FRIDAY, 31 JULY 1942
U.S. Army: General Douglas MacArthur was angry over the fact
General Jonathan M. Wainwright surrendered the Philippines. As a result, he wires General George Marshall his opposition to the Medal of Honor being bestowed on Wainwright.
USAAF: Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) is B-24D Liberator 41-23752.
ALASKA (11th AF): A B-24 and an LB-30 fly weather and photo reconnaissance;
weather cancels a combat mission to Kiska.
USN: USS Grunion (SS-216) is presumed lost off Kiska.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th AF): A single B-17 from Midway performs a photographic reconnaissance over Wake and is Intercepted by six fighters;
in the ensuing fight her gunners claim four fighters destroyed.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): Colonel LaVerne G. Saunders
leads nine B-17s from his 11th Bombardment Group (11th BG) from Efate on a bombing mission against Lunga Point Airfield and the surrounding area on Guadalcanal.
From this date until the American invasion of Tulagi and Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942, the 11th Bombardment Group flies 56 strike
and 22 search sorties in support of the invasion of Guadalcanal.
USN: The US invasion
force departs Fiji bound for the invasion of the Solomon Islands.
Nine B-17s from the 11th Bombardment Group led by Colonel LaVerne G. Saunders took off from Efate on a strike
against Lunga Point Airfield and Kukum Beach on Guadalcanal. From this date until the American invasion of Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942, the 11th Bombardment Group flies 56 strike
and 22 search sorties in support of the invasion of Guadalcanal.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): B-17s bomb Gona and
bomb a nearby transport [Ayutosen Maru] which had been previously damaged.
