February 5, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 1942

USA: Caribbean Air Force is redesignated as the Sixth Air Force (6th AF); Pacific Air Command / Hawaiian Air Force becomes 7th Air Force (7th AF). Alaskan Air Force is redesignated 11th Air Force (11th AF).

Singapore: Convoy bringing final elements of Br 18th Div and some Ind reinforcements arrives on Singapore. Slowest ship of the convoy, Empress of Asia, is sunk by enemy planes before reaching destination. Japanese air attacks on docks at Singapore prevent other ships of the convoy from unloading some of their cargo.

Burma: General Wavell again visits Burma and inspects situation west of the Salween opposite Moulmein.

USN: Lost is PBY-5 Catalina 2309 pilot Lt(jg) Richard Bull shot down over Ambon. Damaged PBY Catalina 2304 ran aground.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: Far East Air Force (FEAF) is redesignated the 5th Air Force (5th AF). Air echelon of 91st Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group ceases operating from Brisbane with A-24s and begins a movement to Singosari Airfield (Malang) on eastern Java. The ground echelon is based on Bataan.

IJN: Seven flyingboats hit Port Moresby at 3:00am, hitting an aminol (explosives) dump and damage the town. At 9:15 four planes dropped 35 bombs on Lae. At 10:20am, a second strike of five planes hit Lae.

U.S. Army: On Luzon, I Corps plans to attack with all available forces against enemy pockets. In South Sector, Japanese are driven to edge of cliff overlooking beaches at Quinauan Pt. Little progress is made against enemy in Anyasan-Silaiim sector.

U.S. Navy: Submarine Seadragon (SS-194) evacuates a nucleus group of people from the naval communications/radio intelligence unit, and associated equipment, from Corregidor, to set up facilities on Java.

Japanese planes bomb Allied shipping off Soembawa, destroyer USS Paul Jones (DD-230) is damaged by near-miss, she then rescues survivors of Dutch merchantman Tidore, which had run aground in an attempt to avoid Japanese bombs.