September 15, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER 1942

ALASKA (11th Air Force): One B-17 and one B-24 fly armed reconnaissance over Kiska and at Amchitka blast buildings in the Constantine Harbor area; fighters strafe Kiska Camp area and down 4 intercepting aircraft.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th Air Force): 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), HQ Squadron, 490th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) and 491st Bombardment Squadron (Medium) are activated at Karachi with B-25s; also assigned are the 11th and 22d Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) at Kunming and Karachi respectively with B-25s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): B-25s hit Buna and Sanananda and attack camps at Efogi and Myola; and the first US Army soldiers, elements of the 32nd Infantry Division, arrive at Port Moresby. 19th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 22d Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Woodstock to Iron Range with B-26s.

Seven B-17s from 19th BG, 30th BS at 2:30pm took off from Mareeba Airfield on a flight to 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby arriving at 5:30pm to stage for a bombing mission (SM 49/15). At 5:30pm took from 7 Mile Drome armed with 500 pound bombs on a night bombing mission against Vunakanau Airfield with the secondary target Lakunai Airfield near Rabaul. The bombers took off individually and were divided into "A" flight was led by B-17E 41-9196 pilot Captain John W. Carpenter, III with B-17E 41-9012 pilot Lt. Paul Holdridge and B-17F 41-24425 pilot Captain Allen Lindberg. "B" flight was led by B-17F 41-24427 pilot Captain Robert L. Williams with B-17E "Frank Buck" 41-2659 pilot Lt. Ramond E. Holsey, B-17E 41-2657 pilot 1st Lt. Stanley G. Salisbury and B-17F 41-24403 pilot Captain Cecil C. Knudsen. The formation flew via Hood Point then over New Britain bound for Rabaul. The weather was extremely bad with rain, lightning and thunder storms and no moon. Due to the severe weather only two B-17s reached the target. Using light on the ground, they bombed the runway diagonally claiming many planes hit and at least two burning and were targeted by anti-aircraft fire for several minutes. Lost is B-17F 41-24427 pilot Captain Robert L. Williams (MIA). Force landed Is B-17E "Frank Buck" 41-2659 pilot Lt. Ramond E. Holsey force landed at Hood Point and is later flown back to base.

IJN: Japanese submarine I-19 fires a spread of six torpedoes at USS Wasp (CV-7) with two or three hitting, another hits USS North Carolina (BB-55) causing damage and another hit USS O'Brien (DD-415).

The Yokosuka 6th Special Navy Landing Force (Yokosuka 6th SNLF) arrives on Tarawa (Betio).

USN: A Task Force including USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Wasp (CV-7) plus ten warships were escorting a convoy with the U.S. Marine Corps 7th Marine Regiment bound for Guadalcanal was targeted by Japanese submarine I-19 that fired a spread of six torpedoes. USS Wasp (CV-7) was hit by two or three torpedoes and sank. Another torpedo hit USS North Carolina (BB-55) causing damage. Another torpedo hit USS O'Brien (DD-415) causing structural damage.

Reference
30th Bomb Squadron "Recommendation of Citation [Kundson Silver Star, September 15, 1942], November 8, 1942
30th Bombardment Squadron "Report of Mission [1st Lt. Salisbury, September 15, 1942], September 22, 1942