Alternate Universe War?

Exactly as posted:

• October 9, Fri.
  Pacific
  U.S. troop convoy, consisting of transports McCawley (AP-10) and Zeilin (AP-9) and eight high speed transports (Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner) sails from Nouméa, New Caledonia, for Guadalcanal with the U.S. Army 164th Infantry Regiment embarked.
  
  Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-7 reconnoiters Espiritu Santo.
  
  Submarine Drum (SS-228) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Yawatasan Maru, 33°27'N, 136°01'E.
  
  Atlantic
  U.S. freighter Coloradan is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-159 approximately 214 miles southwest of Cape Town, South Africa, 35°47'S, 14°34'E; six crewmen are killed in the attack. Survivors (who include 33 merchant seamen and the 15-man Armed Guard) divide themselves between two lifeboats; the men in lifeboat no.1 are questioned by the Germans and are given a course to Cape Town (see 11 and 19 October and 2 November 1942).
  
• October 9, Sun.
  Pacific
  Japanese oiler Shiretoko is damaged, cause and location unspecified.
  
  Japanese army cargo ship Shinju Maru is damaged, cause unspecified, northeast of Kasa Island.
  
  Atlantic
  German submarine U-505 is damaged by aircraft off Trinidad, B.W.I.
  
  U.S. freighter Examelia is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-68 20 miles south of the Cape of Good Hope, 34°52'S, 18°30'E; U-boat officers question the survivors before the enemy submersible leaves the area. U.S. freighter John Lykes subsequently rescues the survivors (30 of 38 merchant sailors and 10 of the 13-man Armed Guard) (see 2 November 1942).

It's a free country, you'll have to decide.