January 12, 1943 - Tuesday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Fullam: 

John was on duty at his new destroyer, the USS Fullam, at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston. 

Casablanca Summit

Roosevelt and Churchill had decided to meet at Casablanca, Morocco to further discuss the war effort.  The Conference would began in the 14th.  Due to security concerns, both leader took several days to arrive in Morocco. Stalin was unable to leave the Soviet Union at this time, as the Battle of Stalingrad was coming to a head.  The fighting around the city had already resulted in over a million Soviet casualties.  The German Sixth Army, however, had been trapped in a pocket since late November, and faced starvation or surrender.  

The agenda was to discuss (among other items) the progress in North Africa, the future of a western front in Europe, and how to unite French forces.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, p. 296-297.
• The Struggle for Guadalcanal, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 316-337.
• No Ordinary Time,Doris Kearns Goodwin, pp. 401-410.
  

 

NEXT POST:  JANUARY 16TH

 

January 4, 1943 - Monday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Fullam: 

John was on duty at his new destroyer, the USS Fullam, at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston. 

 

War In Europe

The lack of a second front in Europe, due to the Western Powers' current inability to invade France from Britain, had meant that Soviet Union faced the full power of Nazi Germany.  Germany did not have the badly needed oil resources to continue its conquests, and so made a drive for the oil fields near Grozny and Baku in the Caucasus region of the Soviet Union. 

 The city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) was the base for the resistance to this push.  The Germans had firebombed the city and had captured a portion of it during the fall.  However, in late November, the German Sixth Army was encircled and could not be resupplied.  In early January, with no relief in sight, General Paulus had to decide whether the Sixth Army would surrender or try to fight its way out.  The advance on the oil fields had also slowed enough that the Germans could not capture it before the winter set in.

Elsewhere, the city of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) was beginning the second wither of its siege by the Germans.  There was little heat and almost no food for the residents by this time.  Only a small supply line, an ice road over a nearby lake, was able to bring supplies.  Daily rations had been as low as 125 grams (about 4 oz) of bread per day. Planning had now begun for the first Soviet attempt to break the siege.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, p. 294.
• The Struggle for Guadalcanal, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 316-337.
• The Darkest Year, The American Home Front, 1941-1942, William K. Klingaman.
• Leningrad, State of Siege, Michael Jones, pp. 1-276.
  

 

NEXT POST:  JANUARY 8TH