Friday 20 February 1942

Lieutenant Butch O'Hare in the cockpit of his Grumman F4F Wildcat shortly after shooting down five Japanese bombers and becoming an ace-in-a-day on 20 February 1942. For his actions, O'Hare is promoted to lieutenant commander and receives the Medal of Honor (Office of War Information National Archives, via the Naval Historical Center website).

Battle of the Pacific: The Combined Chiefs of Staff announces on 20 February 1942 that Allied forces will remain on Java and will not be evacuated. At this point, Java is basically encircled, with new Japanese naval and air bases close by Portuguese Timor, Bali, Singapore, and Sumatra. So far, the ABDA forces have not succeeded in stopping the Japanese anywhere, and everyone expected Singapore to hold out, too. In a show of confidence, Governor of the Netherlands East Indies Dr. van Mook returns to Batavia from the United States today.

In Portuguese Timor, about 1500 troops of the Japanese 228th Regimental Group, 38th Division, XVI Army, continue their landings at Dili. Resistance is spotty, with some areas such as the airport fiercely defended by Australian commandos while others are abandoned. The Australian defenders are heavily outnumbered and retreat to the south and the ease toward the mountains. About 200 Dutch East Indies troops head southwest toward the border with Dutch Timor.

The first issue of the Singapore occupation newspaper The Shonan Times on Feb 20, 1942, celebrates Japan's victory and "impregnable" position. The last issue on 4 September 1945 will list reasons for Japan's defeat. PHOTO: NATIONAL LIBRARY, SINGAPORE.

In the Badung Strait, Vice Admiral Karel Doorman retreats with his battered force after the Battle of Badung Strait on 19 February 1942. At 06:00, Admiral Doorman sends seven torpedo boats to the Strait, but they do not find any targets. The failure of the ABDA forces at the Battle of Badung Strait leaves the Japanese in possession of Bali. The Japanese have suffered little damage during the engagement, while the ABDA forces have lost destroyer Piet Hein and suffered damage to cruiser Tromp and destroyer Stewart. Japanese aircraft of the Tainan Air Group land at Bali and begin operations.

Edward O'Hare, seen during a subsequent ticker-tape parade, becomes an ace-in-a-day on 20 February 1942 by shooting down five Japanese bombers (AP Photo).

USS Lexington, Task Force 11, is on a mission to penetrate waters north of New Ireland near Bougainville, Papua New Guinea and to attack Rabaul when it is attacked by Japanese bombers based at Rabaul. This is known as the Action off Bougainville. While most of the carrier's fighters are chasing them off, another group of Bettys from the 4th Kōkūtai's 1st Chuta is located only twelve miles away. Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry "Butch" O'Hare and his wingman, Marion "Duff" Dufilho, are the only two fighter pilots available when the second wave of Japanese bombers attack US Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington. They take off together, and O'Hare shoots down five Betty bombers and he damages three more. This makes O'Hare the first U.S. flying ace of the war and he receives the Medal of Honor. O'Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago is named after Lt. O'Hare, and destroyer USS O'Hare (DD-889) also is named after him.

In the Philippines, Japanese artillery bombardment intensifies on fortified islands still held by the Allies in and near Manila Bay. US Navy submarine USS Swordfish departs from the Philippines with President Manuel Quezon, Vice President Sergio Osmea, their families, and other top government officials. Their first stop is Mindanao, where Quezon wants to stop in order to remain in the country that he governs. General MacArthur, the leader of Allied forces in the Philippines, orders that troops keep a close eye on Quezon to make sure that he does not attempt to make a separate peace with the Japanese. Since MacArthur, who is a Field Marshal in the Philippine Army, relies on Philippine troops to man the Main Line of Resistance (MLR) on the Bataan Peninsula, that would be a catastrophic development and almost certainly lead to a quick defeat. Whether or not Quezon's departure has an effect on morale remains to be seen.

The San Diego (California) Tribune-Sun of 20 February 1942 notes that United States citizens of Japanese descent are subject to internment pursuant to President Roosevelt's new Executive Order 9066.

