Today in World War II History—October 4, 1942

B-17F Flying Fortress “The Aztec’s Curse” of 26th Bomb Squadron after attack on Ghizo Island in the Solomons, 5 Oct 1942 (US National Archives) and a wood carving my grandfather, Frederick Stewart, made based on this photograph, 1989 (Sarah Sundin collection)
80 Years Ago—Oct. 4, 1942: British commando raid on Sark in the Channel Islands yields one German prisoner.
Germans make fourth major offensive at Stalingrad and attack tractor factory.
US 5th Bomb Group begins operating from Guadalcanal with B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers—the B-17s will be evacuated from the island only 10 days later.

Stalingrad Tractor Factory after German capture, Stalingrad, Russia, 17 Oct 1942 (German Federal Archive: Bild 183-B22437)