1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 21–23 JANUARY 1942 ]
elements then force the Manych while others proceed
toward mouth of the Donets.
21 January
GUADALCANAL—XIV Corps completes preparations
for offensive on 22d. 2d Bn of 161st Inf, 25th
Div, advances to Hill Y, SW of Hill X, where opposition
is negligible. 3d Bn, 27th Inf, moves forward
to Snake to follow 1st Bn—main assault force—
turning over position on Hill 57 to 2d Bn. Action
against the Gifu is continued by 2d Bn, 35th Inf.
NEW GUINEA—Aus and U.S. troops effect junctions
along coast E of Sanananda and on Soputa–
Sanananda road. 127th Inf column drives through
Giruwa virtually unopposed to join Australians just
W of the village. In afternoon AUS 2/9th and
2/10th Bns launch 3-pronged attack on enemy positions
along coast W of Sanananda and clear all except
small pocket. Aus 2/12th Bn, clearing southward
along Soputa–Sanananda road from
Sanananda Village, makes contact with 2d Bn of
163d Inf. 163d reduces 2 of the 3 pockets on Soputa–
Sanananda road and in the course of the day kills
more than 500 Japanese.
LIBYA—Br Eighth Army continues to press W
toward Tripoli, 51st Div overcoming resistance in
Corradini area. Learning that enemy has strengthened
Tarhuna at expense of Horns front, Gen Montgomery
decides to make main effort along coast.
TUNISIA—Gen Eisenhower gives Gen K. A. N.
Anderson, CG Br First Army, responsibility for coordinating
operations of Br, Fr, and U.S. forces. Maj
Gen Laurence S. Kuter, USAAF, is assigned to Gen
K. A. N. Anderson’s hq as executive air commander
with mission of co-ordinating air action. CCB, U.S.
1st Armd Div, with strong arty and air support, begins
attack in late afternoon to drive enemy back in
Ousseltia Valley and makes considerable progress
until halted by darkness.
USSR—Voroshilovsk, E of Armavir, falls to
Red Army.
U.K.—CCS directive regarding bomber operations
from U.K. relieves VIII Bomber Command to
a large extent of necessity of supporting N African
operations.
22 January
GUADALCANAL—XIV Corps Opens final offensive
toward the Poha R at 0630. Assault troops are
supported by arty, air, and naval gunfire. CAM Div
pushes W toward heights SE of Kokumbona (Hills
99 and 98) with elements of 3 regts in assault. 6th
Marines, advancing along coast, is stopped by enemy
fire from ravine W of Hill 94. 147th Inf in
center and 182d on left are hampered more by
[ 87 ]
terrain than by enemy. 147th Inf seizes Hill 95. 182d
Inf makes contact with 27th Inf of 25th Div N of
Hill 88. On corps S flank, 25th Div attacks toward
Hill 87. 1st Bn, 27th Inf, with role of conducting
holding action while 2d Bn, 161st Inf, envelops
enemy’s S flank, moves forward from Snake and
quickly takes Hill 87, day’s objective, from which
enemy has withdrawn; continuing attack, also seizes
Hills 88 and 89 by 1035. To exploit this advantage,
div boundary is altered and 27th Inf is ordered to
continue as rapidly as possible toward Kokumbona.
By 1700, 27th Inf holds heights just E and S of
Kokumbona (Hills 90 and 98). 2d Bn, 161st Inf,
the enveloping force, advances slowly through
jungle from Hill Y to Hill 87. 2d Bn, 35th Inf, assisted
by a tank, forces 200-yard gap in N part of
the Gifu strongpoint; repels final enemy counterattack,
night 22–23.
NEW GUINEA—Papua Campaign ends in decisive
defeat of Japanese. This is the first victory of
the war against Japanese on land. Organized resistance
on Sanananda front collapses as Aus 18th
Brig eliminates last small pocket on coast W of
Sanananda and 163d Inf finishes clearing Soputa–
Sanananda road. Cost to each side has been heavy.
Of the estimated force of 16,000 committed by enemy
in Papua, about 7,000 are buried by Allied
forces; prisoners, for the large part Korean and Chinese,
total some 350. Aus troops sustain approximately
5,700 casualties and U.S. forces 2,788.
Battle-weary 126th Inf is withdrawn from zone of
combat.
LIBYA—Passing through 51st Div of Br Eighth
Army, 22d Armd Brig continues coastal drive on
Tripoli, reaching positions beyond Castelverde,
while S column advances to within 17 miles of
Tripoli.
TUNISIA—Allied attack to clear Ousseltia Valley
is halted by strong opposition.
USSR—Soviet forces of Voronezh Front open
assault on Voronezh. Troops of South Front overrun
Salsk, on Stalingrad–Novorossisk rail line at its
junction with line to Rostov. German 6th Army remains
under attack at Stalingrad; Berlin admits Soviet
penetration of positions from W.
23 January
I NTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES—Casablanca
Conference to determine strategy for 1943 ends,
conferees having agreed: to continue assault against
Germany, upon completion of Tunisian campaign,
with conquest of Sicily (HUSKY) in July or possibly
June of 1943; to give high priority to a combined
bomber offensive against the European continent
from the U.K.; to advance toward the Philippines
through Central and SW Pacific; to build up U.S.