Pacific Wrecks - 2021 Daily Updates

Missing In Action (MIA)

Prisoners Of War (POW)

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Chronology

Pacific Wrecks 2021 Daily Updates
Make a donation of photos, info or financial support to keep this site growing!
Follow us on social media: Like on Facebook, Follow on Twitter and Follow on Instagram

9-27 September 27, 1942: U.S. Coast Guardsmen Sig 1c Douglas A. Munro is killed off Point Cruz on Guadalcanal earns Medal of Honor.
9-26 September 26, 1942: Renamed USS Yorktown (CV-10) / NYT "A Personal Pilgrimage to a Downed Warplane in Papua New Guinea"
9-25 September 25, 1942: Crashed is Buffalo A51-5 (KIA) pilot Sgt James Austin near Derby in Western Australia.
9-24 September 24, 1942: Lost is B-17E "Bessie The Jap Basher" 41-2420 pilot 1st Lt Charles E. Norton ditched Domo Cove off Guadalcanal.
9-23 September 23, 1942: Paul Carpenter visits the crash site of B-25C Mitchell 41-12486 on Fishermans Island (Daugo).
9-22 September 22, 1942: After landing on the beach, B-17E "Frank Buck" 41-2659 pilot Lt. Raymond E. Holsey sucessfully departs.
9-21 September 21, 1942: First flight of XB-29 Superfortress 41-002 / Laid down is PT-168 Elco 80' Motor Torpedo Boat.
9-20 September 20, 1942: Ditched is SBD-3 Dauntless 03293 pilot Captain Rubin Iden and SBD-3 Dauntless 03294 2nd Lt. John W. Zuber.
9-19 September 19, 1942: B-17s attack cargo vessels near Umboi Island (Rooke) between New Guinea and New Britain.
9-18 September 18, 1942: Three days earlier, B-17E "Frank Buck" 41-2659 pilot Lt. Raymond E. Holsey lands on the beach at Hood Point.
9-17 September 17, 1942: USMC P/Sgt Leon W. McStine was killed on Guadalcanal / Overnight at Rabaul harrasment raids Captain Ugaki.
9-16 September 16, 1942: Japanese troops reach Ioribaiwa their furthest advance on the Kokoda Trail.
9-15 September 15, 1942: Sunk is USS Wasp (CV-7) torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-19 south of San Cristobal Island.
9-14 September 14, 1942: The No. 3 Strip near Milne Bay was renamed Turnbull Field in honor of RAAF Squadron Leader Peter Turnbull.
9-13 September 13, 1942: Crashed B-26 "Kansas Comet II" 40-1433 pilot Krell returning from a mission landing at Iron Range Airfield.
9-12 September 12, 1942: Japanese Army 35th Infantry Brigade led by General Kawaguchi begins probing Bloody Ridge (Edson's Ridge).
9-11 September 11, 1942: Sunk is Yayoi (Destroyer No. 23) by B-17 Flying Fortress east of Normanby Island.
9-10 September 10, 1942: Eleven G4M1 Bettys from Misawa Kokutai bomb Guadalcanal force landed is G4M1 Betty 1365 crew POW.
9-9 September 9, 1942: In the early morning, Japanese submarine I-25 launched her E14Y Glen floatplane to cause forest fires in Oregon.
9-8 September 8, 1942: Lost is B-17E "Stingaree" 41-9071 pilot Captain Robert H. Richards on a patrol over Solomon Sea and MIA.
9-7 September 7, 1942: A-20s and P-400s strike Myola Lake and Efogi on the Kokoda Trail in the Owen Stanley Range of New Guinea.
9-6 September 6, 1942: Read New York Times "A Personal Pilgrimage to a Downed Warplane in Papua New Guinea" / Sunk is MV Anshun
9-5 September 5, 1942: 5th Bomber Command is assigned to Brigadier General Kenneth N. Walker at Townsville.
9-4 September 4, 1942: Lost is B-25C "The Queen" 41-12472 pilot Captain Gustave M. Heiss MIA off Hood Point on southern New Guinea.
9-3 September 3, 1942: New boss! Major General George C. Kenney becomes Commanding Officer (C.O.) of the 5th Air Force in Brisbane.
9-2 September 2, 1942: Three dive bombers D3A1 Val 3110, D3A1 Val 3114 and D3A1 Val 3287 force land at Deba bordering Table Bay.
9-1 September 1, 1942: Crashed is P-400 Airacobra BX146 pilot 2nd Lt George T. Helveston bailed out and returnd to duty.
September 2021
8-31 August 31, 1942: Lost is F4F Wildcat 02104 pilot 2nd Lt. Gordon E. Thompson (MIA) / Japanese attack No. 3 Strip near Milne Bay.
8-30 August 30, 1942: Lost is USS Colhoun (APD-2) hit by Japanese dive bombers and sunk off Guadalcanal into Iron Bottom Sound.
8-29 August 29, 1942: Sunk is Japanese submarine RO-33 sunk by depth charges released from HMAS Arunta south off Port Moresby.
8-28 August 28, 1942: Bombed and strafed at Buna Airfield, the remaining D3A1 Vals / Type 99 dive bombers are withdraw.
