The Official Chronology of the U.S. Army Airforce in World War II
USAAF Chronology 1941 - 1942
DECEMBER 1941
SATURDAY, 6 DECEMBER 1941
The combat organization of the US Army AFs at 2400 hours
Eastern Standard Time, 6 December 1941 (0500 GMT, 7 December 1941) is listed below. An asterisk (*) indicates an attached unit.
This listing is divided into five sections, i.e.:
I. Units assigned to the AF Combat Command
II. Units assigned to the Office, Chief of the Air Corps
III. Units assigned to the Barrage Balloon Training Center, US Army
IV. Units based overseas
V. Units sorted by their station
1. AF COMBAT COMMAND, Bolling Field, DC
1AF, Mitchel Fld, NY
I Air Support Command, Mitchel Fld, NY
26OG, Providence, RI 101OS, Otis Fld, Mass (O-46, O-47, O-49, O-59): 152OS, Ft Devens AAFld, Mass (BC-1, O-47, O-49, O-52, O-58): 45BG(L), Grenier Fld, NH 78BS(L) (A-20, DB-7): 79BS(L) (A-20, DB-7): 80BS(L) (A-20, DB-7): 92BS(L) (A-20):
59OG, Pope Fld, NC 103OS, Harrisburg MAP, Pa (O-46, O-47, O-49, O-57): 104OS, Detrick Fld, Md (O-46, O-47, O-49, O-59): *119OS, Newark MAP, NJ (O-47, O-49, O-52): 126OS, Ft Dix AAFld, NJ (BC-1, O-46, O-49, O-59):
65OG, Owens Fld, SC 105OS (O-38, O-47, O-49, O-52): 112OS, Pope Fld, NC (O-47, O-49, O-57): 121OS (AT-6, O-38, O-46, O-47, O-58):
2Balloon Sqdn, Pope Fld, NC (various balloons): 3OS, Langley Fld, Va (O-43, O-47, O-49, O-52):
I BC, Langley Fld, Va
2BG(H), Langley Fld, Va 20BS(H) (B-17): *41RS(H), Newfoundland Arpt, Nfld (B-17): 49BS(H), ground echelon enroute to Newfoundland, air echelon at Mitchel Fld, NY (B-17): 96BS(H) (B-17):
22BG(M), Langley Fld, Va 2BS(H) (B-26): *18RS(M) (B-26): 19BS(M) (B-26): 33BS(H) (B-26):
34BG(M), Westover Fld, Mass *1RS(H) (B-17): 4BS(H) (B-17): 7BS(H) (B-17): 18BS(H) (B-17):
43BG(H), Dow Fld, Maine *13RS(H) (B-18): 63BS(H) (LB-30): 64BS(H) (B-18): 65BS(H) (B-17):
I Interceptor Command, Mitchel Fld, NY
1PG (Fighter), Selfridge Fld, Mich 27PS (Fighter) (P-38): 71PS (Fighter) (P-38): 94PS (Fighter) (P-38):
8PG (Interceptor), Mitchel Fld, NY 35PS (Interceptor) (P-39): 36PS (Interceptor) (P-39):
31PG (Interceptor), Baer Fld, Ind 39PS (Interceptor) (P-39): 40PS (Interceptor) (P-39): 41PS (Interceptor) (P-39):
33PG (Interceptor), Mitchel Fld, NY 58PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 59PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 60PS (Interceptor) (P-40):
52PG (Interceptor), Selfridge Fld, Mich 2PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 4PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 5PS (Interceptor) (P-40):
57PG (Interceptor), Bradley Fld, Conn 64PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 65PS (Interceptor) Brainard Fld, Conn (P-40): 66PS (Interceptor) Brainard Fld, Conn (P-40):
2AF, Ft Geo Wright, Wash
II Air Support Command, Will Rogers Fld, Okla
12BG(L), McChord Fld, Wash 81BS(L) (B-18): 82BS(L) (B-18, PT-17): 83BS(L) (B-18, B-23): 94BS(L) (B-18, B-23):
48BG(L), Will Rogers Fld, Okla 55BS(L) (A-20): 56BS(L) (A-20): 57BS(L) (A-20): 88BS(L) (A-20):
72OG, Adams Fld, Ark 1OS, Marshall Fld, Kans (O-47, O-49): 108OS, Chicago MAP, Ill (O-31, O-47, O-49, O-52): 124OS, Sherman Fld, Kans (BC-1, O-38, O-47): 30OS, Atlanta AAB, Ga (O-38, O-49):