In Burma, the Indian 17th Division continues to withdraw toward the Sittang River. Japanese aircraft strafe the fleeing troops, who are short of water and other essentials, and this leads to a lot of abandoned equipment. The campaign has for the moment become a race for a key bridge across the Sittang, with Japanese infiltrators closer to it than the main body of Allied troops. The British authorities order all civilians to evacuate Rangoon within 48 hours.

Japanese aircraft of the Tainan Kokutai strafe Singosari Airfield on East Java. They destroy numerous aircraft on the ground, including B-17E 41-2455, B-17E 41-2484, B-17E 41-2488, B-17E 41-2478, and B-17E 41-2498. Other Japanese bombers damage 4991-ton Dutch freighter Jalakrishna and sink 983-ton Dutch freighter Tobelo at Kupang. Japanese submarine I-65 torpedoes and sinks 5280-ton freighter Bhima in the Indian Ocean southwest of India, with all 70 people on board surviving. Japanese bombers sink 4068-ton Australian freighter Koolama off Wyndham, West Australia.

Generalmajor Theodor Scherer, the commander of the German troops encircled by the Red Army at Kholm, receives the Knight's Cross at the hands of the officers of his staff, 20 February 1942. Note they are all unshaven, reflecting their difficult situation. Scherer receives the award as Generalmajor and commander of the 281. Sicherungs-Division. The Germans hold approximately one square mile in Kholm at the confluence of the Lowat and Kunja rivers. They have been surrounded since 21 January 1942. The trapped force there has been designated Kampfgruppe Scherer.

Eastern Front: The German Army high command (OKH) compiles a report on casualties to date on the Eastern Front. So far, there are 199,448 dead, 708,351 wounded, 44,342 troops missing, and 112,627 cases of severe frostbite. Considering that the invasion began with approximately 3 million Axis troops, casualties after eight months of the war are about one-third. While many wounded men are able to return to duty, replacements have not matched losses.

European Air Operations: Activities on both sides are relatively quiet day due to weather conditions. There are no major operations.

A Mitsubishi G4M “Betty” medium bomber photographed from the flight deck of USS Lexington, 20 February 1942. (U.S. Navy).

Battle of the Atlantic: U-156 (Kptlt. Werner Hartenstein), which opened hostilities in the Caribbean as part of Operation Neuland,  continues its successful patrol when it torpedoes and sinks independent 5127-ton US freighter Delplata about sixty miles (97 km) west of Martinique. There are no deaths and all 53 men on board are picked up on the 21st by seaplane tender USS Lapwing (AVP 1). The Delplata does not sink right away, so the Lapwing sinks it on the 21st with gunfire. Following this further success, Hartenstein requests permission from the Vichy French authorities at Martinique to dock in order to put ashore their gunnery officer, who lost his right leg in an accident on 16 February. This request is granted, and U-156 docks there on the 21st.

U-129 (Kptlt. Asmus Nicolai Clausen), on its fourth patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks unescorted 2,400-ton Norwegian freighter Nordvangen near Trinidad. The ship sinks quickly and all 24 men aboard perish. An empty lifeboat washes ashore on Trinidad on 6 March.

SS Nordvangen, sunk by U-129 on 20 February 1942.

U-96 (Kptlt. Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock), on its third patrol out of Lorient, 2398-ton US freighter Lake Osweya off Nova Scotia. This sinking is sometimes dated as taking place on 19 February, but it appears that the torpedoes hit at 04:53 on 20 February. Lehmann-Willenbrock reports seeing three lifeboats launched, but the entire 39-man crew disappears.

Italian submarine Luigi Torelli torpedoes and sinks British 7224-ton freighter Scottish Star while the freighter is en route from London to Buenos Aires. Some sources place this sinking on 19 February 1942. There are four deaths and 69 survivors.

German 1025-ton freighter Jason hits a mine and sinks near Calais.

SS Delplata, sunk on 20 February 1942.