8-27 August 27, 1942: Crashed P-40E Kittyhawk A29-92 pilot Turnbull (KIA) / Ditched A6M3 Zero pilot PO2c Enji Kakimoto (POW).
8-26 August 26, 1942: Lost is P-400 Airacobra BW112 pilot 2nd Lt. Gerald T. Rogers on a mission over Buna and ditched near Pongani.
8-25 August 25, 1942: During the night, three groups of Japanese Special Landing Force (SNLF) land at Milne Bay on New Guinea.
8-24 August 24, 1942: During the Battle of the Eastern Solomons damaged by bombs and a torpedo is light aircraft carrier Ryūjō that sinks.
8-23 August 23, 1942: Japanese G4M1 Bettys bomb Hughes Field (30 Mile) destroying CA-9 Wirraway A20-599 and Buffalo A51-6.
8-22 August 22, 1942: Damaged is USS Blue (DD-387) by a torpedo from Japanese destroyer Kawakaze while patrolling Iron Bottom Sound.
8-21 August 21, 1942: The Battle of the Tenaru (Ilu River/Alligator Creek) begins with the Japanese defeated by defending U.S. Marines.
8-20 August 20, 1942: Force landed is LB-30 “Yard Bird” AL515 at No. 1 Strip at Milne Bay and is later strafed by Zeros and destroyed.
8-19 August 19, 1942: U.S. Marines from L/3/5 atop Hill 73 on Guadalcanal are fired on with Sgt John H. Branic Killed In Action (KIA).
8-18 August 18, 1942: The "Makin Raid" on Makin causes havoc with the loss of 19 Marines including Sgt Clyde Thomason who earns MOH.
8-17 August 17, 1942: Air raid! Japanese bombing raid against Port Moresby destroys 7 and damages 25 planes at 7 Mile Drome.
8-16 August 16, 1942: USS Argonaut (SM-1) and USS Nautilus (SS-168) arrive off Makin aboard U.S. Marines ready for the "Makin Raid".
8-15 August 15, 1942: Solomon Scounts with Martin Clemens are photographed near Henderson Field on Guadalcanal.
8-14 August 14, 1942: Major Cameron "We have done our best" then withdraws from Deniki / Lost is B-17E "Chief Seattle" 41-2656 (MIA).
8-13 August 13, 1942: Crashed is F-4 Lightning 41-2125 pilot 1st Lt. Paul O. Staller (WIA, died) / Grounded is SS-144 off Rossel Island (Yela).
8-12 August 12, 1942: The 1st Marine Division "Goettge Patrol" led by Colonel Frank B. Goettge is ambushed and remain Missing In Action.
8-11 August 11, 1942: Lost is P-40E Kittyhawk A29-123 pilot F/O Mark E. Sheldon shot down in an interception over Milne Bay.
8-10 August 10, 1942: The Japanese 144th Infantry Regiment occupies Kokoda as defending Australians withdraws up the Kokoda Trail.
8-9 August 9, 1942: Heavily damged HMAS Canberra (D33) is scuttled by U.S. destroyers after the Battle of Savo Island.
8-8 August 8, 1942: The Battle of Savo Island (First Battle of Savo Island) begins with a cruisers engagement and Japanese victory.
8-7 August 7, 1942: 1st Marine Division (reinforced) begin amphibious landings at Tulagi, Gavutu and Guadalcanal in the Solomons.
8-6 August 6, 1942: Lost is PBY-5 Catalina 2389 (MIA) on a search mission and crashed in bad weather on Espiritu Santo.
8-5 August 5, 1942: Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) is B-17F Flying Fortress 41-24554.
8-4 August 4, 1942: Lost is B-17E 41-9218 pilot 1st Lt. Rush E. McDonald after damaged A6M2-N collided causing both to crash.
8-3 August 3, 1942: P-400 Airacobras strafe Oivi and Kokoda in New Guinea.
8-2 August 2, 1942: Accidentally damaged by a sea mine is USS Tucker (DD-374) and later jack-knifed and sunk two days later.
8-1 August 1, 1942: Delivered to the US Army Air Force (USAAF) is B-17F Flying Fortress 41-24548 later force landed in New Guinea.
August 2021
7-31 July 31, 1942: Presumed lost is USS Grunion (SS-216) off Kiska Island likely by gun fire from Kano Maru the ship it targeted.
7-30 July 30, 1942: Damaged Kotoku Maru by bombs from B-17s then drifts and partially sinks off Salamaua with the shipwreck visible.
7-29 July 29, 1942: Seven A-24 Dive Bombers led by A-24 41-15797 pilot Major Floyd W. Rogers lost six planes attacking a convoy.
7-28 July 28, 1942: Commander-designate of Allied Air Forces in the South West Pacific Area is Major General George C. Kenney.
7-27 July 27, 1942: Nine B-17E Flying Fortresses bomb Buna on the north coast of New Guinea.
7-26 July 26, 1942: Lost is B-25C "Aurora" 41-12792 pilot Captain Frank P. Bender intercepted by A6M2 Zeros over New Guinea.
7-25 July 25, 1942: Submarine USS Grayback (SS-208) on her third patrol evades a patrol boat the resumes patrolling the Makassar Strait.
