SUNDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA In the Philippines , P-40's from Bataan bomb and strafe
Ianding barges off Quinauan Point during the night of 1/2 Feb. These strikes,
in conjunction with naval and field artillery fire, cause considerable damage
and casualties but fail to prevent the landings which take place S of the point,
although the attempt to reinforce troops already on the point is thwarted. HQ
35th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) arrives at Brisbane, Australia from the US.
USN - First U.S. Carrier Offensive--Task Forces 8 (Vice Admiral W. F. Halsey)
and 17 (Rear Admiral F. J. Fletcher), built around the carriers Enterprise
and
Yorktown, bombed and bombarded enemy installations on the islands of Wotje,
Kwajalein, Jaluit, Makin, and Mili. Two
TBD Devastators ditched in the lagoon, TBD
1515 and TBD 0298. Japanese A5M4 Claudes from Taroa clash with American carrier planes over the Marshalls. Though outnumbered, lightly armed, and completely unprotected the Mitsubishi fighters managed to shoot down three SBD dive bombers, damage a couple Wildcats, and dive bomb a cruiser. Thanks to their excellent maneuverability only two Type 96 fighters were lost and their pilots survived.
MONDAY, 2 FEBRUARY 1942
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA - VII Interceptor Command is activated at Ft Shafter, Territory
of Hawaii with Brigadier General Howard C Davidson in command. Major General
Willis H Hale commands the VII Bomber Command.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA - HQ 49th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) and 7th, 8th and
9th Pursuit Squadrons (Interceptor) arrive at Melbourne, Australia from the
US with P-40's; first mission is 14 Mar, 20 Apr and 18 Mar respectively.
TUESDAY, 3 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA - Bad weather from now until 18 Feb, along with effective
interception by fighters, thwarts attempts of heavy bombers in Java
to deliver damaging blows on shipping and airfields in the Netherlands East
Indies (NEI). B-17's strikes from Singosari, Java
against shipping at Balikpapan.
WEDNESDAY, 4 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA- HQ 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Bombardment Squadron
(Heavy), and 88th Reconnaissance Squadron begin a movement from Brisbane,
Australia to Karachi, India. The 9th is operating from Jogjakarta, Java with B-17's; the 88th is operating from Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii with
B-17's.
New Guinea - Six Japanese flying boats bombed Port Moresby 3-3:30am, although
no great damage was done this set the stage for the future living conditions
in town. One man is KIA.
THURSDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 1942
ALASKA - Alaskan Air Force is redesignated 11th Air Force.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA - Hawaiian Air Force is redesignated 7th Air Force.
USN - Shot down over Ambon is PBY 2309. Grounded while taking off is PBY 2304.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA - Far East Air Force is redesignated 5th Air Force.
Air echelon of 91st Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group
, ceases operating from Brisbane, Australia with A-24s and begins
a movement to Malang, Java.
The ground echelon is based on Bataan.
New Guinea - Seven flyingboats hit Port Moresby at 3am, hit an
aminol (explosives) dumb do damage to the town.
MONDAY, 9 FEBRUARY 1942
ALASKA - 36th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 28th Composite Group, transfers
from Elmendorf Field, Anchorage to Ft Greeley, Kodiak with
B-18's.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA - 12 B-17's are detached and released to Commander-in-Chief,
Pacific (CINCPAC) for assignment to Task Force (TF) 11 for operations in
the S Pacific.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA - Between this day and 18 Feb, heavy bombers fly at
lesst 14 missions, but they result in claims of only 3 hits on shipping. B-17s attack the airfield at Kendari and are repulsed by fighter attacks. B-17's on a shipping strike
claim hits on a carrier near Sinjai, Sumatra.
On Bataan, P-40B Warhawks escort a Stinson bi-plane piloted by Jesus Villamor to take photographs over the Ternate area. Lost are Ki-27 Nate piloted by Kurosawa also, Ki-27 Nate piloted by Kanamaru force landed at Pilar Airfield and was later destroyed by artillery fire. Lost is P-40B Warhawk piloted by Stone.
TUESDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 1942
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th Air Force): 12th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor),
50th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), arrives on Christmas Island, Line from
the US with
P-39's.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): Air echelon of the 88th Reconnaisssance
Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), begins a movement from Hickam
Field on Hawaii to the Fiji with B-17's. The ground echelon is
enroute from Australia to India.
RAAF - First mast height attack on enemy shipping of the New Guinea campaign: three Hudsons attacked and sunk two transports at Gasmata. They are attacked by A6M4 Claudes that shoot down two: Hudson A16-91 and Hudson A16-126.
USN - USS Shark SS-174 is sunk off Menado, likely by destroyer Yamakaze.
THURSDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): Air echelon of the 88th Reconnaissance
Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrives at Nandi Airport on Fiji from Hawaii with B-17's. The ground echelon is enroute
from Australia to India.
SATURDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 1942
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7th Air Force): A B-17 flies a photo reconnaissance
mission over Wake.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): 9th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor),
49th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), transfers from Melbourne to Williamstown,
Australia with P-40's; first mission is 18 Mar. A detachment of the 22d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group
(Heavy), based at Jogjakarta, Java
begins operating from Nandi Airport on Fiji with B-17's under control of US Navy
(USN).
SUNDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 1942
SINGAPORE -Japanese forces on the Malay Peninsula capture Singapore.
The large naval guns protecting the harbor never fire a shot, as the Japanese
attacks came from the landward side.
MONDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): HQ 49th Pursuit Group (Interceptor)
and 7th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) transfer from Melbourne to Bankstown,
Australia with P-40's; the 8th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) transfers from
Melbourne to Canberra with P-40's. Air echelon of the 16th Bombardment Squadron
, 27th Bombardment Group, transfers from Brisbane to Batchelor with A-24s. The ground echelon is on Bataan.
NEIAF - Lost on a convoy attack is B-10 M-531
TUESDAY, 17 FEBRUARY 1942
ALASKA (11th Air Force): Colonel Lidnel R Dunlap arrives from the ZI and becomes
Commanding Officer of the 11th Air Force.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): The air echeon of the 88th Reconnaissance
Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), departs Nandi Airport, Fiji
from Australia with B-17's. The ground echelon is enroute Australia to India.
USN - The Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet authorized removal of athwartships
hangar deck catapults from Wasp, Yorktown, Enterprise, and Hornet.
WEDNESDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): Detachment of the 22d Bombardment
Squadron (Hevy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), departs Nandi Airport, Fiji
from Australia with B-17's. The squadron is based at Jogjakarta, Java.
Air echelon of 91st Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group,
begins operating from Malang, Java
with A-24s; ground echelon is on Bataan.
THURSDAY, 19 FEBRUARY 1942
AUSTRALIA - Japanese carrier-borne aircraft carry out successful raids on Dawin
in Northern Australia destroying harbor installations and sinking 12 warships.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th Air Force): VII Air Force Base Cmmand (AFBC) is
activated.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): In the NEI, A-24s, with P-40
escort, and B-17's operating out of Malang, Madioen, and Jogjakarta, Java,
attack vessels landing troops on Bali; the attacks, carried out during the aftenoon
of 19 Feb and throughout the morning of 20 Feb, cause considerable damage to
vessels but fail to halt the landings; P-40's shoot down or turn back seversl
bombers sweeping W over Java.
Japanese aircraft attack Darwin, bombing vessels loaded with troops destined for the defense of Koepang on Timor; 10 P-40's sent to Darwin to escort the convoy are almost entirely wiped out by the attack. Lost is A6M2 Zero 5349. Lost is P-40E piloted by Rice.
USN - Shot down near Bathurst Island is PBY 2306.
FRIDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 1942
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th Air Force): 19th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor),
18th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), transfers from Wheeler Field to Bellows Field,
Territory of Hawaii wtih P-40's.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): Air echelon of 17th Bombardment
Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group, begins a movement from Brisbane
to Batchelor with A-24s. Ground echelon is on Bataan.
Detachment of the 22d Bombardment Squadron and air echelon of 88th Reconnaissance
Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrive at Townsville from Fiji with B-17's. The detachment of the 22d is under control
of the USN. Ground echelon of the 22d is at Jogjakarta, Java;
ground echelon of 88th is enroute from Australia to India.
SATURDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): Major General George H Brett,
Deputy Commanding General American-British-Dutch-Australian Forces Command (ABDACOM)
informs the War Department of his decision to evacuate the 5th Air Force and
other US troops from Java,
NEI. 5th Air Force bombers at Java bases fly about 20 strikes, usually in 2- and 3-aircraft elements, against shipping
in the Java Sea and against
targets on Bali from this date through 1 Mar. 11 strikes are complete failures;
the remainder, although causing some damage to vessels and airfield facilities,
fail to deter the invasion of Java.
USN - The seaplane tender Curtiss and Patrol Squadron 14 arrived at
Noumea, New Caledonia, to begin operations from what became a principal Navy
base in the South Pacific during the first year of the war.
SUNDAY, 22 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): Air echelon of 17th Bombardment
Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group, arrives at Batchelor from
Brisbane, Australia with A-24s. Ground echelon is on Bataan.
