November 30, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 1942

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): A B-24 flies reconnaissance over Semichi and Attu; other flights are prevented by weather.

(Tenth Air Force) INDIA AIR TASK FORCE: B-24s attack shipping off Port Blair claiming damage to 1 vessel by near misses; this strike begins a series of raids on this water approach to Burma. The 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Tenth AF, moves from Karachi to Chakulia with F-4s (a flight is operating from Kunming).

(POA, Seventh Air Force): SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): The 31st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrives Espiritu Santo from Hawaii with B-17s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, B-25s and B-26s pound the airfield, AA positions, and defenses in the Buna area. Lost in a dogfight over Dobodura is P-40E pilot Voorhees (MIA) and P-40E pilot Johnston (MIA).

U.S. Army: Three attempts by Allied ground forces to take Buna fail; The U.S. Army establish a Road Block (Huggins Road Block) behind enemy forces on the Soputa-Sanananda Trail but frontal and flanking assaults make little headway. At the Governor General's Residence in Port Moresby on the front veranda, General Douglas MacArthur gave orders to Lt. General Robert L. Eichelberger for the Buna operation including the candid remark: "Bob…I want you to take Buna, or not come back alive."

USN: In the early morning during the Battle of Tassafaronga (Battle of Lunga Point), the U.S. Navy turns back a Japanese effort "Tokyo Express" to land troops in the Tassafaronga area of Guadalcanal during the night of 30 Nov/1 Dec. An average of 1,000 soldiers are transported per night. During the engagement, USS Minneapolis (CA-36) was damage two torpedoes. The crew's skillful damage control and seamanship allow the damaged cruiser to reach Tulagi Harbor for emergency repairs off Tulagi.

Japan: In Yokohama Harbor accidental explosion aboard the supply ship Uckermark destroys the vessle and causes burning debris to destroy three other vessels: Thor (HSK 4), Nankin/Leuthen and Unkai Maru.

ANA: Lodestar VH-CAH crashed while landing at Dobodura Airfield.