Saturday 24 January 1942

British tanker Empire Gem sinks off Cape Hatteras after being torpedoed by U-66 on 24 January 1942 (Naval History and Heritage Command NH 54371).

Battle of the Pacific: There is a short, sharp surface engagement between US Navy destroyers and Japanese surface ships off Balikpapan early in the morning on 24 January 1942. Sometimes called the Battle of Makassar Strait, it takes place during the Japanese landing at Balikpapan. The 59th US Navy Destroyer Division, under Rear Admiral William A. Glassford and Commander Paul H. Talbot, attacks following orders from Admiral Thomas Hart. There are 12 Japanese transport vessels and three old World War I-vintage Japanese destroyers serving as escorts just off Balikpapan. The US destroyers (USS Paul Jones, Parrott, Pope, and John D. Ford) use torpedoes to sink four transport ships (Kuretake Maru, Nana Maru, Sumanoura Maru, and Tatsukami Maru) and patrol boat P-37. There is gunfire between the armed transports and destroyer John D. Ford, with both ships suffering damage. The battle, the first true surface engagement of the war involving the United States Navy, is over by 04:00. The invasion, however, is unimpeded, with Major General Sakaguchi's 56th Mixed Infantry Group and the No. 2 Kure SNLF occupying Balikpapan and its critically important refineries without resistance.

This Battle of Makassar Strait is different than the one on 4 February 1942, which you may read about here.

British tanker Empire Gem sinks off Cape Hatteras after being torpedoed by U-66 on 24 January 1942 (Naval History and Heritage Command NH 54213).

In the Philippines, the Allied forces begin a broad retreat in the eastern II Corps sector. The Japanese maintain pressure on the Allies, particularly on the Philippine Division, but many of the Allied troops escape. In the western I Corps sector, the Japanese also gain ground. The 1st Division of the Philippine Army begins to crumble. A Japanese roadblock on the West Road which blocks US Army communications with its troops further north at the front continues to hold out despite increasingly frantic attempts to eliminate it. Small Japanese forces that recently landed well behind the front at Quinauan and Longoskawayan Points also continue to hold out. Ad hoc US units including some US Marines do, however, make some progress there, regaining Pucot Hill and driving the Japanese back to Longoskawayan and Lapiay Points.

British tanker Empire Gem sinks off Cape Hatteras after being torpedoed by U-66 on 24 January 1942 (Naval History and Heritage Command NH 60611).

In the Netherlands East Indies, the Japanese Eastern Invasion Force lands at Kendari on Celebes Island. Japanese destroyers and aircraft attack fleeing USN seaplane tender (destroyer), USS Childs (AVD-1, ex-DD-241), but it manages to escape to the south in stormy weather. The landings go well for the Japanese, who occupy Kendari and capture most of the Dutch defenders. As usual, some of the defenders escape into the interior and begin guerilla operations (which invariably are primarily focused on mere survival). The Japanese 21st Air Flotilla quickly beings operations from Kendari Airfield.

British tanker Empire Gem sinks off Cape Hatteras after being torpedoed by U-66 on 24 January 1942 (Naval History and Heritage Command NH 60610).

On the Malay Peninsula, the situation continues to deteriorate for the Commonwealth troops. There is hard fighting at Batu Pahat and the Japanese approach Kluang. The Japanese 18th Division completes its landings at Singora. There is some renewed hope for the British when 942 men of the Australian 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion and 1907 other Australian reinforcements arrive in Singapore during the day. However, these men are short-timers without adequate training, and many have never even fired a rifle. General Arthur Percival issues his first plan for a complete withdrawal of all troops onto Singapore Island itself. However, the island has not been prepared for a siege and no fortifications have been built because the island's civilian workers who must do the work are demanding more money.

British tanker Empire Gem sinks off Cape Hatteras after being torpedoed by U-66 on 24 January 1942 (Naval History and Heritage Command NH 60612).

In New Britain, Japanese forces begin mopping up operations south of Rabaul. Many Australian soldiers remain at large in the interior of the island, but they have no food or water or any means of resupply. The Japanese know this and post leaflets in English stating, "you can find neither food nor way of escape in this island and you will only die of hunger unless you surrender." The Japanese 3rd Battalion of the 144th Infantry Regiment under General Horii begins searching the southern part of the Gazelle Peninsula and captures the first of over 1000 Australian soldiers. The interior of the island is so rough and inhospitable, however, that Japanese efforts to clear New Britain require huge expenditures of effort and time.

US tanker SS Venore is one of two tankers sunk on 24 January 1942 by U-66 off the North Carolina coast. There are 21 deaths and 22 survivors. Venore was the other tanker sunk in the attack that also claimed Empire Gem.

In the Gulf of Panama (on the Pacific side of the isthmus), submarine chaser USS Sturdy accidentally rams and sinks US submarine S-26. There are 43 deaths, the entire crew of USS S-26 excepting three men (the captain, executive officer, and a lookout) who are in the conning tower and survive.

