1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 24–27 OCTOBER 1942 ]
sionary actions on S. Heavy fighting continues
throughout night.
24 October
U.S.—Final detachment of Western Naval Task
Force sails from Hampton Roads for N Africa.
Covering group of warships sails from Casco Bay,
Maine.
GUADALCANAL—Japanese column is observed E
of the Matanikau on foothills of Mt Austen in afternoon
and bombarded by arty and aircraft with unobserved
results. Shortly after midnight 24–25, regt
of main Japanese assault force attacks S flank of
Lunga perimeter, where 1st Bn of 7th Marines is
thinly spread along 2,800-yard front, 2d Bn having
been withdrawn to plug gap between Lunga perimeter
and forward positions along the Matanikau.
Marines, assisted by fire of adjacent troops—2d Bn
of 164th Inf—and reinf during night by 3d Bn of
164th Inf, hold against repeated attacks, and enemy
retires morning of 25th.
NEW HEBRIDES—2 U.S. naval carrier forces,
based on Enterprise and Hornet, rendezvous NE of
New Hebrides and come under command of Rear
Adm Thomas C. Kinkaid.
NEW GUINEA—Organized resistance on
Goodenough I. ceases; 250 Japanese are withdrawn
to Rabaul by DD after nightfall. After exhausting overland
journey, head of 2d Bn, 126th Inf, U.S. 32d
Div, reaches Jaure. From there the force is to move
to Buna area via Natunga and Bofu, AT and Cannon
Cos protecting its rear and harassing enemy in
Wairopi area.
EGYPT—30 Corps, with 4 divs in assault, secures
2 corridors through enemy mine fields on N flank
of Br Eighth Army, Aus 9th and Br 51st Divs gaining
one on N and NZ 2d and S African 1st Divs one
on S. 10 Corps armor then begins passing through:
1st Armd Div, debouching through N corridor,
breaks through mine field during night 24–25, but
10th Armd Div, using S corridor, is unable to reach
W edge of mine field. On Eighth Army S flank, 13
Corps’ 7th Armd and 44th Divs succeed in breaking
through mine fields N of Himeimat, night 24–25,
and establish small bridgehead; to S, FF 1st Brig
pushes W but is driven back.
ITALY—RAF Lancasters, after flight of some
1,400 miles from Britain, attack Milan in force. This
is the first daylight attack on Italy by Br planes from
home bases.
25 October
BERMUDA—Air group for TORCH (carriers) sails
for N Africa.
GUADALCANAL—Japanese arty and aircraft are
very active during day but ground attacks are withheld
until night 25–26, when 2 enemy regts attack
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1st Bn of 7th Marines and 3d Bn of 164th Inf on S
flank of Lunga perimeter and other enemy forces
attack 2d Bn of 7th Marines E of Hill 67 and
Matanikau R. Both attacks are repulsed and lull in
ground action follows.
EGYPT—As El ‘Alamein battle continues, Gen
Montgomery decides to make main effort on N flank
of 30 Corps and withhold attacks of 13 Corps in
order to preserve strength of 7th Armd Div. On N
flank of 30 Corps, Aus 9th Div drives N toward
coastal road to Rahman; 1st Armd Div, attempting
to push W in Kidney Ridge area, is unable to advance.
Series of determined enemy counterattacks
with strong tank support is repulsed. In 13 Corps
sector, 50th Div attempts to improve positions in
Munassib area with little success.
26 October
NEW HEBRIDES—172d Regt of U.S. 43d Div arrives
at Espiritu Santo, but vessel bringing it, President
Coolidge, is sunk off coast by U.S. mines.
BATTLE OF SANTA CRUZ IS.—Adm Kinkaid’s
naval force, upon learning of presence of Japanese
naval units near Santa Cruz Is., moves forward and
engages in naval air battle. 3 Japanese carriers and
2 DD’s are damaged and 100 planes are destroyed.
Cost is high, however, since carrier Hornet and DD
Porter are sunk; 4 vessels, one of them the carrier
Enterprise, are damaged; 20 planes are lost to enemy
and 54 from other causes. This is the last time during
the Guadalcanal Campaign that Japanese use
carrier aircraft in close support.
GUADALCANAL—Operational aircraft on Henderson
Field now total 29.
EGYPT—El ‘Alamein battle continues but with
decreasing momentum. 30 Corps, Br Eighth Army,
improves positions in vicinity of Miteiriya Ridge and
during night 26–27 succeeds in taking Kidney
Ridge. Gen Montgomery decides to regroup for next
phase, the breakout attack, and withdraws NZ 2d
Div into reserve. Allied planes continue effective
support of ground operations and disperse enemy
force concentrating for attack. Enemy air action,
which has been rather light thus far, increases.
USSR—Hard fighting continues in Stalingrad.
In the Caucasus, Nalchik falls to Army Group A.
U.K.—TORCH troop convoy leaves for Africa.
27 October
CBI—Generals Wavell and Stilwell agree that
Stilwell shall conduct offensive in Hukawng Valley
of N Burma and occupy area Myitkyina-Bhamo;
make contact with Ch forces from Yunnan. Americans
are to be responsible for construction of Ledo