9.5° List

MON 31 AUG 1942
Pacific
Eight Japanese destroyers put ashore 1,000 troops of the Kawaguchi Detachment on Guadalcanal.

Carrier Saratoga (CV-3) is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-26, 260 miles southeast of Guadalcanal, 10°34'S, 164°18'E.

USS Saratoga (CV-3) on September 8, 1942 listing at 9.5° whilst under repair at Tongatabu, after being torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-26 (LCDR Yokota) on August 31.

USS Saratoga (CV-3) on September 8, 1942 listing at 9.5° whilst under repair at Tongatabu,
after being torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-26 (LCDR Yokota) on August 31.

Destroyer Reid (DD-369) and PBYs (VP 42, VP 43) sink Japanese submarine RO-61 off Atka, Aleutians, 52°36'N, 173°57'W.

Submarine Growler (SS-215) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Eifuku Maru in Formosa Strait, 25°43'N, 122°38'E.

Atlantic
Storm separates the two lifeboats with survivors from U.S. tanker Jack Carnes, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-705 at 42°00'N, 28°05'E (see 5 September 1942).

Five Mins. Ago

"To Her Watery Grave", W/ Action Photos!

SUN 30 AUG 1942
Pacific
TG 8.8 lands Army occupation forces on Adak, Aleutians, to begin construction of an air and naval base.

High speed transport Colhoun (APD-2) is bombed and sunk by Japanese planes off Kukum Point, Guadalcanal, 09°24'S, 160°01'E.

Washington Evening Star newspaper photos, dated 1 October 1942,
of USS Colhoun (APD-2) sinking off Guadalcanal, 30 August 1942,
and of several surviving crew members after reaching safety on Guadalcanal.

Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-19 reconnoiters Santa Cruz Island, Solomons.

Atlantic
U.S. tanker Jack Carnes bound for Aruba, is shelled by German submarine U-705. After Armed Guard gunfire compels the Germans to submerge, U-705 torpedoes the tanker, 42°00'N, 28°05'E; 24 merchant seamen and four Armed Guard sailors man one lifeboat, while 18 merchant sailors (including the ship's master) and 10 Armed Guard sailors take to the other (see 31 August and 5 September 1942).

U.S. freighter Star of Oregon, bound for Trinidad, is torpedoed by German submarine U-162, and abandoned; one workaway sailor is killed in the attack. U-162 then shells and sinks the freighter, 11°48'N, 59°45'E, before questioning the crew and then leaving the area. The entire 38-man crew and 14-man Armed Guard sailors survive the loss of the ship; a U.S. patrol craft rescues them.

U.S. freighter West Lashaway is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-66 approximately 375 miles east of Trinidad, 10°30'N, 55°10'E; the rapidity with which the ship sinks prevents boats from being launched. Some 42 of the 56 souls on board (including a woman missionary and four children among the passengers) manage to reach four rafts (see 2, 13, 18 and 24 September 1942).

Houston Hell, Give ME Some Money!

I need your ill-gotten gains more than some lower middle-class animal w/ a job that's been flooded out of its suburban shithole for a few days. (Your hideous world of shit & pain has been drowning me for 60+ yrs.) And I've more sense than to live on a flood plain, making me a better investment than a swamp-dweller who wage-slaves in a refinery.

75 Yrs. Ago In Seamanship

SAT 29 AUG 1942
Pacific
Transport William Ward Burrows (AP-6) is damaged when she runs aground on Sylvia Reef off Tulagi, Solomons, 09°07'S, 160°10'E.

Australian destroyer HMAS Arunta sinks Japanese submarine RO-33 ten miles southeast of Port Moresby, New Guinea, 09°36'S, 147°06'E.

Pin-Dicked "Alpha Male" Locked Out

Who's the "pajama boy" now, poseur?

Nature Disappoints Again & Again

Alas, Texas is still there. You weren't trying, Harvey!! Not nearly enough dead, either. Frankly, if one builds, buys or rents on a flood plain, one's drowned & bloated corpse should be washed to the ocean to be eaten by sharks.

In other natural disasters, just a few days ago Los Angeles was "promised" 100°F ('bout 38°C) today; nature has pooped out & we may not get above a mere 92°F (33.33333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333°C).

U-511 Sinks Two Near Gitmo

FRI 28 AUG 1942
Pacific
USMC and Navy SBDs (VMSB 232, VS 5) bomb and sink Japanese destroyer Asagiri off Santa Isabel, Solomons, and damage destroyers Shirakumo, Yugiri, and Amagiri, preventing reinforcements (elements of the Kawaguchi Detachment) from landing on Guadalcanal.

