December 12, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 12 DECEMBER 1942

(Eleventh Air Force) An attempted photographic reconnaissance mission over Kiska by a B-24 and two P-38s returns without result due to weather. Another reconnaissance B-24 is turned back by a weather front west of Buldir. The detachment of the 42d Fighter Squadron, 54th Fighter Group, which has been operating in Alaska with P-39s since Jun 42, returns to its base at Harding Field, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Army Forces in South Pacific Area) B-17s begin a series of daily attacks on the Japanese airfields nearing completion at Munda. Nine SBDs join the attack which is the first by the USMC.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) A-20s strafe barges off Sanananda Point while B-17s bomb Lae Airfeild and Salamaua Airfield.

IJN: Teruzuki is torpedoed and sunk by PT-37 and PT-40.

USN: PT-44 is sunk by gunfire from destroyers Kawakaze and Suzukaze.

U.S. Army: 1st Lt. Hershel G. Horton died of wounds near Huggins Road Block. From Oro Bay, tanks are moved by sea to Hariko and hidden. Corvettes with Aus forces embarked (18th Brig Hq, 2/9th Bn, and CO of 2/10th Bn) arrive off Soena Plantation after nightfall then withdraw to Porlock Harbor after a few soldiers are unloaded because of the threat of a Japanese naval force moving towards Buna.

U.S. Army: On Guadalcanal, 2d Mar Div begins relief of Americal Division west of the Matanikau. At night, a Japanese party raids Fighter Strip 2. 2d Mar Div Signal Co and 18th Naval Construction Battalion (18th NCB) arrive on Guadalcanal.