September 24, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 1942

Indian Ocean: U.S. freighter SS Losmar is sunk by Japanese submarine I-165 about 250 miles west of Cape Comorin, India, 07°40'N, 74°15'E; of the ship's 9-man Armed Guard detachment, 3 are lost when she sinks. British ship Louise Moller will rescue 14 survivors on 5 October; seven survivors will reach the west coast of Ceylon by boat on 17 October 1942.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Three B-24s bomb Kiska targeting Main Camp, storage dumps, and dock areas, starting several fires.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): The 72d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrives in Espiritu Santo from Hawaii with B-17s.

Japanese forces occupy Maiana Island in the Gilbert Islands.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-17s bomb shipping at Rabaul. P-40s and A-20s hit Mubo while B-17s bomb wrecked vessel [Ayutosen Maru] at Gona; P-40s hit Kokoda Airfield and targets along the Kokoda Trail including a bridge at Wairopi.

South Pacific: Three B-17s bomb Shortland Harbor Seaplane Base and damage Japanese seaplane carrier Sanuki Maru off Shortland Island. Returning lost is B-17E Flying Fortress 41-9206 ditched with the crew rescued and lost is B-17E "Bessie The Jap Basher" 41-2420 crew POW/MIA ditched Domo Cove on Guadalcanal.

U.S. Navy: SBDs from VS-3 and VMSB-231 at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, damage Japanese destroyer Umikaze while engaged in resupply operations.

USMC: On Guadalcanal, 1st Bn of 7th Marines engages in fire fight with Japanese on the northwest slope of Mount Austen. Meanwhile, three crew from SBDs that ditched September 20, 1942 into Lake Tegano on eastern Rennell Island are rescued by U.S. Navy (USN) PBY Catalina from Patrol Squadron 91 (VP-91).

Marine Corps Air Station, Mojave, California, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John S. Holmberg, was established to provide, equip, and maintain facilities necessary to train Marine aircraft groups.