Battle of the Mediterranean: After a day without any air raids for the first time in many weeks, the bombers return on 20 February 1942. They attack Senglea, Bighi, Cospicua, Luqa, Kalafrana, and Zeitun. There are no reports of any aircraft losses.

US/Soviet Relations: The United States offers the USSR a $1 billion loan.

US/Vichy France Relations: The US Ambassador to Vichy France, Admiral William D. Leahy, requests that he be recalled to the United States "for consultations." Leahy is concerned about a growing hardline Vichy French attitude against the United States. This request will be denied.

Portuguese/Japanese Relations: Portugal protests to the Japanese government over its seizure of Portuguese Timor and the airfield at Dili. Portugal is a neutral nation.

Scottish Star (previously the Millais), sunk by Italian submarine Luigi Torelli on 20 February 1942.

US Military: Major General Ira C. Eaker, commander of the USAAF VIII Bomber Command, arrives by air in the British Isles. Their first task is to select a headquarters site. Eaker reports to Commanding General U.S. Army Forces, British Isles (USAFI) Major General James E. Chaney, who arrived with U.S. Army troops in January.

The USAAF Fifth Air Force moves the A-24s of the air echelon of the 17th Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bomber Group, from Brisbane to Batchelor. The 22nd Bombardment Squadron B-17s complete a move from Fiji to Townsville.

Australian Military: Following the devastating Japanese air raid on the port of Darwin, the Allies abandon it as a naval base. The airfields remain operational.

The Paducah (Texas) Post notes large numbers of men being taken into the US military. Similar headlines play out all across the country.

American Homefront: Universal Pictures releases "Ride 'Em Cowboy." Directed by Arthur Lubin and starring the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, the film becomes the eighth biggest film hit of 1942.

Future History: Philip Anthony Esposito is born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Esposito develops an early interest in hockey and signs with the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League as a teenager. He is an immediate success in a junior league, scoring 12 points (goals and assists) in one playoff game and averaging 3.3 points per game. After three years in the junior leagues, the Black Hawks bring Esposito up to the parent club during the 1964 season. Centering for Bobby Hull, another NHL star, Esposito is among the league scoring leaders for the next three years. In 1967, the Black Hawks trade Esposito to the Boston Bruins. Esposito goes on to become one of the greatest scorers in NHL history. Among his other accomplishments is becoming the first NHL player in history to score 100 points in 1969 and leads the league in goals for six straight years. He leads the Bruins to Stanley Cup Championships in 1970 and 1972. Esposito later plays for the New York Rangers and becomes its captain. Esposito retires in 1981 and goes into Rangers management, then is elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. As of this writing, Phil Esposito serves as a radio color commentator for the Tampa Bay NHL franchise.

Addison Mitchell McConnell Jr. is born in Sheffield Alabama. His family moves to Georgia, then Louisville, Kentucky when Mitch McConnell is eight years old. After graduating from the University of Louisville, McConnell interns for Senator John Sherman Cooper in 1964. After law school, he enlists in the U.S. Army Reserve as a private. However, he is deemed medically unfit later in the year and honorably discharged. McConnell continues his political development and is elected as Jefferson County Judge/Executive in 1977 and to the United States Senate in 1984. As of this writing, Mitch McConnell is the Senate Majority Leader.

The 20 February 1942 Daily News focuses on the cabinet shifts in Great Britain.

