July 11, 1943 - Sunday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - New York

July 8th: In port all day.

July 9th: In port all day. 

July 10th: In port all day.  Fueling in the afternoon.

July 11th: In port all day.

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Daly would soon depart New York and transit through the Panama Canal to the Pacific, initially arriving at San Diego.  Daly would be in the screen of the new Essex-class carrier Lexington (CV-16), named after the carrier earlier lost during the Battle of the Coral Sea.

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On the night of July 9-10, the Allied Invasion of Sicily began with landings on the southern coast of the island.  This was the beginning of the Allies' attempt to capture Sicily and mainland Italy.  The city of Syracuse was captured on the second day.

In Russia, the Battle of Kursk had begun; this is largest tank battle in history.  It would go on for a week before the German offensive stalled and was then called off - in part due to a need to send German troops to help defend Italy.

Fighting also continued in New Georgia as Marines drove to capture the town of Munda and its airfield.  Navy ships continue bombardment of Munda.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 356-359. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-54.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 160-177.  
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, July, 1943
  
  
  
    

NEXT POST:  JULY 15TH

 

 

July 7, 1943 - Wednesday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - New York

July 4th: In port all day.

July 5th: At sea at 5 PM. 

July 6th: At sea all day, 8 PM 300 miles due east of Atlantic City, NJ.

July 7th: Moored at noon for rest of day.  Fueling in afternoon.

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Daly would soon depart New York and transit through the Panama Canal to the Pacific, initially arriving at San Diego.  Daly would be in the screen of the new Essex-class carrier Lexington (CV-16), named after the carrier earlier lost during the Battle of the Coral Sea.

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In the Aleutians, there was a ship bombardment of Kiska Island by a US cruiser forces.  There was no return fire from the island.  Kiska would be the next focus of the Navy in the Aleutians campaign.

The Battle of Kula Gulf took place near New Georgia in the Solomons overnight on July 5-6.  A force of Japanese destroyers was transporting troops to Kolombangara, where it was met by a US Navy force of cruisers and destroyers.  The Japanese managed to land 1600 reinforcements at Vila on Kolombangara Island, but had 2 destroyers sunk and another 2 damaged, while the US Navy lost the light cruiser Helena. 

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 353-356. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-54.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 160-175.  
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, July, 1943
  
  
  
    

NEXT POST:  JULY 11TH

July 3, 1943 - Saturday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - New York

June 30th: At sea 10 AM to 6 PM, otherwise in port.

July 1st: In port all day. A number of sailors reported onboard for duty.

July 2nd: In port all day.  One sailor sentenced to solitary confinement on bread and water for seven days for disobedience and insolence, others receive loss of pay for being absent over leave.

July 3rd:  In port all day.  Fueling in late morning.

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Daly would soon depart New York and transit through the Panama Canal to the Pacific, initially arriving at San Diego.  Daly would be in the screen of the new Essex-class carrier Lexington (CV-16), named after the carrier earlier lost during the Battle of the Coral Sea.

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The full invasion of New Georgia in the Solomon Islands was begun.

In Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the first resident workers arrived in the newly built town.  As many as 70,000 people would live in the town during the war; however, its existence was kept secret as it separated the isotopes required for the Manhattan Project's atomic bomb.

 

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 352-354. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-52.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-140.  
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, June, 1943
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, July, 1943
  
  
  
    

NEXT POST:  JULY 7TH

 

 

 

June 29, 1943 - Tuesday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - New York

June 26th: In port all day.

June 27th: In port all day.  Fueling in the afternoon.

June 28th: At sea at 2 PM for the rest of the day, returning at midnight.  Ammunition received in morning; 5-inch shells, 40 mm and 20mm, and rifle cartridges.

June 29th: At sea at 8 AM, returned at 6 PM.

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Daly would soon depart New York and transit through the Panama Canal to the Pacific, initially arriving at San Diego.  Daly would be in the screen of the new Essex-class carrier Lexington (CV-16), named after the carrier earlier lost during the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Landings began on New Georgia in the Solomon Islands. 

In Germany, at Peenemunde, tests of the supersonic V-2 rocket were conducted.  The first test failed but the second was successful, with the missile landing in the Baltic Sea.   At this time there were still many problems with the V-2, and it would not enter service until September of 1944.  Over 3,000 V-2s were launched by German forces during the war.  This was in addition to about 30,000 of the subsonic V-1 "buzz bombs" that were used to attack Allied cities in 1944-45 as well.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, p. 351. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-52.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-140.  
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, June, 1943
  
    
  
  

NEXT POST:  JULY 3RD

June 25, 1943 - Friday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - New York

June 22nd: In port all day.

June 23rd: In port all day.

June 24th: In port all day.

June 25th: In port all day.  19 men received onboard for duty.

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Daly would soon depart New York and transit through the Panama Canal to the Pacific, initially arriving at San Diego.  Daly would be in the screen of the new Essex-class carrier Lexington (CV-16), named after the carrier earlier lost during the Battle of the Coral Sea.

 

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, p. 350-351. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-52.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-140.  
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, June, 1943
  
    
  
  

NEXT POST:  JUNE 29TH

 

June 21, 1943 - Monday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Argentia, Newfoundland to New York

June 18th: In port all day. Fueling in the afternoon.

June 19th: At sea at 11 AM.  At 8 PM, about 250 miles due east of Nova Scotia.

June 20th: At sea all day; at 8 PM, about 300 miles east of Nantucket.

June 21st: Arrived New York at 11 PM. 

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Daly would soon depart New York and transit through the Panama Canal to the Pacific, initially arriving at San Diego.  Daly would be in the screen of the new Essex-class carrier Lexington (CV-16), named after the carrier earlier lost during the Battle of the Coral Sea.

