November 2, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 1942

(POA, Seventh Air Force): The 370th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 371st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 372d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) and 424th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 307th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrive at Kipapa Field, Wheeler Field, Kahuku and Mokuleia respectively from the US with B-24s and fly sea-search missions off Hawaii until December 1942.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): The 68th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group arrives on New Caledonia from Tongatabu with P-40s (first mission is November 12, 1942).

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-26s bomb Dili. B-17s attack shipping northeast of Buna and sink Japanese army cargo ship Yasukawa Maru off Buna. B-25s strike at a convoy south of New Britain. Australian ground forces seize Kokoda and Kokoda Airfield after long days of fighting; this will greatly facilitate supply and reinforcement of troops in this area as they push over the mountains toward the Buna-Gona area. Lost are P-40E Warhawk 41-5313 (ditched, survived) and B-26 Marauder 40-1493 (force landed, survived).

USMC: On Guadalcanal, 5th Marines envelops enemy on coast at Point Cruz. 3d Battalions joins 1st Battalions in coastal battle east of Point Cruz while 2d Battalions, on left, drives N to coast W of Pt Cruz and turns E, trapping enemy. 2d Marines (-3d Bn) moves forward on left of 5th Marines to continue westward attack. Two 155mm gun batteries, one Marine and the other Army plus stores and ammunition are landed in the Lunga Perimeter. These two batteries are the heaviest U.S. arty to reach the island and the first capable of countering enemy fire effectively. East of the Lunga perimeter, 2d Bn of 7th Marines crosses Metapona River mouth and establishes itself near Tetere. During night 2-3, Japanese 17th Army lands supplies and about 1,500 men east of Koli Point to supply and reinforce th Japanese already there. Meanwhile, construction begins of an airfield near Koli Point that will become Carney Field (Bomber 2).

USN: Fleet Air Wing 6 (FAW-6) under the command of Captain Douglass P. Johnson is established at Seattle, Washington, for multi-engine aircraft training. Destroyers USS Conyngham (DD-371) and transport USS Fuller (AP-14) are damaged in collision in Sealark Channel off Guadalcanal. Submarine Seawolf (SS-197) sinks Japanese water tender Gifu Maru west-southwest of Cape San Augustin, Mindoro, P.I., 06°14'N, 126°07'E. Submarine Tambor (SS-198) lays mines in Hainan Strait, Tonkin Gulf. Submarine Tautog (SS-199) lays mines south of Cape Padaran, French Indochina.

IJN: Japanese submarine I-8 launches E9W1 to perform a reconnaissance flight over Efate.