Light minelayer Gamble (DM-15) sinks Japanese submarine I-123 near Guadalcanal, 09°21'S, 160°43'E.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter Topa Topa, bound for the Gold Coast, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-66 at 10°16'N, 51°30'W; 18 of the 42-man crew perish, as do seven of the 15-man Armed Guard. All three passengers survive. British merchantman Clan MacInnes rescues the 35 survivors and transports them to Trinidad.

Freighter Harjurand rescues some of the survivors from U.S. freighter Arlyn, torpedoed by U-165 the day before; the rest row to shore. A total of 22 merchant sailors, the 14-man Armed Guard, and the sole passenger survive Arlyn's loss. U-517 finishes off the abandoned Arlyn with a torpedo at 51°53'N, 55°48'W.

Caribbean
PBY (VP 92) and Canadian corvette HMCS Oakville sink German submarine U-94 at 17°54'N, 74°36'W. Destroyer Lea (DD-118) and Oakville pick up survivors.

U.S. tanker Esso Aruba, in convoy TAW 15, is torpedoed by German submarine U-511 approximately 120 miles south-southeast of Guantanamo Bay, 17°54'N, 74°47'W; U-511 also torpedoes British tanker San Fabian and Dutch tanker Rotterdam, both of which sink. Esso Aruba,however, suffers no casualties (convoy commodore and his five-man staff, 41-man merchant complement and 13-man Armed Guard), remains in convoy and reaches her destination the same day without further incident.

"King" Kirby Centenary

When Kirby wasn't drawing superheroes,
he was busy slut-shaming.

Some of Mr. Kirby's covers from the 1970s.

A personal remembrance.

More stuff.

Even the liberal New Republic.

Or just look at the Google, even if they chose not to honor The King
w/ one of their idiot doodles today.

Web Of Evil Mission Statement

Not certain of the exact meaning of "Dementia Friendly" (Spotted here; must be a Limey thing.) but I've a feeling the sooner we're at least "Dementia Acclimated" the better in these United Snakes.

(And obviously a vital part of this web log's mission. I could goleave my senses at any min.)

Crusades In The Caribbean & Atlantic

THU 27 AUG 1942
Atlantic
German submarine U-165 attacks convoy SG 6 off Belle Isle Strait, torpedoing oiler Laramie (AO-16) at 51°44'N, 55°40'W; four sailors are killed. U-165 also torpedoes U.S. freighter Arlyn at 51°53'N, 55°48'W; 12 of the 34-man crew die (see 28 August).

German submarine U-517 attacks convoy SG 6F off Belle Isle Strait, torpedoing Army transport Chatham at °51'N, 55°49'W; seven of the 106-man crew perish, as do seven of the 428 passengers. There are no casualties among the 28-man Armed Guard. The majority of the men who survive the sinking pull to shore in a dozen life boats; the remainder, who embark in nine rafts, are rescued by destroyer Bernadou (DD-153), Coast Guard cutter Mojave (WPG-47), and Canadian corvette HMCS Trail.

Caribbean
German submarine U-511 attacks convoy TAW 15 (see 28 August 1942).

B.O.H.I.C.A.!

Sauve qui peut! per the Capital Weather Gang.

Catastrophic flooding ‘beyond anything experienced’
in Houston and ‘expected to worsen’

The forecast doesn’t get any better for Houston. Harvey will continue to sit in a nearly stationary position on Sunday, keeping the Houston area under heavy rain bands of two to four inches per hour. And torrential rain could continue at times Monday into Tuesday.

Perhaps even more frightening, computer model forecasts are showing the very real possibility that Harvey will move back over the Gulf of Mexico Monday night and Tuesday, when it could restrengthen modestly. It may make a second landfall near Houston on Wednesday, with rain continuing into Thursday and even Friday.

Bonus (Audible) Version:

Wknd. Weasel-Dick Wrap-Up

Very disappointed that East Texas & the Gulf Coast have not yet washed into the sea, strictly in the interest of population reduction & control, of course, nothing to do w/ the six months that seemed like a yr. & a half I spent in Houston over 40 yrs. ago. May still be a chance, however; fingers crossed, breath bated, &c. Wash them all away, Jesus!!

Cleek's Law, Proof The Infinite:

The main reason for President Trump to pardon Sheriff Joe was fuck you, leftists.
The new rules, bitches.😎

— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) August 26, 2017

And fuck your mother w/ a splintered broom-stick, Schlichter, you pathetic pin-dick.

He Seems Nice Too

It’s quite telling that we have representatives of our government willing to see an octogenarian rot in prison for the sole crime of keeping his tiny little portion of the country safe from Hispanic refuse.

McCancer I can understand, for he’s probably just jealous that the Sheriff was a man of honor and bravery that didn’t have to resort to snitching on his own comrades to Asiatic savages, and I guess Top Cuck Flake’s tears make sense as well.

But all the others?

