Heavy flak above US Navy vessels directed toward attacking Japanese aircraft during the Battle of Santa Cruz; the USS Enterprise at left. Gift of Lionel Taylor, 2010.396.004
As the Battle for Henderson Field came to a close with a critical US victory on land, combat at sea and in the air raged on in the waters off Guadalcanal. Seventy years ago today, the Battle of Santa Cruz was fought as part of the Naval campaign for Guadalcanal. It was the third incidence since the Battle of the Coral Sea in which carrier (as well as land-based) aircraft from air craft carriers–in this case the Hornet and Enterprise–attacked the enemy without the surface ships ever coming within range of one another.
The Hornet—whose claim to fame was its role as the carrier from which the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo launched in April 1942 as well as a critical role at the Battle of Midway—was one of the casualties of the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, sunk on 27 October after sustaining massive damage from repeated strikes by Japanese “Val” dive bombers and “Kate” torpedo bombers. She would be the last fleet carrier to be sunk by an enemy.
The Hornet under attack. Gift of Robert M. Heim, 2002.300.023
The Japanese would lose approximately 500 mean and 100 aircraft, versus US losses of 250 men and 80 aircraft. Like many of the naval battles of the Guadalcanal Campaign, the result was anything but a clear-cut victory for either side. While the Japanese were the victors at sea, the heavy losses they suffered would inhibit further landings of infantry reinforcements ashore on Guadalcanal, so Santa Cruz is also considered a strategic victory for the US.
Seventy years ago today marked the first week in an unprecedented seventy-seven day run at the top of the charts for the biggest-selling song of the 20th Century: Bing Crosby’s rendition of Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas.’ Originally released as part of the soundtrack to the 1942 film, Holiday Inn, ‘White Christmas’ initially proved unpopular with audiences; overshadowed by other songs such as ‘Be Careful, It’s My Heart’ which was a much bigger hit at the time of the film’s release. However, with the growing realization that the holiday season of 1942 would – for many – be the first spent separated from loved ones, recognition and demand for the song grew. Finally, on October 24, ‘White Christmas’ took over the #1 spot, dislodging Glenn Miller’s ‘Kalamazoo’ and holding off other challenges from the likes of Kay Kyser, Spike Jones, and Charlie Spivak. The ‘White Christmas’ season would not come to an end until well after the New Year and not before it had cemented its place forever in the popular American songbook. Thereafter, Berlin’s song and Crosby’s signature hit would see almost annual re-release during the holiday season, becoming the only song in history to enjoy three separate runs at the top of the U.S. charts (1942, 1945, 1946).
Encompassing re-releases, its inclusion on albums and Greatest Hits packages, Bing Crosby’s version of ‘White Christmas’ has – to date – sold in excess of 100 million copies. However, most audiences today are more familiar not with 1942 recording of the song, but with the 1947 re-recording made necessary after the song’s original master copy was nearly worn out through overuse.
Click below to hear Bing Crosby’s original 1942 version of ‘White Christmas’
Posted by Collin Makamson, Red Ball Express Coordinator at The National WWII Museum
Jasper Maskelyne, a third generation British magician, was in the business of illusion. However, what he called the greatest “illusion” of his career is a major point of controversy for historians of World War II and those in the magic trade.
According to Maskelyne’s ghost-written memoir, Magic: Top Secret, and David Fisher’s The War Magician, Maskelyne was not only responsible for “moving” the Suez Canal and the entire city of Alexandria as part of the North Africa campaign, but was also the mastermind behind Operation Bertram.
Operation Bertram was a component of Operation Lightfoot, Lieut-Col Bernard Montgomery’s turning-point offensive in the North Africa Campaign. Bertram was just one of many deception plans of the war, the most famous being Operation Fortitude – the Allied ruse that led Germany to believe the D-Day offensive would come at Pas de Calais instead of the beaches or Normandy.
The operation was made up of a series of fake ammunition dumps in sight of the Axis forces that were replaced with real ammunition and gas rations under the cover of nightfall, an incomplete dummy pipeline which implied that preparations for attack were not as far along as they actually were, an army of jeeps disguised as tanks sent in one direction and tanks disguised as transport vehicles sent in another and lastly, a series of fake buildings, soldiers, tanks and trucks in the south.
The facts of Operation Bertram are undisputed. However, the role of Jasper Maskelyne is another story. According to Maskelyne and Fisher’s accounts, Montgomery met with the magician personally with the directive to hide the forces in the north while creating the deception of a military build-up in the south. However, military historian and magician, Richard J. Stokes argued in a series of articles published in Geniis Magic Journal that a number of chronological inaccuracies and unconfirmed events in both books, the absence of any mention of Maskelyne in official records and Montgomery’s own accounts, along with a statement from Maskelyne’s own son, cast a great deal of doubt on his involvement.
After the war, Maskelyne faded into obscurity. Unable to resurrect his career in magic and greatly frustrated by the lack of any recognition for his war efforts, he later moved to Africa where he operated a driving school. He died in 1973.
