September 22, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER 1942

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Nine B-24s, two B-17s, and a single LB-30, accompanied by fifteen P-39s and twenty P-40s, abort a Kiska bombing mission due to weather; photo reconnaissance suggests that Chichagof Harbor on Attu is abandoned.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): A-20s bomb and strafe occupied areas at Menari, Efogi, Nauro, Yodda, and Kokoda; P-40s strafe AA positions, huts, and barges at Buna and Salamaua and bomb and strafe Wairopi bridge, strafe buildings at Yodda, Buna Airfield, and AA positions and other targets along the trail from Buna-Kokoda; One B-25 bombs the north end of Buna Airfield and the coastal end of Sanananda Track. B-17s bomb Lakunai Airfield and shipping off Rabaul. A week after it landed on the beach, B-17E "Frank Buck" 41-2659 took off from an improvised runway on Hood Point.

U.S. Navy: Submarine Amberjack (SS-219), en route to patrol the waters off Kieta, Bougainville, is damaged when she runs aground on an uncharted coral head off Oema Island, 06°31'31"S, 155°59'E. She remains on patrol.

U.S. freighter Paul Luckenbach is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-29 approximately 800 miles from the coast of India, 10°03'N, 63°42'E; although the four lifeboats containing the entire 44-man complement and 17-man Armed Guard become separated during the 16-to-21 day voyages, all hands reach safety.