Just remember their names and faces, and make sure that they eventually find themselves on a treason list at some point in the future.

Big talk, very little understanding of "treason". Maybe he'll have an opportunity to find out more soon.

Talkin' Trump

The daughter of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, like her father a Navy veteran, appears, in the rawest of terms, to have excoriated President Donald Trump in a social media post after the announcement that transgender soldiers would be banned from the military.

“This man is a disgrace. I've tried to keep politics out of my social media feed as much as possible, but this is inexcusable,” read a July 26 public Instagram post from what appears to be the account of Jennifer Detlefsen, the Navy diver daughter Zinke frequently mentioned in his successful 2016 re-election campaign for the U.S. House. Shortly after the election, Trump chose Zinke to lead the U.S. Department of the Interior.

“This veteran says sit down and shut the fuck up, you know-nothing, never-served piece of shit.” She also used a hashtag, #itmfa, that is an acronym for “impeach the motherfucker already.”

[Billings Gazette]

Sunday In Babylon W/ Bouffant

 Ron Cowen / Science: 
This ancient Babylonian tablet may contain the first evidence of trigonometry

Discussion:

Andrew Liptak / The Verge:   An ancient clay tablet shows that Babylonian scholars might have invented trigonometry

Daniel Oberhaus / Motherboard:   Did the Babylonians Beat the Greeks to Trigonometry By 1000 Years?

Sputnik International:   Forget Pythagoras! The Babylonians Knew Their Trigonometry Before the Greeks

George Dvorsky / Gizmodo:   Deciphered Ancient Tablet Reveals Babylonians' Mastery Over Mathematics

Know Your Fascists

The Knights of Columbus

What's that axe wrapped in staves dealie atop the anchor & sword called? There's a word for it ... right on the tip of my fingers ...

Damnit, you see it everywhere, too.

Point two: Honkies in polo shirts & khakis.

Wouldn't want to meet this crew in a darkened church.

ISIS Announces Zero Tolerance Of Catholic Church's Sex Crimes, Perversions & Obstruction Of Justice

Fox News:
Pope Francis, Christianity threatened in ISIS propaganda video that Vatican aide calls worrying

Discussion:

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:   ISIS Releases New Video of Fighters Destroying Statues and Threatening Pope (VIDEO)

The Gospel Herald / Christian:   ISIS Releases Video Showing Fighters Stomping on Status [sic] of Jesus, Destroying Philippines Church*

Zelda Caldwell / Aleteia.org:   New ISIS video threatens Pope Francis and the Catholic Church

From Guam to Delaware.

Across the nation, priest sexual abuse cases haunt Catholic parishes

©2017 ClipartPanda.com

---

*That is correct. ISIS is stomping on Jesus's "status". See?

Good & hard, too.

Last Sub From Makin

USS Argonaut (SM-1) Returns With USMC Raiders From Makin Raid 26 AUG 1942

USMC Raiders board a truck Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

WED 26 AUG 1942
Pacific
Japanese land at Milne Bay, New Guinea; USAAF B-17s, B-25s, B-26s, P-40s, along with RAAF Hudsons, attack beaches and transports while Australian troops attack the invaders.

SBDs (VS 71) from carrier Wasp (CV-7) damage Japanese submarine I-17, Solomons area, 09°25'S, 162°47'E.

Japanese occupy Ocean Island.

Submarine Haddock (SS-231) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Teishun Maru off China coast, about 100 miles north-northwest of Keelung, Formosa, 26°27'N, 121°23'E.

Seaplane tender (destroyer) Williamson (AVD-2) is damaged by explosion of bombs jarred loose from PBY being towed by the ship.

Franco-American Bandstand

55  yrs. ago this wk. (yesterday, actually) "The Loco-Motion" hit number one on the charts.

Voilà Sylvie Vartan:

Life & Times Of Scumbag Joe Arpaio

We've been covering Joe Arpaio for more than 20 years. Here's a couple of things you should know about him... 1/many

— PhoenixNewTimes (@phoenixnewtimes) August 26, 2017

Actually quite a few things. The former sheriff is a literally murderous disgrace.

Crusade In The Pacific

TUE 25 AUG 1942
Pacific
USAAF B-17s sink Japanese destroyer Mutsuki off Santa Isabel, Solomons, as she stands by the sinking transport Kinryu Maru, damaged by planes from Enterprise (CV-6) north of Guadalcanal, 07°47'N, 160°13'E.

USMC SBDs (VMSB 232) from Henderson Field damage light cruiser Jintsu and destroyer Uzuki off Guadalcanal.

Submarine Growler& (SS-215) sinks Japanese gunboat Sen-Yo Maru 20 miles south of Takao, Formosa, 22°33'N, 120°10'E, and survives several ensuing depth-chargings.

