September 7th, 1942 (MONDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: USAAF OPERATIONS IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8th Air Force): VIII Bomber Command flies Mission 11: 9 of 29 bombers dispatched attack targets in the Netherlands: (1) 4 of 15 B-17s ineffectively raid the Wilton shipyards at Rotterdam in bad weather and claim 8-4-7 Luftwaffe aircraft and (2) 5 of 14 B-17s seek targets of opportunity in the vicinity of Utrecht and claim 4-6-5 Luftwaffe aircraft.
Escort carrier HMS Atheling launched.
NETHERLANDS: During the night of 7/8 September, 26 RAF Bomber Command aircraft lay mines in the Frisian Islands.
FRANCE: RAF Bomber Command aircraft lay mines off three ports: six aircraft mine off Lorient, five off La Pallice and four off St. Nazaire. One aircraft is lost off La Pallice.
GERMANY:
Individual RAF Bomber Command Mosquitos bombed Bremerhaven, Cologne, Emden, Essen and Wilhelmshaven. The Cologne and Wilhelmshaven diaries have no records of bombs falling. No aircraft lost.
U-288, U-983 and U-984 laid down.
Rome: ITALY declares war on Brazil.
USAAF OPERATIONS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (U.S. Army, Middle East Air Forces): B-24s bomb convoys at sea, hit other shipping, and in Crete, attack Maleme Airfield and Suda Bay.
NEW GUINEA: Port Moresby: For the first time in the Pacific, a Japanese amphibious invasion force has been defeated and forced to withdraw after establishing a beach-head. The defeat was inflicted by two Australian infantry brigades at Milne Bay, in south-eastern Papua, where Japan was denied an air base.
The purpose of the air base was to provide air support for Japan's major thrust across the Owen Stanley Mountains aimed at taking Port Moresby. The Japanese sent 2,400 men of the Special Navy Landing Force to seize the area. But Milne Bay was defended by the 7th Brigade (an Australian militia formation) and the 18th Brigade of the veteran Australian 7th Division, recently returned to the south-west Pacific after service in the Middle East. After landing under cover of darkness on 25 August the Japanese attacked in force on the night of 26-27 August, and after a long and ferocious fight the Australians withdrew to the Gama river.
The Japanese suffered heavy casualties on the night of 31 August when they charged wildly three times in their attempts to seize the airfield. The Australians were firing into groups of Japanese who bunched as they attacked, and many fell in the hail of fire. The operation turned into a Japanese debacle. More Japanese warships were sent to help, but on 5 September Rabaul radioed "try to get them out". By the time the troops had withdrawn they had lost 311 killed with 700 missing.
On the Kokoda Track, Papua New Guinea, the Japanese continue moving down the track from Efogi and engaging the Australians.
In Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, the Australian 18th Brigade is ordered to concentrate in the Gili Gili area based on intelligence reports of a possible Japanese attack from the west or northwest.
USAAF OPERATIONS IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): In New Guinea, A-20 Havocs and P-400 Airacobras strafe and bomb positions at Myola Lake and Efogi in the Owen Stanley Range; P-40s and RAAF Hudsons, Beauforts, and Beaufighters attack a cruiser and destroyer 17 miles (27 km) east-northeast of Cape Karitahua; and organized Japanese resistance in the Milne Bay sector ends.
Milne Bay was a Japanese debacle and an Australian triumph. The victory had a tonic effect on Allied forces far beyond New Guinea. For the first time in the Pacific war a Japanese amphibious invading force had been turned back after it had established a beachhead. In the broad canvas of the Pacific war it was not a major victory. But it was significant. It was an example too of Australians working together as a team. The AIF and the Militia fought side by side with the support of RAAF pilots whose dedicated efforts the soldiers greatly admired. Australian Militia, who were the first to engage the enemy at Milne Bay had proved themselves in a vital test, as had the 39th Battalion on the Kokoda track.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: The 1st Marine Raider Battalion, Col. Merrit "Red Mike" Edson", lands at Tiavu Point on Guadalcanal. This unit was transported by High Speed Transports (APDs) from Tulagi arrived on Guadalcanal two days ago. They are following up information about the landing of Japanese reinforcements that have landed here the past several nights. The bulk of the Japanese troops have left, heading through the jungle towards the south of the Marine perimeter. They will attack there, in about 1 week. The Raiders, numbering about 600, find and destroy supply dumps and rearguard units. The supplies and guard units are destroyed. The Marines will return after 2 days. They carry with them the dress uniform of Lieutenant General Kawaguchi Kiyotake, Commanding Officer of the 35th Brigade. He brought this to wear at the surrender ceremony, when he planned to accept the surrender from General Vandegrift.
This shows General Kawaguchi in the jungle with his men on Guadalcanal.
First air evacuation of casualties to hospital ships off shore occurs at Guadalcanal.
A combined force of the 164th Infantry Regiment, Americal Division and the 7th Marine Regiment moves eastward along the coast without opposition to within a mile of the Metapona River.
Despite bad weather, a USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress leads four replacement USMC F4F Wildcats from Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands, to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal.
AUSTRALIA: Minesweeper HMAS Eccuchuca is commissioned.
PACIFIC OCEAN: USN submarine USS Growler (SS-215) sinks a Japanese merchant cargo ship 20 miles (32 kilometres) northwest of Keelung, Formosa.
