Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 250
August 20, 2017
Today in World War II History—Aug. 20, 1942
US Marine Corps (and maybe Navy) Grumman F4F-4 Wildcats at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, 1942 (US Navy photo)
75 Years Ago—Aug. 20, 1942: “Cactus Air Force” arrives at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal: 31 US Marine F4F-4s and SBD-3s.
US Twelfth Air Force activated at Bolling Field, DC, under Lt. Col. Roger Browne, designated to go to North Africa.
Dim-out regulations issued on US West Coast.
Patch of the US Twelfth Air Force
August 19, 2017
Today in World War II History—Aug. 19, 1942
British Churchill tanks and landing craft burning on the Dieppe beach, France, 19 Aug 1942 (public domain via WW2 Database)
75 Years Ago—Aug. 19, 1942: British & Canadians make disastrous raid on Dieppe, France; of 6100 soldiers, 1179 are killed, 2190 captured—mostly Canadians.
Forty-nine US Rangers participate in Dieppe raid in first combat by these commando troops.
RAF Mustang I fighter planes (P-51s) cover Dieppe raid—first victory by a Mustang and first loss of a Mustang.
August 18, 2017
Today in World War II History—Aug. 18, 1942
75 Years Ago—Aug. 18, 1942: Japanese land at Basabua near Gona, New Guinea, undetected.
August 17, 2017
Today in World War II History—Aug. 17, 1942
Lt. Col. Evans Carlson, USMC, Carlson’s Raiders, after the Makin Island Raid, August 1942 (US Naval History and Heritage Command)
75 Years Ago—Aug. 17, 1942: US Eighth Air Force flies first official bombing mission: 12 B-17s of 97th Bomb Group hit marshalling yards in Rouen, France.
“Carlson’s Raiders”: 221 US Marines conduct two-day raid on Makin in the Gilbert Islands to destroy a radio station; first amphibious landing from subs.
August 16, 2017
Today in World War II History—Aug. 16, 1942
Patch of the US 101st Airborne Division
75 Years Ago—Aug. 16, 1942: US airfield on Guadalcanal is named Henderson Field after Midway hero Maj. Lofton Henderson.
German bombers conduct first major air raid on Stalingrad.
US 101st Airborne Division activated at Camp Claiborne, LA under Maj. Gen. William Lee.
Battleship USS Alabama is commissioned at Norfolk, VA.
August 15, 2017
Today in World War II History—Aug. 15, 1942
Tanker Ohio from Pedestal convoy in Grand Harbour, Malta, 15 August 1942 (public domain via Wikipedia)
75 Years Ago—Aug. 15, 1942: Allied “Pedestal” convoy arrives in Malta—only 5 of 14 cargo ships have survived persistent attack by air and sea (including damaged British tanker Ohio lashed to two British destroyers), but enough supplies arrive to maintain the island.
US 82nd Airborne Division organized from 82nd Infantry Division, becoming US’s first airborne division, under Maj. Gen. Matthew Ridgway, at Camp Claiborne, LA.
Patch of the US 82nd Airborne Division
August 14, 2017
Today in World War II History—Aug. 14, 1942
75 Years Ago—Aug. 14, 1942: Two P-38 Lightnings of US 1st Fighter Group shoot down a German Fw 200 Condor bomber off Iceland—first US claim against the Luftwaffe.
August 13, 2017
Today in World War II History—Aug. 13, 1942
Gen. Bernard Montgomery, WWII (US Department of Defense photo)
75 Years Ago—Aug. 13, 1942: Lt. Gen. Bernard Montgomery assumes command of British Eighth Army in Egypt.
Japanese secure Buna-Kokoda Trail on New Guinea.
US Army forms Manhattan Engineering District for secret atomic research.
Movie premiere of Disney’s Bambi at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
August 12, 2017
Today in World War II History—Aug. 12, 1942
Clark Gable and a B-17 with the US Eighth Air Force in England, 1943 (public domain via Wikipedia)
75 Years Ago—Aug. 12, 1942: First Moscow Conference opens: Churchill and Stalin meet for the first time, discuss opening a second front.
Light cruiser USS Cleveland performs successful test of VT proximity-fuzed antiaircraft shells in Chesapeake Bay.
Actor Clark Gable enlists in US Army Air Force.
August 11, 2017
Today in World War II History—Aug. 11, 1942
Hedy Lamarr publicity photo for the film The Heavenly Body, 1944 (public domain via Wikipedia)
75 Years Ago—Aug. 11, 1942: In Allied “Pedestal” convoy to Malta, carrier HMS Eagle is sunk by German U-boat U-73.
US War Production Board orders entire crop of wine grapes be made into raisins for the military.
Actress Hedy Lamarr applies for a patent for a frequency-hopping system to prevent interception and jamming of radio communications; although not used in WWII, the technology made cellular phones possible.
HMS Eagle listing in the Mediterranean Sea, 11 Aug 1942 (Imperial War Museum)