Submarine Seawolf (SS-197) sinks Japanese cargo ship Showa Maru off northeast coast of Borneo, 03°55'N, 118°59'E.

Japanese occupy Nauru, Gilberts, and Goodenough Island, off southeast coast of New Guinea.

Ivanova's "Thank You Notes"

Trump & his entire family: Nothing but a pathetic collection of insecure, sad losers, screaming "Tell me you love me!"

First Sub From Makin & Battle Of The Eastern Solomons

USS Nautilus (SS-168) Returns From Makin Raid, 24 AUG 1942

MON 24 AUG 1942
Pacific
Battle of the Eastern Solomons occurs as TF 61 (Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher), supported by USMC and USAAF planes from Henderson Field, turns back major Japanese attempt to recapture Guadalcanal and Tulagi. Carrier Enterprise (CV-6) is damaged by dive bomber (08°38'S, 163°30'E) and destroyer Grayson (DD-435) is damaged by strafing and near-miss, but SBDs and TBFs (VB 3, VS 3, VT 8) from Saratoga (CV-3) sink carrier Ryujo (06°10'S, 160°50'E) and damage seaplane carrier Chitose. SBD (VMSB 232) damages light cruiser Jintsu north of Malaita Island, Solomons.

Submarine Saury (SS-189) torpedoes Japanese army transport Otowasan Maru west of Luzon, 14°15'N, 120°19'E.

Submarine Guardfish (SS-217) torpedoes and sinks Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Seikai Maru off entrance to Sendai harbor, on northeast coast of Honshu, 38°12'N, 141°30'E.

Japanese transport Cuba Maru, stranded south of Sakhalin Island, Kurils, sinks, 48°00'N, 142°30'E.

History adds:

On this day in 1942, U.S. forces continue to deliver crushing blows to the Japanese, sinking the aircraft carrier Ryuho in the Battle of the East Solomon Islands. Key to the Americans’ success in this battle was the work of coastwatchers, a group of volunteers whose job it is to report on Japanese ship and aircraft movement.

The Marines had landed on Guadalcanal, on the Solomon Islands, on August 7. This was the first American offensive maneuver of the war and would deliver the first real defeat to the Japanese. On August 23, coastwatchers, comprised mostly of Australian and New Zealander volunteers, hidden throughout the Solomon and Bismarck islands and protected by anti-Japanese natives, spotted heavy Japanese reinforcements headed for Guadalcanal. The coastwatchers alerted three U.S. carriers that were within 100 miles of Guadalcanal, which then raced to the scene to intercept the Japanese.

By the time the Battle of the Eastern Solomons was over, the Japanese lost a light carrier, a destroyer, and a submarine and the Ryuho. The Americans suffered damage to the USS Enterprise, the most decorated carrier of the war; the Enterprise would see action again, though, in the American landings on Okinawa in 1945.

As for the coastwatchers, Vice Adm. William F. Halsey said, “The coastwatchers saved Guadalcanal, and Guadalcanal saved the Pacific.”

Footnote: It was a coastwatcher who arranged for the deliverance and safe return of John F. Kennedy and his crew when they were stranded in the Solomons in 1943.

Loony-Detector Van On Patrol

Jayne O'Donnell / USA Today:
Amid mounting bipartisan concerns, debate over Trump's mental health takes off

Discussion:

Eric Boehlert / Shareblue:   White House panics over widespread questions about Trump's “fitness for office”

Brad Reed / Raw Story:   Psychiatrists wage fierce debate over who's really crazy: Trump or American voters?

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:   Questions about Trump's mental health are spilling into the open. Let's be careful.

Office of Media Relations:

New GW Battleground Poll Finds Widespread Public Concern About President Trump's Behavior  —  MEDIA CONTACTS:  —  Jason Shevrin: jshevrin@gwu.edu, 202-994-5631  —  John Brandt: johnbrandt@gwu.edu, 202-994-3199  —  Democrats Hold Edge on Health Care, Climate Change …

Discussion:

Kimberly Ross / RedState:   NEW POLL Shows Just How Concerned Voters Are With President Trump's Behavior

Negassi Tesfamichael / Politico:   Poll: Most Americans say Trump's behavior ‘not what I expect from a president’

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:   Trump is starting to tear the GOP apart

Jason Easley / Politicus USA:   As Trump Mentally Collapses, Battleground States Poll Signals Deep Trouble For Republicans

Taegan Goddard / Political Wire:   Widespread Concern About Trump's Behavior

Scuttled

SUN 23 AUG 1942
Atlantic
Heavy cruiser Tuscaloosa (CA-37), escorted by destroyers Rodman (DD-456) and Emmons (DD-457) and British destroyer HMS Onslaught, arrives at Murmansk, Russia, and disembarks men and unloads equipment from two RAF Bomber Command squadrons that have been transferred to North Russia. The ships depart the following day to return to the British fleet base at Scapa Flow, Orkneys.

