September 11, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 1942

ALASKA (11th Air Force): A weather, photo, and patrol aircraft draws AA fire over Chichagof Harbor on Attu and also covers Tanaga, Amchitka, and Semichi. Headquarters (HQ) 343d Fighter Group is actived at Elmendorf Field.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): Combat control groups are authorized for New Caledonia and Fiji; these units, under immediate control of the Commanding General of US Army Forces in the South Pacific (COMGENSOPAC), are to take over local operational direction of fighter aircraft and all other units in the combat team. Lost after an escort mission against Guadalcanal is A6M2 pilot Murakami.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): B-26s hit Efogi and Menari in the Owen Stanley Range. 3rd BG A-20s strafe Buna Airfield. Ditched is A-20A "The Comet" 40-167 and A-20A "Little Ruby" 40-3145. B-17s, along with RAAF Hudsons, attack two destroyers 20 miles east of Normanby. A B-17 scores a direct hit on the stern of Yayoi which later sinks. Lost is P-40E 41-24874 pilot 1st Lt Robert G. Hazard (MIA).

U.S. Army: General MacArthur submits to General Blarney a plan for accelerating operations. While Australians, upon receiving reinforcements, are to attack to drive enemy back along Port Moresby- Kokoda trail, an RCT of U.S. 32d Div is to execute wide flanking movement to E to get behind Japanese at Wairopi and thus hasten their expulsion from New Guinea. Aus 2/14th and 2/16th Bns break through enemy forces and fall back to Nauro; then yield Nauro under pressure and take up positions on ridge N of Ioribaiwa, where 2/1st Pioneer Bn and 3d Bn of 14th Brig are established.

U.S. Navy: F4F Wildcats from USS Saratoga fly from Espiritu Santo and land at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal.

IJN: Yayoi is bombed by B-17 Flying Fortress roughly 20 miles east of Normanby Island that score a direct hit near the stern and near misses sink the destroyer. Japanese bombers and Zeros strike Henderson Field. Between August 29, 1942 to September 11, 1942 roughly 6,000 Japanese have been landed mostly at night by destroers and destroyer-transports on Guadalcanal.