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• US Navy Vice Admiral William F. Halsey was designated the commander of the South Pacific Area, and was made directly responsible for the campaign in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [William Halsey | TH]
• Adolf Hitler issued his Kommando Befehl, ordering that any captured Soviet commandos be shot. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | TH]
• Norwegian commandos parachuted near Telemark, Norway, to conduct reconnaissance. ww2dbase [TH]
• USS Finback damaged a large Japanese freighter east of Taiwan, hitting her with 2 of torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Finback | CPC]
• US Navy Pacific Fleet's chief communications officer John Redman sent Joseph Wenger a message noting Redman's wish to relieve radio intelligence officer Joseph Rochefort. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Alpino Bagnolini sighted an aircraft in the Atlantic Ocean at 1554 hours; she submerged to avoid detection. At 1715 hours, she sighted four aircraft, heading toward Freetown, Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate; she again submerged. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | CPC]

• During the night, Japanese warships again shelled Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Guadalcanal Campaign | Henderson Field | Lunga Point, Guadalcanal | TH]

• The German Ministry of Justice transferred the responsibility for Jews and citizens of Eastern European countries within Germany to the Gestapo. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | CPC]

• Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Yokosuka, Japan. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]

• French troops attempted a counter offensive at Andriamanalina, Madagascar, but it was soundly repulsed by British and Commonwealth troops. ww2dbase [Madagascar Campaign | Andriamanalina | CPC]

• Kamoi departed Mili, Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Kamoi | Mili | CPC]

• Four Norwegian agents of the British Special Operations Executive were parachuted near the Vemork heavy water production plant in Telemark, Norway on a reconnaissance mission code named Grouse. ww2dbase [Vemork Heavy Water Plant | Tinn, Telemark | CPC]

• Submarine S-7 departed Moshchny Island near Leningrad, Russia. ww2dbase [S-7 | Leningrad | CPC]

• British Captain Pat Reid and Canadian Flying Officer Hank Wardle, having escaped from Oflag IV-C prisoners of war camp at Colditz Castle in Germany on 14 Oct 1942, successfully made it to Switzerland. ww2dbase [CPC]

18 Oct 1942 Interactive Map