II BC, Ft Geo Wright, Wash
17BG(M), Pendleton AAB, Ore 34BS(M) (B-25): 37BS(M) (B-25): *89RS(M) (B-25): 95BS(M) (B-25):
39BG(H), Geiger Fld, Wash *12RS(H) (B-17): 60BS(H) (B-17): 61BS(H) (B-17): 62BS(H) (B-17):
42BG(M), Gowen Fld, Idaho *16RS(M) (B-18, B-26): 75BS(M) (B-18): 76BS(M) (B-26): 77BS(M) (B-26):
II Interceptor Command, Ft Lawton, Wash
54PG (Interceptor), Paine Fld, Wash 42PS (Interceptor) (P-39): 56PS (Interceptor) (P-39): 57PS (Interceptor) (P-39):
55PG (Interceptor), Portland AAB, Ore 37PS (Interceptor) (P-43): 38PS (Interceptor) (P-43): 54PS (Interceptor) (P-36, P-40, P-43):
3AF, Tampa, Fla
III Air Support Command, Savannah AB, Ga
3BG(L), Savannah AB, Ga 8BS(L) (A-20, A-24): 13BS(L) (A-20): 89BS(L) (A-20): 90BS(L) (A-20):
66OG, Jacksonville AAB, Fla 97OS, Lawson Fld, Ga (O-47, O-49, O-52, O-57): 106OS, Birmingham AAB, Ala (O-47, O-49): 118OS (C-45, O-46, O-47, O-49, O-57, O-58, O-59):
67OG, Esler Fld, La 107OS (C-45, O-47, O-49): 109OS (O-47, O-49, O-58): 113OS, Key Fld, Miss (O-47, O-49, O-52): 153OS, Key Fld, Miss (O-47, O-49, O-52, O-58):
68OG, Brownwood Afld, Tex 122OS, Esler Fld, La (BC-1, O-38, O-46, O-47): 125OS, Post Fld, Okla (BC-1, O-38, O-47): 127OS, Sherman Fld, Kans (BC-1, O-38, O-46): 154OS, Post Fld, Okla (O-38, O-47, O-49, O-57):
71OG, Birmingham AAB, Ala 102OS, Reilly Fld, Ala (C-45, O-46, O-47, O-49, O-57): 110OS, Adams Fld, Ark (O-47, O-49): 128OS, Lawson Fld, Ga (BC-1, O-38, O-46): 15OS, Post Fld, Okla (O-43, O-47, O-49, O-52): 111OS, Brownwood Afld, Tex (O-43, O-47, O-49, O-52, O-59): 120OS, Biggs Fld, Tex (O-47, O-49):
III BC, MacDill Fld, Fla
13BG(M), Orlando AAB, Fla * 3RS(M) (B-18, B-25): 39BS(M) (B-18, B-25): 40BS(M) (B-18): 41BS(M) (B-25):
29BG(H), MacDill Fld, Fla 6BS(H) (B-17): *21RS(H) (A-29, B-17): 43BS(H) (B-17): 52BS(H) (B-17):
30BG(H), New Orleans AAB, La * 2RS(H) (B-17): 21BS(H) (A-29): 27BS(H) (A-29): 38BS(H) (B-18):
38BG(M), Jackson AAB, Miss *15RS(M) (B-26): 69BS(M) (B-26): 70BS(M) (B-26): 71BS(M) (B-26):
44BG(H), MacDill Fld, Fla *14RS(H) (B-24): 66BS(H) (B-18): 67BS(H) (unknown aircraft): 68BS(H) (unknown aircraft):
III Interceptor Command, Drew Fld, Fla
49PG (Interceptor), Morrison Fld, Fla 7PS (Interceptor) (P-35): 8PS (Interceptor) (P-35): 9PS (Interceptor) (P-40):
50PG (Interceptor), Key Fld, Miss 10PS (Interceptor) (BT-13, P-35): 11PS (Interceptor) (P-36, P-40): 12PS (Interceptor) (unknown aircraft):
53PG (Interceptor), Dale Mabry Fld, Fla 13PS (Interceptor) (P-39): 14PS (Interceptor) (P-39): 15PS (Interceptor) (P-39):
56PG (Interceptor), Douglas Fld, NC 61PS (Interceptor) (P-39, P-40): 62PS (Interceptor) (P-39, P-40): 63PS (Interceptor) (P-39, P-40):
58PG (Interceptor), Harding Fld, La 67PS (Interceptor) (P-36): 68PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 69PS (Interceptor) (P-35, P-36, P-39):
4AF, Hamilton Fld, Calif
IV Air Support Command, Hamilton Fld, Calif
47BG(L), Fresno AAB, Calif 84BS(L) (B-18): 85BS(L) (A-20, B-18): 86BS(L) (B-18): 97BS(L) (LB-30):
69OG, Salinas AAB, Calif 82OS (O-46, O-47, O-49, O-52): 115OS, Sherwood Fld, Calif (BC-1, O-38, O-47, O-49):