7-24 July 24, 1942: Delivered to the US Army Air Force (USAAF) is B-17F Flying Fortress 41-24520 later lost in New Guinea.
7-23 July 23, 1942: Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB) led by Australian Army officers ambush the advancing Japanese Army near Awala.
7-22 July 22, 1942: B-26 Marauders and B-17 Flying Fortress bomb, damage and sink Ayatosan Maru off Gona.
7-21 July 21, 1942: Japanese Operation "RI" led by Light Cruiser Tenryū escorts transports landing at Gona.
7-20 July 20, 1942: Lost is P-39D Airacobra 41-6783 pilot 2nd Lt Frank E. Angier bailed out over Cape Nelson.
7-19 July 19, 1942: Seaplane tender USS Casco (AVP-12) establish an advanced seaplane at Nazan Bay off Atka Island.
7-18 July 18, 1942: Japanese Yokohama Kōkūtai (Yokohama Air Group) base at Tulagi Seaplane Base patrols the Solomon Islands.
7-17 July 17, 1942: Lost is B-17E Flying Fortress 41-9126 pilot Major Jack S. Marks over Kiska Island shot down by A6M2-N Rufe.
7-16 July 16, 1942: Crashed while landing is B-17E Flying Fortress 41-2421 pilot Major Clarence E. McPherson at Horn Island Airfield.
7-15 July 15, 1942: Thomas Fisher visits the 23rd Australian Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery atop Tuaguba Hill (Ack Ack Hill) at Port Moresby.
7-14 July 14, 1942: In the predawn darkness B-17E 41-2655 and B-17E 41-2636 crash after take off from Horn Island Airfield.
7-13 July 13, 1942: Japanese Hama Construction Unit continues to work building Lunga Point Airfield on Guadalcanal.
7-12 July 12, 1942: Lost due to aerial collision are P-40E Warhawk 41-35943 (KIA) and P-40E "Tarheel" 41-5509 (survived).
7-11 July 11, 1942: At Port Moresby, Airacobras scramble to intercept a Japanese air raid lost is P-400 pilot Kirtland and P-400 BW117.
7-10 July 10, 1942: Kaiser Shipyard in Vancouver, Washington State laid down USS LST-454 and USS LST-456.
7-9 July 9, 1942: Mitsubishi at Nagoya No. 3 Works completes G4M1 Betty 1365 that later force lands on New Georgia and is salvaged.
7-8 July 8, 1942: A Japanese flying boat with staff officers performs an aerial survey of Kieta Airfield on eastern Bougainville.
7-7 July 7, 1942: USAAF Major General Millard F. Harmon, is designated Commanding General of U.S. Army Forces in the South Pacific.
7-6 July 6, 1942: Lost is P-400 Airacobra AP377 pilot 2nd Lt. Howard C. Welker (KIA) and Reverened James Benson buries his body.
7-5 July 5, 1942: Force landed is B-17E Flying Fortress 41-2417 northeast of the Mitchell River Mission on Cape York in Australia.
7-4 July 4, 1942: China Air Task Force (CATF) is activated under the command of Brigadier General Clare L. Chennault.
7-3 July 3, 1942: Mitsubishi completes A6M3 Model 32 Zero 3032 the 32nd Model 32 manufactured.
7-2 July 2, 1942: Australian war correspondent Damien Parer photographs B-25C Mitchell 41-12470 at 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby
7-1 July 1, 1942: At 3:36am USS Sturgeon (SS-187) torpedoes and sinks Montevideo Maru unaware of 1,054 Allied POWs are aboard.
July 2021
6-30 June 30, 1942: Mitsubishi completes A6M3 3030, the 30th Model 32 built.
6-29 June 29, 1942: The 35th Fighter Squadron (35th FS) withdraws from Port Moresby to Woodstock Airfield in Queensland, Australia
6-28 June 28, 1942: Australian Army 2/5th Independent Company commandos depart for a raid against Salamaua.
6-27 June 27, 1942: Damaged is PBY Catalina A24-17 mistakenly intercepted by F4F Wildcat that mistook the roundel as Japanese.
6-26 June 26, 1942: Lost is Beaufort A9-52 pilot S/Ldr Charles W, L. Sage crashed near Tapini crash found 1986 and remains recovered.
6-25 June 25, 1942: P-40E Warhawks from 73rd Fighter Squadron (73rd FS) launch from USS Saratoga (CV-3) then land at Midway Airfield.
6-24 June 24, 1942: B-17s including B-17E 41-2649 bomb Vunakanau Airfield releasing bundles of incendiaries that cause fires.
6-23 June 23, 1942: B-26 Marauders from the 42nd BG, 69th BS arrive at Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield on New Caledonia.
6-22 June 22, 1942: Transport Montevideo Maru embarks 1,053 personnel including 845 Australian POWs and 208 civilians at Rabaul.
6-21 June 21, 1942: In the evening, Japanese submarine I-25 fires seventeen shells at Fort Stevens in northwest Oregon.
6-20 June 20, 1942: Launched is PT-109 later assigned to Lt(jg) John F. Kennedy and sunk August 2, 1943.
