several months, union musicians refuse to play in recording sessions but live, musical radio broadcasts continue. In September 1943, Decca Records becomes the first record company to sign a deal with the AFM to pay royalties of up to five cents a record to the AFM benevolent fund for unemployed musicians. The strike finally ends in November 1944 when RCA Victor and Columbia Records agree to terms.
Destroyer escort USS Charles Lawrence laid down.
Submarines USS Seahorse, Skate laid down.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0220, the unescorted Kentar was hit on the port side in the boiler room by one torpedo from U-155 and sank immediately after being hit by a coup de grāce 50 minutes later. The survivors were eventually rescued from whaleboats and rafts, but some men died of exposure.
At 0023, the unescorted Krest“janin was torpedoed and sunk by U-601 west of Mesduzarskij Island. The survivors landed in lifeboats at Beluschja, Nowaja Semlja.
At 1758, the unescorted Clan MacNaughton was torpedoed and sunk by U-155 about 180 miles east of Tobago. Four crewmembers and one gunner were lost. The master and 28 survivors in his boat landed on Tobago Island. The chief officer and 24 survivors were picked up by the Empire Bede and landed at Port of Spain on 5 August. The third mate and 22 survivors landed at Trinidad.