September 14th, 1942 (MONDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: USAAF 31st Fighter Group is transferred to XII Fighter Command, 12th Air Force. It will continue to operate under VIII Fighter Command.
The Handley-Page Hampden makes its last operation with RAF Bomber Command when No. 408 Squadron attack Wilhelmshaven. (22)
Frigate HMS Inver laid down.
Destroyer HMS Wizard laid down.
FRANCE: To meet German demands for labor collaboration between Vichy France and Germany, the Vichy French government establishes compulsory labor for men between the ages of 18 and 65, and for unmarried women between the ages of 20 and 35.
GERMANY: During the day, RAF Bomber Command Mosquitos bombed ports in Northern Germany. Individual aircraft bombed Cuxhaven , Emden , Kiel, Lubeck and Wilhelmshaven without loss. Wilhelmshaven reports four bombs falling in the town centre, with an old folks' home and several houses hit and ten people injured. Kiel reports four bombs on a nearby village with no particular damage and no casualties.
During the night of 14/15 September, RAF Bomber Command sends 220 aircraft of five types to Wilhelmshaven; 185 bomb the city. A Wellington is the only aircraft lost. The four aircraft of 408 (Canadian) Squadron on this raid represent the last operational effort by Hampdens with front-line squadrons. The Pathfinder marking is accurate and Wilhelmshaven reports its worst raid to date. Housing and city-centre type buildings are listed as being hit hardest. Seventy seven people are killed and more than 50 injured.
U-429 laid down.
U.S.S.R.: Thunderous attacks by 200,000 Germans stagger the Soviets at Stalingrad. In coordinated offensives, the German 6th and 4th Panzer Armies storm into the heart of the wrecked city and nearly reach the main ferry landing where Soviet reinforcements land after crossing the Volga River. Realizing the Germans have nearly conquered the city, Lieutenant General Vasily Chuikov, Commanding General 64th Army, calls for, and gets, reinforcements. The first of them, the 13th Guards Rifles Division, commanded by General Konstantine Rokossovsky, marches 25 miles down the east bank, is brought across the Volga and immediately counterattacks up the Mamai Kurgan . Several other divisions will bolster Stalingrad's defenses during the next few days.
ARCTIC OCEAN: The German submarine U-589 is sunk in the Arctic Ocean southwest of Spitzbergen, in position 75.04N, 04.49E, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Onslow, and depth charges from a Swordfish of No 825 Squadron in the escort carrier HMS Avenger. All hands, 44 men, on the U-boat are lost. The day before she had rescued four Luftwaffe airmen in the Arctic, they too were lost. (Jack McKillop and Alex Gordon)
NORWEGIAN SEA: German torpedo planes continue attacks upon Archangel-bound convoy PQ 18 (Iceland to Archangel), sinking U.S. freighter SS Mary Luckenbach about 600 miles (966 kilometres) west of North Cape, Norway; she is lost with all hands (41 merchant seamen and a 24-man Armed Guard). The violent explosion of SS Mary Luckenbach's ammunition cargo rains debris on nearby freighter SS Nathanael Greene injuring 11 men (five of whom are transferred to British destroyer HMS Onslaught for medical attention), but the merchantman makes port under her own power. Concussion from the explosion also disables U.S. freighter SS Wacosta, which is later torpedoed and sunk about 400 miles (644 kilometres) northeast of Jan Mayen Island; she suffers no casualties. British light cruiser HMS Scylla and minesweeper HMS Harrier rescue all hands: 38 merchant sailors and the 11-man Armed Guard survive SS Wacosta's loss.
German U-boat U-457 torpedoes a British Royal Fleet Auxiliary motor tanker early in the day and the ship is later sunk by torpedoed from U-408 about 127 nautical miles (235 kilometers) south-southeast of Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen Island, in position 76.10N, 18E. Twelve of the 40 merchant ships (30-percent) that left Iceland on 8 September have been sunk. The escort aircraft carrier HMS Avenger (D 14, ex SS Rio Hudson, ex USN BAVG-2) is carrying 12 Sea Hurricanes Mk IIBs and three Swordfish Mk IIs. The Sea Hurricanes intercept the Luftwaffe aircraft attacking PQ 18 and shoot down five and damage 17 others.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: US Army, Middle East Air Force B-24s attack shipping at Suda Bay, Crete, setting 1 vessel afire, while other B-24s hit Tobruk, Libya; P-40s fly a sweep with the RAF over the frontlines.
LIBYA: Tobruk: After a three-hour bombardment and heavy air raids, the British last night launched a raid on this much-fought-over port - aiming to do as much damage as possible to the port and Rommel's supply dumps. But Operation Agreement, as it was called, was a disaster.
The intention was for 350 marines and 150 troops to land on the north and south sides of the harbour respectively and seize coastal defences. The captured defences would then cover a force of destroyers as they entered the harbour, destroyed shipping and port facilities, and took off the marines and soldiers.
A head-on assault by a small force in the face of blistering German counter-fire was risky from the start. Of 21 coastal craft, 19 failed to get troops ashore, and an assault craft with the first wave of marines failed to return. Two destroyers and the anti-aircraft cruiser HMS COVENTRY were also lost, and an MTB was captured; 579 Allied servicemen have been taken prisoner.
Whilst participating in a raid on Tobruk, and in company
with HMS Coventry and HMS Zulu, Tribal class destroyer HMS Sikh is illuminated
by a searchlight associated with a Luftwaffe 88mm. Flak battery and receives
heavy, well-directed fire. The gearing room, the turbine lubrication system are
destroyed and ready use 4,7 ammunition along side A turret is exploded, as are
the demolition charges set around Y turret. HMS Zulu attempts to tow Sikh away
but is herself hit and is ordered away. Sikh is scuttled at 0708 and the crew
abandon the ship. There are 275 casualties. Location: off Tobruk at (sic) 32 65N
24 00E.
