OCTOBER 1942
Status of the War.
The tip of Alaska is occupied by Japanese.
Japanese Navy remains largest with 8 carriers vs. US 4 fleet carriers (1-Atlantic, 2-damaged).
Hornet only US carrier in service; supporting convoys to Guadalcanal.
Japanese occupy largest portion of Guadalcanal and all islands north.
Japanese occupy the north side of New Guinea and all lands north.
India threatened by both civil unrest and the Japanese in Burma.
Only 50 C-47,C-48s are available to fly the Hump to supply China.
China is more interested in fighting communists than fighting Japanese.
German Army North advancing through Baltic states
German Army Central advancing to Moscow.
German Army South advancing in Crimea towards Mid East oil and a link with Rommel.
Russia is on the ropes.
Rommel is half-way across Egypt.
Allied ship tonnage reaches low point.
All US shipping and material was needed to support:
• Russia by Arctic route
• Egypt by route around Africa
• England and build up for Bolero.
• US Army for N.Africa invasion.
• Pacific Theater must support itself.
• Oct 1 . Bell P-59 Airacomet, 1st US jet fighter, makes its maiden flight.
• Oct 2 . U.S. Defensive Battalion occupies Funafuti, Ellice Islands.
• Oct 2 . USAAF B-17's bomb Rabaul harbor, damaging Japanese light cruiser Tenryu.
• Oct 3 . SBD's and TBF's from Henderson Field attack Japanese supply convoy en route to Guadalcanal, damaging seaplane carrier Nisshin.
  Oct 3 . Prototype V-2, 12 ton rocket travels 125 miles, 60 miles high, 3,300 mph.
• Oct 4 . Japanese submarine I-25 torpedoes tanker SS Camden off the coast of Oregon.
• Oct 5 . Planes from Hornet (CV-8) bomb Bougainville, Solomons.
• Oct 6. Japanese submarine I-25 sinks tanker Larry Doheny off Oregon.
• Oct 7 . Last of German commerce raiders, Komet, departs; sunk a week later by British MTB.
• Oct 8 . Marines raid Japanese forces to stop artillery fire on Henderson Field.
• Oct 9 . U.S. troop convoy sails from Nouméa, New Caledonia, for Guadalcanal with the U.S. Army 164th Infantry Regiment.
• Oct 10. In AAF first big raid, 115 B-17s hit Lille, France.
• Oct 11-12. Battle of Cape Esperance. Cruisers engage while Tokyo Express lands troops.
  Oct 11. Japanese transport force formed around seaplane carriers Chitose and Nisshin and six destroyers, reaches Tassafaronga, Guadalcanal, to disembark elements of the Japanese Army's 2nd Infantry Division. Three heavy cruisers and two destroyers provide cover by shelling Henderson Field. Battle of Cape Esperance commences shortly before midnight, as naval surface force bars the way. Heavy cruiser Salt Lake City (CA-25) and light cruiser Boise (CL-47) are damaged, but combine to cripple heavy cruiser Furutaka . Duncan (DD-485) and Farenholt (DD-491) are also damaged by Japanese gunfire, the latter possibly by friendly fire. American gunfire sinks Japanese DD Fubuki and damages heavy cruiser Aoba and destroyer Hatsuyuki.
• Oct 12. Battle of Cape Esperance continues as TG 64.2 engages Japanese cruiser and destroyer force. As the result of damage received in the battle, Japanese heavy cruiser Furutaka sinks ; destroyers Murakumo and Shirayuki rescue survivors of ships sunk in the engagement. Japanese destroyers Natsugumo and Murakumo sunk by aircraft off Savo Island.
  Oct 12. Italian nationals in the United States no longer be considered enemy aliens.
• Oct 13. Army Americal Division reinforces Marines on Guadalcanal with 3,000 men.
• Oct 13-14. Japanese BBs Kongo and Horuna destroy Henderson Field and 80 planes; 4 PT boats defending.
• Oct 13-14. Six Japanese destroyers land 1,000 troops.
• Oct 15. Japanese heavy cruisers bombard Henderson Field while enemy transports land troops on Guadalcanal, 3 of the 11 destroyed.
• Oct 15. U.S. supply convoy turns back.
• Oct 16. Japanese cruisers bombard Henderson Field with 1500 8" shells.
  Oct 16. Submarine Thresher (SS-200) mines the approaches to Bangkok, Thailand, first U.S. sub mine plant.
• Oct 17. Japanese cruisers bombard Henderson Field.
• Oct 18. VAdm Halsey replaces VAdm Ghormley as South Pacific commander.
• Oct 19. Japanese assemble 2 fleets to attack Guadalcanal: 4 BB, 5 CV, 10 CA, 29 DD.
  Oct 19. One TBF and one SBD equiped with airborn radar assigned to Saratoga.
  Oct 19. Japanese sub I-36 floatplane for a reconnaissance flight over Pearl Harbor. The pilot and crew reported on the ships in the harbor, after which the aircraft was lost at sea.
• Oct 20. Chester (CA-27) is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-176 in Solomon area ; out of service for a year.
• Oct 21. Las Alamos selected for building A-bomb.
• Oct 22. Westinghouse authorized to construct two 19A axial flow turbojet powerplants. First US designed jet engine.
• Oct 23. Enterprise and South Dakota arrive Noumea, New Caledonia.
• Oct 23-26. Third Japanese land attack on Henderson Field fails. Last chance.
  Oct 23. Convoy for Operation Torch, invasion of North Africa, departs Norfolk.
  Oct 23. Britain launch offensive against Axis forces at El Alamein in Egypt.
• Oct 24. Battle of Bloody Ridge introduces M1 Grand and flame thrower.
• Oct 25. Japanese light cruiser Yura damaged by aircraft, scuttled.
• Oct 25. SS Pres. Coolidge (contract liner) by mine arriving Espiritu Santo (Vanuatu); troops survived, their supplies lost.
• Oct 25. St. Louis, last of the modern cruisers in Alaskan waters, heads south.
• Oct 26. Battle of Santa Cruz. U.S. out numbered in last carrier battle in Solomons, Hornet and Porter (DD-356). Enterprise, San Juan, 2 DD damaged, but Japanese withdraw without eliminating U.S. forces.   video Hornet
• Oct 27. South Dakota downs 26 aircraft ; damaged avoiding torpedo.
  Oct 27-Nov 11. U.S. has NO carriers in service.
• Oct 28. Australians retake Kokoda airfield, New Guinea.
• Oct 28. Contract for 1,000 disposable sonobuoys and 100 receivers.
• Oct 29. Japanese continue to send troops as reinforcements into Guadalcanal.
• Oct 30. Japanese return to Attu, Aleutians.
• Oct 31. El Alamein offensive underway in Egypt. < September   November >