Pacific
Japanese light cruiser Yubari, accompanied by four destroyers and supporting ships, shells Nauru Island, Gilberts, in preparation for landings there.

Destroyer Blue (DD-387), damaged on 22 August, is scuttled by her crew, 09°17'S, 160°02'E.

Submarine Skipjack damages Japanese oiler Hayatomo southwest of Ambon, N.E.I., 03°52'N, 127°54'E.

PBY (VP 23) attacks (in daylight!) Japanese heavy cruiser Furutaka, Solomons.

Brazil Tests Water; Jumps In

SAT 22 AUG 1942
General
Brazil declares war on Germany and Italy.

Pacific
First USAAF planes (five P-400s from the 67th Fighter Squadron) arrive at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal.

Destroyer Blue (DD-387) is torpedoed by Japanese destroyer Kawakaze off Guadalcanal (see 23 August).

Submarine Haddock (SS-231) torpedoes and sinks Japanese transport Tatsuho Maru off China coast, near Foochow, 26°07'N, 121°29'E.

Atlantic
Destroyer Ingraham (DD-444) is sunk in collision with oiler Chemung (AO-30) off Nova Scotia, 42°34'N, 60°05'W; Chemung is damaged; destroyer Buck ;(DD-420) is damaged in collision with British transport Awatea, 42°34'N, 60°05'W.

Caribbean
USAAF plane (45th Bombardment Squadron) sinks German submarine U-654 north of Panama, 12°00'N, 79°56'W.

Second group of 23 survivors from U.S. freighter West Celina, torpedoed by German submarine U-162 on 18 and 19 August, reaches Manzanillo Bay, Venezuela.

The Last Refuge Of The Scoundrel

This N.F.L. Season's Team To Hate (Not that we
haven't since the approx. dawn of time/rise of Brady.)

Scott Gleeson / USA Today:

Patriots gave President Trump Super Bowl ring as thank-you for White House visit  —  New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft gave President Trump a commemorative Super Bowl ring after the team's visit to the White House in April.  —  Patriots spokesman Stacey James told USA TODAY Sports …

Discussion:

James Barrett / Daily Wire:   NICE: Here's How The Patriots Thanked Trump For Hosting Them At White House

Siraj Hashmi / Red Alert Politics:   So much winning: Trump gets Super Bowl ring from the Patriots

Jack Heretik / Washington Free Beacon:   New England Patriots Gift Trump Super Bowl Ring

Hannah Simmons / The Daily Caller:   New England Patriots Gave President Trump A Super Bowl Ring

Is there some connection w/ Putin in all this? And what will this mean for the New England @ Oaktown game to be held at El Coloso de Santa Úrsula, Estadio Azteca, in Mexico, D.F. this 19 November? Northeastern globalist elites vs. The Peoples Team. Should be fun.

Just Until I Need Glasses, Then

Trump doesn't know any better, but don't try to tell him!

President Trump points at the sun as he views the solar eclipse at the White House. Andrew Harnik/AP

Angry Samoans - "Staring At The Sun"

Hard Luck Crew

August 21, Fri.
Pacific
Submarine Cuttlefish (SS-171) damages Japanese ammunition ship Nichiro Maru, 31°00'N, 130°00'E.

Submarine Tambor (SS-198) sinks Japanese collier No.6 Shinsei Maru off Ponape Island, 06°45'N, 158°10'E.

Motor vessel Lakatoi, commissioned at Nouméa, New Caledonia, on 15 August and manned by a crew made up of survivors of the sunken transport George F. Elliott (AP-13) sinks in storm at 18°55'S, 167°40'E.

Caribbean
One group of 19 survivors from U.S. freighter West Celina, torpedoed by German submarine U-162 on 18 and 19 August, reaches Manzanillo Bay, Venezuela (see 22 August).

Sleep All Night, Sleep All Day; Nothin' Good On Tee Vee Anyway!

Slept right through the big-deal eclipse, as I've slipped the surly bonds of earth & transcended caring about anything other than getting as much sleep as I possibly can. If any puny humans cared they're chumps; cosmology is entirely
too complex for any of them to comprehend & therefore none of their damn business.

Dexter Gordon - "Stairway To The Stars"

JACKIE MITTOO - "Telstar"

Sun Ra & His Arkestra - "Space Is the Place"

Goodness, What Does This Mean?

personal news

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Freddie

Shortly I will be headed to the Richmond University Medical Center to pursue intensive treatment for my mental illness. My day-to-day existence has become entirely unmanageable, and I fear for my health and safety. I do not have much of a plan at this point other than to get checked in. When I am back out I will try to decide if this project can continue. If not I will immediately suspend the Patreon, but feel free to stop your payments yourselves too. It is clear that I can never return to my old ways of engaging online, and I must leave semipublic life permanently, among many other changes. All I want is to build a quiet and simple existence where I can live and work privately without hurting myself or others. At present I have a hard time contemplating the future. I just know that my life is fundamentally broken and drastic measures are necessary to fix it.