February 1942

February 1, 1942: The US Navy Strikes Back
February 2, 1942: Germans Recovering in Russia
February 3, 1942: Japanese Shell and Bomb Singapore
February 4, 1942: Battle of Makassar Strait
February 5, 1942: Empress of Asia Sunk
February 6, 1942: The Christmas Island Body
February 7, 1942: The Double-V Campaign
February 8, 1942: Japan Invades Singapore
February 9, 1942: French Liner Normandie Capsizes
February 10, 1942: US Car Production Ends
February 11, 1942: Tomforce Fails on Singapore
February 12, 1942: The Channel Dash
February 13, 1942: Japanese Paratroopers In Action
February 14, 1942: RAF Orders Terror Raids
February 15, 1942: Japan Takes Singapore
February 17, 1942: Indian Troops Defect to Japanese
February 18, 1942: Battle of Badung Strait
February 19, 1942: FDR Authorizes Internment Camps
February 20, 1942: O'Hare the Hero
February 21, 1942: Crisis in Burma
February 22, 1942: Bomber Harris Takes Over
February 23, 1942: Bombardment of Ellwood, California
February 24, 1942: US Raid on Wake Island
February 25, 1942: Battle of Los Angeles
February 26, 1942: Gneisenau Eliminated
February 27, 1942: Battle of Java Sea
February 28, 1942: Battle of Sunda Strait

2020

Monday 26 January 1942

The first US troops in the European Theater of Operations disembark at Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 26 January 1942.

Battle of the Pacific: On the Malay Peninsula, the Commonwealth troops continue to retreat south toward Singapore on 26 January 1942. A Japanese convoy of two ships lands troops at Endau, Malaya. Endau is a small town in Mersing District, Johor, Malaysia, which lies on the northern tip of east Johor, on the border with Pahang. The defense of Endau is critical to the defense of Singapore because it would sever lines of communication with British forces farther north. For this reason, it is a major objective of the Japanese military. These new Japanese troops put immediate pressure on the Allied defenders.

British Ten-pound banknotes issued by the Bank of Ireland in Northern Ireland, dated 26 January 1942, U/11 079069, with the signature of H.J. Adams

Two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Lockheed Hudson reconnaissance aircraft on routine patrol see the convoy of Japanese troopships (they report seeing eleven) heading from Cam Ranh Bay, Indochina, toward Endau. During the afternoon, the RAF sends 12 Vickers Vildebeest and 9 Fairey Albacore torpedo bombers of No. 36 Squadron RAF and No. 100 Squadron RAF to attack the force. The RAF planes are all biplanes and no match for defending Japanese fighters, and in any event, the planes arrive long after the landings have begun. They bomb the ships with "good results" according to the war diary.

"Studio portrait of NX33552 Private (Pte) Colin John Spence, 2/18 Battalion of Longueville, NSW (originally of Dunedin, NZ). On 26 January 1942 near Mersing in Malaya, a Japanese officer slashed Pte Spence with a sword, before Pte Spence killed the officer. Cut from his hip to his shoulder, Pte Spence required 150 stitches. He was then evacuated from Singapore on the last ship and admitted to hospital in Australia. Pte Spence was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for the leadership he displayed." Australian War Memorial P04154.005.

The RAF planes strafe the beach and bomb two Japanese transport ships at the cost of five Vildebeests (the Japanese lose one Ki-27). At dusk, the RAF sends a second wave of nine Vildebeests and three Albacores of No. 3 Squadron, but they fare little better, losing five Vildebeests, two Albacores, and a defending Hurricane fighter. The RAF then sends in another wave of attacks, this time by six unescorted Hudsons of  No. 62 Squadron out of Palembang, Sumatra. Six Japanese Ki-27s set upon them and shoot two of them down. The RAF then sends off the fourth raid from Palembang, this time of five Bristol Blenheims of No. 27 Squadron, but it is too late and they turn back. While the RAF attacks demonstrate how seriously the British view the invasion, they accomplish nothing of value and the Japanese troops secure their lodgement areas. The British have not given up, however, and send two destroyers (HMS Thanet and HMAS Vampire) from Singapore to try to disrupt the landings. However, the ships do not arrive until early on the 27th.

"Arriving: Private Milburn Henke, who was presented to the press as the 'first' United States soldier to step ashore, salutes as he lands at Dufferin Quay, Belfast, Northern Ireland. In reality, a whole contingent of GIs had come ashore without distinguished reception." © IWM (H 16847).