So was Maskelyne the unsung hero of the North African Campaign? Did he pull off some of the greatest illusions of World War II or even of all time? Or was he simply a washed-up magician, looking for credit and another taste of fame? After all of these years Jasper Maskelyne still has us guessing. And that may actually be the magician’s greatest feat.
Magic: Top Secret is currently out of print but David Fisher’s The War Magician has been recently reissued and is rumored to be on its way to the big screen. To read Robert J. Stokes articles in entirety, visit www.maskelynemagic.com.
Below: Photos of the sunshield prototype used to disguise a tank as a transport vehicle from declassified document “WO 201/2841 Sunshields – tank camouflage: introduction and development”. Jasper Maskelyne had several similar photos in his wartime scrapbook. Courtesy of The National Archives, Kew and special thanks to Richard Stokes.
On 18 October 1942, the Führer himself issued the Kommandobefehl, or Commando Order. Based on previous successes of Commando-spearheaded surprise attacks such as the Raid at St. Nazaire, Hitler realized the enormous potential of British Special Forces in particular (though the ordered applied to all Allied belligerents) to cause massive disruption to German military superiority in Europe. Even with the Dieppe Raid proving a total disaster, its failure was not caused by a lack of competence of the soldiers on the ground, but more so by the inability to complete pre-invasion bombardment and other factors out of the control of those involved.
The order was justified by the Germans through rumors–the veracity of which remains unclear–that British commandos or “sabotage forces” had on more than one occasion tied up German prisoners of war, which itself went against the Geneva Conventions, and therefore legitimized the radical Commando Order. Regardless of the supposed rationality behind the order, it was treated as top secret and only to be seen by the highest command.
What the order called for went completely against the Conventions regarding the handling of prisoners of war. Hitler’s decree ordered than any commando encountered by German forces was to be turned over immediately to the Gestapo or SD, whether he surrendered or not, and regardless of if he was in uniform or plain clothes (typically, those in plain clothes were considered spies and were therefore not protected by the Conventions), or else-wise to be completely “annihilated” in battle Once turned over to the German intelligence and police units, these “prisoners” were generally sent to camps for execution. Any German officers who did not obey said order would be tried by military courts. The Nuremberg Trials would find this order, not surprisingly, a war crime and many of those who carried it out were convicted and sentenced to death.
Rear Admiral Norman Scott, victor of the Battle of Cape Esperance
Today marks the 70th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Cape Esperance, the second major naval battle to occur at night during the Guadalcanal campaign. Although strategically unimportant, the American victory at Cape Esperance proved to be a much needed morale boost for the US Navy.
Prior to the Battle of Cape Esperance, the Imperial Japanese Navy was the uncontested master of the water around Guadalcanal at night. Japanese ships used the cover of darkness to bring supplies and reinforcements to the men struggling to recapture Henderson Field from American soldiers and marines. These resupply runs, known as the “Tokyo Express” frequently included bombardments of Henderson Field by Japanese cruisers and destroyers.
After two months of uninterrupted trips to Guadalcanal, the Japanese had grown complacent. And so it was that on the night of 11-12 October 1942, a Japanese bombardment force of three heavy cruisers and two destroyers was ambushed by an American task force under Rear Admiral Norman Scott.
Scott’s force of four cruisers and five destroyers first spotted the Japanese warships at 11:43 p.m. on the 11th. The Japanese commander mistakenly believed that the unidentified ships were a Japanese resupply convoy, so he ordered his ships to turn on their recognition lights. Immediately after the lights went on, the Japanese ships were deluged by American shells. What followed was nearly forty minutes of chaos as both sides fired at shell flashes and launched torpedoes in the darkness.
USS Boise’s scoreboard, which claims six Japanese ships sunk at Cape Esperance. In reality, only five Japanese ships fought at Cape Esperance, and only two of those were sunk.
The Japanese cruiser Furutaka and the destroyer Fubuki were sunk, and the cruisers Aoba and Kinugasa were damaged during the battle. On the American side, the USS Duncan DD-485 was sunk, and the USS USS Salt Lake City CA-25, USS Boise CL-47, and USS Farenholt DD-491 were all damaged.
Tactically, the Battle of Cape Esperance was an American victory. The Japanese bombardment force was turned back after suffering major damage. Strategically though, Cape Esperance was a minor victory at best. Although Scott’s force bought Henderson Field one night’s reprieve from bombardment, he did not stop the Tokyo Express. In fact, a Japanese reinforcement convoy landed troops and supplies on Guadalcanal while the battle raged. However, the Battle of Cape Esperance provided a critical morale boost for the US Navy when it was desperately needed. Norman Scott and the ships under his command put the first dent in the Imperial Navy’s seemingly impenetrable armor 70 years ago today.
