July 8, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 8 JULY 1942

ALASKA (11th AF): 404th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) arrives in the Alaskan Theater with B-24s, originally destined for North Africa; first mission is July 18, 1942. A B-24 flies two photo missions over the south shore of Kiska and over Little Kiska, a bombing mission is cancelled due to weather.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th AF): A single B-25 piloted by Colonel Caleb V. Haynes, bombs Japanese HQ at Tengchung, China near the Burma border. Afterwards, bad weather, pilot fatigue and maintenance halt major operations for several days. General Claire L. Chennault takes command of CATF.

RAAF: Crashed is F2A Buffalo A51-2 pilot FLt. Richard R. H. Winter (KIA).

IJN: A flying boat with staff officers from the 25th Air Flotilla and the 8th Base Force and the commander of the 14th Establishment Unit performs an aerial survey of Kieta Airfield on eastern Bougainville. As a result of this reconnaissance, the commander of the 25th Air Flotilla sent a report outlining his conclusions to the Airbase Force Command. They deemed expansion of the airfield would not be completed until early September 1942, after Lunga Point Airfield on Guadalcanal was scheduled to be finished, making the immediate need to expand this location negligible. Further, the runway was not able to be expanded because of terrain, drainage problems and obstructions at on one end.

U.S. Navy: Gen MacArthur and Adm Ghormley recommend that offensive be postponed until SW and S Pacific forces can be strengthened. Admiral Nimitz, CinCPOA issued his final plan of attack for the southern Solomons operation ordering the South Pacific Force to seize Santa Cruz Islands and Tulagi-Guadalcanal.

Submarine USS S-37 (SS-142) torpedoes and sinks Japanese transport Tenzan Maru about 30 miles west of Rabaul, 04°00'S, 151°50'E. Escorting submarine chaser Ch 30 depth-charges S-37 without success.