November 18, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 1942

USA: Lost is AT-7 Navigator 41-21079 pilot 2nd Lt. William R. Gamber (MIA) on a training flight and crashed above Mendel Glacier in California.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): An armed reconnaissance is flown over Kiska and Attu, no bombs are dropped.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-25s bomb Lae Airfield and Salamaua Airfield; B-17s attack warships 50 miles southwest of Gasmata located off the southern coast of New Britain, 17 miles north of Buna, and between Gona and Cape Ward Hunt; B-26s bomb and strafe the area between Cape Endaiadere and Buna. The 28th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), begins a movement from Mareeba to the US (squadron will return to Guam in Jan 45 with B-29s).

USN: Lost is PBY-5 Catalina 04513 pilot Lt(jg) James C. Doyle crashed on take off from Tulagi Harbor.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): Eleven B-17s bomb Tonolei Harbor on southern Bougainville. Lost is B-17F 41-24531 pilot Colonel LaVerne "Blondie" G. Saunders after both pilots were killed and the rest of the crew were rescued.

IJN: Japanese Zeros from 204 Kokutai took off from Kahili Airfield (Buin) and floatplanes took off to intercept U.S. bombers over southern Bougainville. The Zeros made effective attacks but claimed no kills. Lost is Zero pilot Goto (MIA). Afterwards, the formation keeps patrolling then at 9:30am the first two land and at 9:40am the five others return to land.