My immediate priority is to get healthy, and to try and save my job and the health insurance that is necessary for my immediate survival. I need to try preserve whatever I have left.

I would give everything I own to be anyone other than who I am. Goodbye and thank you for everything.

the ANOVA

a blog on education by Fredrik deBoer

Friendly Fire

THU 20 AUG 1942
Pacific
First USMC planes arrive at Henderson Field: aircraft escort vessel Long Island (AVG-1) ferries 19 F4Fs (VMF 223) and 12 SBDs (VMSB 232) to Guadalcanal. Although Japanese flying boat from the Shortlands sights Long Island, screened by light cruiser Helena (CL-50) and destroyers Aylwin (DD-355) and Dale (DD-353), the U.S. ships prove to be out of range of enemy land-based air and retire from the area without incident.

MARINE CORPS ACTIVITY AT HENDERSON FIELD, GUADALCANAL

Small seaplane tender Mackinac (AVP-13) is damaged when mistakenly bombed by SBDs (VS 71) from carrier Wasp (CV-7) off Ndeni Island.

Atlantic
PBY-5A (VP 73) sinks German submarine U-464, North Atlantic Area, 61°25'N, 14°40'W.

Stalking Continues

WED 19 AUG 1942
Pacific
USAAF B-17s, flying from Espiritu Santo, bomb Japanese destroyers Kagero, Hagikaze and Maikaze off Guadalcanal, damaging Hagikaze off Tulagi.

Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-29 reconnoiters the Seychelles.

Caribbean
German submarine U-162 continues stalking convoy TAW (S) attacked the previous day, and again torpedoes unarmed U.S. freighter West Celina, which is abandoned by the 39-man crew and the convoy commodore's staff of four men; the convoy commodore, however, is lost (see 21 and 22 August). German submarine U-564 attacks the convoy as well, torpedoing and sinking two British ships: tanker British Consul and freighter Empire Cloud. Escorting ships will, however, frustrate further attacks by the U-boats.

The Dieppe raid didn't make the Navy's chronology.

During World War II, an Allied force of 7,000 men carry out a large daytime raid against German positions at the French seaport of Dieppe. Aided by tanks and aircraft, the commando force–made up of approximately 5,000 Canadians, 2,000 British soldiers, and a handful of American and Free French troops–gained a foothold on the beach in the face of a furious German defense. During nine hours of fighting, the Allies failed to destroy more than a handful of their targets and suffered the death of 3,600 men. More than 100 aircraft, a destroyer, 33 landing craft, and 30 tanks were also lost. Despite its high costs, the Dieppe raid provided valuable logistical information later used in planning the successful 1944 Allied landing at Normandy.

Well. Not a total loss, then.

Turning Points of History: Die Like Brave Men (Dieppe, 1942)

German Version:Froggy/Vichy version:CBC & other of Her Majesty's Propaganda:CTV:Another 45+ mins. you'll never get back.

History's Raiders 04 of 26: The Dieppe Raid

(Actual) Cultural Marxism & Presleyism

Dead 40 yrs. today/this wk., Groucho & Elvis. Cap't. Spaulding.And gone 55 yrs. this month, Norma Jean Mortenson, here w/ Julius Marx in 1949.As far as Elvis, see if you can find this: Meltzer, R., "The Films of Elvis Presley," in Take One (Montreal), March 1974.
Or as it appeared on the cover: "RICHARD MELTZER BELITTLES THE FILMS OF ELVIS"

Saturday Night Songfest

From the Great American Songbook ...

"Weed Smoker's Dream" - The Harlem Hamfats

Related(?) Bonus:

"Why Don't You Do Me Right" (mono 45) - The Mothers Of Invention

N.Y. State Of Mind

The obvious ("... basking in the sun in Florida")

Cristina Marcos / The Hill:
House Dem introduces measure urging Trump undergo mental exam

Discussion:

Sam Dorman / IJR:   Democratic Rep Introduces Legislation Asking VP and Cabinet to Obtain Mental Health Exam for Trump

Benjamin Locke / Washington Journal:   A Top Congresswoman Just Filed A Bill To Initiate Trump's Removal From Office

the obligatory& the tangential, w/ Mavis & Trudy (& Bruce):

Rescued By The Pimpernel

TUE 18 AUG 1942
Pacific
Japanese destroyers Kagero, Hakigaze, Maikaze, Urakaze, Isokaze and Hamikaze begin landing 916 troops of the Imperial Army's Ichiki Detachment on Guadalcanal.

