November 28, 1943 - Sunday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Pearl Harbor

November 25th: In port all day.

November 26th:  In Port all day.  Numerous men transferred out for reassignment to new destroyers or training.  24 new sailors reported for duty on Daly.

November 27th: In port all day.  Numerous men transferred out for reassignment to new destroyers or training.

November 28th:  In port all day.

Daly will be at Pearl Harbor for just over two weeks before sailing for the New Guinea/Solomons theater.  Mild temperatures and calm winds prevailed for these 4 days.

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Japanese submarine I-19, author of the devastating attack in September of 1942 that sank the US carrier Wasp and destroyer O'Brien, was sunk by depth charges from destroyer USS Radford near Makin Island in the Gilberts.  Japanese planes made several attacks on the US ships in the Gilberts; no US ships were damaged.  Most US ships would soon leave the area, the target islands having been secured.

In the Solomons, fighting continues on Bougainville Island.  On the night of November 25th, at the north end of Bougainville, the naval Battle of Cape St. George was fought.  The Navy sank 3 Japanese destroyers and had no losses.

President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill, having finished the conference in Cairo, arrived in Tehran on the 28th to meet with Stalin.  Discussions included the plans for a second front in Western Europe, and the plans for Eastern Europe after the war.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 411-413. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-186.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 350-360.
• Events of November, 1943
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, November, 1943
  

NEXT POST:  DECEMBER 2ND

November 28, 1863 - Saturday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Granger's Corps - Sheridan's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

Battle of Missionary Ridge,  November 25th, 1863

On the morning of the 25th, the attack on Missionary Ridge is set to begin.  General Bragg has called back the troops he had decided earlier to send to Knoxville, and sent them to the north end of the ridge to blunt Sherman's attack.

Sherman attacked all morning and into the afternoon; the path was narrow, forested and steep, and the six Union divisions could not overcome the single large Confederate division (5 brigades) blocking his way. By mid-afternoon, Sherman's attack is exhausted, and Grant seeks to distract a counterattack on Sherman by making a limited attack along the length of the ridge.

The ridge was about 400 feet high, and the Confederate defenders had 3 lines; a set of rifle pits at the base, a second defensive line half way up, and a line with artillery at the top.  Grant gave an order to take and hold the rifle pits at the base of the ridge, and then await further orders.  The attack was made all along the ridge at the same time.

The line of rifle pits at the base of the ridge was carried in the first attack, with significant casualties.  This was as far as the Union troops were meant to go.   Once there, however, the Union troops found it impossible to remain, due to heavy fire from above.  Rather than retreat, individual regiments and brigades ascended the ridge, following the retreating Confederates, and soon all the Union troops joined in.

Grant, at headquarters, demanded to know who had ordered them up the ridge, and was astonished that no one had; they had gone up on their own.  The commanders saw the advance was working and joined in, and the ridge was carried, albeit with significant losses.   The 40th Indiana, per the regimental report, suffered 20 killed and 138 wounded; this was 45 percent casualties for the regiment in this single battle.

Brigade Plaque, 112 S. Crest Road, Missionary Ridge, Chattanooga
 

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There was further pursuit by the Union army but the Confederates moved back into Georgia without further major losses.  The Union had more killed and wounded, but the large amount of Confederates captured on the ridge made the Confederate total losses larger.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXXI, Chapter XLIII, Part III, Correspondence, pp. 246-270.
  
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. pp. 135-136.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 849-862. 
• The Shipwreck Of Their Hopes, The Battle Of Chattanooga, Peter Cozzens.
  
• Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, pp. 442-451.
• Memoirs of General William T. Sherman, pp. 396-405.
  
• Events: 1863
  

NEXT POST:  DECEMBER 2ND

 

November 24, 1943 - Wednesday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Pacific Ocean

November 21st: At sea all day, at noon, approximately 1000 miles NNW of Pearl Harbor, Hawaiian Islands. Temperatures mid-50s, light breezes.

November 22nd:  At sea all day, at noon, about 450 miles NNW of Pearl Harbor.  Temperatures 60s-70s, light breezes.

November 23rd: Arrived Pearl Harbor at 11 AM; moored rest of day.  Temperatures 70s-80s, very light breezes.

November 24th:  In port all day, temperatures 70s-80s, light breezes.

Daly will be at Pearl Harbor for just over two weeks before sailing for the New Guinea/Solomons theater.

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In the Solomons, fighting continues on Bougainville Island.

In the Gilberts, the islands Tarawa and Makin were secured by the 24th, with heavy casualties.  These islands are very near the equator, so the air was hot and muggy; the islands are volcanic, so the ground was very hot as well.  The fighting was hard and at close quarters.  Many who fought there have said that this was as close to Hell as they ever hoped to come.  980 Marines were killed in taking the islands.

