December 30, 1943 - Thursday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Daly: 

USS Daly (DD-519) -New Guinea

December 27th: Landings being completed at Borgen Bay, New Britain, Daly, with the Brownson survivors still aboard,  moves into the Vitiaz Strait and down the east coast of New Guinea, escorting the returning troop landing ships.  Two men from Brownson who survived the initial attack died of their wounds and were buried at sea at 4:49 PM.  Convoy arrived at Buna, New Guinea, about 11 PM.

December 28th: Left at 10:20 AM and sailed to Milne Bay, New Guinea, reaching there at around 8 PM and moored for the night.

December 29th:  In port all day.

December 30th:  In port morning and afternoon, fueling and receiving ammunition.  Underway at 1 PM. steering various courses and speeds, anchored about 10 PM.

 Several of the Brownson wounded were transferred to one of the LSTs on the 28th.  The uninjured survivors were transferred to other ships on the 28th also.

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Summary of 1943 - USS Daly

(From Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships):

Daly (DD-519) was launched 24 October 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, N.Y.; sponsored by Mrs. A. Ransweiler, niece of Sergeant Major Daly, USMC; and commissioned 10 March 1943, Commander R. G. Visser in command.

Between 14 May and 21 June 1943 Daly screened Ranger (CV-4) on exercises and patrol off Argentia, Newfoundland. She sailed from New York a week later screening Lexington (CV-16) and arrived at San Diego 4 August. The next day she was underway for Alaska, arriving at Adak 11 August. She escorted transports to the invasion of Kiska from 15 to 21 August, then patrolled and had escort duty between Kiska and Attu until 18 November when she sailed for Pearl Harbor, arriving 23 November.

Daly left Pearl Harbor 9 December 1943 and arrived at Milne Bay. New Guinea, 18 December. Four days later she sortied to escort landing craft during the assault on Cape Gloucester, New Britain on 26 December. She splashed two attacking Japanese bombers, then aided survivors from Brownson (DD-518) rescuing 168 of her crew despite exploding depth charges from the sinking ship which caused temporary loss of power on Daly.

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Mary McLaughlin continued working at Dun & Bradstreet in 1943.  Although she had only had one year of college, this was still somewhat unusual for the young women of the time, and made her very valuable for the office work at the company.  She had become the secretary for one of the executives at the company's Boston location.  

If Mary had time off, she would vacation at York Beach in Maine with her friends.  Otherwise, she was busy with the social events at the USO, taking care of her eight younger brothers and sisters, and helping with dinner each night after coming home from work.

Her father was still working as the projectionist at the theater, and here are some of the popular movies that she would have seen during 1943: Movies of 1943

At the USO, there were still many dances and social functions. This link lists the new hit songs from the year: Music of 1943

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More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 422-424. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 187-212.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 366-390.
• War at the End of the World, James P. Duffy, pp, 275-278.
  
• Events of December, 1943 
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, December 1943

NEXT POST:  JANUARY 3RD

December 30, 1863 - Wednesday - 160 years ago today

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

By the 30th, General Grant has come to Knoxville and will soon go to the front east of the city, where there have been several cavalry engagements but no large battles.  Longstreet is reported to be at Morristown, TN.

General Sherman continues to plan his attack into central Mississippi, and is preparing to move down the Mississippi River in the next few days.

40th Indiana 1863 Summary

At the beginning of the year, the Battle of Stones River had just concluded; John Baer was recovering from an arm wound suffered during the battle. 

The army remained in the Murfreesboro area for several months before moving on toward Chattanooga.  Wagner's brigade was part of the force that surveilled and shelled the city from the north side of the Tennessee River, while the rest of the army made its way into Georgia.  Once the Confederate army left Chattanooga, Wagner's Brigade occupied the city.  

This caused them to miss the gigantic Battle of Chickamauga where, if they had been in their normal position, they would have been right at the point where the Union army was split in two.  With the Union army forced back into Chattanooga, there were several weeks of half rations until Grant arrived and the "cracker line" for supplies was established.  

Late November saw the chaotic assault on Missionary Ridge, where Confederate forces were unexpectedly routed and forced back into Georgia.  Immediately after the battle, Granger's forces (including the 40th Indiana) were sent to relieve Knoxville, and that is where they remain at the close of the year.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXXI, Chapter XLIII, Part III, Correspondence, pp. 509-541.
  
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 137.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 862-922.
• Decision In The West, The Atlanta Campaign of 1864, Albert Castel, pp, 1-19.
  
• Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, pp. 442-462.
• Memoirs of General William T. Sherman, pp. 396-417.
  
• Events: 1863
  

NEXT POST:  JANUARY 3RD