In the Philippines, the Allied troops are in disarray and trying to find a defensible line. Both the I Corps and II Corps complete their withdrawal to the final defense line in the Bataan Peninsula, but it gives the American and Philippine troops no relief. The Japanese follow close behind. The main Allied advantage is that the Peninsula narrows as they retreat south, and it now is possible to form a complete line from coast to coast. This extends from Orion in the east to Bagac on the west coast, just to the south of the Pilar-Bagac road. The entire Allied military organization is revised, and the Headquarters, US Army Forces, Far East (USAFFE) take advantage of the shortened line by taking the Philippine Division out of the line and putting it in reserve. The Japanese begin heading south on the West Road, with every step contested by the 91st Filipino Division. Further south, the Japanese keep their beachheads at Quinauan and Longoskawayan Points despite frantic Allied attacks that cause heavy casualties on both sides.

A US GI and a British Tommy shake hands as the first US troops arrive in Europe at Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 26 January 1942 (Life magazine).

At Balikpapan, Borneo, the Japanese complete the capture of the City of Balikpapan and the surrounding area. This is the most economically significant success of the entire Japanese offensive to date, as the Balikpapan refinery is projected to provide almost a third of all Japanese oil requirements.

"Mr. W.J. Jordan, the High Commissioner for New Zealand, being greeted by the Commodore of the Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth, Captain E R Archer, RN, on his arrival at Portsmouth." 26 January 1942. © IWM (A 7228).

In Burma, Allied defenses near Moulmein on the Salween River in the eastern part of the country are under great strain. The main fight in the air is much further west, over Rangoon. Today, American Volunteer Group (AVG or "Flying Tigers") fighters of the 1st and 2nd Fighter Squadrons put up a stout defense over the capital, shooting down three Japanese Army fighters.

"Ter Poorten of the Indies" is the cover story of the 26 January 1942 Time magazine. Hein ter Poorten is the Allied land forces commander in the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command on Java in January 1942.

The Allied Command (ABDA) is determined to defend the Netherlands East Indies, but they have to transfer troops from the Middle East to have any hope of that. The Australian government is understandably leery about the Japanese wave heading south toward them, so the British are transferring Australian troops from the North African front. Lieutenant General Sir John Lavarack, General Officer Commanding I Australian Corps, arrives

US Army officers Major General Chaney and Major General Hartle, in command of the troops arriving at Belfast, Northern Ireland on 26 January 1942.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The attack by Afrika Korps is held up by a fierce sandstorm. Behind the scenes on the Allied side, there is a flurry of activity as the Allied leaders try to digest the latest successes by the Germans in North Africa. General Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, sends a telegram to Winston Churchill in which he notes that the British line has been pushed back and that he is in the process of evacuating Benghazi. General Sir Thomas Blamey, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, the top Australian military official in the Middle East, sends Churchill a separate telegram indicating that Commonwealth forces have had to retreat in the vicinity of Antelat, Libya. Churchill is very put out by all of these developments and views the retreats as implying the "failure of Crusader and the ruin of Acrobat," which are the codenames for the recent operation that relieved Tobruk and a separate operation being considered against Tripoli. Everyone knows that the situation is unlikely to improve anytime soon because Australian and New Zealand troops need to return home to defend Australia.

The first US GIs arriving in Europe at Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 26 January 1942. Note that the troops wear the standard Word War I helmets.

Eastern Front: The Stavka decides to increase its pressure on General Hermann Hoth's 17th Army, holding a stretch of the front on the Mius River northwest of Rostov. Marshal Timoshenko orders Ninth Army to join the attack alongside 57th Army. As with all of the Soviet offensive, the Red Army men are pushing the Wehrmacht troops back but not capturing much aside from forests and fields. The Soviet plan is to get behind the main German line on the river and then pivot to the south. This, Timoshenko hopes, will leverage the Germans off the entire Mius River line by threatening to cut them off when they reach the coast between Mariupol and Melitopol. On the German side, General Ewald von Kleist sees the danger and begins moving in from the south the 14th Panzer Division, the 100th Light Division, and Panzer Detachment 60. This force is called the "von Mackensen Group" after its commander, General von Mackensen, commander of III Panzer Corps. It has to battle fierce snowstorms to get into position, but the weather also slows down the Red Army attacks and this situation becomes a mixed blessing for both sides. Von Kleist also orders the very weak XI Corps to march west via Dnepropetrovsk. The importance of these ad hoc commands is growing on the German side because of the huge losses many units have taken. Disparate units that are the remnants of once-imposing units have to be cobbled together to form larger groupings from whatever odds and ends are in the vicinity. This is the only way to blunt the incessant Soviet attacks.

