July 29, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 29 JULY 1942

ALASKA (11th AF): Four B-24s and five B-17s bomb vessels and installations in the Kiska Harbor area with unobserved results due to clouds.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): Eight A-24 Dive Bombers from the 3rd Bomb Group (3rd BG) took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby. Escorted by P-39 Airacobras from the 41st Fighter Squadron (41st FS) flying top cover and P-39 Airacobras from the 80th Fighter Squadron (80th FS) flying close escort. One A-24 aborted the mission, and seven proceeded to bomb Japanese transports 20 miles north of Gona, 1 1/4 miles form shore. The convoy was being protected by A6M2 Zeros from the Tainan Kokutai (Tainan Air Group) which attack the A-24 as they start their dives. The A-24s dive-bomb in two waves. The first wave: A-24 41-15797 pilot Major Floyd W. Rogers (MIA), A-24 pilot Hill (damaged and gunner badly wounded) and A-24 pilot Raymond Wilkins (the only aircraft to return to 7-Mile Drome). The second wave: A-24 41-15819, A-24 41-15766, A-24 pilot Cassels and A-24 pilot Parker all four were shot down. Kotoku Maru, was hit once at the No. 5 hatch during the second wave, forcing it to depart after unload her troops but not her load of cargo. Afterwards, the Japanese ships all returned to Lae. HQ 8th Fighter Group moves from Brisbane to Townsville.

IJA: Japanese Army recapture Kokoda, which they temporarily lost the previous day.