MONDAY, 23 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): First American bombing mission
against Rabaul. A group of 9 B-17s took off from Townsville before midnight on the 22nd, for a strike shipping in
Simpson Harbor. The force suffers mechanical trouble and runs into bad weather. Only
two B-17s manages to bomb the target, and all are intercepted by 4th Kokutai
fghters. B-17E 41-2446 (aka 'The
Swamp Ghost') runs out of fuel and force lands in a swamp off northern
New Guinea.
Major General Lewis H Brereton, Commanding General
5th Air Force, departs for India after issuing an order terminating HQ 5th
Air Force. Until September 3, 1942, units of the 5th Air Force will be initially under
control
of ABDACOM and then Allied Air Force (SWPA).
TUESDAY, 24 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): Heavy bomber units begin evacuating
Java, NEI.
USN - First Wake Island Raid--A striking force, (Vice Admiral W. F. Halsey) composed of the carrier Enterprise with cruiser and destroyer screen, attacked Wake.
New Guinea - 4th Kokutai A6M2 Zeros escort G4M1 Betty and
bomb Port Moresby, fighters fly close escort with the bombers.
WEDNESDAY, 25 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): Arriving at Brisbane
from the US are: HQ 3d Bombardment Group and 8th, 13th, 89th and
90th Bombardment
Squadrons with A-20's; first mission is in Apr. HQ 22nd Bombardment
Group (Medium),
2d, 19th and 33d Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) and 18th Reconnaissance Squadron
(Medium) with B-26's; first mission is in Apr. HQ 38th Bombardment Group
(Medium) and 15th Reconnaissance Squadron
(Medium) and 69th, 70th and 71st Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) with B-26's;
first mission is Jun; air echelon of 69th and 70th remain in the US until
May/Jun.
39th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 35th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor),
with P-39's; first mission is 2 Jun.
USN - Lost over Bali is PBY 28 SMNE 73.
THURSDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): Force landed near Truscott is C-53 41-20066.
KLM: Crashed is DC-3 "Emoe" PH-AFZ
FRIDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): The Battle of Java Sea.
Allied air and naval units try to stop a convoy of some 80 ships approaching Java from
the NE. All available B-17's, A-24s, P-40's and LB-30's are put into the
air but achieve only insignificant results. An Allied naval force, 5 cruisers
and 11 destroyers, under Rear Admiral Karel W Doorman, Royal Netherlands
Navy, meets the enemy near Surabaya, Java and
is decisively defeated, losing 5 ships. Most of the 5th Air Force ground
echelon in Java is
evacusted by sea. The SS Sea Witch delivers 27 crated P-40's to Tjilatjap, Java,
but these will be destroyed to prevent their falling into Japanese hands.
32 P-40's aboard the Seaplane Tender USS Langley (AV-3), which sailed from
Australia for India on 23 Feb, are lost when the USS Langley is sunk by
aircraft 100 mi (160 km) S of Tjilatjsp. The pilots are rescued by other
vessels in the convoy, but the enemy sinks these ships with the exception
of a destroyer, which delivers 2 of the pilots to Perth,
Australia. 13th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy), 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy),
arrives at Melbourne, Australia from the US with B-17's; first mission is
Oct 42.
(USN & HMNS) Battle of the Java Sea. Sunk are HNMS De Ruyter and HNMS Java
Japanese planes locate the eight fleeing Allied ships that survived their attack in the Java Sea. Five of the eight are sunk immediatley and the other three are sunk the following day, leaving no survivors. This would be the Allies' worst naval defeat of the war in the Pacific.
New Guinea - Japanese bombers and fighters hit Port Moresby: Jackson Drome and Anti-Aircraft gun pits. Houses in town burning, 130 bombs dropped, 10 wounded, one seriously. At about 10:00am, six A6M2 Zeros of the 4th Koktai led by Harutoshi Okamoto took off from Lakunai to attack Port Moresby. After testing their guns on the SS Pruth, they lined up and strafed PBY Catalinas at Napa Napa at almost sea level. A24-3 and A24-6 sank on their moorings. George Nancarrow, electrician, was killed. Barney Ross, fitter, was creased by a bullet. The RAAF had established a lewis 7.7mm machine gun to cover over the slipway area, manned by the orderly room staff from a gun position dug in the hill behind the area. Jim Preston and his mates did a good job protecting A24-2 (under repair on the slipway). One Zero, A6M2 Zero flown by Lt. Nagatoma wash hit by machine gun fire from a Lewis gun and crashed into Bootless Bay, after he bailed out and was captured. Nagatomo became the first Japanese POW taken in Australian territory during the war. He was badly burnt and taken to hospital, the to Australia to Corwa POW Camp.