1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

1 January
GUADALCANAL—From Hill 11, 2d Bn of 132d
Inf marches slowly S and W over precipitous terrain
to SE slope of Hill 27, arriving too late in day to
open assault as planned. RCT 27, 25th Div, arrives
on island.
NEW GUINEA—Urbana Force attacks toward
Buna Mission from SE and from the spit after heavy
preparatory fire, but makes little progress. In evening
Japanese are seen swimming from the Mission.
Co B, 127th Inf, moves E toward Giropa Pt to assist
Warren Force, which encircles enemy between
Giropa Pt and Old Strip. On left, Aus 2/12th Bn,
supported by 6 tanks, drives to coast at Giropa Pt
and turns SE, clearing coastal strip to Simemi
Creek; 1st Bn, U.S. 128th Inf, mops up bypassed
pockets. On right, 3d Bn of 128th Inf and Aus
2/10th Bn make slow progress in 2-pronged attack
to clear enemy entrenched in dispersal bays off NW
end of Strip.
NW AFRICA—Gen Eisenhower places Gen
Fredendall in command of U.S. II Corps, which is
planning for Operation SATIN, capture of Sfax, Tunisia,
to prevent junction of Axis armies. TF SATIN
is to consist of 1st Armd Div and RCT 26 of 1st
Inf Div. AFHQ takes responsibility for communications
lines from Bone to Constantine, relieving Br
First Army.
USSR—Encircled German Sixth Army on
Stalingrad front, now compressed into area some 25
by 40 miles, remains under attack from all sides.
Efforts to supply it by air meet with little success
and are costly in aircraft. Soviet troops of Kalinin
Front capture Velikie Luki, important rail center,
which has been under attack for some time. Elista,
S of Stalingrad in Kalmyk steppes, falls to other Red
Army forces.
2 January
GUADALCANAL—Gen Harmon activates XIV
Corps, consisting of Americal and 25th Divs, former
reinf by 147th Inf. 2d Mar Div and other Marine
ground forces are attached to corps. Gen Patch is
placed in command of corps, and Gen Sebree succeeds
him as commander of Americal Div. After
heavy arty preparation, 132d Inf of Americal Div
continues offensive against the Gifu strongpoint.
2d Bn, taking enemy by surprise, advances quickly
to crest of Hill 27, S of the Gifu strongpoint, and
1943
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digs in; holds firm under a number of counterattacks.
3d and 1st Bns establish lines along N and E
sides of the Gifu, respectively, but gaps remain between
the 3 assault bns.
NEW GUINEA—Urbana Force overruns Buna
Mission in concerted assault. Organized resistance
ends at 1632. Top Japanese commanders, Capt.
Yasuda and Col Hiroshi Yamamoto, commit suicide.
With Mission clear, Co C of 127th Inf joins Co B
in attack along coast toward Giropa Pt, and by 1930
makes junction with Warren Force. Warren Force,
in final attack, finishes clearing region from Giropa
Pt eastward. Japanese move forward from Giruwa to
rescue survivors of Buna garrison. Japanese have lost
at least 1,400 men at Buna: 500 W of Giropa Pt and
900 E of it. Casualties of U.S. 32d Div and Aus 18th
Brig total 2,817 (620 killed, 2,065 wounded, 132
missing). In preparation for stepping up action on
Sanananda front, where stalemate has existed for
some time, Gen Herring orders 25-pound arty from
Buna to that area. 1st Bn and Hq, U.S. 163d Inf,
take responsibility for Huggins and Kano blocks on
trail to Sanananda, gradually relieving Australians,
2–4 January. Huggins is renamed Musket.
USSR—German Army Group A begins withdrawing
1st Pz Army northward toward Rostov to prevent
it from becoming encircled.
3 January
GUADALCANAL—1st Bn, 132d Inf, exerts pressure
against E part of the Gifu and establishes contact
with 2d Bn to left.
NEW GUINEA—Urbana and Warren Forces
mop up.
TUNISIA—Enemy tank-infantry force, with arty
and air support, overruns Fr 19th Corps troops at
Fondouk. Br First Army’s 5 Corps, employing 36th
Brig of 78th Div, begins limited attacks to improve
positions on Djebel Azag and Djebel Ajred, W of
Mateur. Br 6th Armd Div conducts rcn in force on
Goubellat plain.
USSR—Exploiting German withdrawal in the
Caucasus, Red Army occupies Mozdok and
Malgobek.
4 January
N PACIFIC—Adm Nimitz replaces Adm Theobald
with Adm Kinkaid as commander, TF 8.