Following up their number one smash, ‘Jingle Jangle Jingle,’ in the summer of 1942, Kay Kyser & His Orchestra continued in their winning ways with another popular, war-themed hit, ‘Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition!!,’ released on Columbia Records seventy years ago today. Written by Tin Pan Alley song man Frank Loesser, who would later compose the music for such Broadway blockbusters as Guys And Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying; ‘Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition!!’ reached all the way to number two in late October 1942, with only Bing Crosby’s unstoppable ‘White Christmas’ – then in the midst of its 11-week run at the top – keeping Kyser and Co. from reclaiming the number one spot for a second time that year.
An enduring classic from the war years, the song was composed by Loesser in the aftermath of the attacks on Pearl Harbor and, despite some artistic license taken with the lyrics, was based on true events and a true turn of phrase uttered during the December 7 assaults. ‘Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition!!’ began as a rallying cry repeated by Lt. Howell M. Forgy, chaplain aboard the USS New Orleans(CA-32), who shouted the future song title during the attack to urge the crew members to keep up the fight. Both Lt. Forgy and the New Orleans would survive the attacks and the war. Forgy’s words would also provide audiences with one of the great patriotic songs and slogans of the period.
Click below to hear Kay Kyser’s big hit.
Post by Collin Makamson, Red Ball Express Coordinator at The National WWII Museum
A view of the players of The Eve of St. Mark from a review in the 19 October 1942 issue of LIFE magazine. Its caption reads, "Exhausted and sick with malaria, soldiers holding a small island in the Philippines listen as sergeant tells them they have quinine for only two days." Gift of Marian C. Lifsey, 2002.195
On 7 October 1942, Maxwell Anderson’s two-act play The Eve of St. Mark, premiered on Broadway. Two years after its stage premiere—and once the play’s 307 show run was over, per Anderon’s directives—The Eve of St. Mark was also made into a 20th Century Fox film starring Anne Baxter and Vincent Price, in addition to many of the original stage actors.
The play’s title was inspired by John Keat’s poem of the same name. St. Mark’s Eve, celebrated on 24 April, is a day full of superstitions. In some faiths in some churches, it was believed that if one stood vigil at the church’s doors overnight, you would see the ghosts of those who were going to die in the coming year.
The title is appropriate, as—spoiler alert!—the play’s protagonist, Quizz West, finds himself serving in the Philippines on 24 April, the Eve of St. Mark, when West’s unit is clearly becoming overwhelmed by the enemy. The play reflected the reality that the Japanese had attacked the Philippines in 1941, and had succeeded in pushing American and Filipino forces into a retreat, as they suffered heavily from illness like dysentery and malaria. While asleep and dreaming, Quizz speaks with his mother and his sweetheart, asking them for guidance in his struggle with whether to stand strong knowing he will be sacrificing his life, or to retreat knowing that doing so will cost the lives of his brothers in arms. See the 1944 film to find out which path West chose…
The sign above this captured V-2 reads, “This is a V-2 rocket seized by US Army Ordnance Technical Intelligence Team No. 1 from the Germans in a tunnel 45 miles north of Nordhausen April 1st, 1945. This specimen is the first complete V-2 captured and was immediately shipped to the US Army Ordnance Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, USA for complete scientific study and technical examination.” Gift of Thomas E. Hall, 2007.292.011
On 3 October 1942, a team led by Walter Dornberger and Wernher Von Braun tested the first V-2 rocket at a facility at Peenemünde, near the Baltic Coast. Dornberger remarked, “This third day of October, 1942, is the first of a new era in transportation, that of space travel…” An interesting comment considering Von Braun would later be charged with crimes against the state for wasting time with the “frivolous” idea of space travel. He was released and eventually he and Dornberger defected to the US.
After the war, parts of numerous captured V-2 rockets were reassembled in the US for testing. The resulting research has been called the “birth of both space-based astronomy and the US Navy’s space program. “
Seventy years ago, on 3 October 1942, the Hollywood Canteen opened its doors to servicemen at 1451 Cahuenga Blvd., on the site of a former livery stable. Using the model of the Stage Door Canteens, the Hollywood Canteen was an entertainment space free for all servicemen, staffed completely by volunteers. On opening night the Hollywood Canteen raised $10,000 by charging $100 for bleacher seats to watch as the stars paraded in. Founder Bette Davis recalled that it was so crowded on opening night that she had to climb through a window to get in. Before closing on Thanksgiving Day 1945, the Hollywood Canteen entertained nearly four million servicemen.
Letter from the Museum's collection from Hollywood Canteen founder and President Bette Davis to volunteer Bob Hope.
Visit the Stage Door Canteen at The National WWII Museum for live entertainment and to see the letter from Bette Davis and other artifacts related to the Hollywood Canteen.
The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans was certainly hopping during the war. Seventy years ago today on 2 October 1942, New Orleans jazz legends trumpeter Bunk Johnson and clarinetist George Lewis recorded Big Chief Battle Axe for WSMB broadcasting station (New Orleans’ first professional radio station founded in 1925).
Seventy years ago today marked the first week in an unprecedented seventy-seven day run at the top of the charts for the biggest-selling song of the 20th Century: Bing Crosby’s rendition of Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas.’ Originally released as part of the soundtrack to the 1942 film, 
