April 17, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 17 APRIL 1942

(SWPA, 5th Air Force): 8th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 49th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), transfers from Canberra to Batchelor with P-40s, their first mission is April 20, 1942.

IJN: A6M2 Zero pilot Sakai (KIA) crashed crossing the Owen Stanley Range likely due to an oxygen failure.

RAAF: Lost are P-40E Kittyhawk A29-7 (KIA) and P-40E Kittyhawk A29-12 (WIA).

BURMA: British engineers blow up Chinese and Allied oil fields in Burma, destroying nearly 6,000 wells to deprive them to the occupying Japanese.