August 31, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY 31 AUGUST 1942

ALASKA (11th AF): Two B-24s fly weather reconnaissance and patrol missions over Tanaga, one returns due to bad weather.

CBI (CATF): B-25s from China bomb Myitkyina for the second consecutive day.

SWPA (5th AF): B-26 bomb Lae escorted by Airacobras from the 80th Fighter Squadron (80th FS). Lost is P-400 BX147 (survived).

USN: USS Saratoga (CV-3) was damaged by a torpedo fired by a Japanese submarine I-26 and was forced to retire for repairs.

USMC: On Guadalcanal, eighteen F4F Wildcats from VMF-224 plus eight F4F Wildcats from VMF-223 took off on a combat patrol following an air raid alarm. Lost is F4F Wildcat 02104 (MIA), F4F Wildcat 02122 (MIA) and F4F Wildcat 03438 (survived).

IJN: A6M2 Zeros from the 2nd Kokutai (2nd Air Group) fly seven sorties over Rabi (Milne Bay).

IJN: At dawn, the surviving 5th Kure Special Navy Landing Force (5th Kure SNLF) Marines pull back having failed to capture No. 3 Strip (Turnbull) near Milne Bay.

USN: Laid down at New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, NJ is Independence class light carrier USS Bataan (CVL-29).