June 22, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY, 22 JUNE 1942

China: Ki-27 from 54th Sentai and 10th I F Chutai strike Hengyang. Lost is Ki-27 pilot First Lieutenant Mitsunori Akiyama (Class 54). The unit took part in three combats over Hengyang and Nanchang on 22 June, 3 July and 4 July, claiming three P-40s destroyed and two probables while losing five aircraft (three pilots killed) in these raids. They had been opposed by the 1st and 3rd AVG Squadrons, which claimed 3 destroyed and 3 probables in this combat. Duuring a sortie between 14:30–15:30 Vice-Squadron Leader Frank Schiel claimed an Ki-27 10-15 miles north of Hengyang Airfield.

India: The first Commanding Officer (C.O.) of USAFCBI SOS Base Section 2 assumes command in Calcutta.

ALASKA (11th Air Force): A B-17 flies weather reconnaissance over Kiska. Fighters fly air base patrols. A bombing mission is canceled due to weather.

B-17s, B-25s and B-26s from 22nd BG attack Japanese shipping off Buna damaging destroyer Uzuki by near misses and sinks army cargo ship Ayatosan Maru at roughly Lat 08°50'S Long 148°50'E.

IJN: Montevideo Maru embarks 1,053 Allied personnel including 845 Australian Prisoners Of War (POW) and 208 civilians at Rabaul then departs bound for Hainan Island. The ship was not marked to indicate it was transporting Allied prisoners. On July 1, 1942 torpedoed by USS Sturgeon (SS-187) off Luzon in the Philippines.

U.S. Army: War Department orders all units and individuals under Gen Stilwell's command assigned under a permanent change of station to American Army Forces in "India, China, and Burma" rather than to Army Group, Washington, D.C. This is the first step in the evolution of a U.S. theater of operations on the Asiatic mainland.

Major General Robert L. Eichelberger assumes commander of I Corps, replacing Maj Gen Charles F. Thompson. I Corps eventually comes under operational command of General Blarney, Commander Allied Land Forces. General Douglas MacArthur authorizes Merauke Airifeld on the southern coast of Dutch New Guinea to protect Port Moresby from the west.

Australian Army: The initial force to garrison Milne Bay departs Port Moresby including 2 companies and an MG platoon on loan from Aus 14th Brig at Port Moresby.