December 1942 (2)

Soputa, New Guinea officer’s mess

8-19 December – after Buna and Gona, on New Guinea, were finally taken, the Allies knew that at least 7,000 Japanese might be defending Sanananda.  So, it came as quite a surprise to generals Vassey and Eichelberger when MacArthur released his communiqué, “The Papuan Campaign is in its closing phase.”  It would be another 2 weeks before the last enemy soldier left his bunker [where evidence of cannibalism was found].  The close quarter battles killed about 630 of the enemy, but the 530 Australian casualties were a heavy price to pay.

Replacements and supplies arrive.

On Guadalcanal, the Japanese had suffered, at this point, about 23,000 casualties; more from disease and starvation than combat, out of 40,000 men.  They lost 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 12 destroyers, 16 transports and many hundreds of planes.  Adm. Tanaka would later say, “There is no question that Japan’s doom was sealed with the closing struggle for Guadalcanal.”  He went on to conclude that Japan’s lack of planning spelled her defeat.

Americal force cmdr. MGen. Alexander Patch

9 December – MGen. Alexander M. Patch replaced Vandergrift as the commander of the Guadalcanal forces.  The 1st Marine Division left the island as their replacements arrived.  During December, as many as 58,000 US troops were on the island verses 20,000 poorly equipped Japanese.

Transport ship ‘President Coolidge’

12 December – the President Coolidge had hit a mine while bearing troops from New Caledonia to Espiritu Santo Island in the New Hebrides.  Capt. Henry Nelson rammed the sinking ship onto a coral reef.  She slid off that reef, turned turtle and sank, but as a result of the captain’s swift action, only 5 lives were lost out of the 5,050 on board.  The picture above shows the troops scrambling down the cargo nets.

17-31 December – the 14th Indian Division began to work their way back into Burma.  They crossed the border of India and advanced 150 miles (241 km) to positions just north of the Maungdau-Butnidaung line.  Their goal was to reach Akyab, 60 miles (96 km) south.  They were initially halted by the Japanese 55th Division.  Then, Allied forces continued southward and by the end of the month, they took Rathedaung.

Burma combat map from 1942

During the closing hours of 1942, Adm. Yamamoto wrote, “How splendid the first stage of our operation was!  But how unsuccessfully we have fought since the defeat of Midway.”  (The Admiral had predicted in 1940 that Japan would have her way for 6 months, but after that would be a hostage to the fortune that haunted her leaders.)

26-31 December, on Guadalcanal, the US XIV Corps battled a desperate Japanese force.  Although they were half-starved and so many stricken with malaria, the enemy proved to be tenacious.  However the Imperial General Staff would order an abandonment of the island and for their troops on New Guinea to retreat to Giruwa, disguised publicly as a “strategic withdrawal.”

During December, 700,000 tons of US shipping was supplied to Guadalcanal.  This proved to be beyond the Japanese capacity to compete with.

Click on images to enlarge.

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Military Humor – from Bill Mauldin – 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Donald Austin – Benton, AR; US Army, WWII

Henry Benvenuti – Boynton Bch., FL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Personnel Sgt. Major

James Davis – Oso, WA; US Navy, WWII / US Army, Korea, Purple Heart

John HIggins – Boise, ID; US Navy (Ret.), Vietnam, fighter pilot, Purple Heart, Bronze Star

Christopher Lee – Chelsea, UK; RAF, WWII, ETO, No. 269 Sq. & w/ Gurkhas/8th Indian Inf. Reg, (beloved actor)

Colin Maultsby Jr. – Raleigh, NC; US Army, Korea

Stanley Ribee – UK & CAN; British Merchant Service, WWII

Ed Simolo – Merrill, WI; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 457th Artillery

William Spornitz – Sioux City, IA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 188th/11th A/B Div.

Merlin Twogood – Woonsocket, SD; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 511th/11th Airborne

Walter Wilke – Taranaki, NZ; RNZ Air Force # 4211605/ RNZ Army # 631267, WWII

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