6-19 June 19, 1942: B-17s, B-24s and a single LB-30 bomb and sink Nissan Maru into Kiska Harbor off Kiska Island.
6-18 June 18, 1942: G4M1 Bettys bomb and sink MV Macdhui in Fairfax Harbor off Port Moresby.
6-17 June 17, 1942: P-400 Airacobra pilot 2nd Lt. Charles P. Sullivan claims a Betty over Port Moresby, his first aerial victory.
6-16 June 16, 1942: Lost is P-39F Airacobra 41-7204 pilot 2nd Lt. Harvey E. Rehrer who bails out and later returns to duty.
6-15 June 15, 1942: Seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru enters Kiska Harbor to deliver seaplanes for Kiska Harbor Seaplane Base.
6-14 June 14, 1942: The first echelon of 1st Marine Division arrives in Wellington in New Zealand.
6-13 June 13, 1942: Undamaged USS Enterprise (CV-6) returns to Pearl Harbor after the Battle of Midway and begins an overhaul.
6-12 June 12, 1942: Resuming her first war patrol, USS Grouper (SS-214) departs Midway Atoll after action during the Battle of Midway.
6-11 June 11, 1942: Lost is B-24D 41-1088 pilot Captain Jack F. Todd hit by anti-aircraft fire over Kiska Island is recorded in photos/film.
6-10 June 10, 1942: 2nd Lt Harold L. Massie pilot B-26 "Imogene VII" 40-1474 returns to his crew finding NGVR Pvt John Leslie Stokie.
6-9 June 9, 1942: Lyndon B. Johnson aboard B-26 40-1488 aboard aborts before reaching the target but LBJ earns the Silver Star.
6-8 June 8, 1942: Flying an armed reconnaissance an LB-30 spots Japanese ships off Kiska Island in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska
6-7 June 7, 1942: Heavily damaged USS Yorktown (CV-5) finally capsized and sinks at 7:01am after the Battle of Midway.
6-6 June 6, 1942: Torpedoed and sunk is USS Hammann (DD-412) within four minutes while aiding USS Yorktown (CV-5).
6-5 June 5, 1942: The Battle of Midway continues with the Japanese fleet retiring westward with four aircraft carriers damaged or sunk.
6-4 June 4, 1942: Crashed is A6M2 Zero 4593 on Akutan Island in Alaska. The Battle of Midway starts with Japanese strikes on Midway Atoll.
6-3 June 3, 1942: Japanese carrier planes from Ryūjō and Junyō strike Dutch Harbor in a diversionary raid before the Battle of Midway.
6-2 June 2, 1942: Divers locate Type A Midget Submarine (M22) sunk in Sydney Harbor with the engine still running and propeller turning
6-1 June 1, 1942: After the Sydney Harbor attack HA-24 Type A Midget Submarine (M24) is sunk and discovered by SCUBA divers in 2006.
June 2021
5-31 May 31, 1942: Three Type A Midget Submarines attack Sydney Harbor only one manages to fire its torpedoes and all three are lost.
5-30 May 30, 1942: A pair of Type A Midget Submarines from I-16 and I-20 attack Diego-Suarez Bay (Antsiranana Bay) on Madagascar.
5-29 May 29, 1942: Doolittle Crew #8 from B-25B Mitchell 40-2242 interred in the Soviet Union reach Persia (Iran) and return to Allied control.
5-28 May 28, 1942: U.S. forces arrive on Espiritu Santo and develop the island into a major base area in the South Pacific.
5-27 May 27, 1942: Lost is P-39F Airacobra 41-7153 pilot 2nd Lt. Alva G. Hawkins shot down by A6M2 Zeros.
5-26 May 26, 1942: Prisoner Of War (POW) Sgt David Stuart Brown is executed at Matupi Island and his body placed into a mass grave.
5-25 May 25, 1942: Eight B-25 from the 3rd Bomb Group strike Lae Airfield. Lost is B-25C "The Cajun" 41-12441 pilot Major Lowery.
5-24 May 24, 1942: Three A-24 dive bombers fly to Aiyary Airfield to rescue the crew of B-25C Mitchell 41-12478 and two crash landing.
5-23 May 23, 1942: Lost is B-25C Mitchell 41-12491 pilot 1st Lt. Wesley E. Dickinson bailed out near Fufuda and was aided to rescue.
5-22 May 22, 1942: Lost is LB-30 Liberator AL602 pilot Robert N. Maupin crashed landing at Kodiak Airfield in Alaska.
5-21 May 21, 1942: Flown across the Pacific, B-17E 41-2662 arrives at Charleville Airfield in Queensland in Australia.
5-20 May 20, 1942: Off South Africa, Japanese submarine I-10 catapults her E14Y1 Glen on a reconassiance mission over Durban.
5-19 May 19, 1942: At the White House, U. S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt bestows the Medal of Honor to General James H. Doolittle.
5-18 May 18, 1942: Lost over Port Moresby is G4M1 Betty pilot Oyama and P-39F Airacobra 41-7191 pilot 2nd Lt. Charles H. Chapman, Jr.
