World War II Database

• Home
• » Events
• » WW2 Timeline
• » 31 Oct 1942

• The Chilean ambassador to Italy Ramon Briones Luco reported to Chile that Heinrich Himmler had just visited Rome and spoke to Mussolini. According to the ambassador's sources, Himmler requested Mussolini to turn over all Polish, Czech, and Yugoslav Jews in Italy. ww2dbase [Heinrich Himmler | CPC]
• German 21st Panzer Division launched four successive strikes against Australian troops at Point 29 in Egypt, causing heavy casualties on both sides. ww2dbase [Second Battle of El Alamein | CPC]
• HMS Cumberland sailed from Scapa Flow in Scotland, United Kingdom with HMS Norfolk with screen of 5 destroyers. She was nominated for support of planned allied landings in North Africa. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]

• The 5,681-ton Norwegian merchant steamer Alaska, while in the process of rescuing survivors of troopship Président Doumer that had been torpedoed by German submarine U-604 on the previous day, was hit by a torpedo fired by German submarine U-510 at 0003 hours. The 56 survivors who had been saved from the troopship broke out in panic and the crew of the Norwegian ship had to prevent the survivors from cutting the lifeboats lines too early. The Alaska did not sink and was met by a British corvette that was escorting another damaged ship, Silverwillow, to Madeira; Alaska joined the two ships. ww2dbase [HM]

• Submarine USS Saury departed Brisbane, Australia on her fifth war patrol. Her assigned patrol area was to be off New Britain Island. ww2dbase [Saury | Brisbane | DS]

• Tenryu departed Rabaul, New Britain. ww2dbase [Tenryu | Rabaul, New Britain | CPC]

• US Marine Scout-Bomber Squadron 132 and US Marine Fighter Squadron 211 began to arrive in sections at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Guadalcanal Campaign | Henderson Field | Lunga Point, Guadalcanal | CPC]

• Repair ship Akashi began repairing destroyer Samidare at Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Akashi | Truk | CPC]

• Having earlier silenced a machine gun post and taken 12 prisoners, Sergeant William Kibby was leading an Australian advance near Alamein, Egypt taking enemy positions with grenades when he was cut down by machine gun fire. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. ww2dbase [Alamein | AC]

• As Adolf Hitler was confident that Stalingrad, Russia would soon be under German control, he departed the Wehrwolf headquarters near of Vinnytsia, Ukraine and moved to the Wolfsschanze headquarters in Rastenburg, Germany (now Ketrzyn, Poland). ww2dbase [Battle of Stalingrad | Rastenburg, Ostpreußen | CPC]

• Barbers Point Naval Air Station: Daily train service to and from Honolulu established (Oahu Railway & Land Co.) ww2dbase [Barbers Point Naval Air Station | Ewa, Oahu | DS]

• US freighter John H. B. Latrobe and British freighter Chulmleigh departed Iceland in Operation FB. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | CPC]

• USS Haddock fired 3 torpedoes at a transport 10 miles south of Jeju island, Korea; all torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [Haddock | Jeju | CPC]

• USS Grayback sank a Japanese transport off New Ireland, hitting her with 1 of 3 torpedoes. ww2dbase [Grayback | CPC]

• USAAF 1st Bombardment Squadron departed Edinburgh Field in Trinidad. ww2dbase [Carlsen Field | Chaguanas | CPC]

• USS St. Louis arrived at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California for a period of overhaul. ww2dbase [Mare Island Navy Yard | St. Louis | Vallejo, California | DS]

31 Oct 1942 Interactive Map