Caribbean
Convoy TAW 13, steaming south of Cuba, comes under attack from German submarine U-553, which torpedoes and sinks Swedish merchantman Blankaholm and British freighter Empire Bede; U-553 also torpedoes and sinks U.S. freighter John Hancock at 19°27'N, 76°48'W. All 38 merchant sailors and the 11-man Armed Guard survive the loss of the ship; the men are rescued by British corvette HMS Pimpernel.

Convoy TAW (S), 15 ships escorted by gunboat Courage (PG-70), British corvette HMS Clarkia, two Coast Guard cutters and four submarine chasers, is attacked by German submarine U-162, which torpedoes unarmed U.S. freighter West Celina off Grenada, 11°45'N, 62°30'W (see 19 August).

A/V Study Guide For Previous Item

Fictional moving picture:A graphic story:

Another graphic story:

Documentary moving picture:

Gung Ho!

MON 17 AUG 1942
Pacific
Companies "A" and "B," 2d Marine Raider Battalion (Lieutenant Colonel Evans F. Carlson, USMC), transported in submarines Nautilus (SS-168) and Argonaut (SS-166), raid Makin Island in the Gilberts; Nautilus's gunfire supports marines ashore. The relative ease with which the assault is carried out, however, inspires the Japanese to bolster defenses in the region.

Submarine Gudgeon (SS-211) damages Japanese oilers Shinkoku Maru and Nichiei Maru northwest of Truk, 07°43'N, 151°13'W.

Atlantic
U.S. tanker Louisiana is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-108 approximately 200 miles from Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana, 07°24'N, 52°33'W; although U-108 sees three men escape from the burning ship, they are never found. There are no survivors from the 41 merchant sailors and the 8-man Armed Guard.

Plus, History weighs in:

On this day in 1942, Lt. Col. Evans F. Carlson and a force of Marine raiders come ashore Makin Island, in the west Pacific Ocean, occupied by the Japanese. What began as a diversionary tactic almost ended in disaster for the Americans.

Two American submarines, the Argonaut and the Nautilus, approached Makin Island, an atoll in the Gilbert Islands, which had been seized by the Japanese on December 9, 1941. The subs unloaded 122 Marines, one of two new raider battalions. Their leader was Lt. Col. Evans Carlson, a former lecturer on post-revolutionary China. Their mission was to assault the Japanese-occupied Makin Island as a diversionary tactic, keeping the Japanese troops “busy” so they would not be able to reinforce troops currently under assault by Americans on Guadalcanal Island.

Carlson’s “Raiders” landed quietly, unobserved, coming ashore on inflatable rafts powered by outboard motors. Suddenly, one of the Marines’ rifles went off, alerting the Japanese, who unleashed enormous firepower: grenades, flamethrowers, and machine guns. The subs gave some cover by firing their deck guns, but by night the Marines had to begin withdrawing from the island. Some Marines drowned when their rafts overturned; about 100 made it back to the subs. Carlson and a handful of his men stayed behind to sabotage a Japanese gas dump and to seize documents. They then made for the submarines too. When all was said and done, seven Marines drowned, 14 were killed by Japanese gunfire, and nine were captured and beheaded.

Carlson went on to fight with the U.S. forces on Guadalcanal. He was a source of controversy; having been sent as a U.S. observer with Mao’s Army in 1937, he developed a great respect for the “spiritual strength” of the communist forces and even advocated their guerrilla-style tactics. He remained an avid fan of the Chinese communists even after the war.

Airship Mystery

August 16, Sun.
Pacific
Submarine S-39 (SS-144), irreparably damaged by striking reef off Rossel Island, on 14 August, is abandoned.

Airship L-8 (ZP-32) is damaged upon return from patrol off California coast, landing at Dale [sic] City, California.

The airship, however, is unmanned; the fate of its two-man crew remains a mystery.

The blimp finally came to rest atop Richard Johnston's freshly waxed car in Daly City, Calif.,
just South of San Francisco. (National Archives)

[Complete mystery to your humble editor as well. Indeed, I'd never heard of it.]

Atlantic
Surviving 38 merchant seamen and the 13-man Armed Guard of U.S. freighter Cripple Creek, sunk by German submarine U-171 on 13 August, are rescued by British armed trawler HMS St. Wistan and transported to Sierra Leone. [Told you. No damn Nazi U-Boat can be off Sierra Leone & in the Gulf Of Mexico on the same day!]

Obligatory:

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - "The Blimp"

How blimps are built, at (3:00), preceded by the build up for Guadalcanal, as if that were news. Also segregated, honky-commanded "grim, determined" Pinoy regiment (6:05).

