June 18, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 18 JUNE 1942

ALASKA (11th Air Force): A single LB-30, three B-17s and four B-24s make a precision high-altitude attack on Kiska Harbor. A transport is left burning and sinking, another is damaged with two scout planes were claimed as possibly shot down. B-24D pilot Wintermute ditches at sea with two missing and the rest rescued.

IJN: Twenty-seven G4M1 Bettys escorted by A6M2 Zeros strike Port Moresby sinking MV MacDhui in Fairfax Harbor.

RAN: Damaged MV MacDhui is again targeted by Japanese G4M1 Bettys and hit by bombs and sunk into Fairfax Harbor off Port Moresby.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): Air echelon of 69th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 38th Bombardment Group (Medium), leaves Hickam Field with B-26s and proceeds to New Caledonia to join the ground echelon; the squadron will fly sea-search missions until December 1942. Lost is P-400 Airacobra BX169 (pilot survived) and P-400 Airacobra BX180 (pilot survived).