June 20, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 20 JUNE 1942

USA: Admiral William D. Leahy reports to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt as Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy.

China: Dr. Lauchlin Currie arrives in China to discuss U.S.-Chinese relations with General Stilwell and the Chinese.

Three B-25s of the 11th BS (Medium) bombed and warehouses at Chinkiang on the Yangtze River. Four escorting P-40s strafed junks on the river. This was the last CATF bombing raid in July.

ALASKA (11th Air Force): A single LB-30, one B-17 and seven B-24s take off on a search and bombing mission over Kiska. Three aircraft abort the mission due to weather while three bomb through an overcast with unobserved results, and three others search in vain for the B-24 lost yesterday. 56th Fighter Squadron and 57th Fighter Squadron, 54th Fighter Group, based at Harding Field, Baton Rouge, Louisiana begin operating from Nome and Elmendorf respectively with P-39s.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA): Major General Willis H. Hale becomes Commanding General 7th Air Force and Colonel Albert Hegenberger becomes temporary commanding officer of the VII Bomber Command. The U.S. Navy has operational control over the 7th Air Force.

USAFIA, largely a supply organization, is discontinued, and U.S. Army Services of Supply, Southwest Pacific Area (USASOS SWPA) is established under command of Gen Richard Marshall. GHQ SWPA moves forward in Australia from Melbourne to Brisbane to be nearer scene of offensive. Maj Gen Alexander A. Vandegrift, CG 1st Mar Div, issues tactical orders for invasion of Solomons.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): B-17s bomb the runway at Lae Airfield.

IJN: Japanese submarine I-26 surfaces five miles off the west coast of Vancover Island and shells Estevan Point Lighthouse on Vancouver Island. Japanese submarine I-25 after midnight torpedoes and damages SS Fort Camosun off Cape Flattery, Washington State that was towed to safety into Neah Bay.

U.S. Navy: Submarine S-27 (SS-132) crew reach a deserted village on Constantine Harbor on Amchitka Island and inhabit it until rescued on June 23, 1942.

Naval Operating Base and Naval Air Facility Dutch Harbor, are established at Dutch Harbor.

Launched is Elco 80' Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 later assigned to Lt(jg) John F. Kennedy in the South Pacific.