Aboard a convoy ship at Methil on 24 January 1942. "General view showing the convoy gathering at the anchorage." © IWM (A 7219).

Battle of the Atlantic: It is an active day in the Atlantic:

• U-106 (Oblt. Hermann Rasch), on its fifth patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 5631-ton British freighter Emperor Wildebeeste (dispersed from Convoy ON-53) at 06:53 southeast of Halifax. There are nine dead and 34 survivors.
• U-66 (Kptlt. Richard Zapp), on its fourth patrol out of Lorient, is operating about 20 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, when it torpedoes and sinks 8139-ton British tanker Empire Gem and 8017-ton US tanker Venore.
• U-333 (Kptlt. Peter Erich Cremer), on its first patrol out of Kiel and operating as part of Wolfpack Ziethen in the North Atlantic, torpedoes and sinks 4765-ton Norwegian freighter Ringstad, which also has been dispersed from Convoy ON-53.

Convoy QP-6 departs from Murmansk (QP convoys head east to west, PQ convoys head west to east). It includes six freighters and two Soviet Navy escorts. The Kriegsmarine has been beefing up its forces on the Arctic Convoy routes, but the days are short high above the Arctic Circle and German U-boats and planes have difficulty finding the Arctic Convoys.

Italian 13,098-ton Italian ocean liner MV Victoria, sunk on 24 January 1942 by a British air attack in the Gulf of Sirte. An Albacore of RAF No. 826 Squadron torpedoed the Victoria late on 23 January 1942. Italian destroyers Avere and Camicia Nera are nearby and pick up 1064 of the 1455 people on board. Victoria was part of Italian supply operation T-18, and the other ships in the convoy make it to Tripoli.

Battle of the Mediterranean: German General Erwin Rommel's offensive is gathering speed, and already the British see which way the wind is blowing. The Royal Navy sends three destroyers (HMS Dulverton, Heythrop, and Southwold) from Alexandria to evacuate Benghazi. Rommel receives badly needed supplies in Tripoli when Italian supply operation T-18 makes port with 5322-ton Monviso, 5324-ton Monginevro, and 6339-ton Vettor Pisani. However, Rommel does not get all of his supplies because 6142-ton Ravello has to turn back to Messina with rudder problems. In addition, the real prize, 13,098-ton Italian liner Victoria, sinks en route after being torpedoed by an RAF Albacore of No. 826 Squadron. While 1064 of the 1455 people on board the Victoria do get rescued and make it to Tripoli, this is another troubling loss on a convoy route that the Italian Navy is proving unable to protect.

Aboard a convoy ship at Methil on 24 January 1942. "The 1st officer at work in the Chart Room." © IWM (A 7212).

Eastern Front: A desperate German attempt to rescue an encircled 4000-man garrison at Sukhinichi barely succeeds on 24 January 1942. Generalmajor Werner von Gilsa has been able to hold out by receiving sporadic Luftwaffe supply drops. He also has been the beneficiary of somewhat clumsy Red Army attacks. A weak Second Panzer Army thrust east by 18th Panzer Division and the 208th Infantry Division exploits the weak Soviet cordon around the town to get near. A desperate battle involving reinforcements by both sides in -40 °F weather finally results in two battalions of the 18th Panzer Division reaching the town during the afternoon. It is a brilliant success, but the line back to the main German lines is extremely tenuous and Hitler still has not lifted his order to hold the town - so it is unclear if the rescuers will just get trapped there, too.

A Finnish Brewster Buffalo (No. BS-372) showing damage sustained during a mission on 24 January 1942. The plane was repaired and put back into service, ultimately being shot down and lost on 25 June 1942. The plane is found again in August 1998 in Big Kolejärvi Lake, about 50 kilometers from the town of Segezha. The Finns were the only major power able to make good use of the Brewster Buffalo after receiving a consignment of 44 of them from the United States during the Winter War. Reportedly, every Finnish Brewster averaged 11 victories.

Since 22 January, a Red Army offensive by I and V Cavalry Corps has been chewing into the Army Group South line being held by General Hermann Hoth's 17th Army. The Soviet troops are making good progress west of Sloviansk. As with Soviet advances west of Moscow, the advance is impressive in terms of ground regained. It has retaken half the distance from Izyum to Dnepropetrovsk. However, there are no strategic objectives anywhere east of Dnepropetrovsk, which contains a vital crossing across the Dnieper River (one of less than a handful in the entire southern portion of the front).

""Bagatelle", the office of the Flag Officer in Charge, Greenock." This photo was taken on 24 January 1942. © IWM (A 7732).

Even further south, on the Crimea, the Soviets have not given up on their small landing force behind the German lines at Sudak. General Dimitri Kozlov, confused by the slow Axis reaction into thinking that the Germans have no troops available to eliminate the bridgehead, feeds more reinforcements into the bridgehead. In fact, the Germans have plenty of troops available but have been waiting to see if local Romanian troops can handle the situation. Local German commander General MaximilianFretter-Pico begins sending units of the German 30 Corps to the area, but they will not get into position for a forceful counterattack for a couple of days.

