September 4, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 1942

ALASKA (11th Air Force): Two bombers escorted by a single P-38 bomb and patrol Nazan Bay off Atka and Kuluk Bays. Bombing Kiska is cancelled due to weather.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): P-40s bomb and strafe forces in the Milne Bay area at Goroni, Wagga Wagga, Ahioma, and N of Lilihoa. B-25s search for Japanese ships off Milne Bay. Lost are B-25C "The Queen" 41-12472 pilot Captain Gustave M. Heiss (MIA) and B-25C Mitchell 41-12480 pilot 1st Lt. Hubert J. Rapp (KIA).

Miline Bay: Australian ground forces pushing east along Milne Bay and reach Goroni as the Japanese begin evacuation of the area.

IJN: Six G4M1 from the 4th Kokutai escorted by nine A6M2 Zeros from the 6th Kokutai took off form Rabaul on a bombing mission against Rabi (Milne Bay) but abort due to bad weather.

Australian Army: The crash site of P-40E Kitthawk A29-92 is located and the remains of pilot S/L Peter Turnbull recovered.

USN: USS Little (APD-4) and USS Gregory (APD-3) land a battalion of U.S. Marine Raiders on Savo Island and were to returning to Tulagi Harbor but they opted to remain on patrol overnight between Savo Island and Guadalcanal due to the darkness and low haze that made returning to their anchorage too dangerous at night.

USS Growler (SS-215) sinks Japanese ammunition ship Kashino in Formosa Straits, about 50 miles northeast of Keelung, Formosa, 25°43'N, 122°38'E.

USS Guardfish (SS-217), operating off northeast coast of Honshu, sinks merchant cargo ships Kaimei Maru and Chita Maru at 40°14'N, 141°51'E, and passenger cargo ship Tenyu Maru at 40°12'N, 141°49'E, off Kuji Bay, Iwate Prefecture, Japan.

USS Pompano (SS-181) sinks guardboat No.27 Nanshin Maru northeast of Honshu, Japan, 35°22'N, 151°40'E.

IJN: Overnight Japanese Navy destroyers Yūdachi, Hatsuyuki and Murakumo land troops at Taivu on Guadalcanal.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Suki Maru is sunk by mine in Bangka Strait, NEI.