October 1942 (1)

USS Grouper

 

Late September, MGen. Robert Eichelberger and the bulk of the 32nd Division arrived at Port Moresby, New Guinea.  By early October, the 5th US Air Force began transporting troops to the Buna-Gona sector, but the bulk of their matériel had been sunk by Japanese bombers.  Gen. Harding felt it would not be a problem, being as that “Buna would be easy pickings.”

Lisbon Maru

1 October – the enemy ‘hell ship’ Lisbon Maru, with 1,816 Allied prisoners on board, was torpedoes by the US submarine Grouper off the coast of China.  The Japanese seamen closed the hatches and 843 POWs went to the bottom.  Many of the men managed to get out of the wreckage, but were machine-gunned as they surfaced.  Only 724 survived.  Enemy prison ships did not display a red cross to signify that their “cargo” was human and the conditions were so horrifying on board that approximately 22,000 prisoners died on them during the war.

the sinking of the Lisbon Maru

3-4 October – in the skies over Guadalcanal, American and Japanese aircraft battled.  Seven Navy Wildcats shot down 9 Zeros as they attacked US positions on the island.  The antiaircraft batteries brought down another 2 enemy planes during the night.  US Navy and Marine aircraft bombed a Japanese convoy as they landed reinforcements and hit one cruiser.

US Marines man a 75mm gun on Guadalcanal Oct. 1942

5-7 October – US Carrier aircraft made a strike at a concentration of Japanese ships grouped around Shortland Island, south of Bougainville in the Solomons.  Six vessels were damaged and approximately 10 enemy aircraft were destroyed.  The Marines on Guadalcanal met with heavy resistance as they moved westward.  The main combat zone was at the Matanikau River.

 

Battle of Cape Esperance

USS Helena (CL-50) by: Marii Chernex, Military Art Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

 

11-25 October – the US cruiser force under RAdm. Scott, on the flagship San Francisco, after receiving an intelligence report, intercepted a Japanese supply convoy covered by an enemy cruiser squadron.  This convoy was under the command of RAdm. Goto and located between the East & West Solomons.  Their contact would come to be known as the Battle of Esperance.

sailor points to the USS Boise’s scoreboard

As the battle proceeded to halt the convoy from reaching Guadalcanal, the The US had inefficient communication problems and poor tactical maneuvering issues, but the ships’ radar guided them to eliminate the destroyer Fubuki.  The enemy cruisers, Furutaka and Aoba were heavily damaged.  The Japanese retaliated and crippled the Duncan so badly, she had to be run aground.  The cruiser, Salt Lake City took action to cover the damaged Boise, yet the battle caused the enemy to retreat.

Click on images to enlarge.

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Military Humor – by Disney –

 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Herbert Acton – San Francisco, CA; US Army, WWII

Elsie Coulsen – Edmonton, CAN; CWAC (Canadian Women’s Army Corps), WWII

Heroes R.I.P.

Robert Davis – North Lewisburg, OH; US Army, WWII, ETO, C Co./#1 Assault Team/8th Regt/1st Btn/4th Infantry Div.

Frank Eaton – WPalm Bch, FL; US Navy, WWII, PTO

Lloyd Hadley – Evansville, IN; US Army Air Corps, WWII

Christopher E. Mosko – San Diego, CA; US Navy, Lt., Afghanistan, Navy Explosives Ordnance Disposal

Walter Pope – Carthage, TN; US Navy, Korea & Vietnam, Navy Seal, Bronze Star

Ronald Smith – Matamata, NZ; RNZ Air Force # 4312063, WWII

Fernand Violette – Lake Worth, FL; US Army, WWII ETO, Bronze Star (Patton’s driver)

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