70OG, Gray Fld, Wash 116OS (O-47, O-49): 123OS (BC-1, O-46): 31OS, Salinas AAB, Calif (O-49, O-52):
IV BC, Tucson, Arizona
1 BW, Tucson, Arizona
7BG(H), air echelon at Hamilton Fld, Calif; ground echelon enroute US to Philippine Is 9BS(H) (B-17): 11BS(H) (B-17): 14BS(H), Clark Fld, Philippine Is (B-17): 22BS(H), ground echelon enroute to Philippine Is; air echelon at Hamilton Fld, Calif (B-17): *88RS(H), ground echelon enroute US to Philippine Is; air echelon enroute US to Hawaii (B-17):
41 BG(M), Davis-Monthan Fld, Ariz *6RS(M) (A-29, B-18, LB-30): 46BS(M) (B-18): 47BS(M) (A-29): 48BS(M) (A-29, B-18): *38RS(H), air echelon enroute US to Hawaii; ground echelon enroute US to Philippine Is (B-17):
IV Interceptor Command, Riverside, Calif
14PG (Fighter), March Fld, Calif 48PS (Fighter) (P-38): 49PS (Fighter) (P-38): 50PS (Fighter) (P-40):
20PG (Interceptor), Hamilton Fld, Calif 55PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 77PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 79PS (Interceptor) (P-40):
35PG (Interceptor), enroute US to Philippine Is 21PS (Interceptor), Nichols Fld, Philippine Is (P-40): 34PS (Interceptor), Del Carmen, Philippine Is (P-35): 70PS (Interceptor), Hamilton Fld, Calif (P-36):
51PG (Fighter), March Fld, Calif 16PS (Fighter) (P-40): 25PS (Fighter) (P-40): 26PS (Fighter) (P-40):
V Air Support Command, Bowman Fld, Ky
46BG(L), Bowman Fld, Ky 50BS(L) (A-20): 51BS(L) (A-20): 53BS(L) (A-20): 87BS(L) (A-20):
73OG, Godman Fld, Ky 12OS (O-38, O-47, O-49, O-52, YO-54, O-57, O-59): 16OS, Lawson Fld, Ga (O-47, O-49): 22OS, Brooks Fld, Tex (O-46, O-49, O-52):
91OS, Wheeler-Sack Fld, NY (O-46, O-47, O-49, O-52): 15BS(L), Lawson Fld, Ga (A-20):
II. OFFICE CHIEF OF AIR CORPS, Washington, DC
Air Corps Proving Ground, Eglin Fld, Fla
1PS (Interceptor), Eglin Fld, Fla (various acft):
24BS(L), Eglin Fld, Fla (various acft): 54BS(M), Eglin Fld, Fla (various acft): 50th Transport Wing, Wright Fld, Ohio
10TG, Patterson Fld, Ohio 1 TS (C-39, C-47): 2TS, Olmsted Fld, Pa (C-39, C-47): 5TS (C-39, C-47):
60TG, Westover Fld, Mass 10TS (unknown aircraft): 11TS, Selfridge Fld, Mich (unknown aircraft): 12TS, Mitchel Fld, NY (unknown aircraft):
61 TG, Daniel Fld, Ga 6TS, Olmsted Fld, Pa (C-39, C-53): 13TS, Drew Fld, Fla (C-47): 14TS (C-39): 15TS (C-39):
62TG, McClellan Fld, Calif 4TS (C-39): 7TS (C-39): 8TS, Hill Fld, Utah (C-39):
63TG, Brookley Fld, Ala 3TS, Duncan Fld, Tex (C-39): 9TS (C-39):
64TG, March Fld, Calif 16TS, Portland AAB, Ore (C-47): 17TS, Hamilton Fld, Calif (C-47): 18TS (C-47):
1 Photographic Gp, Bolling Fld, DC 1 Photographic Sqd, Bradley Fld, Conn (A-29): 2Photographic Sqd, Gray Fld, Wash (F-2): 3Photographic Sqd, Maxwell Fld, Ala (?): 4(Photo)Sqd, Moffett Fld, Calif (F-2):
III. BARRAGE BALLOON TRAINING CENTER, US ARMY
3Barrage Balloon Sqd, Camp Davis, NC (various balloons):
IV. OVERSEAS UNITS
ALASKA DEFENSE COMMAND, US ARMY
AF, Alaska Defense Command
28th Composite Gp, Elmendorf Fld, Territory of Alaska 18PS (Interceptor) (20 P-36s): 36BS(H) (6 B-18As): 73BS(H) (6 B-18As):
CARIBBEAN DEFENSE COMMAND, US ARMY
Caribbean AF, Albrook Fld, CZ
VI BC, Albrook Fld, CZ
