Year 1942

WW2 War Diary for Thursday, September 3, 1942: Home Fronts Australia – ‘Austerity Campaign’: new restrictions on entertainments and sports; increased taxes on alcoholic drinks and tobacco. Neutrals Spain: Pro-Axis […]

WW2 War Diary for Wednesday, September 2, 1942: Home Fronts Germany: German High Command threatens to put all British prisoners captured at Dieppe in chains, as a reprisal for murdering

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, September 1, 1942: Sea War Atlantic: USN and RAF Catalinas defeat all attacks on Convoy SC.97 by U-boat group Vorwaerts (‘Onward’); U-756 sunk. Home Front

WW2 War Diary for Monday, August 31, 1942: Sea War Pacific: Carrier Saratoga torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-26 in Solomons. Merchant shipping losses in August 1942: 106 Allied ships with

World War One Diary for Sunday, August 30, 1942: Africa Alamein – BATTLE OF ALAM HALFA (August 30-September 4): Rommel attempts to outflank El Alamein ‘Line’, but his Panzers are

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, August 29, 1942: Air War Germany: Russian night raids on Berlin and Koenigsberg.

WW2 War Diary for Friday, August 28, 1942: Sea War Pacific: Seaplane, launched from Japanese submarine I-25, drops incendiaries over Oregon forest (night August 28-29; repeated September 9-10). Air War

WW2 War Diary for Thursday, August 27, 1942: Occupied Territories France: Hitler orders release of 800 French PoWs as reward for ‘exemplary conduct’ of civil population during Allied raid on

WW2 War Diary for Wednesday, August 26, 1942: Pacific New Guinea: Japanese land at Milne Bay, southeast of Port Moresby. Air War Germany: Russian night raids on Berlin, August 26-27

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, August 25, 1942: Eastern Front Stalingrad: Communist Party Committee of city proclaims state of siege: ‘We shall never surrender the city of our birth; every

WW2 War Diary for Monday, August 24, 1942: Air War North Africa: Stripped-down Spitfire destroys Ju 86R high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft over Suez Canal. Sea War Pacific – BATTLE OF THE

WW2 War Diary for Sunday, August 23, 1942: Air War Eastern Front – STALINGRAD ‘TERROR’ RAID: 600 German bombers, Stukas and Ju 52 bomber/transports attack city throughout night August 23-24

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, August 22, 1942: Eastern Front Stalingrad: Panzers make narrow breach in Russian line at Vertyachi, north of the city. Home Fronts USA: Death of Michael

WW2 War Diary for Friday, August 21, 1942: Pacific Solomons – BATTLE OF TENARU RIVER: US Marines annihilate first contingent of Japanese reinforcements on Guadalcanal. Eastern Front Caucasus: Germans plant

WW2 War Diary for Thursday, August 20, 1942: Air War Pacific: US F4F Wildcat fighters and Dauntless dive-bombers flown into Henderson Field (Guadalcanal), called the ‘Cactus Air Force’. Eastern Front:

WW2 War Diary for Wednesday, August 19, 1942: Western Front France – DIEPPE RAID (Operation Jubilee): 6,100 Canadian troops and British Commandos (including elements of an US Ranger bataillon) with

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, August 18, 1942: Africa Alamein: General Alexander appointed C-in-C Middle East, in place of Auchinleck; Lieutenant-general Montgomery replaces Ritchie as GOC 8th Army – special

WW2 War Diary for Monday, August 17, 1942: Air War Western Europe: FIRST ‘ALL-AMERICAN’ BOMBING RAID OVER EUROPE IN WW2. 12 B-17 Fortress bombers of 8th AAF, led by Brigade-General

WW2 War Diary for Sunday, August 16, 1942: Sea War Arctic – Operation Wunderland (August 16-30): Heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer penetrates into Kara Sea to attack Russian shipping. Secret War

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, August 15, 1942: Air War Europe: Pathfinder Force established within RAF Bomber Command under Air Commander Bennett. (First operation against Flensburg shipyards, night August 18-19.)