In the Pacific, advances in the Solomon Islands continued with initial landings in New Georgia; a larger invasion of the island would begin soon.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, p. 348-349. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-52.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-140.  
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, June, 1943
  
    
  
  

NEXT POST:  JUNE 25TH

 

June 17, 1943 - Thursday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Argentia, Newfoundland

June 14th: In port all day.  Fueling completed early morning.

June 15th: At sea after 9 AM.  General quarters in the afternoon. 

June 16th: Returned to port at 2 PM.

June 17th: In port all day. 24 men ashore for rifle practices.  On sailor sentenced to 30 days solitary confinement for striking a superior officer.

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More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, p. 348. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-52.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-140.  
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, June, 1943
  
    
  
  

NEXT POST:  JUNE 21ST

 

June 13, 1943 - Sunday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Argentia, Newfoundland

June 10th: In port all day.

June 11th: In port all day.

June 12th: In port all day.  One sailor convicted for absence over leave and missing ship departure; dishonorably discharged from the Navy.

June 13th: At sea, 10 AM to 3 PM, otherwise in port.  Fueling began late in the evening.

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Argentia was one of the ports that were leased to the US under the bases-for-destroyers agreement with Great Britain.  Newfoundland had previously had self-rule (Dominion status) in the British Empire, starting in 1907, but the Great Depression had crippled the Newfoundland economy and Newfoundland returned to colonial rule in return for financial help.  The base at Argentia was therefore on loan from Britain.  Newfoundland would join Canada in 1949.

The base was mainly concerned with escorting convoys to the Mid-Ocean Meeting Point, where the British Navy took convoy escort for the rest of the voyage.  Losses of shipping were very large early in the war, and convoy protection tactics only slowly got better.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 346-348. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-52.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-140.  
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, June, 1943
  
    
  
  

NEXT POST:  JUNE 17TH

 

June 9, 1943 - Wednesday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Argentia, Newfoundland

June 6th: In port all day.

June 7th: At sea 9 AM to 5 PM, in port rest of day.  One sailor sent ashore to serve 10-day sentence for smoking in gun magazine.

June 8th: At sea after 9 AM. Some time at General Quarters in the afternoon.

June 9th: Returned to port at 2 PM. Fueling in afternoon.

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A coal strike began in early June and slowed steel production. There was outrage in public opinion and in the Armed Forces, despite the terrible conditions suffered by the miners.  Roosevelt ordered a government takeover of the mines, and ordered the strikers back to work.  The Smith–Connally Act, passed over a presidential veto in late June, allowed for seizure by the government of critical industries for wartime production.  Miners would strike twice more during 1943 before an agreement was reached late in the year.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, p. 345-346. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-52.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-140.
• No Ordinary Time, Doris Kearns Goodwin, pp, 440-444.   
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, June, 1943
  
    
  
  

NEXT POST:  JUNE 13TH

 

 

June 5, 1943 - Saturday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Argentia, Newfoundland

June 2nd: At sea 7 AM; returned 2 PM.  Some transfers; new medical officer comes on board, Captain's mast held with one sailor being placed in solitary confinement on bread and water for Disrespect and Negligence of Duty.

June 3rd: In port all day until leaving at 9 PM. 

June 4th: Returned to port at noon; back out to sea at 8 PM.  Fueling done in the afternoon.

June 5th: Returned at 8 AM; in port remainder of day.

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Attu Island in the Aleutians is now fully in US control again.  Airfield construction begins on Attu and also on a nearby island, Shemya.

Admiral Halsey issued the orders for the next movement up the Solomons, to New Georgia and surrounding islands.  The invasion would begin later in the month.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, p. 345 . 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-52.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-140.
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, May, 1943    
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, June, 1943
  
    
  
  

NEXT POST:  JUNE 9TH

June 1, 1943 - Tuesday - 80 years ago today

 Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) - Argentia, Newfoundland

May 29th: Out to sea 7 AM to 6PM. 

May 30th: At sea at 7 AM for the rest of the day. 

May 31st: At sea until returning to port at 6 PM. 

June 1st: At sea 9 AM to 10 PM.  32 men advanced in rating effective today.

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Memorial Day, or as it was also known, Decoration Day fell on Sunday, May 30th in 1943 and Mary McLaughlin was able to take a short vacation.  She would not have had the Monday off, as we do today, unless she had used her vacation time.  On this weekend, there was a trip to the beach:

 Mary:

Doris and Phyllis invited our whole group: Peggy Chisholm; Janet Munro; Margie Winsor; and Jeanne Villeumiere to York Beach for Memorial Day weekend.  They had an old cabin in the woods.  There was no electricity, water, or bathroom there.  We got water from the house in front of the woods which belonged to a relative of the Welches.  Mrs. Welch came with us to the cabin and Mr. Welch came on the weekends.  They seemed to enjoy being with us and the feeling was mutual.

York was so different when I first saw it from the way it is now.  We would go down to the beach to swim and there might be two or three people on the whole beach.  The blackout was still in force and it was really dark at night.  The Coast Guard had a lookout station on the Nubble Road and the beach was patrolled.

One night we decided to go to a movie in York Harbor, about five miles away.  Of course, we had to walk since no one had a car.  We got about a half mile along the road when a truck full of soldiers stopped and asked if we wanted a ride, and they took us to the theater.

More and more often we went to York for weekends and soon were spending all our vacations there.  Things didn't change much until the war was over but we girls biked and hiked and talked the time away.

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Here is a postcard of York Beach (Long Beach), from the 1940s, probably from after the war:

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 344-345 . 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-48.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 120-137.
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, May, 1943    
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, June, 1943
  
    
  
  

NEXT POST:  JUNE 5TH