May 16, 1943 - Sunday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Brooklyn Navy Yard, NY 

May 13th: In port all day.

May 14th: Left port at 1 PM.  At 8 PM, at sea near the tip of Long Island.

May 15th: At sea, at 8 PM in the North Atlantic about 200 miles due south of Halifax, NS.

May 16th: At sea, at 8 PM in the North Atlantic about 150 miles south of Newfoundland.

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Daly has left Brooklyn and is headed for the Naval Base at Argentia, Newfoundland.

In the Aleutians, US forces continued to advance on Attu, and had cornered the Japanese forces into a small part of the island at Chicagof harbor.  More fighting lay ahead.

In the Solomons, the Navy is shelling airfields in New Georgia, in preparation for a coming invasion.

On the 13th, the remaining Axis forces in Africa surrendered to the Allies in Tunisia.  This cleared the way for the start of the Allied campaign against Italy.

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More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 339-340. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-48.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-132.
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, May, 1943
    
  
  

NEXT POST:  MAY 20TH

May 12, 1943 - Wednesday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Brooklyn Navy Yard, NY 

May 9th: In port all day.  Supplies and munitions coming onboard.  Several men absent over leave.

May 10th: In port all day.  Supplies and munitions coming onboard.

May 11th: In port all day.  Fuel and munitions received. 

May 12th: In port all day.  Fuel and munitions received.  Several men received punishment for being absent over leave, mostly warnings.

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Navy forces in Alaska land troops on Attu Island.  On the 12th, attacks began on the two separate Japanese forces remaining on the island.

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More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 337-338. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-45.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-132.
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, May, 1943
    
  
  

NEXT POST:  MAY 16TH 

 

May 8, 1943 - Saturday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Atlantic Ocean

May 5th: At 8 AM, off the new Jersey coast east of Atlantic City, moored later in the day at Brooklyn Navy Yard.

May 6th: In port all day.  Ten gallons of ice cream received for use in general mess hall.

May 7th: In port all day.  Other food stores received.

May 8th: In port all day.  Torpedoes received onboard.

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Navy forces in Alaska continue toward Attu Island, but face slow going due to high winds and seas,

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More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 336-337. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-41.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-132.
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, May, 1943
    
  
  

NEXT POST:  MAY 12TH 

 

May 4, 1943 - Tuesday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Atlantic Ocean

May 1st: At sea 8 AM to 3 PM.

May 2nd: Left Guantanamo Bay at 8 PM.  Returning to North Atlantic.

May 3rd: Sailing northward, at 8 PM, 26 deg N, 74 deg W, northeast of the Bahamas.

May 4th: Sailing northeast, at 8 PM, 34 deg N, 74 deg W, off North Carolina coast.

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 A Navy assault force left Cold Bay, AK to land troops on Attu Island, which was taken by the Japanese during the Midway operation.  Cold and high seas would make slow going, and the force would take a week to reach Attu at the end of the Aleutians chain.

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More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 335-336. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-41.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-127.
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, May, 1943
    
  
  

NEXT POST:  MAY 8TH