A view of the B-24 Liberator production line at the Consolidated Aircraft Production Plant No. 2, in the SPAWAR complex in San Diego, California, on 24 January 1942. The plant, incidentally, remains intact in the 21st Century.

US Government: The Roberts Commission, formed in December 1941 to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, releases its report to the public on 24 January 1942. Led by Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts, the other members of the committee are all active or retired military officials: Admiral William H. Standley, Admiral Joseph M. Reeves, General Frank R. McCoy, and General Joseph T. McNarney. The Roberts Commission assigns the majority of the blame for the destruction of the US Fleet at Pearl Harbor on two men: General Walter C. Short and Admiral Husband E. Kimmel. The report singles them out for "dereliction of duty" for their lack of preparedness, a conclusion which many over the years consider typical scapegoating after an attack.

Change of command at Greenock. "Vice Admiral B. C. Watson, CB, DSO, FOIC, Greenock (center) with his staff after taking leave of them on being relieved." © IWM (A 7729).

The Roberts Commission's Report also includes an offhand remark which addresses a question of rising importance to millions of people:

There were, prior to December 7, 1941, Japanese spies on the island of Oahu. Some were Japanese consular agents and other [sic] were persons having no open relations with the Japanese foreign service. These spies collected and, through various channels transmitted, information to the Japanese Empire respecting the military and naval establishments and dispositions on the island...

This statement has a devastating impact on public opinion. There were Japanese consular agents - or agents purporting to be consular officials - who spied on Pearl Harbor throughout much of 1941. The US intelligence services kept a close eye on them. However, it is unclear who the spies "having no open relations with the Japanese foreign service" were. This inflames public opinion and greatly accelerates the process of sending Japanese-Americans to internment camps. General John L. DeWitt, head of the Western Defense Command, meets with California governor Culbert Olson shortly after the report's release. Olson tells him:

Since the publication of the Roberts Report, they [the people of California] feel they are living in the midst of enemies. They don't trust the Japanese, none of them.

All of this is undoubtedly true, the only open question is whether the Roberts Commission was correct about there being private Japanese spies and, if so, who they were. That question is never satisfactorily answered. Heretofore, General DeWitt has taken a moderate opinion on the question of internment, but, following the release of the Roberts Commission Report, he redoubles his efforts to intern Japanese-Americans.

Commander Paul H. Talbot receives the US Navy Cross for "especially meritorious conduct, extreme courage and complete disregard for his own personal safety" as commander of Destroyer Squadron 59 on the night of 24 January 1942. "LC-Lot-4263-32: Battle of Balikpapan, January 24, 1942. The Honorable Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy, presents the Navy Cross to Commander Paul H. Talbot, USN, July 11, 1942. Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox Collection. Photographed through Mylar sleeve. Courtesy of the Library of Congress. (2015/11/20)."

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

Monday 19 January 1942

Latvian freighter Ciltvaira after being torpedoed by German U-boat U-123 off Cape Hatteras, NC, 19 January 1942.

Battle of the Pacific: The battles on the Malay Peninsula in the Muar/Yong Peng area continue on 19 January 1942, but it is developing into a Japanese rout. The British order 45th Brigade and two attached Australian battalions, which together have been operating as Muar Force, to withdraw south, but this is easier said than done. Japanese planes bomb the headquarters of Indian 45th Brigade and kill its senior officers, leading to massive confusion and the brigade being taken over by an Australian officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Anderson. Anderson orders the retreat, and the defeated and dispirited Commonwealth troops embark on a desperate trek south toward Johore.

"Studio portrait of NX60119 Corporal (Cpl) Ernest Brown, 2/19th Battalion of Molong, NSW. The husband of Eleanor Mary Brown, Cpl Brown was killed in action in Malaya on 19 January 1942, aged 38. His son and namesake, NX60115 Ernest Godfrey Brown enlisted in July 1940 and served with the 2/19 Australian Infantry Battalion. Another son, NX178149 Lance Corporal Leslie Arthur Brown, enlisted March 1944 and served in both the Second World War and with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) in Japan." Australian War Memorial P07939.001.

The 45th Brigade's line of retreat further south, though, is under attack by the Japanese 4th Guards Regiment, further scrambling the British plans. The 45th Brigade must pass through Parit Sulong about 5 miles (8 km) west of Yong Peng, but the Japanese are there already. The Indian 11th Division and British 18th Division (the 6th Norfolk Battalion of the 53rd British Brigade) are trying to hold open the line of retreat but are forced out of a key defensive position on the north ridge of the valley near Parit Sulong during the afternoon. The defending troops struggle through the thick jungle in the valley, cross the only bridge in the area, and set up their next position on the southern ridge of the valley. This, unfortunately, leaves the bridge the 45th Brigade must also cross in Japanese hands. Without any communications equipment, the British troops are operating independently and headquarters has no idea of their situation. Thus, the retreating 45th Brigade continues heading blindly toward the bridge and assumes that its line of retreat remains open. During the night, the local British commanders make plans to recapture the bridge and reopen the line of retreat before the 45th Brigade arrives, but the Allied position is rife with confusion and cases of mistaken identity and nobody has a complete picture of the situation.

