September 29, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER 1942

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): A morning armed reconnaissance mission is flown by an LB-30 over Semichi and Attu; it strafes a ship at Attu; 3 B-24s bomb and strafe sea transport, scoring no hits.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-17s bomb AA positions at Buna and Salamaua; a single A-20 bombs the Menari area. HQ 22d Bombardment Group (Medium) and 33d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) move from Woodstock to Iron Range, Australia with B-26s.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC): Eleven B-17s from the 11th BG's 26th BS, 98th BS and 431st BS plus B-17s from the 5th BG, 72nd BS took off on a bombing mission against Tonolei Harbor on Bougainville. Over the target was thick fog and the formation dove down to make their bombing run and were intercepted by fifteen A6M Zeros. The formation was unable to find the target due to bad weather and instead patrolled the western coast of Bougainville before spotting a Japanese cruiser that the formation bombed from 5,500' with all bombs missing. Lost is B-17E "Blue Goose" 41-2616 pilot 1st Lt. Frank T. "Fritz" Waskowitz (MIA).