Things Are Established, Ships Are Sunk, People Are Killed (In History)

August 15, Sat.
Pacific
Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island, Washington, is established. [Paving the way for An Officer and a Gentleman.]

Marine Aircraft Wings, Pacific (Major General Ross E. Rowell, USMC) is established at San Diego, California.

Caribbean
Patrol Wing 11 (Commander Stanley J. Michael) is established at San Juan, Puerto Rico, for operations in Caribbean Sea Frontier.

Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Jamaica, British West Indies, is established.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter Balladier, in convoy SC 95, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-705 (one of 13 boats deployed to intercept Allied transatlantic convoys) approximately 550 miles southeast of Iceland at 55°00'N, 25°00'W; eleven of the 34-man crew and two of the 11-man Armed Guard die in the attack. Merchantman Norluna rescues survivors.

Third Time's The Charm!

/r/beholdthemasterrace/

These United Snakes have already beaten both rogue nations represented by these flags; come at us again, losers!

Chevy driver. Found here, w/o credit.

They Liked Ike; Submarining; Giuliani Sinks California (Really!)

FRI 14 AUG 1942
Pacific
Submarine S-39 (SS-144) is damaged when she strikes submerged reef off Rossel Island, Louisiade Archipelago.

Submarine Seawolf (SS-197) sinks Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Hachigen Maru (ex-British Wenchow) in Sibitu Passage, 05°07'N, 119°37'E.

Europe
Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower, USA, Commanding General, European Theater of Operations, is appointed Commander in Chief of Allied Expeditionary Forces; Admiral Sir Andrew B. Cunningham, RN, is appointed Allied Naval Commander.

Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter California is torpedoed, shelled and sunk by Italian submarine Reginaldo Giuliani at 09°24'N, 33°02'W; all hands (38 men) abandon the sinking ship under fire (see 4, 5 and 14 September).

Eat This, Johnny Reb!

Protesters pull down Confederate statue
at old Durham County courthouse

[WNCN.com]

Today's Three Words: "Trite", "Infantile" & "Meaningless"

The mostly gratuitous Michael Gerson recently in "Democracy Dies in Darkness".

Trump babbles in the face of tragedy
Trump’s reaction to events in Charlottesville was alternately trite (“come together as one”), infantile (“very, very sad”) and meaningless (“we want to study it”). “There are so many great things happening in our country,” he said, on a day when racial violence took a life.

Vapor

Trump-'Tards: Don't Be A Sucker!

Magic Submarine?

THU 13 AUG 1942
Gulf of Mexico
U.S. tanker R.M. Parker, Jr., en route to Port Arthur, Texas, is torpedoed, shelled, and sunk by German submarine U-171 at 28°37'N, 90°48'W. There are no casualties, and Coast Guard auxiliary cutter Pioneer rescues all 37 merchant seamen and the seven-man Armed Guard.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter Cripple Creek is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-171 at 04°55'N, 18°30'W; one crewman is killed. The survivors take to three lifeboats (see 16 August). [This reporter finds it hard to believe that U-171 was looting, shooting & wailing off both New Orleans & Sierra Leone (just north of the equator) on the same day.]

U.S. freighter Delmundo, in convoy TAW 12, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-600 in the Windward passage, 19°55'N, 73°49'W; five of the 41-man crew perish, as do three of the eight passengers. The survivors, including the 9-man Armed Guard, are rescued by British destroyer HMS Churchill [ex-U.S. destroyer Herndon (DD-198)].

Mediterranean
Operation PEDESTAL: German and Italian motor torpedo boats attack Malta-bound convoy before dawn; German S 30 and S 36, and Italian MAS 554 and MAS 557 torpedo and sink British merchantman Wairangi and damage Rochester Castle (which will eventually reach Malta although she is damaged further by Luftwaffe JU 87s and JU 88s). U.S. freighter Almeria Lykes is torpedoed and is abandoned, 36°40'N, 11°35'E. The ship remains afloat, but is sunk by scuttling charge after daybreak. British destroyer HMS Somali rescues all hands: 51 merchant seamen, 15-man Armed Guard, and 39 passengers. Freighter Santa Elisa is torpedoed in the same attack, approximately 20 miles southeast of Cape Bon, 36°48'N, 11°23'E, and is abandoned when her cargo of aviation gasoline catches fire. Four of the 33 embarked army passengers are killed, but the 56-man merchant complement and the 11-man Armed Guard suffer no fatalities. British destroyer HMS Penn rescues the survivors and transports them to Malta; three Armed Guard sailors will be hospitalized there for burns suffered in the attack that leads to the ship's abandonment. Santa Elisa is finished off by bombs later that day. Three surviving British transports and the one tanker will reach Malta later this day; a fourth transport will reach the island on 14 August.