US troops arriving at Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 26 January 1942.

Western Front: Under great secrecy, the first US soldiers arrive at Belfast, Northern Ireland to take up posts in the European Theater of Operations. They are members of the 133rd Infantry Regiment, 34th Division. About 4,000 men arrive in order to honor the "Germany First" principle agreed to at the Arcadia Conference in early January 1942.

British/New Zealand Relations: The Australians are not the only ones watching the Japanese approach with trepidity. On 26 January 1942, the Government of New Zealand sends British Prime Minister Winston Churchill a telegram requesting confirmation that New Zealand would have a voice at the Far East Council and influence over the affairs of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) troops. New Zealand also emphasizes that it requires direct communications on its own with the United States, which everyone realizes is the only Allied force in the Pacific capable of stopping the Japanese.

British Military: General Sir Archibald Wavell, Supreme Commander, South West Pacific, replies to a pointed inquiry from Winston Churchill about relations with China. Wavell denies that he has refused Chinese help and states that he has accepted the 49th and 93rd Chinese Divisions. Relations between China and the UK have been frayed since the Tulsa Incident in late December when local British authorities in Rangoon tried to divert US Lend-Lease supplies destined for China to British troops. Wavell does, however, note that it would be better to defend Burma with British troops rather than risk losing larger portions of China to the Japanese. Both men agree that British relations with China are extremely poor.

The 26 January 1942 Life magazine cover story is about the Women s Auxiliary Air Force ("WAAF").

1942

January 1942

January 1, 1942: Declaration By United Nations
January 2, 1941: Manila Falls to Japan
January 3, 1942: ABDA Command Announced
January 4, 1942: MacArthur on His Own in the Philippines
January 5, 1942: Soviets Plan General Offensive
January 6, 1942: US Army in Europe
January 7, 1942: Soviet General Offensive Opens
January 8, 1942: Hitler Sacks Hoepner
January 9, 1942: Battle of Dražgoše
January 10, 1942: Building the Jeep
January 11, 1942: Japan Takes Kuala Lumpur
January 12, 1941: Rommel Plans Counterattack
January 13, 1942: First Ejection Seat Use
January 14, 1942: Operation Drumbeat First Sinking
January 15, 1942: U-Boat Off NYC
January 16, 1942: Carole Lombard Crash
January 17, 1942: British Take Halfaya Pass
January 18, 1942: Soviet Paratroopers in Action
January 19, 1942: FDR Approves Atomic Bomb
January 20, 1942: The Wannsee Conference
January 21, 1942: Parit Sulong Bridge Battle
January 22, 1942: Parit Sulong Massacre
January 23, 1942: Japan Takes Rabaul
January 24, 1942: Battle of Makassar Strait
January 25, 1942: Kholm Surrounded
January 26, 1942: GIs Land in Europe
January 27, 1942: Battle of Endau
January 28, 1942: Rommel Takes Benghazi
January 29, 1942: First US Coast Guard Ship Sunk
January 30, 1942: Singapore Isolated
January 31, 1942: Army Group South Averts Disaster

2020

Thursday 8 January 1942

"17-year-old Cecil Appleby from Queen Mary's School in Walsall learns to handle a 'Tommy gun' during a visit to a Junior Leaders school in Eastern Command, 8 January 1942." That is a Thompson submachine gun, and the unit appears to be the South Staffordshire. © IWM (H 16501).