At Batu Pahat, the 2nd Battalion of the Malay Regiment retreats under pressure from its river line south to Senggarang airstrip, an area of coconut plantations and mangrove swamps. The 2000 troops fight hard but take too many casualties to hold. They gradually move toward Ponggor for a seaborne evacuation on 28 January.

A soldier explains the workings of a Bren gun on an anti-aircraft mounting to two factory workers at a weapons demonstration at Bellevue, Manchester, 19 January 1942.

The Commonwealth troops have fought well but throughout the campaign are hobbled by numerical inferiority, insufficient equipment, and ineffective leadership. The Allies only extricate about 850 out of 4500 troops to defend Johore Province directly to the north of Singapore. The British form East Force, composed of the Australian 22nd Brigade, 2/17th Dogra Battalion, and the Jat Battalion. The Japanese are now only 30 miles (48 km) from Singapore Island itself.

"Threat to Singapore Growing" is the main headline in the 19 January 1942 Winnipeg Free Press.

Winston Churchill is following the developments in Singapore quite closely. He cables General Archibald Lord Wavell, General Officer Commanding Australian-British- Dutch-American (ABDA) Command, Southwest Pacific, to find out what is going to happen when the Japanese reach Singapore itself. Wavell, who is far from being one of Churchill's favorite generals, responds:

There are neither plans nor fortifications to defend the north side of this impregnable fortress.

It is impossible to know for certain whether Wavell is being outright sarcastic, but it sure seems like it.

On the same day, Churchill meets with and sends a memo to General Hastings Ismay, his military adviser and link with the Chiefs of Staff Committee, about Singapore. Ismay recalls that Churchill was in a "towering rage" about the matter. The memo reads:

I must confess to being staggered by Wavell’s telegram of the 16th and other telegrams on the same subject. It never occurred to me for a moment…that the gorge of the fortress of Singapore, with its splendid moat half a mile to a mile wide, was not entirely fortified against an attack from the northward.

Taking no chances, Churchill sends orders to create defenses, stating, "no question of surrender be entertained until after protracted fighting among the ruins of Singapore city." Wavell already has instructed local commander Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, General Officer Commanding Malaya, to do on 7 January 1942.

Percival thinks that building defensive fortifications is bad for morale and tells his subordinates to hire local laborers. He lacks authority to conscript civilian laborers for military work. The locals, affected by Japanese propaganda broadcasts from Penang (including by captured Indian soldiers formerly in British military service), refuse to work until their salary demands are met - which doesn't happen for five more days. Construction of defenses also is hampered by the fact that the water table is very near to the surface. The attitude of the local Chinese is turning all across the island - they eliminate the "chit" or credit system for Europeans, forcing them to pay with cash.

The Norfolk (Virginia) Ledger-Dispatch of 19 January 1942 is full of news about the recent spate of U-boat attacks just off the east coast of the United States.

In the Philippines, the battles along the neck of the Bataan Peninsula are going a little bit better for the Allies than in Malaya, but only by a little bit. The Japanese have mounted a major push in the center of the overall line which threatens the entire US position on the peninsula, and most of the day's events concern Allied attempts to stop this threat. In the II Corps sector on the eastern half of the front, the 45th Infantry Division of the Philippine Scouts advances along the Balantay River in the western half of the sector (the middle of the overall line). They fill a gap in the line between the Philippine Army 41st Division (of II Corps) and the US 31st Infantry Division (of I Corps). This Japanese attempt to sidestep the Allied defensive forces as in Malaya thus is blocked, but Japanese pressure continues everywhere. In the I Corps sector on the western half of the front, a Japanese column advances through the Abo-Abo River valley and runs into the 31st Division near the center of the overall line. Fierce fighting rages throughout the day, but ultimately the 31st Division is forced to withdraw after nightfall. The Japanese are attempting their infiltration techniques in this sector as well, and the Filipino 92nd Infantry Division sends troops to Mount Silanganan on the corps' eastern flank (also near the center of the overall line) to block them.

Captain J. Dodge, master of US tanker S.S. Malaya, attacked on 19 January 1942 off North Carolina by U-123. Dodge manages to get his damaged tanker to port. He is much luckier than some other ships' masters who perish in attacks today. (Naval History and Heritage Command NH 44608).

Singosari Airdrome on Java, Netherlands East Indies (East Java), has become a center for the Allied air effort. The RAAF forces based in Singapore have relocated there, and today the US Army Air Force sends from Australia the ground echelon to two B-17 Flying Fortress squadrons. Nine B-17s of the Far East Air Force already at Singosari attack Japanese shipping off Jolo Island in the Philippines. The bombers (less three that have to turn back for mechanical reasons) bomb the shipping and then land at Del Monte Field on Mindanao. This is an early example of "shuttle bombing." The war at sea off the Philippines is in full swing, and today PT-31 runs aground on a reef north of Mayagao Point, Bataan after its engines fail. This raises dark suspicions among the Allies of local sabotage.