6BG(H), France Fld, CZ 3BS(H) (B-18): *7RS(H), Howard Fld, CZ (B-17, B-18): 25BS(H) (B-18): 74BS(H), Aguadulce, Panama (B-18):
9BG(H), Waller Fld, Trinidad 1BS(H) (B-18): 5BS(H), Beane Fld, St Lucia (B-18): 44RS(H), Atkinson Fld, British Guiana (B-17): *59BS(L), Howard Fld, CZ (A-20): 99BS(H), Zandery Fld, Surinam (B-18):
25BG(H), Borinquen Fld, Puerto Rico 10BS(H) (B-18): 12BS(H), Benedict Fld, St Croix (B-18): *27RS(H) (B-18): 35BS(H), Coolidge Fld, Antigua (B-18):
40BG(M), Borinquen Fld, Puerto Rico *5RS(M) (B-18): 29BS(M) (B-18): 44BS(M) (B-18): 45BS(M) (B-18):
VI Interceptor Command, Borinquen Fld, Puerto Rico
12th Pursuit Wing, Albrook Fld, CZ
16PG (Interceptor), Albrook Fld, CZ 24PS (Interceptor) (P-36): 29PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 43PS (Interceptor) (P-40):
32PG (Fighter), Rio Hato, Panama 51PS (Fighter) (P-36): 52PS (Fighter) (P-36): 53PS (Fighter) (P-36):
37PG (Interceptor), Albrook Fld, CZ 28PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 30PS (Interceptor), Chorrera, Panama (P-40): 31PS (Interceptor) (P-26, P-40):
36PG (Interceptor), Losey Fld, Puerto Rico 22PS (Interceptor) (P-36): 23PS (Interceptor) (P-36): 32PS (Interceptor) (P-36):
20TS, France Fld (detachment at Howard Fld), CZ (C-39, C-47, C-49):
39OS, France Fld, CZ (O-47, O-49):
HAWAIIAN DEPARTMENT, US ARMY
Hawaiian AF, Hickam Fld, Territory of Hawaii
14th PW, Wheeler Fld, Territory of Hawaii
15PG (Fighter), Wheeler Fld 45PS (Fighter) (P-36A): 46PS (Fighter) (P-36A, P-40B): 47PS (Fighter) (P-40B, P-36A): 72PS (Interceptor) (none):
18PG (Interceptor), Wheeler Fld 6PS (Interceptor) (P-40B): 19PS (Interceptor) (P-40B, P-40C): 44PS (Interceptor), Bellows Fld (P-40B, P-40C): 73PS (Interceptor) (P-40B): 78PS (Interceptor) (P-40B):
18th Bombardment Wg, Hickam Fld, Territory of Hawaii
5BG(H), Hickam Fld *4RS(H) (B-17, B-18): 23BS(H) (B-17, B-18): 31BS(H) (B-17, B-18): 72BS(H) (B-17, B-18)):
11BG(H), Hickam Fld 26BS(H) (B-17, B-18): 42BS(H) (B-17, B-18): *50RS(H) (B-17, B-18): 19TS, Hickam Fld (C-33): 58BS(L), Hickam Fld (A-20): 86OS, Bellows Fld (B-12, O-47, O-49):
ICELAND BASE COMMAND, US ARMY
33PS (Interceptor), Reykjavik Aerodrome (P-40):
NEWFOUNDLAND BASE COMMAND, US ARMY
*41RS(H), Newfoundland Airport (B-17):
PUERTO RICAN DEPARTMENT, US ARMY
4OS, Losey Fld, Puerto Rico (O-47, O-52):
US ARMY FORCES IN THE FAR EAST (FEAF), Nichols Fld, Philippine Islands
V BC, Clark Fld, Philippine Islands
19BG(H), Clark Fld *14BS(H) (B-17): 28BS(H) (B-17): 30BS(H) (B-17): 32BS(H), ground echelon enroute US to Philippine Is; air echelon at Hamilton Fld, Calif (B-17) 38RS(H), ground echelon enroute US to Philippine Is; air echelon enroute US to Hawaii 93BS(H) (B-17):
27BG(L), Ft William McKinley 16BS(L) (none): 17BS(L) (none): 91BS(L) (none):
5th Interceptor Command (Provisional), Nielson Fld
24PG (Interceptor), Clark Fld 3PS (Interceptor), Iba Afld (P-40E): 17PS (Interceptor), Nichols Fld (P-40E): 20PS (Interceptor) (P-40B): *21PS (Interceptor), Nichols Fld (P-40E): *34PS (Interceptor), Del Carmen Fld (P-35): 2OS, Nichols Fld (O-46, O-52):
V. UNITS SORTED BY STATION
AIR ECHELONS ENROUTE FROM U.S. TO HAWAII
