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 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 2 . U.S. Defensive Battalion occupied 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 5 . Planes from Hornet (CV-8) bomb Bougainville, Solomons.
  • Oct 8 . Marines raid Japanese forces.
  • Oct 9 . U.S. troop convoy sails from Nouméa, New Caledonia, for Guadalcanal with the U.S. Army 164th Infantry Regiment.
  • 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 2d Infantry Division. Three heavy cruisers and two destroyers are to 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 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. US convoy turns back.
  • Oct 16. Japanese cruisers bombard Henderson Field.
  • Oct 17. Japanese cruisers bombard Henderson Field.
  • Oct 18. VAdm Halsey replaces Ghormley as South Pacific commander.
  • Oct 19. Japanese assemble 2 fleets to attack Guadalcanal: 4 BB, 5 CV, 10 CA, 29 DD.
  • Oct 20. Chester (CA-27) is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-176 in Solomon area,
  • Oct 21. Las Alamos selected for building A-bomb
  • Oct 23. Enterprise and South Dakota arrive Noumea, New Caledonia.
  • Oct 24. FDR orders all Pacific commands to assist Guadalcanal.
  • Oct 23-26. Third Japanese land attack on Henderson Field fails. Last chance.
  • Oct 25. Japanese light cruiser Yura damaged by aircraft, scuttled.
  • Oct 25. SS Pres. Coolidge (contract liner) sunk by mine arriving Espirto Santo (Vanuatu), troops rescued, their supplies lost.
  • Oct 25. St. Louis, last of the modern cruisers in Alaskan waters, heads south.
  • Oct 26. Battle of Santa Cruz. Out numbered, Hornet and DD sunk . Enterprise, San Juan, 2 DD damaged, but Japanese withdraw without eliminating US forces.
  • Oct 27. South Dakota damaged avoiding torpedo.
  • Oct 28. Australians retake Kokoda airfield, New Guinea.
  • Oct 30. Japanese return to Attu, Aleutians.
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