Eastern Front: Adolf Hitler has forbidden any large-scale withdrawals on the Eastern Front despite the intense Red Army pressure around Moscow, and on 8 January 1942 he emphasizes this once again. Colonel-general (Generaloberst) Erich Hoepner, commander of Fourth Panzer Group, has been refusing orders to transfer units to other armies and requesting permission to withdraw for days. After asking Army Group Center commander Field Marshal Guenther von Kluge for permission to withdraw once again, Kluge promises him to discuss the matter with Hitler and prepare his troops for the withdrawal. Hoepner decides not to wait and orders the withdrawal anyway. Kluge, who has developed a practice of reporting such unauthorized withdrawals to Hitler (getting General Guderian dismissed for a similar incident), quickly tells Hitler of the withdrawal. Hitler not only fires Hoepner, but he also deprives the unfortunate general of his pension and right to wear his medals and uniform.

A U.S. Navy Curtiss SNC-1 Falcon trainer (BuNo 6294) at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida (USA), on 8 January 1942. This plane is used for intermediate instruction and is powered by a 420 horsepower Wright R-974 engine. U.S. Navy Naval Air Station Jacksonville website.

The Soviet General Offensive is putting pressure on the Germans from the south of Moscow to Leningrad. German counterattacks by the SS Cavalry Brigade (under the command of the ambitious SS-Obersturmbannführer of the ReservesHermann Fegelein) and VI Corps at Rzhev fizzle during the day. This leaves Rzhev, a critical railhead that supplies the entire region, in jeopardy. At Lake Ilmen north of Moscow, the Soviets have two divisions across the frozen lake which now are advancing south behind the German lines. The German high command actually breathes a sigh of relief at this, because there is nothing significant to the south while there is a critically important German supply base at Staraya Russa just to the north. A little further north, Soviet 2nd Shock Army continues advancing against the German 18th Army. However, it also has no nearby objectives of any significance unless other Red Army units also make long advances that so far show no signs of materializing.

Japanese submarine I-56 sinks two Dutch ships on 8 January 1942. One is 3000-ton Dutch freighter SS Van Rees in the Java Sea about 80 nautical miles (150 km) south of Tjilapjap, Dutch East Indies.

Battle of the Pacific: A convoy of ships that sailed on 27 December 1941 from San Francisco arrives in Pearl Harbor on 8 January. The ships carry reinforcements for the Hawaiian Islands, and there are more scheduled to come in a couple of weeks. The Japanese actually have no plans to invade the Hawaiian Islands, but the Americans don't know this and are in no mood to take any chances.

I-56 uses its deck gun on 8 January 1942 to sink 2263-ton Dutch passenger vessel Van Riebeek in the Indian Ocean south of Tjilatjap.

At Singapore, General Archibald Wavell, who among his other titles is Commander in Chief of the new American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Command, visits the Malayan front. The Japanese have just scored a dramatic breakthrough at the Slim River north of Kuala Lumpur, and little now stands between them and the Malaysian capital. Indian III Corps already is in full retreat and heading toward Johore just north of Singapore. With the front in tatters, the British order the Australian 8th Division (minus the 22nd Brigade Group) into northwestern Johore. The Japanese are not yet in Kuala Lumpur, but they are driving hard for the British line at Gegamat-Mount Ophir-Muar.

Japanese troops take Jesselton, the capital of British North Borneo, after the British abandon it. The British also lose Beaufort, British North Borneo. The British have very few troops in the region and they have fled into the jungle.

The British Merchantman GLENGYLE, entering the harbor." Grand Harbor, Valletta, Malta, 8 January 1942. © IWM (A 7272).

Battle of the Mediterranean: On the main front, Axis troops complete a quiet retreat from El Agheila to Agedabia. Further east, well behind Allied lines, a trapped force of Italian troops wave a white flag at Halfaya Pass. It turns out that the Italians are not surrendering, but instead offering the Allies a chance to have their own wounded and captured troops. The South African troops surrounding the Italians accept the offer, and Italian troops bring out five wounded British airmen from a bomber that had crashed. In gratitude for saving the Allied airmen, the South African troops allow the Italian medical troops who brought out the airmen to return to their side with medical supplies.