38RS(H) 88RS(H) ALABAMA Birmingham Army Air Base (Birmingham Municipal Airport):
71OG 106OS (O-47, O-49) Brookley Field, Mobile 63TGG 9TS (C-39): Maxwell Field, Montgomery
3(Photo)S (?): Reilly Field, Fort McClellan, Anniston
102OS (C-45, O-46, O-47, O-49, O-57):
ARIZONA Davis-Monthan Field (Tucson Municipal Airport):
41BG(M) 6RS(M) (A-29, B-18, LB-30): 46BS(M) (B-18): 47BS(M) (A-29): 48BS(M) (A-29, B-18) Tucson
IV BC, Tucson
1 BW, Tucson
ARKANSAS, Adams Field, Little Rock
72OG 110OS (O-47, O-49):
BRITISH GUINEA, Atkinson Field
44RS(H) (B-17):
BRITISH WEST INDIES Antigua, Coolidge Field
35BS(H) (B-18) St. Lucia, Beane Field
5BS(H) (B-18) Trinidad, Waller Field
9BG(H) 1BS(H) (B-18):
CALIFORNIA Fresno Army Air Base, Fresno
47BG(L) 84BS(L) (B-18):
85BS(L) (A-20, B-18): 86BS(L) (B-18): 97BS(L) (LB-30) Hamilton Field, San Rafael
4AF IV Air Support Command
7BG(H) air echelon only
20PG (Interceptor), Hamilton Fld, Calif
9BS(H), air echelon only (B-17): 11BS(H), air echelon only (B-17): 17TS (C-47): 22BS(H), air echelon only (B-17):
55PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 70PS (Interceptor) (P-36): 77PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 79PS (Interceptor) (P-40):
March Field, Riverside
14PG (Fighter):
51PG (Fighter):
64TCG
16PS (Fighter) (P-40):
18TS (C-47):
25PS (Fighter) (P-40): 26PS (Fighter) (P-40): 48PS (Fighter) (P-38): 49PS (Fighter) (P-38): 50PS (Fighter) (P-40):
McClellan Field, Sacramento
62TG 4TS (C-39): 7TS (C-39): Moffett Field, Mountain View
4(Photo)S (F-2): Riverside (US Post Office), Riverside IV Interceptor Command Salinas Army Air Base (Salinas Airport), Salinas
69OG 31OS (O-49, O-52): 82OS (O-46, O-47, O-49, O-52): Sherwood Field, Paso Robles
115OS (BC-1, O-38, O-47, O-49):
CANAL ZONE Albrook Field
Caribbean AF VI BC
12PW
37PG (Interceptor):
16PG (Interceptor):
24PS (Interceptor) (P-36): 28PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 29PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 31PS (Interceptor) (P-26, P-40): 43PS (Interceptor) (P-40) France Field
6BG(H), France Fld, CZ 3BS(H) (B-18): 20TS (C-39, C-47, C-49): 25BS(H) (B-18): 39OS (O-47, O-49) Howard Field 7RS(H) (B-17, B-18): 59BS(L) (A-20):
Detachment, 20TS (C-39, C-47, C-49):
CONNECTICUT Bradley Field, Windsor Locks
1 Photographic Squadron (A-29):
57PG (Interceptor), 64PS (Interceptor) (P-40): Brainard Field, Hartford
65PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 66PS (Interceptor) (P-40):
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Bolling Field
AF Combat Command Office Chief of Air Corps
1 (Photo)G
FLORIDA Dale Mabry Field, Tallahassee
53PG (Interceptor): 13PS (Interceptor) (P-39): 14PS (Interceptor) (P-39): 15PS (Interceptor) (P-39): Drew Field, Tampa
III Interceptor Command
13TS (C-47): Eglin Field, Valpariso Air Corps Proving Ground
1PS (Interceptor) (various acft):
24BS(L) (various acft):
54BS(M) (various acft): Jacksonville Army Air Base (Municipal Airport), Jacksonville
66OG118OS (C-45, O-46, O-47, O-49, O-57, O-58, O-59) MacDill Field, Tampa
III BC
29BG(H) 44BG(H) 6BS(H) (B-17):
14RS(H) (B-24): 21RS(H) (A-29, B-17): 43BS(H) (B-17): 52BS(H) (B-17): 66BS(H) (B-18): 67BS(H) (?): 68BS(H) (?): Morrison Field, Palm Beach
