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• As of this date, American Liberty ship production exceeded the rate of sinkings. ww2dbase [Liberty-class | CPC]
• Some of Mutsu's anti-aircraft personnel were disembarked to train ground-based anti-aircraft personnel at Rabaul, New Britain. ww2dbase [Mutsu | CPC]
• US Navy Pacific Fleet's chief communications officer John Redman recommended the relief of radio intelligence officer Joseph Rochefort. ww2dbase [Joseph Rochefort | CPC]
• German submarine U-515 sank British ship Reedpool 120 miles northeast of Georgetown, British Guyana at 0815 hours; 5 were killed, 53 survived but 1, the captain, was captured. At 1517 hours, U-596 attacked Allied convoy SC-100 300 miles southeast of Iceland, sinking British ship Empire Hartebeeste (all 46 aboard survived). ww2dbase [Second Happy Time | CPC]
• German submarine U-435 sank British minesweeper HMS Leda of Allied convoy QP-14 180 miles west of Spitsbergen, Norway at 0631 hours; 14 were killed, 66 survived. At 1815 hours, U-255 sank US freighter Silver Sword of QP-14; 1 was killed, 63 survived. At about 1900 hours, escort carrier HMS Avenger and cruiser HMS Scylla were detached from QP-14 to head back to base. At 1955 hours, U-703 damaged British destroyer HMS Somali also of QP-14; 47 were killed, 67 survivors were taken off, and 80 survivors remained aboard as she was taken in tow by destroyer HMS Ashanti. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | CPC]
• Aubrey Fitch was made the commanding officer of US Navy Aircraft South Pacific Force, replacing John McCain. ww2dbase [Aubrey Fitch | DS]

• USS Honolulu arrived at Dutch Harbor, Alaska, refueled, and departed again bound for San Francisco, California. ww2dbase [Honolulu | Dutch Harbor, Unalaska | DS]

• Comandante Cappellini made rendezvous with French sloop Dumont d'Urville in the Atlantic Ocean at 0948 hours and transferred 41 of the rescued Italian survivors of sunken British troop ship Laconia. Six Italians and two British officers were kept aboard. ww2dbase [Laconia Incident | Comandante Cappellini | CPC]

• Tenryu arrived at Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Tenryu | Truk | CPC]

• Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Yokosuka, Japan. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]

• USS Wahoo attacked a Japanese freighter and her escort southeast of Namonuito Atoll, Caroline Islands, hitting the freighter with 1 of 4 torpedoes. She claimed to have sunk the freighter, but the study of Japanese records after the war showed no ships lost on this date in the area. ww2dbase [Wahoo | CPC]

• USAAF 2nd Search Attack Squadron, operating B-18 Bolo bombers, arrived at Edinburgh Field in Trinidad. ww2dbase [Carlsen Field | Chaguanas | CPC]

• In Stalingrad, Russia, Soviet and German troops engaged in heavy fighting at the Mamayev Kurgan hill, in the Central Station, and the grain elevator. ww2dbase [Battle of Stalingrad | Stalingrad | CPC]
• German Army Group A captured Terek, Russia. ww2dbase [Caucasus Campaign | Terek, Kabardino-Balkar | CPC]

• Destroyer USS Shaw and cutter USCGC Taney arrived at San Francisco, California escorting 13 ships. ww2dbase [Shaw | San Francisco, California | DS]

20 Sep 1942 Interactive Map