July 16, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 16 JULY 1942

CHINA AIR TASK FORCE (CATF): Four B-25s from Kweilin, with P-40 escort, bomb a storage area at Hankow, starting a fire that is later reported to have burned 3 days. The B-25s land at Hengyang during the return flight to refuel, but are attacked by Japanese aircraft and have to take off immediately. Amidst the confusion a P-40 pilot mistakes a B-25 for a Japanese aircraft and shoots it down, the first bomber lost since the CATF began operations in China; the crew is saved.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th AF): B-17s of the 11th Bombardment Group (11th BG) begin leaving Hickam Field for the South Pacific.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): A single B-17 bombs Salamaua. Crashed while landing at Horn Island Airfield is B-17E 41-2421 (KIA).