49PG (Interceptor): 7PS (Interceptor) (P-35): 8PS (Interceptor) (P-35): 9PS (Interceptor) (P-40): Orlando Army Air Base (Municipal Airport), Orlando
13BG(M) 3RS(M) (B-18, B-25): 39BS(M) (B-18, B-25): 40BS(M) (B-18): 41BS(M) (B-25):
National Guard Armory, Tampa
3AF
GEORGIA Atlanta Army Air Base (Atlanta Airport), Atlanta
30OS (O-38, O-49): Daniel Field, Augusta 61TG 14TS (C-39): 15TS (C-39): Lawson Field, Fort Benning, Columbus 15BS(L) (A-20): 16OS (O-47, O-49): 97OS (O-47, O-49, O-52, O-57): 128OS (BC-1, O-38, O-46): Savannah Air Base, Savannah
III Air Support Command
3BG(L) 8BS(L) (A-20, A-24): 13BS(L) (A-20): 89BS(L) (A-20): 90BS(L) (A-20):
GROUND ECHELONS ENROUTE FROM U.S. TO OVERSEAS
Enroute to Newfoundland
49BS(H) Enroute to Philippine Islands
7BG(H) 35PG (Interceptor):
22BS(H) 38RS(H) 88RS(H)
ICELAND, Reykjavik Airport, Reykjavik
33PS (Interceptor) (P-40):
IDAHO Gowen Field, Boise
42BG(M) 16RS(M) (B-18, B-26):
75BS(M) (B-18): 76BS(M) (B-26): 77BS(M) (B-26):
ILLINOIS, Chicago Municipal Airport, Chicago
108OS (O-31, O-47, O-49, O-52):
INDIANA, Baer Field, Fort Wayne
31PG (Interceptor):
39PS (Interceptor) (P-39): 40PS (Interceptor) (P-39): 41PS (Interceptor) (P-39):
KANSAS Marshall Field, Fort Riley, Junction City
1OS (O-47, O-49) Sherman Field, Fort Leavenworth, Leavenworth 124OS (BC-1, O-38, O-47):
127OS (BC-1, O-38, O-46):
KENTUCKY Bowman Field, Louisville
V Air Support Command
46BG(L) 50BS(L) (A-20): 51BS(L) (A-20): 53BS(L) (A-20): 87BS(L) (A-20): Godman Field, Fort Knox, Louisville
73OG 12OS (O-38, O-47, O-49, O-52, YO-54, O-57, O-59):
LOUISIANA Esler Field, Camp Beauregard, Alexandria
67OG 107OS (C-45, O-47, O-49): 109OS (O-47, O-49, O-58): 122OS (BC-1, O-38, O-46, O-47) Harding Field, Baton Rouge
58PG (Interceptor): 67PS (Interceptor) (P-36): 68PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 69PS (Interceptor) (P-35, P-36, P-39)
New Orleans Army Air Base (New Orleans Airport), New Orleans
30BG(H) 2RS(H) (B-17): 21BS(H) (A-29): 27BS(H) (A-29): 38BS(H) (B-18):
MAINE, Dow Field, Bangor
43BG(H) 13RS(H) (B-18): 63BS(H) (LB-30): 64BS(H) (B-18): 65BS(H) (B-17):
MARYLAND, Detrick Field, Frederick
104OS (O-46, O-47, O-49, O-59):
MASSACHUSETTS Fort Devens Army Airfield, Fort Devens, Ayer
152OS (BC-1, O-47, O-49, O-52, O-58) Otis Field, Camp Edwards, Falmouth 101OS (O-46, O-47, O-49, O-59) Westover Field, Chicopee Falls
34BG(H) 60TCG 1RS(H) (B-17): 4BS(H) (B-17): 7BS(H) (B-17): 10TS (?): 18BS(H) (B-17):
MICHIGAN, Selfridge Field, Mount Clemens
1PG (Fighter):
52PG (Interceptor):
2PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 4PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 5PS (Interceptor) (P-40):
11TS (?): 27PS (Fighter) (P-38): 71PS (Fighter) (P-38): 94PS (Fighter) (P-38):
MISSISSIPPI Jackson Army Air Base (Municipal Airport), Jackson
38BG(M) 15RS(M) (B-26): 69BS(M) (B-26): 70BS(M) (B-26): 71BS(M) (B-26) Key Field, Meridian
50PG (Interceptor): 10PS (Interceptor) (BT-13, P-35): 11PS (Interceptor) (P-36, P-40): 12PS (Interceptor) (?):
113OS (O-47, O-49, O-52): 153OS (O-47, O-49, O-52, O-58):
NEW HAMPSHIRE, Grenier Field (Manchester Airport), Manchester
