February 3, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 3 FEBRUARY 1942

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: Bad weather from now until February 18, 1942 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 from Singosari bomb shipping off Balikpapan. Lost is B-18 Bolo 36-338 pilot Lt. Col Austin A. Straubel (KIA).

RAAF: Five Catalinas bomb Japanese ships in Simpson Harbor off Rabaul. Damaged are Catalina A24-3 and Catalina A24-5. Cruisers and transports were observed and attacked with a possible direct hit and several near misses claimed on one large vessel northwest of Dawapia Rocks (The Beehives).

IJN: Between 3:00am to 3:30am six Japanese flying boats bomb Port Moresby. Although no great damage was inflicted with one man killed on the ground. This bombing raid sets the stage for the future of Port Moresby. One man is KIA. Over Rabaul, newly arrived A5M4 Claudes from the Chitose Kokutai fly continuous Combat Air Patrols (CAP) and intecept the flying boats operating in tandem with searchlight crews on the ground.

IJN: Japanese aircraft bomb Morokrembangan Seaplane Base. The air raid destroys Do 24K-1 X-6, Do 24K-1 X-30, Do 24K-1 X-31 and Do 24K-2 X-37.

A6M2 Zeros including the Tainan Kōkūtai (Tainan Air Group) took off from Kendari Airfield on a fighter sweep over Surabaya and Malang on Java.