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• Off Accra, British West Africa (now Ghana), USS Ranger launched 72 P-40F fighters for transfer to nearby airfields; they were destined to reinforce the 10th Air Force in India. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• USS S-31 was ordered to move toward the Japanese-occupied Aleutian island of Kiska. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• Heinrich Himmler ordered "Aktion Reinhard", the deportation of Jews in the General Government, was to be completed by 31 Dec 1942. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• Joseph Stilwell devised the X-Y Plan for 20 to 30 Chinese divisions to invade northern Burma with the ultimate goal being Rangoon in the south. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• US Middle East Air Force launched B-24 bombers to attack Benghazi, Libya; at the same time, B-17 bombers of the same air force struck Tobruk. ww2dbase [CPC]
• German submarine U-564 attacked Allied convoy OS-34 200 miles north of the Azores islands at 0230 hours, sinking British ship Lavington Court (7 were killed, 41 survived) and Empire Hawksbill (all 47 aboard were killed). German submarine U-332 attacked transport Leonidas M. south of Newfoundland at 1655 hours, but the torpedo missed; at 1711 hours she opened fire with her deck gun, followed by another torpedo at 1725 hours and another at 1742 hours; Leonidas M. was hit by the third torpedo, sinking her (all 31 aboard survived and 2 were captured). ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• German submarine U-84 sank Honduran ship Baja California off the Florida Keys archipelago; 3 were killed, 34 survived. In the same area at 1912 hours, U-129 sank Norwegian ship Port Antonio; 13 were killed, 11 survived. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• German torpedo bombers damaged British convoy escort vessel Maline off Port Said, Egypt; Maline beached to prevent sinking but would not be repaired later. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Seaplane tender USS Casco arrived at Nazan Bay, Atka Island, US Territory of Alaska in the Aleutian Islands to establish a seaplane base. Meanwhile, US 11th Air Force conducted reconnaissance missions over Attu and Agattu elsewhere in the Aleutian Islands. Finally, cruisers of US Navy Task Force 8 bombarded Kiska. ww2dbase [CPC]

• While on a reconnaissance mission, a US B-17 bomber spotted a Japanese convoy departing Rabaul, New Britain toward the island of New Guinea. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Surabaya, Java. ww2dbase [Main Article | Tabular Record of Movement | CPC]

• British cruisers HMS Dido and HMS Euryalus and four destroyers bombarded Mersa Matruh, Egypt. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• 99 British bombers (40 Halifax, 31 Stirling, and 28 Lancaster) were launched to attack the Vulkan submarine yard at Vegesack district of Bremen, Germany; most bombs missed the shipyard; 3 bombers were lost on this mission. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• The US Navy opened the Intelligence Center/Pacific Ocean Area at Pearl Harbor in the Territory of Hawaii with 190 men in its staff to analyze captured documents, to interrogate prisoners of war, and to conduct other naval intelligence related activities. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Shokaku arrived at Hashirajima island in Hiroshima Bay, Japan. ww2dbase [Main Article | Tabular Record of Movement | CPC]

• An Australian cruiser squadron, sailing as US Navy Task Force 44 and under British Royal Navy Rear-Admiral Victor A. C. Crutchley's command, arrived at Wellington, New Zealand. ww2dbase [CPC]

• A He 112 fighter of Romanian Escadrila 51 Vanatoare squadron flew the very first night fighter mission in Romanian history. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• The Soviet 66th Naval Rifle Brigade arrived at Stalingrad, Russia and was assigned to the Soviet 64th Army. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• US destroyer Saufley was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Robert Johnson joined the USAAF 61st Fighter Squadron at Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States, flying P-47B Thunderbolt aircraft. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

19 Jul 1942 Interactive Map