SUNDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: During the night of February 1-2, P-40 Warhawks from Bataan bomb and strafe
Ianding barges off Quinauan Point. 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.
U.S. Army: On Luzon, II Corps prepares to attack in Sector C to clear enemy bridgehead from which Japanese continue to withdraw. I Corps continues efforts to reduce pockets S of MLR with negligible success. In South Sector, Scouts renew battle against Quinauan Pt beachhead but progress is still limited. Scout casualties by this time are estimated at 50 percent. Japanese reinforcements for Quinauan Pt are spotted, night 1-2, and attacked by remaining 4 P-40's of FEAF, motor torpedo boats, and arty and infantry weapons from shore. Enemy is forced to land instead in Anyasan-Silaiim area.
U.S. Navy: First U.S. carrier offensive: Task Force 8 (TF-8) under the command of Vice Admiral William F. Halsey and Task Force 17 (TF-17) under the command of Rear Admiral F. J. Fletcher, built around USS Enterprise
(CV-6) and USS Yorktown (CV-5) bomb and bombard enemy installations on the islands of Wotje, Kwajalein, Jaluit, Makin, and Mili. Over the target, TBD
Devastator 1515 and TBD Devastator 0298. became lost and ditched into the lagoon. 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. Task Force 11 (TF-11) under Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr. formed around USS Lexington (CV-2) supports the operations in the vicinity of Christmas
Island.
At Kwajalein, SBDs (VB-6 and VS-6) and TBDs (VT-6) from Enterprise sink transport Bordeaux Maru and damage light cruiser Katori, submarine I-23, minelayer Tokiwa, auxiliary netlayer Kashima Maru, auxiliary submarine chaser No.2 Shonan Maru, submarine depot ship Yasukuni Maru, oiler Toa Maru, tanker Hoyo Maru, and army cargo ship Shinhei Maru; in the bombing of shore installations, Rear Admiral Yatsushiro Sukeyoshi (Commander Sixth Base Force) becomes the first Imperial Navy flag officer to die in combat when an SBD scores a direct hit on his headquarters. Off Wotje, gunfire from heavy cruisers Northampton (CA-26) and Salt Lake City (CA-25) sink gunboat Toyotsu Maru; destroyer Dunlap (DD-384) shells and sinks auxiliary submarine chaser No.10 Shonan Maru.
Japanese retaliatory air attacks (Chitose Kokutai) on TF 8 result in damage to carrier Enterprise (near-miss of crash of land attack plane), 10°33'N, 171°53'E, and heavy cruiser Chester (by bomb dropped by carrier fighter), 08°45'N, 171°33'E.
Planes from Yorktown cause less damage, due to a paucity of targets at the objective; nevertheless, SBDs (VS 5) bomb and strafe gunboat Nagata Maru at Makin, while SBDs (VB 5) bomb and strafe cargo ship Kanto Maru at Jaluit. Rear Admiral Fletcher detaches three of his four destroyers to look for downed TBD (VT 5) reported in the water astern of TF 17. During the search, a Japanese reconnaissance flying boat (Yokohama Kokutai) attacks (but does not damage) destroyer Sims (DD-409). Soon thereafter, two F4Fs (VF 42) splash the flying boat. The TBD crew, however, is never found in the prevailing poor weather.
PT-Boats and USAAF P-40 Warhawks repulse Japanese landing attempt on southwest Bataan Peninsula. PT-32 damages Japanese minelayer Yaeyama off Subic Bay.
Naval Base, Sydney, Australia, is established.
USMC: Air Detachment, Marine Barracks, Parris Island is redesignated Marine Corps Air Station, Parris Island.
