August 6, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 6 AUGUST 1942

USA: Dr. Lauchlin Currie leaves China for Washington to present Gen Stilwell's "Pacific Front" plan and Chiang Kai-shek's modified demands to President Roosevelt and Combined Chiefs of Staff.

China: Four B-25s from 11th BS (Medium) bomb Tien Ho Airfield near Canton causing heavy damage to the runways and destroying several parked aircraft. Reports were confirmed that twelve light bombers and six heavy bombers were destroyed on the ground, along with many probables and one barge loaded with troops! There could be only one explanation of this since the bomb string did not start until well onto the airport. It was the custom to carry six 40-lb. fragmentation bombs in the rear end of each bomber. These were in addition to the regular bomb load and an after-thought directed towards further discomfiture of the enemy. These bombs were thrown out by the bottom gunner at a signal of some sort, usually given by interphone. The signal being given, he would pull the pins and toss them out the camera hatch as quickly as possible, then return to his gunnery post. On this mission, a military intelligence officer was riding in the back end of one of the B-25s. He cooked up a signal with Staff Sergeant Patrick Boudreaux, bottom gunner of the B-25 in which he was riding; he was to watch for the big bombs to fall and when they started he would kick Boudreaux, who would be crouching ”on the mark” with a bomb in his hand. At the kick, Boudreaux would leap into action. This was, theoretically, a good system, but the sudden turn onto the bombing run caught the observer off balance and he accidently kicked the bomb-dropper. Before he could stop him, Boudreaux had thrown out two bombs, and since the turn was made just before crossing the river, they must have hit the barge. Sergeant Boudreaux did not deny this possibility.

ALASKA (11th AF): Three B-24s, two B-17s escorted by ten P-38s provide air coverage for USN tenders to Nazan Bay off Atka. Also a photo reconnaissance is conducted over Attu.

CBI (CATF): B-25s bomb Tien Ho Airfield causing heavy damage to the runways and destroying several parked aircraft. Detachment of 11th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), operating from Nanning with B-25s returns to base at Kunming.

SWPA (5th AF): B-25s and B-26s from the 22nd Bombardment Group bomb Lae Airfield and Salamaua Airfield.

IJN: Yawata Maru (Unyō) arrives at Rabaul and delivers the first A6M3 Model 32 Zeros to Lakunai Airfield for assignment to the Tainan Kōkūtai (Tainan Air Group) and 2nd Kōkūtai (2nd Air Group).

U.S. Navy: U.S. invasion force undetected continues toward the Solomon Islands.

USS Tautog (SS-199) sinks Japanese army transport Ohio Maru in South China Sea about 250 miles east-northeast of Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina, 13°51'N, 113°15'E

Lost is PBY Catalina 2389 pilot Lt. Maurice S. Smith (MIA) that took off on a search mission and also went missing.

New Guinea: New Guinea Force takes command of all Aus and U.S. forces in Australian New Guinea including Papua and northeast New Guinea.