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

THURSDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 1942

ALASKA: The Alaskan Air Force is redesignated 11th Air Force (11th AF).

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA: The Hawaiian Air Force is redesignated 7th Air Force (7th AF).

USN: Shot down is PBY Catalina 2309 pilot Lt(jg) Richard Bull 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.