On the 24th, escort carrier Liscome Bay was torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-175.  The torpedo ignited the stored bombs onboard, and the ship soon sank after a gigantic explosion and fire.  Most of the crew was killed in the explosions and fire, and debris rained down on nearby ships.  

President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill met with Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek in Cairo, to discuss the Pacific War.  The leaders were on the way to the Tehran Conference with Stalin.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 409-411 . 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-186.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 330-349.
• Events of November, 1943
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, November, 1943  

 

NEXT POST:  NOVEMBER 28TH

November 24, 1863 - Tuesday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Granger's Corps - Sheridan's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

As the attack on Missionary Ridge had been postponed for a few days while Sherman's army got into place, General Grant was busy revising the attack plan, intending to put all the armies near Chattanooga into action at the same time as Sherman's advance.

On the 23rd, the Army of the Cumberland in Chattanooga, began with what looked like a military parade, but then moved forward and took some of the Confederate outposts near the base of the ridge.  It retained its position through the 24th.

To the west, General Hooker's army on the 23rd moved up Lookout Mountain.  There was some intense fighting with significant casualties; this became know as the Battle of Lookout Mountain.  Fog and low clouds obscured the view from Chattanooga, and as a result, the battle also came to be known as the "Battle Above the Clouds".  On the 24th, Hooker's troops found that the Confederates had evacuated Lookout Mountain, and they pursued them toward Rossville, GA.

Wagner's Brigade, with the 40th Indiana, were positioned near what is now the Ridgedale neighborhood of Chattanooga, north of the current US 41, and half a mile or so south of Grant's Headquarters at Orchard Knob.  Wagner's brigade was between those of Harker, to the south, and Hazen, to the north.  

On the night of the 24th, Sherman was in place north of the ridge, and the Army of the Cumberland was facing Missionary Ridge from Chattanooga.  Both armies would attack the ridge the next morning, November 25th.

--------------

Below is a picture of the general area from the top of Missionary Ridge; Union troops were below in the distance, in Chattanooga - they would need to dislodge the Confederate army on the ridge, several hundred feet above. 

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXXI, Chapter XLIII, Part III, Correspondence, pp. 213-246.
  
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. pp. 133-135.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 834-849. 
• The Shipwreck Of Their Hopes, The Battle Of Chattanooga, Peter Cozzens, pp. 112-198.
  
• Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, pp. 432-442.
• Memoirs of General William T. Sherman, pp. 396-402.
  
• Events: 1863
  

NEXT POST:  NOVEMBER 28TH

 

 

November 20, 1943 - Saturday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Pacific Ocean

November 17th: In port all day; temperatures in the 30s, light winds.

November 18th:  At sea after 1 PM.  Temperatures in the high 30s, strong breezes in the evening.

November 19th: At sea all day.  Daly is now leaving the Aleutian Islands and headed for Pearl Harbor.  By noon, about 400 miles SE of Adak Harbor.  Temperatures in mid-40s, strong winds most of the day.

November 20th:  At sea all day.  At noon, about 750 miles SSE of Adak Harbor.  Temperatures in the 40s, moderate breezes.

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In the Solomons, fighting continues on Bougainville Island.

The invasion of the Gilbert Islands began on the 20th, with landings on Makin and Tarawa Islands. Landings on Tarawa were hampered by an incorrect estimation of the tides on the island; many landing boats were destroyed, and Marines had to wade several hundred yards onto the island, so casualties were high.

A large nighttime air raid was conducted on Berlin on the 19th.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 408-409 . 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-186.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 330-349.
• Events of November, 1943
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, November, 1943  

 

NEXT POST:  NOVEMBER 24TH

November 20, 1863 - Friday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Granger's Corps - Sheridan's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

The attack on Missionary Ridge had been planned for the morning of the 21st, but on the 20th, Sherman's forces had not yet fully come up to the attack point.  In the end it would be a few more days before everything could be ready.

Sherman's divisions had been moving out of sight of the Confederates, and General Bragg assumed that Sherman had gone east to relieve Union forces defending Knoxville.  As a result, Bragg decided to detach more divisions to East Tennessee, which would further weaken his force on Missionary Ridge.

----------

On the 19th, President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address and the dedication of the Gettysburg battlefield.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXXI, Chapter XLIII, Part III, Correspondence, pp. 173-212.
  
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. pp. 132-133.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 834-837. 
• The Shipwreck Of Their Hopes, The Battle Of Chattanooga, Peter Cozzens, pp. 112-122.
  
• Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, pp. 418-432.
• Memoirs of General William T. Sherman, pp. 396-398.
  
• Events: 1863
  

NEXT POST:  NOVEMBER 24TH

 

November 16, 1943 - Tuesday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Pacific Ocean - Aleutian Islands, Alaska

November 13th: At sea 8 AM to 5 PM.  At noon, near Adak Island.  Temperatures low-40s, strong breezes through the afternoon.

