August 26, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 26 AUGUST 1942

China: B-25s from 11th BS which have moved temporarily from central China to Yunnani Airfield and bombs Lashio. Covering P-40s strafed numerous targets of opportunity and according to some sources claimed at least two Japanese fighters.

India: Training center for Ch troops is activated at Ramgarh, Bihar Prov, with Col Frederick McCabe as commandant.

ALASKA (11th AF): A photo mission over Atka is aborted due to bad weather.

CBI (CATF): B-25s which have moved temporarily from Central China to Yunnani, bomb Lashio, an important rail center, highway junction and Lashio Airfield; covering P-40s strafe numerous targets of opportunity and shoot down at least 2 Japanese fighters.

SWPA (5th AF): At 4:00am, eight B-17s from the 19th BG, 93rd BS took off from Mareeba Airfield on a bombing mission aganinst a Japanese convoy off Milne Bay. Weather inbound to the target was horrible with a ceiling of only 2,000' or less. Between 6:30am to 7:45am, the formation bombed from roughly 1,500' and experienced accurate anti-aircraft fire from the ships, damaging several of the bombers. Over the target, lost is B-17F 41-24354 pilot Captain Clyde H. Webb Jr. (MIA). Returning, B-17E "The Daylight Ltd" 41-2621 crash lands at Mareeba Airfield.

Meanwhile, other B-25s, B-26s, P-40s, along with RAAF Hudsons from Milne Bay and Port Moresby attack Japanese forces at Milne Bay, they claim large transport is damaged and most of the supplies on the beachheads east of Rabi are destroyed.

P-400 Airacobras strafe Buna Airfield and caught Japanese Zeros taking off and destroyed and shot down six A6M3 including three from 2nd Kōkūtai (2nd Air Group) killing pilots PO/1 Kiichi Iwase, PO/3 Daïzô Ihara and PO/3 Kiyochi Nakano plus three Zeros from Tainan Kōkūtai (Tainan Air Group). Lost is P-400 Airacobra BW112 pilot 2nd Lt. Gerald T. Rogers (survived).

RAAF: Ditched due to bad weather is P-40E Kittyhawk A29-110 pilot F/O William A. Whetters (survived).

IJA: 18th Division, 35th Infantry Brigade (detached) lands on Guadalcanal.

IJN: Eight D3A2 Val bomb Rabi (Milne Bay) escorted by six A6M3 Zeros from Tainan Kokutai (Tainan Air Group). After nightfall, the Japanese convoy from New Ireland lands the remainder of the 1,170 force at Milne Bay. Japanese make another attack during the night and early morning of August 27, 1942 to the west forcing Aus militia back to Gama River line.

During Operation RY Japanese land troops on Nauru Island and destroyer Yūgure lands troops on Ocean Island.

USMC: On Guadalcanal, 5th Marines, 1st Mar Div, prepares for limited attack to eliminate resistance on western flank of the Lunga perimeter.

U.S. Navy: SBDs from VS-71 aboard USS Wasp (CV-7) claim to damage Japanese submarine I-17 in the Solomons area, 09°25'S, 162°47'E.

Submarine Haddock (SS-231) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Teishun Maru off China coast, about 100 miles north-northwest of Keelung, Formosa, 26°27'N, 121°23'E.

Seaplane tender (destroyer) USS Williamson (AVD-2) is damaged by explosion of bombs jarred loose from PBY being towed by the ship.