"North Atlantic Patrol" is the cover story of Life magazine on 19 January 1942.

In Borneo, the Japanese at 07:00 land troops from ships in Sandakan Harbor. The local British authorities quickly surrender British North Borneo, leaving local European residents unprotected.

U-67 in port at Lorient, France on 19 January 1942 as it prepares to depart on its third war patrol. That may be Kptlt. Günther Müller-Stöckheim in the conning tower (Meisinger, Rudolf, Federal Archive Bild 101II-MW-4368-36).

Battle of the Atlantic: As part of Operation Drumbeat, U-123 (Kptlt. Reinhardt Hardegen) continues its reign of terror on U.S. shipping off the east coast of the United States. U-123 hits four ships today:

• sinks 5269-ton US freighter City of Atlanta about 32.5 miles (52 km) northeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (44 deaths, three survivors);
• sinks 4497-ton US freighter Brazos
• damages (it later sinks while under tow) 3779-ton Latvian freighter Ciltvaira (two dead, 29 survivors);
• damages 8206-ton US tanker Malay (the tanker makes it to Hampton Roads).

So far, pickings are easy on the US side of the Atlantic because shipping has not been organized into convoys, blackout conditions are not in effect, and Allied patrols are few and far between.

A postcard dedicated to the "five ladies" of the British West Indies services: Lady Hawkins, Lady Nelson, Lady Drake, Lady Rodney, and Lady Somers. It becomes four ladies on 19 January 1942 when U-66 torpedoes and sinks Lady Hawkins.

These are not the only Kriegsmarine successes near North America today, however. In addition, U-66 (Kptlt. Richard Zapp), operating east of Wilmington, North Carolina,  torpedoes and sinks 7988-ton Canadian freighter Lady Hawkins (250 dead including Captain H. Griffin, 71 survivors). Lady Hawkins was on its regular run to Bermuda. Far to the north, 6082-ton British freighter Empire Kingfisher hits a rock and sinks about 4 miles south of Clark's Harbor on Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia (this sinking is sometimes credited to U-109 (Kptlt. Heinrich Bleichrodt), and the date of loss is sometimes given as 18 January 1942).

"The destroyer HMS SIKH escorting a merchantman into the Grand Harbour." This is the arrival of a small convoy at Malta on 19 January 1942 consisting of cruiser HMS Penelope, five destroyers, and three freighters. © IWM (A 7347).

Battle of the Mediterranean: One of the oddities of World War II is that the war in the desert ebbs and flows based on events at sea. On 19 January 1942, an Axis supply convoy gets through to Tripoli bringing the Afrika Korps an abundance of supplies. These include 55 new panzers, 20 armored cars, and a large quantity of fuel, food, and ammunition. The British, meanwhile, have had to draw several large units from the Middle East due to the Japanese threats to Singapore and Burma. Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel has plenty of ideas for offensives as commander of Panzer Group Afrika, and he now has the tools to reverse the British gains during Operation Crusader and even dream of bigger victories at Cairo and toward Syria. Meanwhile, on the British side, General Claude E. Auchinleck, General Officer Commanding Middle East Command, issues orders reiterating the priority of continuing the recent advance to the German headquarters in Tripoli.

"Watching the convoy arrive in Grand Harbour." Malta, 19 January 1942. Convoys are important because they bring supplies, reinforcements, and also treasured letters from home. © IWM (A 7355).

Eastern Front: The Soviet counteroffensive around Moscow continues unabated, with the Red Army capturing Mozhaisk about 100 km west of Moscow. This had been a key Red Army position during Operation Typhoon. In addition, Soviet paratroopers continue landing south of Smolensk in the Vyazam area. Their goal is to distract enough German troop strength from the front to help Red Army attacks further east and also to organize partisan forces.

"The merchant ship CLAN FERGUSON entering Grand Harbour, the rest of the convoy is outside the breakwater waiting to enter." Malta, 19 January 1942. © IWM (A 7353).

In the Crimea, the German 30 Corps' attack toward the Parpach Narrows continues with growing confidence. The German troops pursue two divisions of Soviet 44th Army east along the Black Sea Coast in the Feodosia area, undermining the Red Army defensive line just to the north. The main Soviet advantage is that the Parpach Narrows offers a shortened defensive line where the Red Army may be able to stop the advancing Germans.

Arthur H. Compton on 19 January 1942. Compton is working at the Metallurgical Laboratory at the University of Chicago, Illinois. (Photograph of Compton courtesy of the University of Chicago Photographic Archive, apf1-01862, Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library, via Atomic Heritage Foundation).

