12 Nov 1942
  • Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Rabaul. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | CPC]
  • German submarine U-130 sank troopships USS Tasker H. Bliss, USS Hugh L. Scott, and USS Edward Rutledge with torpedoes, killing 74. ww2dbase [Operation Torch | CPC]
  • British 3rd Parachute Battalion conducted an airborne attack on Bone, Algeria, capturing the airfield. ww2dbase [Advance into Tunisia | CPC]
  • 6,000 American troops landed on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Guadalcanal Campaign | CPC]
  • US Marine Corps ace Joseph Foss destroyed two Japanese Army G4M medium bombers and a Reisen fighter bringing his tally to 22 enemy aircraft destroyed in aerial combat. ww2dbase [F4F Wildcat | AC]
  • The Japanese 38th Division departed the Shortland Islands in the Solomon Islands for Guadalcanal. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • US Marine Aircraft Group 11 completed its transfer to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • The US 9th Air Force was established in the Middle East. ww2dbase [AC]
  • Frederick Aikman shot down a German Ju 88 aircraft in North Africa; it was his first victory. ww2dbase [Frederick Aikman | CPC]
  • USS Nashville and USS Bailey departed Dutch Harbor, Alaska. ww2dbase [Nashville | Bailey | DS]
  • USS Nicholas was assigned to escort troop ship USS Bellatrix on her departure from New Caledonia and then Nicholas was to return to Nouméa. ww2dbase [Nicholas | DS]
British Western Pacific Territories
  • Destroyer Yukikaze engaged with USS Cushing and USS Laffey during the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, and then escorted the crippled battleship Hiei. Meanwhile, Yugure picked up Hiei survivors 5 miles northwest of Savo Island. ww2dbase [Hiei | Yukikaze | Yugure | Guadalcanal Campaign | Savo | CPC]
  • USS Helena fired on attacking Japanese aircraft at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Helena (St. Louis-class) | Guadalcanal | CPC]
  • During the day, USS Juneau downed six Japanese aircraft while protecting Task Force 67. After sundown, during the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, she was struck by a torpedo on the port side, rendering her useless. ww2dbase [Juneau | CPC]
  • US Marine Corps squadron VMSB-143, equipped with TBF torpedo bombers, was assigned to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Henderson Field | Lunga Point, Guadalcanal | CPC]
  • Cruiser USS Helena (St. Louis-class) and destroyers USS Shaw and Barton arrived off Guadalcanal and began a shore bombardment near the mouth of the Kokumbona River. The US ships then were subjected to an aerial attack from about 21 Japanese airplanes. Shaw claimed to have shot down two of them. ww2dbase [Guadalcanal Campaign | Helena (St. Louis-class) | Shaw | Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands | DS]
French Morocco United States
  • Proteus was launched at the Moore Dry Dock Company in Oakland, California, United States, sponsored by the wife of Rear Admiral Charles M. Cooke, Jr. ww2dbase [Proteus | Oakland, California | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 12 Nov 1942
USS President Jackson (left of photograph), USS San Francisco (background center) during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 12 Nov 1942; the column of smoke in the background astern of USS San Francisco was from a downed Japanese aircraftLaunching ceremony of USS Billfish, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, United States, 12 Nov 1942

12 Nov 1942 Interactive Map

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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Winston Churchill, 1935


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