October 27, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 27 OCTOBER 1942

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Six B-24s flying an attack on the Kiska submarine base turn back due to weather. A weather aircraft flies reconnaissance over Gareloi, Segula, Kiska, and Attu.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): A-20s hit trails around Alola, Isurava, and Abuari; P-39s escort Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Hudsons in strike against small craft at Ferguson Island.

RAAF: Crashed is Hudson A16-38 (KIA).

USN: PBY-5 Catalina pilot Lt. Melvin K. Atwell on a night patrol spotted a "a large warship" that he claimed to to be an Aoba-class cruiser, in fact destroyer Akatsuki and was bracketed by anti-aircraft fire then made a dive attack releasing his four 500 pound bombs at 600' and pulled up at only 20'. Two bombs were seen to explode aft of the forward smokestack and the explosion damaged the Catalina that immediately departed.