In the Solomon Sea in the western South Pacific, twenty RAAF aircraft, eight Kittyhawks, six Beauforts, three Beaufighters and three Hudsons, attack the Japanese ships that evacuated their troops from Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, last night. The ships are the light cruiser HIJMS Tenryu and destroyer HIJMS Arashi. The two ships are spotted off Normanby Island, one of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, located 10 nautical miles (19 kilometers) from the eastern tip of Papua New Guinea. The RAAF aircraft attack and expend all bombs and torpedoes but do not hit anything; the only damage to the ships is from the strafing of the Kittyhawks.
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: USAAF OPERATIONS IN ALASKA (11th Air Force): In the Aleutians, 3 B-24 Liberators patrol and bomb Kiska Harbor and camp area and also patrol Tanaga Island; they are attacked by 3 seaplane fighters of which at least 1 is downed.
CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Kenora arrived Halifax from builder Port Arthur, Ontario.
Trawler HMS Anticosti arrived Halifax from builder Collingwood, Ontario.
Corvette HMCS Snowberry
arrived New York for duty under USN,
Commander Eastern Frontier, NY-Guantanamo convoys Sep 42-Mar 43.
U.S.A.: The first Consolidated XB-32-CO, AAF s/n 41-141, rolls off the assembly line, six months behind schedule. Because of problems with the pressurization system, the gun turrets and landing gear doors, these items were omitted on the prototype. This aircraft had R-3350-13 engines inboard and R-3350-21s outboard driving three-bladed props. The aircraft also had problems with engine oil leaks and poor cooling and this had delayed it further.
Military and naval agreement signed between Cuba and the United States coordinating the special measures which had been taken since the war began.
The Navy and the Maritime Commission celebrate Labor Day by launching 174 ships at 60 shipyards.
Destroyer escorts USS Charles R Greer, Daniel T Griffin, Greiner, Lovering, Reuben James, Ross, Sanders, Sims, Whitman and Wyman laid down.
Minesweeper USS Nucleus laid down.
Destroyer USS Cowell laid down.
LST-314 (Landing Ship Tank) is laid down at the New York Navy Yard. (JJ McKenna)
Destroyers USS Welles and McLanahan launched.
Minesweepers USS Tide and Vital launched.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: The German submarine U-517 torpedoes and sinks three merchant vessels, two Greek (Mount Pindus -5,729 GRT and Mount Taygetus - 3, 286 GRT) and one Canadian (Canadian Gulf and Lake Navigation Co. pulpwood carrier Oakton (1,727 GRT), Oakton was on route from Montreal with a cargo of coal bound for Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Three of her 21 crewmembers were lost. ) totalling over 10,500 tons, sailing in convoy QS-33 at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River near Cap Chat, Quebec, Canada, in position 48.50N, 63.46W. This was the most disastrous convoy in the Battle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The Battle of the St. Lawrence – Convoy QS-33. On 06 Sep, U-165, KKpt. Eberhard Hoffmann, CO, was tracking and reporting the Quebec City to Sydney convoy QS-33 as it passed downriver off Pointe au Pere, east of Rimouski. The convoy consisted of five merchant ships in two columns and was escorted by HMCS Arrowhead (K145), a Flower-class corvette, Cdr. Edgar George Skinner, RCNR, CO, HMCS Raccoon (PV 377), a converted yacht, LCdr. John Norman Smith, RCNR, CO, and the Fairmile-class motor launches HMC ML 083 (Q083), Lt. William Martin Grand, RCNVR, CO, and HMC ML 065 (Q065), CO unknown. At 21:10 on 06 Sep, U-165 sank the Greek merchantman Aeas (4,729 GRT). Arrowhead illuminated the area with star shell and conducted a search, but was unable to detect U-165. Arrowhead picked up 29 of Aeas’s 31 crewmembers and then rejoined the convoy. At 00:12 on 07 Sep, two explosions were heard astern of the convoy roughly where Raccoon was stationed. It was assumed by Arrowhead that Racoon was dropping depth charges. The corvette made a sweep astern of the convoy but Cdr. Skinner did not consider it curious when Racoon was not sighted. Between 03:30 and 04:00, U-517, KptLt. Paul Hartwig, CO, closed on the convoy and conducted four single-torpedo attacks in a span of three minutes. The Canadian Gulf and Lake Navigation Co. pulpwood carrier Oakton (1,727 GRT), Captain Alfred E. Brown, Master, loaded with 2,285 tons of coal bound for Corner Brook, Newfoundland, was sunk in position 48.50N, 063.46W. There were no losses from her 19 crewmembers. Two Greek ships, Mount Pindus (5,729 GRT) and Mount Taygetus (3, 286 GRT), were also lost. All three ships sank within 15 minutes with a combined loss of life of seven crewmembers. Fairmile Q-083 eventually landed 78 survivors at Gaspe. This was the most disastrous outcome of a convoy action during the Battle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Racoon was a private yacht that was requisitioned for use as an escort vessel. She was built by Bath Iron Works at Bath, Maine, in 1931, under the name Halonia. Racoon was commissioned on 31 Dec 40 and saw extensive service in the Halifax area and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. She was hit by two of three torpedoes fired by U-165 and sank rapidly. A short blast from Racoon’s siren was heard faintly after she was hit but this did not alert Arrowhead. As Racoon was not fitted with a voice radio transmitter, she could not signal her distress. Her approximate position in the St. Lawrence River at the time of her loss was 49.01N, 067.17W. All of her 37 crewmembers were lost. (Jack McKillop and Dave Shirlaw)
U-617 sank SS Tor II.