5-17 May 17, 1942: Damaged strafing are A6M2 Zero 645 pilot PO2c Tsutomou Ito (captured) and A6M2 Zero pilot Yamaguchi (MIA).
5-16 May 16, 1942: Lost B-25C Mitchell 41-12478 pilot 2nd Lt. John D. Feltham force lands at Aiyary Airfield in New Guinea.
5-15 May 15, 1942: Crashed is B-26 "Lil Deicer" 40-1390 pilot Lt. Robert "Bud" M. Rye after take off from Reid River Airfield in Queensland.
5-14 May 14, 1942: Damaged B-25C Mitchell 41-12497 pilot 2nd Lt John E. Hesselbarth over Lae force lands at 3 Mile Drome (Kila).
5-13 May 13, 1942: Shot down is P-39D Airacobra 41-6945 pilot 2nd Lt. Hervey Carpenter damaged by A6M2 Zeros over Port Moresby.
5-12 May 12, 1942: Lost is P-39D Airacobra 41-6802 pilot 2nd Lt. Robert M. Wilde (KIA) shot down by Zeros near Port Moresby.
5-11 May 11, 1942: Damaged USS Neosho (AO-23) is scuttled after being bombed during the Battle of the Coral Sea.
5-10 May 10, 1942: Lost is B-26 Marauder 40-1402 pilot Captain Richard “Roy” R. Royall, Jr. attacking seaplanes at Deboyne Lagoon.
5-9 May 9, 1942: Force landed is P-39D Airacobra 41-6800 pilot 2nd Lt. Don McGee onto Fishermans Island (Daugo) off Port Moresby.
5-8 May 8, 1942: During the Battle of the Coral Sea Japanese planes damage USS Lexington (CV-2) that explodes and is later scuttled.
5-7 May 7, 1942: "Scratch one flat top!" Battle of the Coral Sea USN carrier planes sink aircraft carrier Shōhō with bombs and torpedoes.
5-6 May 6, 1942: The end General Jonathan M. Wainwright surrenders Corregidor and all U.S. forces in the Philippines.
5-5 May 5, 1942: At 11:30pm the Japanese Army soldiers begin landing on the north shore of Corregidor Island.
5-4 May 4, 1942: USN carrier aircraft strike Japanese warships and transports in Tulagi Harbor and damage Kikuzuki that later sinks.
5-3 May 3, 1942: Operation MO begins with Japanese forces enter Tulagi Harbor in the Florida Islands without opposition.
5-2 May 2, 1942: In the early morning, RAAF personnel and commandos on Tulagi, Gavutu and Tanambogo began to demolish facilities.
5-1 May 1, 1942: Airacobras force land on Cape York Peninsula: P-39D 41-6951, P-39F 41-7215, P-39F 41-7216 and P-39F pilot Love (KIA)
May 2021
4-30 April 30, 1942: Eleven P-39 Airacobras from the 8th Pursuit Group (8th PG) led by Lt. Col. Boyd D. Wagner strike Lae Airfield.
4-29 April 29, 1942: At Batchelor Field a P-40 crashed kills Brigadier General Harold H. George and two others standing nearby.
4-28 April 28, 1942: Lost is P-40E Kittyhawk A29-8 piloted by S/L John F. Jackson crashed Mount Lawes near Port Moresby.
4-27 April 27, 1942: Anchors away! USS Yorktown (CV-5) departs Tongatabu Harbor on bound for the Coral Sea with Task Force 11 (TF 11).
4-26 April 26, 1942: Japanese Type 96 / G3M Nells bomb 3 Mile Drome (Kila) with approximately 90 bombs exploding near dispersal area.
4-25 April 25, 1942: Lest We Forget ANZAC Day 2021 / Lost is B-17E 41-2505 (MIA) crashed Mount Obree in the Owen Stanley Range.
4-24 April 24, 1942: Lost is B-17E 41-2641 unexpectedly bursts into flames ten minutes after strafing at 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby.
4-23 April 23, 1942: Returning from a Jomard Passage reconnaissance Japanese submarine RO-33 returns to Rabaul.
4-22 April 22, 1942: Lost is P-39D 41-7104 on a training flight crashed Viti Levu Island in Fiji, the crash site was found in the 1990s.
4-21 April 21, 1942: Lost is B-25C 41-12486 (KIA) crashed Mount Bartle Frere returning from a search mission in heavy cloud.
4-20 April 20, 1942: In Australia, Lt. General George H. Brett assumes command of Allied Air Headquarters, SWPA
4-19 April 19, 1942: The crew of B-26 40-1418 travel aboard three outrigger canoes to Tufi arriving the next morning.
4-18 April 18, 1942: "Doolittle Raid" B-25B Mitchells launch from USS Hornet (CV-8) led by Colonel James H. Doolittle bomb Japan.
4-17 April 17, 1942: Lost are P-40E Kittyhawk A29-7 (KIA) and P-40E Kittyhawk A29-12 (WIA) / TBM Avenger 91188 ditched off Patrick AFB
4-16 April 16, 1942: A direct hit from Japanese artillery disables the No. 2 gun and commander's station of Battery Grubbs on Corregidor.
4-15 April 15, 1942: Former U.S. Navy (USN) PT-41 is destroyed on Mindanao / 370th Bombardment Squadron activated Geiger Field.