45BG(L): 78BS(L) (A-20, DB-7): 79BS(L) (A-20, DB-7): 80BS(L) (A-20, DB-7): 92BS(L) (A-20):
NEW JERSEY Fort Dix Army Airfield, Fort Dix, Wrightstown
126OS (BC-1, O-46, O-49, O-59) Newark Municipal Airport, Newark 119OS (O-47, O-49, O-52):
NEW YORK Mitchel Field, Hempstead, Long Island
1AF
I Air Support Command
I Interceptor Command
8PG (Interceptor):
33PG (Interceptor):
12TS (unknown aircraft): 35PS (Interceptor) (P-39): 36PS (Interceptor) (P-39):
49BS(H) air echelon only (B-17):
58PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 59PS (Interceptor) (P-40): 60PS (Interceptor) (P-40): Wheeler-Sack Field, Pine Camp, Great Bend
91OS (O-46, O-47, O-49, O-52):
NEWFOUNDLAND, Newfoundland Airport, Gander Lake
41RS(H) (B-17B):
NORTH CAROLINA Camp Davis, Wilmington
3Barrage Balloon Squadron (various balloons) Douglas Field, Charlotte
56PG (Interceptor): 61PS (Interceptor) (P-39, P-40): 62PS (Interceptor) (P-39, P-40): 63PS (Interceptor) (P-39, P-40): Pope Field, Fort Bragg, Fayetteville
2Balloon Squadron (various balloons): 59OG112OS (O-47, O-49, O-57):
OHIO Patterson Field, Dayton
10TCG1TS (C-39, C-47): Wright Field, Dayton 50TW5TS (C-39, C-47):
OKLAHOMA Post Field, Fort Sill, Lawton
15OS (O-43, O-47, O-49, O-52): 125OS (BC-1, O-38, O-47): 154OS (O-38, O-47, O-49, O-57) Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma City
II Air Support Command
48BG(L) 55BS(L) (A-20): 56BS(L) (A-20): 57BS(L) (A-20): 88BS(L) (A-20):
OREGON Pendleton Army Air Base (Municipal Airport), Pendleton
17BG(M) 34BS(M) (B-25): 37BS(M) (B-25): 89RS(M) (B-25): 95BS(M) (B-25): Portland Army Air Base (Portland-Columbia Airport), Portland
55PG (Interceptor): 16TS (C-47): 37PS (Interceptor) (P-43): 38PS (Interceptor) (P-43): 54PS (Interceptor) (P-36, P-40, P-43):
PANAMA Aguadulce
74BS(H) (B-18) Chorrera 30PS (Interceptor) (P-40) Rio Hato 32PG (Fighter): 51PS (Fighter) (P-36): 52PS (Fighter) (P-36): 53PS (Fighter) (P-36):
PENNSYLVANIA Harrisburg Municipal Airport, Harrisburg
103OS (O-46, O-47, O-49, O-57) Olmsted Field, Middletown 2TS (C-39, C-47): 6TS (C-39, C-53):
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS Clark Field, Fort Stotsenberg, Luzon
V BC
19BG(H) 24PG (Interceptor):
14BS(H) (B-17):
20PS (Interceptor) (P-40B):
28BS(H) (B-17): 30BS(H) (B-17): 93BS(H) (B-17) Del Carmen Field, Luzon
34PS (Interceptor) (P-35) Fort William McKinley, Luzon
27BG(L) 16BS(L) (none): 17BS(L) (none): 91BS(L) (none) Iba Airfield, Luzon
3PS (Interceptor) (P-40E) Nichols Field, Luzon
FEAF
2OS (O-46, O-52): 17PS (Interceptor) (P-40E): 21PS (Interceptor) (P-40E) Nielson Field, Luzon
5th Interceptor Command (Provisional):
PUERTO RICO Borinquen Field, Punta Borinquen
VI Interceptor Command
25BG(H) 40BG(M) 10BS(H) (B-18): 5RS(M) (B-18): 27RS(H) (B-18): 29BS(M) (B-18): 44BS(M) (B-18): 45BS(M) (B-18): Losey Field, Ponce
36PG (Interceptor): 4OS (O-47, O-52): 22PS (Interceptor) (P-36): 23PS (Interceptor) (P-36): 32PS (Interceptor) (P-36):
RHODE ISLAND, Providence
26OG
SOUTH CAROLINA, Owens Field, Columbia
65OG 105OS (O-38, O-47, O-49, O-52): 121OS (AT-6, O-38, O-46, O-47, O-58):
SURINAM, Zandery Field
99BS(H) (B-18):
