January 21, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 21 JANUARY 1942

CENTRAL PACIFIC (Hawaiian Air Force): B-17's of Task Group 8.9 fly from Canton to Nandi on Fiji.

New Guinea: (RAAF) On reconnaissance flights, two PBYs are lost: Catalina A24-9 and Catalina A24-8 two hours later.

IJN: Japanese carrier planes attack Salamaua and Salamaua Airfield destroying aircraft on the ground and also strike Lae and Lae Airfield and destroy parked planes. Other A6M2 Zeros strafe Bulolo and Bulolo Airfield and destroy parked G 31ba "Pat" VH-URQ, G.31 "Bulolo I Paul" VH-UOU and G 31 "Bulolo 2 Peter" VH-UOV.

Japanese carrier planes from Shokaku strike Madang destroying a cargo shed on the wharf there and two big stores full of copra that burned for two weeks and caused many locals to flee and bomb Madang Airfield.

Australian Army: A Japanese flyingboat flew over Buka Airfield and was fired on by Australian ground forces.

RAN: Japanese submarine I-124 is sunk near Darwin by depth charges dropped by HMAS Deloraine, the first Japanese submarine lost off Australia.

RAAF: The remaining two No. 24 Squadron planes were loaded with sick and wounded were evacuated from Vunakanau Airfield.

USN: Task Force 11 (TF 11) under Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr. formed around USS Lexington (CV-2) ordered to conducts a diversionary raid against Wake.

Task Force under Rear Admiral William A. Glassford including flagship USS Boise (CL-47) and USS Marblehead (CL-12) and four destroyers depart Koepang to engage a Japanese convoy spotted yesterday in the Makassar Strait. En route, USS Boise (CL-47) steams across an uncharted pinnacle in Sape Strai and suffers sufficient damage to eliminate her from the force and Glassford transfers his flag to USS Marblehead (CL-12) that suffers turbine trouble that limits her top speed to only 15 knots. Admiral Glassford orders the destroyers under Commander Paul H. Talbot to proceed ahead.

USS S-36 (SS-141) is scuttled by her crew on Taka Bakang Reef in the Makassar Strait at Lat 4°57'N, Long 118°31'E.