Cruiser HMS Coventry is attacked by a force of Ju.87 aircraft and so
badly damaged that she has to be sunk by HMS Zulu off Tobruk at 32 48N 28 17E.
Tribal class destroyer HMS Zulu is attacked by a force of 6 Ju.87 and 12
Ju.88. A bomb enters the engine room and brings the ship to a stop. Croome takes
off all crew except for a towing party, whilst Hursley takes her in tow. When it
became clear that Zulu was sinking, the tow is cast off, but before Croome can
come alongside to take off the towing party, Zulu rolls over and sinks East of Tobruk at 32 00N 28 56E. There are 40 casualties. (Alex Gordon)(108)
The Italian submarine Alabastro is sunk by a British Sunderland Mk. II, aircraft "R" of No. 202 Squadron based at Gibraltar, northwest of Algiers, Algeria. The sub is caught on the surface and the captain elects to fight it out with guns but the Sunderland, piloted by an Australian, drops a depth charge and Alabastro stops dead in the water and sinks after 30 minutes, leaving 40 survivors in the water.
EGYPT: Cairo: An ambitious scheme to hit three Libyan targets in a combined operation has blown up in the face of its British planners. At Benghazi, David Stirling's Special Air Service (SAS) found the enemy waiting and ready, so withdrew under heavy fire, losing 18 Jeeps and 25 other vehicles. At Tobruk the assault from sea and desert using infantry, Marine commandos and the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was a failure costing three big ships and many lives. At Barce a New Zealand LRDG patrol blew up 24 enemy aircraft, but few of these men are expected to survive the Luftwaffe manhunt across the desert.
NEW GUINEA: The
Japanese edge to within 32 miles (51 kilometres) of Port Moresby but run into
units of the Australian 7 Division at Imita Ridge on the Kokoda Trail. It is the
last advance the Japanese will make on the island and the high water mark of
their conquests. Henceforth, all their moves will be retreats.
A single US 5th Air Force A-20 Havoc bombs ground forces and installations at
Myola.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: At 0515, Admiral Turner sails from Espiritu Santo, with the 7th Marines bound for Guadalcanal.
At 1445 I-19 fires 6 torpedoes at the USS Wasp, sailing between New Caledonia and Guadalcanal. 1 hits the Wasp, the others continue on. One hits the battleship North Carolina and another the destroyer O'Brien. The Wasp is scuttled at 2100 by three US torpedoes, the North Carolina will fight again. The O'Brien will sink on October 19, 2800 miles toward home and a major refit.
IJA troops attempting to retake Henderson Field on Guadalcanal are driven back for the second day in a row. USAAF P-400 Airacobras attack the Japanese troops retreating south of the Lunga Perimeter. At about 1300 hours, 28 G4M "Betty" bombers escorted by an unknown number of A6M "Zekes" bomb Henderson Field; Marine F4F Wildcat pilots shoot down 2 G4Ms and 2 A6Ms.
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIANS: In the first combined heavy mission over Kiska Island in the Aleutian Islands, the US 11th Air Force dispatches 13 B-24 Liberators, 1 B-17 Flying Fortress, 14 P-38 Lightnings, and 14 P-39Airacobras to fly low-altitude and photo runs; the P-39s strafe and damage 2 submarines in the harbor; the other aircraft bomb and strafe many installations including AA guns and the submarine base; a single aircraft also strafes Segula Island; enemy losses are 5 float planes shot down and 1 flying boat destroyed on the water; an ammunition ship is sunk and another vessel slightly damaged; while a large cargo vessel and several small barges and vessels sustain hits; 2 P-38s are lost, colliding head-on while after a fighter.
CANADA: MFV HMCS Chamiss Bay acquired.
U.S.A.: The 18-minute color documentary "The Battle of Midway" is released. Directed, produced and filmed by John Ford, narration is provided by Donald Crisp, Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell with James Roosevelt, the President's son, appearing as an Army major. Ford was on Midway Island with a crew of Navy photographers during the epic battle in June 1942.
Corvette HMCS Halifax arrived New York for duty under USN Commander Eastern Frontier, New York - Guantanamo convoys, Sep 42 - Mar 43. Submarines USS Capelin and Crevalle laid down.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: After four days of attack by a wolfpack of 13 U-boats, convoy ON-127 has lost 12 freighters and one Canadian destroyer; one U-boat has been hit.
At 0005 hours, whilst escorting convoy ON.127, destroyer HMCS Ottawa is torpedoed and sunk by U-91 (Kptlt. Heinz Hungershausen CO) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence at 47 55N 43 27W. There are 112 casualties and 76 survivors. Reports state the CO gave his lifebelt to a rating. Corvette HMCS Arvida rescued survivors. U-91 was a VIIC type U-boat, built by Flender-Werke AG, Lubeck-Siems, commissioned 28 Jan 41, in service 25 months, on 04 Sep 42 U-91 was a member of Wolfpack group, "Vorwarts", this Wolfpack sank 7 ships in Convoy ON 127, and 3 ships in convoy RB 1. 6 ships sunk for a total of 36,952 tons, Fate sunk 25 Feb 44 in Northern Atlantic, in position 48.12N, 40.56W by HMS Affleck, Gore and Gould. Of the U-91 crew of 51, there were 15 survivors and 36 lost.
U-408 sinks SS Atheltemplar
in Convoy PQ-18
U-457 damaged SS Atheltemplar
in Convoy PQ-18.
U-515 sinks SS Harborough.