November 14th:  At sea 9 AM to 6 PM.  Temperatures high-30s, light to moderate breezes through the day.

November 15th: At sea all day after 8 AM.  High-30s, strong breezes in the afternoon.

November 16th:  At sea until 5 PM.  Temperatures in the mid-30s, moderate breezes.

These appear to be routine patrols near Allied bases in the Aleutians.  Daly would soon depart Alaska for Pearl Harbor.

-------------------------

In the Solomons, the fight for Bougainville continued.  Air raids were conducted on Japanese airfields on the island, and also on Rabaul, about 275 miles away.

Naval forces for Operation Galvanic (invasion of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands) began to converge on the target.  Long-distance bombing raids on the Gilberts were conducted from islands east of the chain.  D-Day for the invasion was set for the 20th.

Further reconnaissance of German installations at Peenemunde reveal the development of the V-1 and V-2 rocket programs.  These weapons were later used to great effect on Allied cities.  A bombing campaign was not effective in slowing the development of these weapons.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 407-408. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 114-120.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 330-349.
• Events of November, 1943
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, November, 1943  

 

NEXT POST:  NOVEMBER 20TH

November 16, 1863 - Monday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Granger's Corps - Sheridan's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

Longstreet's Confederates by the 15th had reached the area around Lenoir City, TN.  They were moving as fast as possible, to try to trap and defeat Burnside's army outside of Knoxville.  On the morning of the 15th the battle began, and was a series of running engagements; the largest of which occurred at what is now the site of Farragut High School, and is known as the Battle of Campbell's Station.  In the evening, Union troops disengaged and retreated into Knoxville.  Longstreet began a siege of the city.  

At Chattanooga, Sherman had arrived and met with Grant and the other generals to learn the plan of attack on Missionary Ridge.  He agreed to the plan, but weather and bad roads had stalled his troops' advance, postponing the attack for several days.  Sherman's army arrived piecemeal over the next few days, pontoon bridges were built for their crossing of the Tennessee River, and other preparations were made for the attack.

The plan called for Sherman's army to attack the north end of Missionary Ridge (this area is the Sherman Reservation today and is at the north end of N. Crest Road).  The intent was for Sherman to clear the ridge from north to south and force the Confederate army back into Georgia.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXXI, Chapter XLIII, Part III, Correspondence, pp. 134-173.
  
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 132.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 834-837. 
• The Shipwreck Of Their Hopes, The Battle Of Chattanooga, Peter Cozzens, pp. 112-121.
  
• Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, pp. 418-427.
• Memoirs of General William T. Sherman, pp. 396-398.
  
• Events: 1863
  

NEXT POST:  NOVEMBER 20TH

 

November 12, 1943 - Friday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Pacific Ocean - Aleutian Islands, Alaska

November 9th: Moored all day.  Temperatures low-40s, light to moderate winds.

November 10th:  Moored all day.  Temperatures low-40s.

November 11th: Moored all day.  Temperatures low-40s, light breezes.

November 12th:  Moored all day.  Temperatures low-40s, strong breezes in morning, lighter breezes in evening.

These appear to be routine patrols near Allied bases in the Aleutians.

-------------------------

In the Solomons,  fighting continued on Bougainville; supply unloading went well and the beachhead on the island was established.  A larger carrier strike on Rabaul on the 11th sank a Japanese destroyer and damaged other ships.

Naval forces for Operation Galvanic (invasion of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands) had been assembled and were like nothing seen before.  6 fleet carriers, 13 light and escort carriers, 13 battleships new and old, 15 cruisers and 42 destroyers had been organized into 6 different task forces approaching the Gilbert Islands from all sides.  The immense production capacity of the United States had finally entered the war, and it would be decisive, just as Admiral Yamamoto had warned.

President Roosevelt embarked on the battleship USS Iowa to travel to the Tehran Conference, another meeting of the "Big 3" - Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. 

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 405-407. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 114-118.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 330-349.
• Events of November, 1943
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, November, 1943
  

 

NEXT POST:  NOVEMBER 16TH

November 12, 1863 - Thursday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Granger's Corps - Sheridan's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

 The situation remains static during these 4 days.  In East Tennessee, Burnside is deployed from east of Knoxville to Kingston, TN.  Thomas's army remains in Chattanooga, and Hooker's northwest of Lookout Mountain, while Sherman hurries his troops toward Stevenson, AL.  Railroads in Central Tennessee are being repaired to enlarge the supply lines to the Chattanooga area.

Confederate troops remain in Cleveland, TN, intending to move into East Tennessee.  The rest of the Confederate army remains on Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXXI, Chapter XLIII, Part III, Correspondence, pp. 92-134.
  
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 132.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 834-837. 
• The Shipwreck Of Their Hopes, The Battle Of Chattanooga, Peter Cozzens, pp. 1-112.
  
• Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, pp. 418-425.
• Memoirs of General William T. Sherman, pp. 396-398.
  
• Events: 1863
  

NEXT POST:  NOVEMBER 16TH

November 8, 1943 - Monday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Pacific Ocean - Aleutian Islands, Alaska

November 5th: At sea all day, at noon, about 200 miles west of Dutch Harbor.  Temperatures low-40s, light to moderate winds.

November 6th: At sea until 3 PM, at noon, near Adak Island.  Temperatures low-40s, strong gale force winds in the morning, lighter winds in the afternoon.

November 7th: Moored all day.  Temperatures low-40s, strong winds in morning, light winds afternoon.

November 8th:  Moored all day.  Temperatures low-40s, very light winds.

These appear to be routine patrols near Allied bases in the Aleutians.

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In the Solomons, as the fighting on Bougainville continued, the Navy learned that a large heavy cruiser force had been sent by the Japanese to Rabaul.  No US cruisers or battleships were in the area to confront this force should it sail south toward the Solomons.  Admiral Halsey ordered a carrier force (Saratoga and new light carrier Princeton) to conduct an air raid at Rabaul.  The raid sank no ships but did damage to several of the cruisers, which was enough to prevent any advance of the cruiser force. 

Plans for Operation Galvanic (invasion of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands) continued in the Central Pacific.  It would be another week or so before the operation was ready.

Soviet forces captured Kiev, Ukraine and continued west.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 403-405. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 92-113.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 323-330.
• Events of November, 1943
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, November, 1943
  

 

NEXT POST:  NOVEMBER 12TH

November 8, 1863 - Sunday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Granger's Corps - Sheridan's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

Longstreet's Confederates had moved into East Tennessee, to attack General Burnside and open the railroad from Virginia to Tennessee and Georgia so that supplies and troops could be sent to Bragg's army from Virginia.  Seeing this, General Grant ordered the army in Chattanooga to attack the Confederate right in the city, in order to pull back the Confederate divisions moving into East Tennessee.  The army, however, is still not up to combat, having only recently returned to full rations, and the animals are still weak from having no forage. 

Grant can only encourage Sherman to bring his army as soon as possible.  On arrival, Sherman's men would be given the orders to attack the Confederate right on Missionary Ridge.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXXI, Chapter XLIII, Part III, Correspondence, pp. 48-92.
  
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 132.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 834-837. 
• The Shipwreck Of Their Hopes, The Battle Of Chattanooga, Peter Cozzens, pp. 1-110.
  
• Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, pp. 418-425.
  
• Events: 1863
  

NEXT POST:  NOVEMBER 12TH

November 4, 1943 - Thursday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Pacific Ocean - Aleutian Islands, Alaska

November 1st: Moored all day.  Temperatures low-40s, light winds.

November 2nd: Moored all day.  Temperatures high 30s and low-40s, light winds.

November 3rd: Moored all day.  Temperatures high 30s, light winds.

November 4th: At sea at 6 PM for the rest of the day.  Temperatures high 30s and low-40s, light winds.

These appear to be routine patrols near Allied bases in the Aleutians.

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In the Solomons, landings were conducted November 1st on Bougainville Island at Empress Augusta Bay and Cape Torokina on the southwest side of the island.  John's previous ship, the Fullam, supported the landings. 

A Japanese cruiser force was sent to contest the landings and a night battle was fought with US forces.  By this time, the Navy was able to use radar much more effectively that it had earlier in the war.  As a result, the Japanese lost a light cruiser and suffered heavy damage to two heavy cruisers, while the Navy had ships damaged but not sunk.

Plans for Operation Galvanic (invasion of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands) continued in the Central Pacific.  It would be another week or so before the operation was ready.

Soviet forces continued their advance across Ukraine, and launched a large attack on Kiev, compelling the German army to begin evacuating the city.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 401-403. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 92-113.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 296-322.
• Events of November, 1943
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, November, 1943

 NEXT POST:  NOVEMBER 8TH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 4, 1863 - Wednesday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Granger's Corps - Sheridan's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

The army in Chattanooga is staying in place and anticipates that full rations will be available to the troops in a few days.

A Confederate force under Longstreet has moved into Tennessee between the armies in East Tennessee and at Chattanooga.  General Grant is concerned that he has no available force to block it. Grant urges Sherman to hurry his army across Tennessee as fast as possible.

The Union army commanders are still looking to secure supply lines to all the armies before consolidating and going over to the attack.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXXI, Chapter XLIII, Part III, Correspondence, pp. 1-52.
  
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 132.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 802-826. 
• The Chickamauga Campaign, Vol 3: Barren Victory, David A. Powell. 
• Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, pp. 418-425.
  
• Events: 1863
  

NEXT POST:  NOVEMBER 8TH