4-14 April 14, 1942: Filipino guerrillas led by Lt. Severino Antiporda attack and captured the Japanese garrison in Tayug.
4-13 April 13, 1942: Second day of Royce Mission hit targets and destroyed while parked is B-17E "San Antonio Rose II" 41-2447.
4-12 April 12, 1942: First day of Royce Mission B-25C Mitchells and B-17E Flying Fortresses hit targets in the Philippines.
4-11 April 11, 1942: Lost is P-40E A29-38 pilot Sgt David S. Brown captured / A-24 41-15773 pilot 2nd Lt. Gus Kitchens crashed Lae.
4-10 April 10, 1942: Shot down is P-40E Kittyhawk A29-24 pilot S/L John F. Jackson bails out and later returns to Port Moresby.
4-9 April 9, 1942: Major General King surrenders at Limay / D3A Vals sink HMS Hermes and HMAS Vampire (D68) off Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
4-8 April 8, 1942: In the evening, U.S. Army Major General Edward P. King decides to surrender Bataan to save his men.
4-7 April 7, 1942: Lost is A-24 41-15798 pilot 2nd Lt. Henry G. Swartz (MIA) dive bombing Lae.
4-6 April 6, 1942: Pan American Airways DC-3s begin hauling fuel and lubricants from Calcutta to Asansol bound for China.
4-5 April 5, 1942: "Operation C" Japanese carrier planes strike Colombo on Ceylon (Sri Lanka) / Crashed is B-17E 41-2443 on Oahu.
4-4 April 4, 1942: Shot down is G4M1 Betty T-361 pilot PO1c Matsuda over the Cox Peninsula near Darwin by P-40E 41-5647 pilot Landers.
4-3 April 3, 1942: P-39 Airacobras from the 39th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) "Cobra In The Clouds" move to Williamstown Airfield.
4-2 April 2, 1942: Aerial collision SBD Dauntless 2136 and SBD Dauntless 2165 lost off Oahu with the pilots rescued passengers missing.
4-1 April 1, 1942: Crew of B-17E 41-2446 aboard MV Matoma arrive Port Moresby / General Douglas MacArthur earns the Medal of Honor.
April 2021
3-31 March 31, 1942: Lost is G3M2 Nell pilot Harada on a solo suicide bombing mission and explodes over Port Moresby.
3-30 March 30, 1942: Japanese warships enter Shortland Harbor and Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) occupy the Shortland Islands.
3-29 March 29, 1942: The ground echelon of Marine Fighting Squadron 212 (VMF-212) arrives at Port Vila Airfield on Efate.
3-28 March 28, 1942: Ocean liner RMS Queen Mary enters Sydney Harbor but is large to dock and personnel board a ferry to reach shore.
3-27 March 27, 1942: Shot down by P-40E Kittyhawk pilot John Piper is G4M1 Betty pilot Itsuda (KIA) crashed inland from Rigo.
3-26 March 26, 1942: Small ship MS Van Heemskerk is chartered by the U.S. Army forces in Australia as a transport.
3-25 March 25, 1942: Raised from Pearl Harbor, battleship USS California (BB-44) is refloated and enters dry dock.
3-24 March 24, 1942: Lost over Chang Mai are P-40B Warhawk P-8115 pilot McGarry (POW) and P-40B Warhawk P-8196 pilot Newkirk (KIA)
3-23 March 23, 1942: Japanese Army 18th Division lands at Port Blair on South Andaman Island and occupied the city without resistance.
3-22 March 22, 1942: Kittyhawks from RAAF No. 75 Squadron strike Lae Airfield lost is P-40E A29-16 and P-40E A29-6.
3-21 March 21, 1942: The first four Kittyhawks from RAAF No. 75 Squadron land at 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby.
3-20 March 20, 1942: At Terowie railroad station in South Australia, General Douglas MacArthur remarks "I came through and I shall return".
3-19 March 19, 1942: Air raid! Port Moresby Air Raid March 19, 1942 (Raid #14) eight G3M2 Nells bomb Tuaguba Hill Gun Battery
3-18 March 18, 1942: A6M2 Zeros from 4th Kokutai (4th Air Group) strafe MV Canberra off Torres Strait in Australia
3-17 March 17, 1942: The 9th Pursuit Squadron "The "Flying Knights" with P-40 Warhawks arrive at Batchelor Field near Darwin.
3-16 March 16, 1942: Evacuation of General MacArthur, his family and senior staff on B-17E 41-2408, B-17E 41-2429 and B-17E 41-2447.
3-15 March 15, 1942: Disassembled at San Francisco is A-20A Havoc 40-082 then loaded as cargo aboard a ship bound for Australia.
3-14 March 14, 1942: Over Horn Island with jammed guns P-40E "Poopy" pilot 2nd Lt. A. T. House spontaneously rams A6M2 Zero pilot Oishi.
3-13 March 13, 1942: During the night, Japanese submarine I-25 launches E14Y "Glen" floatplane piloted by W/O Fujita Nobuo
3-12 March 12, 1942: Aircraft and personnel arrive at Karachi Airfield in Pakistan | American personnel arrive in New Caledonia.