Manhattan Project: President Roosevelt, who has been placing a high priority on atomic research ever since receiving Albert Einstein's famous letter of August 1939, approves the findings of the British MAUD Report. Those findings included the projection that an atomic bomb of devastating impact could be developed. FDR today sends Vannevar Bush, who basically is the Atomic Bomb Czar, a handwritten note after reviewing the report. The note reads:

V.B. OK - returned [his copy of the MAUD Report] - I think you had best keep this in your own safe. FDR.

Bush has not been waiting for Roosevelt's explicit approval because he knows the President's overall agreement with accelerated atomic research. Under the overall direction of Standard Oil Company engineer Eger V. Murphree, Bush has appointed as program chiefs Harold Urey (diffusion and centrifuge methods and heavy-water studies), Ernest Lawrence (electromagnetic and plutonium), and Arthur Compton (fission chain reaction and weapon theory programs). The entire effort is run by the Top Policy Group, composed of Bush, James Conant, Vice President of the United States Henry Wallace, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, and Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall. The effort is not yet called the "Manhattan Project," that name comes about later in 1942. At this time, funding is still relatively small and confined to financing basic electromagnetic experiments being performed by Lawrence and J. Robert Oppenheimer at the University of California at Berkeley. The focus remains on the theoretical possibilities and determining what path the program should follow rather than actually building a weapon. FDR's note, though, essentially approves the general goal of turning the science into a bomb.

"The C in C, Admiral Sir Percy Noble, KCB, CVO, inspecting the guard of Honour composed of sailors under instruction at HMS WELLESLEY. With him is the Lord Mayor of Liverpool." The two men are inspecting and welcoming the Royal Marine Band in Liverpool on 19 January 1942. © IWM (A 7168).

US Military: The Eighth Air Force was formed on 2 January 1942 at Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia. Today, it begins organizing its command by establishing VIII Bomber Command and VIII Fighter Command. The former is to be a strategic bombardment unit using 4-engined bombers, and the latter is to provide fighter escort for those bombers. These two units under VIII Air Service Command are still in the embryonic stages, but the overall plan is for them to operate against Axis targets as part of the U.S. Air Forces in the British Isles (USAFBI), which was announced on 8 January.

"Brazil's Aranha" is the cover story in the 19 January 1942 Time magazine. Osvaldo Aranha is Brazil's Minister of External Relations in 1942. He is instrumental in lining up Latin American support for the Allied war effort.

German Homefront: Robert Ley, the leader of the German Work Front, tells Reich munitions firms to increase their number of foreign workers and POWs and ramp up production. The workweek is increased from 47 to 49.2 hours. The German authorities are told to use a "carrot and stick" approach. Workers are to be offered bonuses in the form of scarce luxury goods such as tobacco and brandy, but "slackers" are to be disciplined and sent to concentration camps if necessary. The Security Service of the Ss is keeping close tabs on the homefront and acts quickly on reports of "idleness" and "insubordination." Hitler had hoped to be able to decrease production and shift it to other areas such as building planes and ships, but all notions of a quick and cheap victory over the Soviet Union are now gone. However, the continuing mirage of Final Victory still clouds everyone's judgment, and the factory owners are only told to increase production by 10%.

American Homefront: Loew's releases "Woman of the Year," starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. It features the two stars as reporters at the same newspaper who fall in love but face difficulties due to their careers.

Wrens in training at Donibristle, Fife, to be photographers' assistants. "Showing the aerial film and the correct density required. Angle shot of Wren pupil being shown a film by bluejacket photographer." © IWM (A 7121).

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

Sunday 18 January 1942

"Malaya. Three Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks destroyed near Bakri by gunners from the 13th Battery, 4th Australian Anti-Tank Regiment." 18 January 1942. Australian War Memorial 011301.

Eastern Front: On 18 January 1942, Soviet paratroopers begin the next phase of the Red Army counteroffensive at Moscow by dropping behind German lines south of Vyazma. The landings are conducted by the 201st Airborne Brigade and the 250th Airborne Regiment under the overall command of Lieutenant General Ivan Zatevakhin. Their objective is to cut the Vyazma-Yukhnov highway and the Vyazma-Bryansk railroad.

Soviet paratroopers during 1942.

Following the pattern of German Fallschirmjaeger raids, these Red Army paratrooper landings make a big impact psychologically but do not lead to successes against key objectives. The Germans have few troops in the area - with all reserves having been committed at the front - and thus must redirect troops from the front to contain this unexpected threat. The major impact of the landings is to create a major distraction that helps the Red Army's 33rd Army and 1st Guards Cavalry Corps at the front further east.

"USS Arthur Middleton (AP-55). Departing New York on 18 January 1942 en route to the Pacific after interim conversion for Naval service at the Tietjen & Lang Dry Dock Co. yard in Hoboken, N. J. She operated as a civilian-manned convoy-loaded transport until arriving at San Francisco in June 1942 for final conversion to a combat-loaded (attack) transport." Photo No. 19-N-27271. Source: U.S. National Archives, RG-19-LCM.

