World War II Chronicle: November 23, 1942
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The front page reports that American casualties from the Operation TORCH landings are less than 2,000. Most of those killed came from Operation RESERVIST — the attempt to land troops directly in Oran Harbor to prevent Vichy French forces from destroying their facilities. 17 officers and 376 enlisted soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 6th Armored Infantry and a Naval anti-sabotage team were loaded on two Royal Navy sloops that sailed directly into the harbor in hopes that the French would cooperate. They did not. The French sank both ships, killing 193 Americans and wounded 164. Everyone who survived was quickly captured. The ground force commander, Lt. Col. George F. Marshall was killed, earning a Distinguished Service Cross.
200 miles to the east, Operation TERMINAL fared slightly better. 24 officers and 638 enlisted soldiers from 3d Battalion, 135th Infantry soldiers were loaded on two Royal Navy destroyers and assaulted the Algiers port. One of the vessels was damaged and had to withdraw, leaving only half the assault force. The troops did manage to disembark, but soon were left with no choice but surrender. They did accomplish their goal in that the Algiers port was left intact…
On page two we see that Lt. Anthony B. Akers, PT boat skipper from Bataan (Silver Star citations here and here), is getting married. Akers now commands a training squadron at Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Training Center in Melville, Rhode Island. One of his current students is recently promoted Lt. (j.g.) John F. Kennedy who graduates on Dec. 2 and is assigned to Motor Torpedo Squadron FOUR on the East Coast…
Eddie Rickenbacker and crew are pictured on page five during their rescue… Page nine reports that four Guadalcanal Marines take turns manning a lookout post on top of a 150-foot radio mast, exposed to shrapnel when Henderson Field is under bombardment… George Fielding Eliot ponders what Rommel’s Afrikakorps could be up to in his column on page 12… Sports section begins on page 20, which features a story of two former Naval Academy football players now in the lineup for West Point for this Saturday’s Army-Navy game.
Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 23 November 1942. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1942-11-23/ed-1/