3-11 March 11, 1942: Ordered by U.S. President F. D. Roosevelt to evacuate General Douglas MacArthur departs Corregidor aboard PT-41.
3-10 March 10, 1942: U.S. Navy carrier aircraft strike Japaneses ships off Lae and Salamaua sinking Tenyo Maru and Yokohama Maru.
3-9 March 9, 1942: Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Lt. General Hein ter Poorten announces the surrender of Allied forces on Java.
3-8 March 8, 1942: Japanese forces capture Yogyakarta Airfield (Djogjakarta) on Java including B-17E 41-2471 repaired and test flown.
3-7 March 7, 1942: The British Army withdraws from Rangoon (Yangoon) in southern Burma (Myanmar).
3-6 March 6, 1942: The 8th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) arrives in Brisbane equipped with P-39 Airacobras.
3-5 March 5, 1942: Crew of Do 24K-1 X-36 burn their flying boat fifty miles south of Broome fearing Japanese air raids or invasion.
3-4 March 4, 1942: Operation K: H8K1 Emily Tail Y-71 bombs Mount Tantalus on Oahu shattering windows but no other damage.
3-3 March 3, 1942: A6M2 Zeros from 3rd Kōkūtai attack Broome destroying flying boats in Roebuck Bay and aircraft at Broome Airfield.
3-2 March 2, 1942: Sunk is HMS Stronghold (H50) by gunfire from heavy cruiser Maya and sunk in the Indian Ocean.
3-1 March 1, 1942: Japanese forces land on Java after American, British, Dutch and Australian (ABDA) defeat in the Battle of the Java Sea.
March 2021
2-28 February 28, 1942: A6M2 Zeros at Napa Napa destroying Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Catalina A24-3 and Catalina A24-6.
2-27 February 27, 1942: Sunk is USS Langley AV-3 and in the afternoon begins the first phase of the Battle of the Java Sea.
2-26 February 26, 1942: Lost is C-53 41-20066 force landed near Truscott / Crashed is DC-3 "Emoe" PH-AFZ on Sumatra
2-25 February 25, 1942: American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) "Eastern Striking Force" including HMS Encounter departs Batavia.
2-24 February 24, 1942: First Wake Island Raid: USS Enterprise (CV-6) carrier aircraft strike Wake and Marcus.
2-23 February 23, 1942: Lost is B-17E 41-2446 (aka "Swamp Ghost") pilot Captain Frederick C. Eaton, Jr. force lands in Agaiambo Swamp.
2-22 February 22, 1942: After dark at Garbutt Field while taxiing B-17E 41-2434 collides with B-17E 41-2416 damaging both bombers.
2-21 February 21, 1942: Seaplane tender USS Curtiss (AV-4) and Patrol Squadron 14 arrives Nouméa on New Caledonia.
2-20 February 20, 1942: U.S. bombers and fighters strike the Japanese landing force off Bail are intercepted crashed is P-40E "Colleen".
2-19 February 19, 1942: Japanese carrier aircraft strike Darwin and Darwin Harbor. Crashed is A6M2 Zero 5349 pilot Toyoshima POW.
2-18 February 18, 1942: Artwork "Singosari Savior" by Paul Eckley depicts P-40E Warhawk pilot 2nd Lt. Adkins at Singosari Airfield.
2-17 February 17, 1942: A6M2 Model 21 Zeros took off from Shōhō land at Lakunai Airfield and are assigned to 4th Kōkūtai (4th Air Group).
2-16 February 16, 1942: Lost Martin B-10 M-531 pilot Postma damaged over Bangka Island and crashed on southern Sumatra.
2-15 February 15, 1942: The British Army on Singapore surrenders to the Imperial Japanese Army at Ford Factory.
2-14 February 14, 1942: at 6:20pm USS President Taylor ran aground west of Canton Island and efforts to tow or salvage failed.
2-13 February 13, 1942: Sunk is MV Derrymore hit by torpedoes fired by Japanese submarine I-55 off Batavia (Jakarta) survivors rescued.
2-12 February 12, 1942: Armed flyingboat Short S.23 "Centaurus A18-10 was assigned to No. 33 Squadron at Townsville.
2-11 February 11, 1942: Lost are Hudson A16-91 and Hudson A16-126 bomb then are shot down by A6M4 Claudes over Gasmata.
2-10 February 10, 1942: Civilian DH.83 Fox Moth "Irene" VH-UUS departs New Guinea for Australia where it serves in Qantas and RAAF.
2-9 February 9, 1942: Lost is P-40E Warhawk pilot 2nd Lt. Stone and Ki-27 Nate pilot Kurosawa over the Bataan Peninsula.
2-8 February 8, 1942: At 8:30pm the Japanese 25th Army under General Yamashita 5th Division and 18th Division land on Singapore Island.
2-7 February 7, 1942: Do 24K-1 X-1, Do 24K-1 X-24 and Do 24K-1 X-36 fly reconnaissance from Lake Grati near Soerabaja in Java.
2-6 February 6, 1942: Guinea Airways Ford 5-AT-C Trimotor VH-UBI and Ford 4-AT-E Trimotor VH-UDY enter service with the RAAF.
