Status - John Skinner:
John was still at home on leave.
Wider War
As John will soon be returning to duty on a new ship, here are some notes on the various theaters and events that were happening at this time:
South Pacific - The battle for Guadalcanal continues to rage, and on November 30, there was another close-quarters night battle, known as the Battle of Tassafaronga, is fought near the island. The US Navy loses one cruiser, while three more are badly damaged. One Japanese destroyer is sunk.
Central Pacific - This area is mostly quiet right now as almost all forces on both sides have been diverted to the Solomons.
North Pacific - The Japanese have held Attu and Kiska since the Midway operation, and there is a tense stalemate between the relatively small forces on either side. 1943 will see more of a focus on removing the Japanese from the Aleutians.
Africa - Operation TORCH continues as allied forces fight Vichy French forces in northern Africa. The Allies need to defeat the French and then move eastward toward the German army commanded by Rommel.
Eastern Front - As no second front in Western Europe has yet been established, the fighting here is ferocious. The current battle is centered on Stalingrad (now Volgograd) as the Germans attempt to reach the oilfields in Central Asia. The Russians had trapped the German Sixth Army in a pocket that it would never escape. The siege of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) continued into its second year.
South Asia - The Japanese were advancing in Burma and threatening the British hold on India.
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More Information:
- Official Navy Chronology, pp. 284-286.
- The Struggle for Guadalcanal, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 283-318.
- Neptune's Inferno, The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal, James D. Hornfischer, pp. 378-394.
NEXT POST: DECEMBER 7TH
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