On the high road to Moscow, a long, grueling battle at Borodino Field finally ends in a Red Army victory. The battle, which began on 13 October 1941 and technically won that month by the Germans, now is won for good by the 82nd Soviet Rifle Division as it takes back the field. This battle is particularly memorable to Russians because of its echoes of the 1812 battle on the spot which technically was won by the French but was so costly that it became a Pyrrhic victory.

"A two-pounder Anti-Tank Gun of the 4th Anti-Tank Regiment, 8th Australian Division, AIF, directed by VX38874 Sergeant (Sgt) Charles James Parsons, of Moonee Ponds, Vic, in action at a roadblock at Bakri on the Muar-Parit Sulong Road. In the background is a destroyed Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go Medium Tank. The Anti-Tank Gun was known as the rear gun because of its position in the defense layout of the area. Sgt Parsons was later awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for his and his crew's part in destroying six of the nine Japanese tanks during this engagement." This appears to be another view of the ambush which resulted in the demise of the three Japanese tanks shown in the top photo on this page. Australian War Memorial 011302.

Army Group North also is facing mounting problems. A Red Army breakthrough south of Lake Ilmen works behind several German divisions ordered to hold Demjansk and surrounds them. Other Soviet troops are heading toward nearby Kholm to do the same thing. In Army Group South, however, the Germans are more successful and consolidate their hold on the key port of Feodosia, which they captured on the 17th. The focus of the battle there now shifts to the continuing assault on the Red Army line at the Parpach Narrows, which so far has been creaking but not giving way.

"The crew of the forward pom-pom pause for a cigarette while at their post." Aboard minesweeper HMS Beaumaris on 18 January 1942 (© IWM (A 7207)).

Battle of the Atlantic: Operation Drumbeat, the German U-boat offensive along the east coast of the United States, shifts into high gear. There are now several U-boats in position, and easy targets are everywhere. There are mounting successes on the far side of the Atlantic, with several today very close to Newfoundland:

• U-66 (KrvKpt. Richard Zapp) torpedoes and sinks 6635-ton US tanker Alan Jackson east of Cape Hatteras;
• U-86 (Kptlt. Walter Schug) torpedoes 4271-ton Greek freighter Dimitrios G. Thermiotis off Newfoundland (U-86 is not actually part of Operation Drumbeat and simply sinks a member of Convoy SC-63);
• U-333 (Kptlt. Peter-Erich Cremer) torpedoes and sinks 5851-ton US freighter Caledonian Monarch of Convoy SC-63 off Newfoundland (also not a part of Operation Drumbeat, and some sources place this sinking on 22 January);
• U-552 (KrvKpt. Erich Topp) torpedoes and sinks 2609-ton US freighter Frances Salman off Newfoundland (U-552 is operating as part of Wolfpack Ziethen);
• U-123 (Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen), having headed south from New York City, shells and then torpedoes 8206-ton US freighter Malay. The tanker makes it to Hampton Roads. Some sources place this incident on 19 January.

Operation Drumbeat is turning into a dramatic overall success for the Kriegsmarine and is embarrassing the US Coast Guard. After a long quiescent period, the Battle of the Atlantic is picking up again.

"Gunner and look-out on the alert for any intruders." Aboard minesweeper HMS Beaumaris on 18 January 1942 (© IWM (A 7203)).

Battle of the Pacific: The Allied forces continue to try to restore their lines after recent Japanese incursions. On the eastern II Corps front, the US 31st Infantry Division continues attacking along the western portion of the front but makes little headway along the Balantay River. The Filipino 45th Infantry Division of the Philippine Scouts makes some ground to the west of the Balantay River and reaches the most advanced 31st Division troops. The fighting is savage and deadly in the thick forests. Further west, in the I Corps area, the Japanese along the coast in Morong Province send some troops east behind the Allies in order to isolate them and dislodge the entire Allied line. About 5000 Japanese troops under General Kimura capture Poblacion, Morong Province, and burn it almost entirely to the ground, leaving only a few buildings for their own use.

The Brooklyn Eagle of 18 January 1942 trumpets fake victories in Tokyo Bay while real victories are proving scarce. However, unknown to the media, a US submarine is, in fact, operating very close to Japan and is beginning to score successes.

US submarine USS Plunger (Capt. David C. White), on its first war patrol, claims a rare (so far) victory in Japanese territorial waters. Operating south of Kobe at the mouth Kii Suido, Honshu, it torpedoes and sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Eizon Maru. The success confirms the effectiveness of the new Mark VI magnetic exploder for the Mark 14 torpedoes. The Plunger also successfully uses a new sonar (SD radar) set which confirms that the Japanese themselves are using echo-ranging sonar ("pinging"). White and his crew survive a brutal depth charge attack before sinking the freighter.