2-5 February 5, 1942: Landed is PBY-5 Catalina 2309 pilot Lt(jg) Richard Bull north of Ambon Island with three missing
2-4 February 4, 1942: Captured, stripped of possessions and Australian Army soldiers from "Lark Force" are massacred at Tol and Waitavalo
2-3 February 3, 1942: Five Catalinas bomb shipping in Simpson Harbor off Rabaul / Lost is B-17C 40-2062 pilot Cox crashed Java
2-2 February 2, 1942: U.S. Army Air Force Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. earns his wings and is commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant.
2-1 February 1, 1942: Lost over the target TBD-1 Devastator 1515 and TBD-1 Devastator 0298 ditch into Jaluit Lagoon.
February 2021
1-31 January 31, 1942: Under repair at Bremerton Navy Yard in Bremerton is USS Saratoga (CV-3) to fix torpedo damage.
1-30 January 30, 1942: Guinea Airways Junkers G 31 Trimotor VH-UOW is impressed into service with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
1-29 January 29, 1942: War correspondent George A. Weller Chicago Daily News Foreign Service departs Singapore for Java.
1-28 January 28, 1942: During taking off B-17D Flying Fortress 40-3067 had the left engines fail and crashed at Batchelor Field near Darwin.
1-27 January 27, 1942: Allied personnel are withdrawn from Tebrau Airfield on the southern tip of the Malayan Peninsula to Singapore.
1-26 January 26, 1942: Open fire! Battery Geary mortars on Corregidor commence fire on the Japanese positions on Bataan Peninsula.
1-25 January 25, 1942: The administration orders missionaries to evacuate but many stay including those at Gona Mission Station.
1-24 January 24, 1942: First U.S. Navy (USN) surface action since the Spanish-American War is the Battle of Balikpapan.
1-23 January 23, 1942: After midnight the Japanese Army 144th Infantry Regiment "South Seas Detachment" occupies Rabaul.
1-22 January 22, 1942: Damaged during take off is B-17E 41-2419 at Palembang I Airfield on Sumatra then written off and abandoned
1-21 January 21, 1942: At Bulolo Airfield strafing Zeros destroy G 31 "Pat" VH-URQ, G 31 "Paul" VH-UOU and G 31 "Peter" VH-UOV.
1-20 January 20, 1942: Lost is B5N1 Kate pilot Sugihara hit by anti-aircraft fire over Rabaul crashed Mount Kombiu (Mother).
1-19 January 19, 1942: Japanese forces occupy Sandakan on northeast Borneo and rename it Elopura "Beautiful City".
1-18 January 18, 1942: During the night, PT-31 ran aground in Subic Bay and and PT-34 fires two torpedoes at a ship defective torpedoes
1-17 January 17, 1942: In Sunda Strait destroyer HMS Jupiter (F85) uses depth charges and gunfire to sink Japanese submarine I-60
1-16 January 16, 1942: Ditched is TBD Devastator 0335 pilot ACMM Harold F. Dixon and crew survive 34 days at sea in a life raft.
1-15 January 15, 1942: Crashed is PBY Catalina A24-11 (MIA) during take off from Kavieng Harbor.
1-14 January 14, 1942: Japanese warships and aircraft carriers assemble at Truk including Akagi ahead of Operation R in the South Pacific.
1-13 January 13, 1942: Assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 4 (MTBS-4) is PT-68 at the Training Center at Melville, Rhode Island.
1-12 January 12, 1942: Denied! Charles Lindbergh is refused to be recommissioned due to his vocal pre-war isolationist views.
1-11 January 11, 1942: Japan declares war on the Netherlands to coincide with landings at Tarakan, Borneo and Celebes (Sulawesi).
1-10 January 10, 1942: For eight hours General Douglas MacArthur makes his only visit to inspect forces on the Bataan Peninsula.
1-9 January 9, 1942: Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant is Richard I. Bong who later becomes America's highest scoring ace of World War II.
1-8 January 8, 1942: Commissioned is HMAS Whyalla (J153) Bathurst class corvette in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
1-7 January 7, 1942: A6M2 Zeros from the Tainan Kokutai (Tainan Air Group) arrive at Zettle Airfield on Jolo Island in the Philippines.
1-6 January 6, 1942: Japanese flying boats bomb Vunakanau Airfield on the ground is RAAF No. 24 Squadron Wirraways and Hudsons.
1-5 January 5, 1942: Zeros strafe Mariveles Seaplane Base sinking five U.S. Navy seaplanes from Patrol Wing 10 (Pat Wing 10).
1-4 January 4, 1942: Japanese forces occupy Manila with thousands of civilian prisoners detained at Santo Thomas University.
1-3 January 3, 1942: Creation of ABDA: American, British, Dutch, and Australia unified command in the South West Pacific.
1-2 January 2, 1942: The Japanese Army occupies Manila and Cavite. "Manila, Cavite lost; MacArthur fights on, holding Corregidor."
1-1 January 1, 1942: South Luzon Force withdraws across the Pampanga River at Calumpit and demolishes both bridges.
January 2021

Updates 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008

Interviews & Oral Histories