09/01 Tue. Naval Construction Battalion personnel (Seabees), the first to serve in an action area, arrive at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Air Force, Pacific Fleet (Vice Adm. A. W. Fitch) is established. Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo also becomes Foreign Minister as Shigenori Togo resigns. 09/05 Sat. United States naval vessels sunk: High speed transports GREGORY (APD-3) and LITTLE (APD-4), by surface ship gunfire, Solomon Islands area, 09 d. 20' S., 160 d. 01' E. 09/06 Sun. United States naval vessel damaged: Battleship SOUTH DAKOTA (BB-57), by hitting coral reef, Lahai Passage, Tonga Islands. 09/07 Mon. United States and Cuba conclude agreement for naval and military cooperation. 09/10 Thu. German submarine lays mines at mouth of Chesapeake Bay. 09/11 Fri. Japanese naval vessel sunk: Destroyer YAYOI, by United States Army and British aircraft off Normanby Island, D'Entrecasteaux Islands off New Guinea. 09/12 Sat. Brazil places its navy under the operational control of the United State Navy. German aircraft and submarines launch sustained 10-day attack against large Allied convoy to northern Russia. 09/15 Tue. Carrier task force (Rear Adm. L. Noyes) covering transport of reinforcements from Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, to Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, is attacked by 2 Japanese submarines which sink 1 aircraft carrier and damage a battleship and a destroyer. Japanese battleships bombard Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. United States naval vessel sunk: Carrier WASP (CV-7), severely damaged by submarine torpedo, near Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 12 d. 25' S., 164 d. 08' E.; sunk by United States forces. United States naval vessels damaged: Battleship NORTH CAROLINA (BB-55) and destroyer O'BRIEN (DD-415), by submarine torpedoes, near Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. 09/16 Wed. Vice Adm. J. H. Ingram's command, formerly Task Force 23, is designated South Atlantic Force, Atlantic Fleet. Patrol Wing 12 is commissioned at Key West, Fla., for operations in Gulf Sea Frontier. Japanese forces evacuate Attu, Aleutian Islands. (See 30 Oct. 1942.) 09/18 Fri. Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, is reinforced by 7th Marine Regiment. German submarine lays mines off Charleston, S. C. 09/20 Sun. United States Naval Operating Base, Auckland, New Zealand, is established. 09/24 Thu. Japanese land on Maiana, Gilbert Islands. 09/25 Fri. Japanese land on Beru, Gilbert Islands. 09/27 Sun. Japanese land on Kuria, Gilbert Islands. German raider sunk: Schiff No. 23 (STIER), after being damaged by United States merchant vessel STEPHEN HOPKINS, before she sinks, South Atlantic area. 09/28 Mon. Japanese submarine sunk: RO-65, by Army aircraft, Kiska, Aleutian Islands. 09/29 Tue. United States naval vessel damaged: Cargo ship ALBENA (AK-26), by submarine torpedo, Solomon Islands area, 10 d. 47' S., 161 d. 16' E. 09/30 Wed. United States naval vessels damaged: Heavy cruiser SAN FRANCISCO (CA-38) and destroyer BREESE (DD-122), by collision, New Hebrides area, 15 d. 39' S., 167 d. 39' E.]