While events on the ground having quieted down since the end of Operation Crusader, the air war in North Africa remains very intense. RAAF No. 3 Squadron flying P-40 Kittyhawk fighters intercept a large force of 35 Italian and 8 Luftwaffe planes heading to attack British troops southeast of Agedabia and a huge air battle ensues. The Australian pilots lose one Kittyhawk but claim to shoot down seven Axis planes with another four probably shot down.

A 14-year-old boy joins the Royal Marines Band at Scarborough on 8 January 1942. "With other young recruits, he chooses the instrument he wants to play. Reginald, on the extreme right, made the choice of the Euphonium."  © IWM (A 6995).

US Military: With US Army V Corps having been activated in Great Britain on 6 January, the Pentagon appoints a new overall commander for the large forces expected to join them. He is U.S. Major General James E Chaney, currently the Chief, Special Observer Group, US Army (SPOBS). General Chaney's new addition title is Commanding General US Army Forces in the British Isles (USAFBI).

Adam Kopyciński arrives at Auschwitz. In May 1944, he becomes the conductor of the camp orchestra.

Holocaust: On 8 January 1942, 60 Poles, including four Jews, are deported from Cracow to Auschwitz from Montelupich Prison.

Canadian Homefront: Federal Minister Ian Mackenzie announces in Vancouver, British Columbia, that he will be taking action under the War Measures Act against all Japanese-Canadians. The Royal Mounted Canadian Police will register all such persons and eventually move them to inland detention centers as the United States is doing.

Stephen Hawking at Oxford.

Future History: Stephen William Hawking is born in Oxford, England. After attending University College, Oxford, Hawking becomes a top expert in theoretical physicist and, among many other things, becomes the world's top expert on black hole dynamics. During his time at Oxford, Hawking began experiencing the first symptoms of motor neuron disease (MND; also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, "ALS," or Lou Gehrig's disease), and this gets progressively worse throughout his life until he is almost incapacitated. However, despite his physical issues, Hawking continues his research and continues at the forefront of his field throughout his life. Over time, Hawking develops a huge popular audience for his theories by publishing books and appearing in films and on television programs. Hawking passes away on 14 March 2018 at the age of 76

Roger Miles, a surgeon-lieutenant in the Royal Navy, marries Doris Clayton at St. Peter's Church, Vere Street, London, on 8 January 1942. Doris serves as Winston Churchill's personal nurse for a time during World War II (Jill Rose via RML).

1942

January 1942

January 1, 1942: Declaration By United Nations
January 2, 1941: Manila Falls to Japan
January 3, 1942: ABDA Command Announced
January 4, 1942: MacArthur on His Own in the Philippines
January 5, 1942: Soviets Plan General Offensive
January 6, 1942: US Army in Europe
January 7, 1942: Soviet General Offensive Opens
January 8, 1942: Hitler Sacks Hoepner
January 9, 1942: Battle of Dražgoše
January 10, 1942: Building the Jeep
January 11, 1942: Japan Takes Kuala Lumpur
January 12, 1941: Rommel Plans Counterattack
January 13, 1942: First Ejection Seat Use
January 14, 1942: Operation Drumbeat First Sinking
January 15, 1942: U-Boat Off NYC
January 16, 1942: Carole Lombard Crash
January 17, 1942: British Take Halfaya Pass
January 18, 1942: Soviet Paratroopers in Action
January 19, 1942: FDR Approves Atomic Bomb
January 20, 1942: The Wannsee Conference
January 21, 1942: Parit Sulong Bridge Battle
January 22, 1942: Parit Sulong Massacre
January 23, 1942: Japan Takes Rabaul
January 24, 1942: Battle of Makassar Strait
January 25, 1942: Kholm Surrounded
January 26, 1942: GIs Land in Europe
January 27, 1942: Battle of Endau
January 28, 1942: Rommel Takes Benghazi
January 29, 1942: First US Coast Guard Ship Sunk
January 30, 1942: Singapore Isolated
January 31, 1942: Army Group South Averts Disaster

2020