8 Nov 1942
  • Axis defenses in Egypt fell back to Sidi Barrani. ww2dbase [Second Battle of El Alamein | CPC]
  • The first combat victory by the new Seafire naval fighter occurred when a New Zealander, Sub-Lieutenant A. S. Long, shot down a Vichy French Martin 167 bomber over Mers-el-KĂ©bir harbour in French Algeria. ww2dbase [Spitfire | AC]
  • USS Gunnel used infra-red signals to guide ships to a invasion beach in Operation Torch. ww2dbase [Gunnel | CPC]
  • USS Nicholas and USAT Maui arrived at Auckland, New Zealand. Cdr Brown of Nicholas met briefly with the commanding officer of the Naval Operating Base, and Nicholas and Maui put to sea again bound for NoumĂ©a, New Caledonia. ww2dbase [Nicholas | DS]
Alaska
  • USS S-31 arrived at Dutch Harbor, US Territory of Alaska, ending her fifth war patrol. ww2dbase [S-31 | Unalaska | CPC]
Algeria
  • Allied forces attacked French forces at Algerian ports of Oran and Algiers during Operation Torch. Algiers surrendered at 1800 hours. ww2dbase [Operation Torch | Algiers | TH]
  • Two former US Coast Guard cutters renamed HMS Walney (Captain F. T. Peters R.N.) and HMS Hartland (Commander Godfrey P. Billot) each carrying 200 American infantry entered Oran, Algeria with the intention of denying the harbour facilities to the Vichy French. Both vessels came under intense crossfire from French warships and were sunk with heavy losses. The survivors were taken prisoner. Captain Peters miraculously survived but was killed in a plane accident two days later. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross and the American Distinguished Service Cross. Commander Godfrey P. Billot of Hartland won a Distinguished Service Order. ww2dbase [Operation Torch | Oran | AC]
Atlantic Ocean
  • Alpino Bagnolini sighted an aircraft in the Atlantic Ocean at 1638 hours and submerged to avoid detection. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | CPC]
British Western Pacific Territories
  • William Halsey inspected Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Staying overnight, he personally experienced a Japanese naval bombardment which he later admitted filled him with fright. ww2dbase [Henderson Field | Guadalcanal Campaign | William Halsey | Lunga Point, Guadalcanal | CPC]
  • The 164th Infantry Regiment and the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the US 7th Marine Regiment moved east toward Koli Point on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands in an attempt to envelope the Japanese forces in that area. ww2dbase [Guadalcanal Campaign | Guadalcanal | CPC]
  • Tenryu arrived at Tassafaronga Point, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands and disembarked supplies. On her return voyage to Shortland Island, Solomon Islands, she was attacked by US motor torpedo boats PT-37, PT-39, and PT-61, but they failed to cause any damage. ww2dbase [Tenryu | Tassafaronga Point, Guadalcanal | CPC]
  • Yugure and six other destroyers transported men to Tassafaronga Point, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Yugure | Guadalcanal Campaign | Tassafaronga Point, Guadalcanal | CPC]
France French Morocco
  • Primauguet suffered heavy damage at the hands of US battleships and dive bombers at Casablanca, Morocco. To avoid sinking, her commanding officer sailed her to shallow waters. At anchor, she was abandoned and would burn overnight. ww2dbase [Primauguet | Operation Torch | Morocco | CPC]
  • Allied forces attacked French forces at Moroccan ports of Safi and Casablanca during Operation Torch, capturing the former. ww2dbase [Ranger | Operation Torch | Safi | CPC]
Gibraltar
  • Isaac Sweers departed Gibraltar for a patrol. ww2dbase [Isaac Sweers | CPC]
Hawaii Indian Ocean
  • The 5,060-ton Panamanian registered steam merchant ship Plaudit was in the Indian Ocean heading for Capetown, South Africa, carrying 1,075 tons of rubber, 1,000 tons of manganese ore with jute, gunnysack and tea. Owned by the South Atlantic Steamship Company, her final destination was to be the United States however at 2055 hours whilst off Port Elizabeth, South Africa she was struck on her port side by a torpedo fired from German submarine U-181 (Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang LĂĽth). The blast wrecked the Plaudit's bridge wing and the radio shack, so the ship was unable to send out a distress signal. The submarine surfaced after a while and opened fire with her deck gun as the vessel did not appear to be sinking; between 15 and 20 rounds were fired until the Plaudit sank. The guards manned the stern gun of the Plaudit stayed at their posts until the ship went under; the third engineer with the cook and another guard were lost. ww2dbase [HM]
Korea
  • USS Haddock fired 3 torpedoes at a transport just off the coast west of Pyongyang, Korea; all torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [Haddock | CPC]
New Caledonia
  • US 152nd Infantry Regiment departed NoumĂ©a, New Caledonia for Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [NoumĂ©a | CPC]
  • USS Juneau departed NoumĂ©a, New Caledonia. ww2dbase [Juneau | NoumĂ©a | CPC]
  • Destroyer USS Shaw arrived at NoumĂ©a, New Caledonia. ww2dbase [Shaw | Dunbea Bay, NoumĂ©a | DS]
Pacific Ocean
  • USS Grayback attacked a Japanese convoy in the Solomon Sea; all torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [Grayback | Solomon Sea | CPC]
Philippines
  • The Japanese Army formally took command of the Davao Penal Colony in southern Philippines. ww2dbase [Davao Penal Colony | Davao | CPC]
Poland Russia Spain United States
  • USS Ancon arrived off Fehala, French Morocco and began disembarking invasion troops at about 0630 hours. During this day, she sent out boats to rescue survivors of sinking transports sunken by French coastal guns. ww2dbase [Ancon | Norfolk, Virginia | CPC]
  • Bogue-class escort carrier USS Card was placed in commission at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington with Captain James B. Sykes in command. Card was commissioned as an Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier (ACV). ww2dbase [Puget Sound Navy Yard | Card | Bremerton, Washington | DS]
Photo(s) dated 8 Nov 1942
Patton and Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt aboard USS Augusta, off North Africa, 8 or 9 Nov 1942Wildcat fighters testing their machine guns aboard Ranger off North Africa, Nov 1942Residents of Arzeu, Algeria greeting American troops on the beach, 8 Nov 1942American troops aboard a landing craft en route to the beaches near Oran, Algeria, 8 Nov 1942
See all photos dated 8 Nov 1942

8 Nov 1942 Interactive Map

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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