October 21, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 21 OCTOBER 1942

CBI (Tenth Air Force): INDIA AIR TASK FORCE (IATF): B-24s of the IATF stage through Chengtu, Chinato bomb Lin-hsi, China coal mines; the plan is to blast nearby power stations and pumping facilities and flood the mines; the attack fails to flood the mines but inflicts considerable damage to the target area; this marks thefirst use of heavy bombers in China and the first AAF strike N of the Yangtzeand Yellow Rivers.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-25s hit Luscan Harbor onthe south coast of New Britain.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA: B-17D Flying Fortress 40-3089 pilot Captain William Cherry, Jr. with passenger Captain Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker ditched at sea. The entire crew survived the ditching and floated in life rafts until rescued 21-22 days later.