"A two-pounder Anti-Tank Gun of the 4th Anti-Tank Regiment, 8th Australian Division, AIF, directed by VX38874 Sergeant (Sgt) Charles James Parsons, of Moonee Ponds, Vic (center), with two crew members, identified as Gunner (Gnr) Len Coutts and Gnr Ken Daniels, standing against their Anti-Tank Gun in a clearing near the roadblock at Bakri on the Muar-Parit Sulong Road. The Anti-Tank Gun was known as the rear gun because of its position in the defense layout of the area. Sgt Parsons was later awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for his and his crew's part in destroying six of the nine Japanese tanks during this engagement." 18 January 1942. Australian War Memorial 011309.

On the Malay Peninsula, the battered Indian 45th Brigade continues a difficult defensive battle in the Muar/Yong Peng area. The troops destroy some Japanese tanks, but the Japanese bring reinforcements up by sea north of Batu Pahat. At the end of the day, the 45th Brigade comes under the command of Indian 3 Corps and ordered to withdraw. After dark, the Indian 9th Division and Australian 27th Brigade Group, in danger of being cut off, withdraw behind the Muar and Segamat Rivers, respectively. The 6/15th Infantry Brigade stands on the south bank of the Batu Pahat River - it is augmented during the day by D Company of the 2nd Battalion of the Malay Regiment, which retreats back across the river. The Japanese are right behind D Company and immediately begin infiltration operations.

At Muar, General Takuma Nishimura orders his 4th and 5th Guards Regiments to attack Bakri. The attack is led by nine Type 95 Ha-Gō light tanks under Captain Shiegeo Gotanda. The attack goes disastrously wrong, however, when the tanks unwisely advance without infantry support and are destroyed by Australian gunners of the 2/29th Battalion. However, the battle is not an unalloyed victory for the Australians, as the Japanese kill the commander of the battalion, Lieutenant Colonel John Robertson, while he is leading his troops during an attack along the main road. The battle is bloody, but the Australians succeed in halting the Japanese, who are forced to regroup now that they have no tanks left.

"Malayan Campaign, December 1941-January 1942. American Fighter Planes Over Malaya. American fighter planes have arrived in Malaya after month and assembly has continued at high speed but without publicity. Singaporeans have become used to the long, grey crates passing through the streets and hardly notice the roar of engine and whistle of wind past fuselage as the fighters are rested near and over the city. But the planes are here in great numbers – distributed strategically throughout Malaya. Shown are Brewster Buffalo fighters over the Malaya coasts. This photograph released circa 1942. Office War Information Photograph. Courtesy of the Library of Congress. (2016/01/22)." National Museum of the US Navy.

Back in Singapore, the daily Japanese bombing forces the RAAF to withdraw across the Malacca Strait to Sumatra. This drastically curtails Allied air defenses both over the fortress and the decisive battles underway just to the north.

Axis Relations: The main signatories of the Tripartite Pact - Italy, Japan, and Germany - sign a new military pact in Berlin. However, it is of little value given that there is little more they can do to help each other than they are doing already. In other words, the big decisions have all been made, and now it is just a question of fighting it out to victory or defeat.

A US Navy cable memo ordering destroyers to visit Londonderry. As the memo states, "These will be the first U.S. Warships officially to visit a British port in this war, except for the U.S. trawler Albatross which arrived at Londonderry a.m. today, 18th January, having been driven there by the stress of weather." Note that the typewriter paper of the day was very thin and showed pages below.

US Military: In order to protect Dutch Harbor, units of the US Army Corps of Engineer land at Umnak Island in the Aleutians to build an airfield. This becomes Otter Point Airfield (Cape Field), part of Fort Glenn.

British/Burmese Relations: Just like in other Asian colonies, there are pressures for independence in Burma. One of the most influential proponents of this policy is U Saw, Burma's prime minister. Saw has been in England negotiating openly with the British for promises of independence after the war and also secretly with the Japanese for promises of independence during the war. The British, through the Ultra service, learn about the latter and imprison U Saw during a stop at Haifa, Palestine.

"A big thrill, a young ATC boy has a parachute fitted and is shown how to use the safety cord in case." 18 January 1942 at the Royal Naval Air Station at Donibristle. © IWM (A 7201).

German Homefront: Publicized by the Ministry of Propaganda as a gesture of solidarity with the troops at the front, restaurant patrons now are served only "field-kitchen meals" every Monday and Thursday. Such meals typically consist of thin vegetable soup and a slice of bread. Customers are allowed, however, to bring their own ingredients with them and have the "field kitchens" prepare their meals any way they like. German civilians otherwise remain largely unaffected by the privations being suffered in England, Occupied Europe, and large swathes of the Soviet Union, as military conquest has brought vast new resources under German control. Hitler feels that it is important to the war effort to shield German civilians from the consequences of the war for as long as possible except in such "noble" ways.

American Homefront: New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio is named American League Player of the Year (his second of three such awards). This follows his unmatched 56-game hitting streak. Finishing second is Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams, who hit over .400. Neither feat has been equaled since. Both men wind up in the military during World War II.

Oliver Hardy, left, cuts the cake at this 50th birthday party on 18 January 1942 backstage at a Chicago theater while Stan Laurel looks on. As part of the act, Laurel wears a tag that says "Freight."

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

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