1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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5 November
GUADALCANAL— 164th Inf ( — 1st Bn) crosses
flooded Nalimbiu about 3,500 yards S of Koli Pt
and drives N along E bank in effort to outflank
enemy facing 7th Marines.
NEW GUINEA—Aus 16th Brig continues attack
on Oivi against determined resistance. Aus 25th Brig
moves against Gorari from Kokoda.
INDIA—Rcn of Ledo area, terminus of Ledo
Road to Myitkyina, Burma, and base from which
operations in N Burma, RAVENOUS, are to start, is
begun.
MADAGASCAR—Hostilities cease at 1400.
EGYPT—Br Eighth Army regroups and continues
pursuit of enemy. 10 Corps, now consisting of 1st
and 7th Armd and NZ 2d Divs, pushes rapidly W,
overcoming rear guard resistance near Fuka. 30 Corps
takes up positions between El ‘Alamein and Matruh.
13 Corps is given task of mopping up battle zone.
NW AFRICA—As convoys from U.S. and U.K.,
with assault forces for TORCH, continue toward NW
Africa, Gen Eisenhower flies to Gibraltar and establishes
AFHQ CP. U.S.-Br staff consists of: Adm
Sir Andrew B. Cunningham, naval CinC; Brig Gen
James H. Doolittle, U.S. air forces; Air Marshal Sir
William L. Welsh, Br air forces (Eastern Air Command);
Lt Gen K. A. N. Anderson, Br ground forces.
6 November
GUADALCANAL—7th Marines establishes bridgehead
on E bank of Nalimbiu. 164th Inf ( — ) continues
toward Koli Pt, 3d Bn reaching it after nightfall.
Aola Force transports complete unloading operations
and withdraw.
NEW GUINEA—Gen MacArthur arrives at Port
Moresby, where advance echelon of GHQ opens, to
direct operations.
EGYPT—10 Corps, Br Eighth Army, continues
close pursuit of enemy, advance elements approaching
Matruh bottleneck as heavy rains begin.
USSR—Fighting continues in Stalingrad area
but on a diminishing scale. In the Caucasus, Red
Army is strongly countering enemy efforts to reach
Ordzhonikidze.
7 November
GUADALCANAL— 164th Inf enveloping force completes
northward movement along E bank of the
Nalimbiu to Koli Pt and joins 7th Marines. Combined
force then moves E along coast without opposition
to within a mile of Metapona R.
CBI—Gen Stilwell, with approval of Foreign
Minister T. V. Soong, sends for Gen Wheeler to survey
Ch supply situation in preparation for projected
campaign in spring of 1943.
[ 5–8 NOVEMBER 1942 ]
EGYPT—Br pursuit of enemy is delayed in Matruh
area as heavy rainfall immobilizes supporting vehicles.
Enemy seizes opportunity to withdraw some
forces. By this time, 4 German and 8 Italian divs are
ineffective as fighting units. British have taken
30,000 prisoners, among them 9 generals.
NW AFRICA—Gen Giraud arrives at Gibraltar for
conference with Gen Eisenhower, having traveled
from France by submarine and plane. TORCH invasion
armada from U.S. and U.K. closes in along N
African coast. U.S. transport Thomas Stone is torpedoed
off SE Spain and disabled; troops aboard are
transferred to landing boats but do not reach Algiers
until after its surrender.
8 November
GUADALCANAL—7th Marines ( — ) and 2d Bn of
164th Inf, latter being attached to 7th Marines as
reserve, move E along coast to surround enemy now
disposed astride Gavaga Creek, W of Tetere. 1st and
2d Bns of 7th Marines take up positions on W and
E banks, respectively, of the creek. “Tokyo Express”
has been landing reinforcements along coast from
Kokumbona to Cape Esperance during the period
28 October to date.
NEW GUINEA—Final elements of TF Warren (1st
Bn of 128th Inf, U.S. 32d Div) are flown from Port
Moresby to Wanigela; from there are moved forward
by boat.
EGYPT—Br Eighth Army, although still delayed
by rainfall, clears opposition in Mersa Matruh area.
NW AFRICA—Allied troops invade French NW
Africa, landing on Algerian and Moroccan coasts.
Warships and carrier planes provide close support.
ALGERIA—Eastern Naval Task Force lands Eastern
Assault Force (RCT 39, U.S. 9th Div; RCT 168, U.S.
34th Div; 11th and 36th Brigs, Br 78th Div; Br 1st
and 6th Cdo Bns), under command of Maj Gen
Charles W. Ryder, USA, E and W of Algiers, beginning
at 0100; 11th Brig and RCT 168 go ashore W of
Algiers near Castiglione and Sidi Ferruch, and RCT
39 lands E of Algiers near Cap Matifou. As troops
move forward toward Algiers against little or no resistance,
2 Br DD’s, with 3d Bn of RCT 135, U.S. 34th
Div, embarked, make frontal attack on Algiers Harbor
in effort to take it intact; one DD is forced to
withdraw; the other enters harbor and lands troops
about 0530, but is forced to retire under heavy fire,
leaving troops ashore. Eastern Assault Force takes
Blida and Maison Blanche airfields; pushes to edge
of Algiers, which capitulates at 1900.
Center Naval Task Force lands Center Assault
Force (U.S. II Corps assault force, consisting of 1st
Div, 1st Ranger Bn, and CCB of 1st Armd Div),
under Maj Gen Lloyd R. Fredendall, USA, E and