TERRITORY OF ALASKA, Elmendorf Field, Fort Richardson, Anchorage
28th Composite Group
18PS (Interceptor) (20 P-36s): 36BS(H) (6 B-18As): 73BS(H) (6 B-18As):
TERRITORY OF HAWAII Bellows Field, Waimanlo Military Reservation, Oahu
44PS (Interceptor) (P-40B, P-40C):
86OS (B-12, O-47, O-49) Hickam Field, Honolulu Hawaiian AF
18BW
5BG(H) 11BG(H) 4RS(H) (B-17, B-18): 19TS (C-33): 23BS(H) (B-17, B-18): 26BS(H) (B-17, B-18): 31BS(H) (B-17, B-18): 42BS(H) (B-17, B-18): 50RS(H) (B-17, B-18): 58BS(L) (A-20): 72BS(H) (B-17, B-18) Wheeler Field, Schofield Barracks, Oahu
14th Pursuit Wg
15PG (Fighter):
18PG (Interceptor):
6PS (Interceptor) (P-40B): 19PS (Interceptor) (P-40B, P-40C): 45PS (Fighter) (P-36A): 46PS (Fighter) (P-36A, P-40B): 47PS (Fighter) (P-40B, P-36A):
72PS (Interceptor) (none): 73PS (Interceptor) (P-40B): 78PS (Interceptor) (P-40B):
TEXAS Biggs Field, Fort Bliss, El Paso
120OS (O-47, O-49) Brooks Field, San Antonio
22OS (O-46, O-49, O-52) Brownwood Airfield, Brownwood
68OG111OS (O-43, O-47, O-49, O-52, O-59) Duncan Field, San Antonio
3TS (C-39):
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS, Benedict Field, St Croix
12BS(H) (B-18):
UTAH, Hill Field, Ogden
8TS (C-39):
VIRGINIA, Langley Field, Hampton
I BC
2BG(H) 22BG(M) 2BS(H) (B-26): 3OS (O-43, O-47, O-49, O-52): 18RS(M) (B-26): 19BS(M) (B-26): 20BS(H) (B-17): 33BS(H) (B-26): 41RS(H) (B-17): 96BS(H) (B-17):
WASHINGTON Fort George Wright, Spokane
2nd Air Force
II BC Fort Lawton, Seattle
II Interceptor Command Geiger Field, Spokane
39BG(H) 12RS(H) (B-17): 60BS(H) (B-17): 61BS(H) (B-17): 62BS(H) (B-17) Gray Field, Fort Lewis, Tacoma
2Photographic Squadron (F-2):
70OG 116OS (O-47, O-49): 123OS (BC-1, O-46) McChord Field, Tacoma
12BG(L) 81BS(L) (B-18): 82BS(L) (B-18, PT-17): 83BS(L) (B-18, B-23): 94BS(L) (B-18, B-23) Paine Field, Everett
54PG (Interceptor): 42PS (Interceptor) (P-39): 56PS (Interceptor) (P-39): 57PS (Interceptor) (P-39):
DECEMBER 1941
SUNDAY, 7 DECEMBER 1941
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA: Upon learning of the Pearl Harbor attack, the Command's 6 B-l8's and 12 P-36's take to the air to avoid being caught on their fields.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): The 119OS, I Air Support Command, begins flying ASW patrols from Newark Municipal Airport, New Jersey with O-47's, O-49's and O-52's.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: The first wave of Japanese carrier-based airplanes (almost 200) hit Hickam Field and the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor at 0755 local (1325 Eastern Standard Time, 1825 GMT). Attacks follow quickly against Wheeler and Bellows Fields. A second wave of Japanese airplanes strikes other naval and military facilities. The Hawaiian AF loses 163 men, with about 390 others wounded or missing; has 64 of its 231 assigned aircraft destroyed. Only 79 of the remaining aircraft are deemed usable, and much of the AF's ground facilities are destroyed. These losses are light in comparison with the USN's: more than 2,000 killed or missing, and more than 900 wounded; 4 battleships sunk; 3 battleships, 3 cruisers, and 3 destroyers damaged; and over half of the Navy's 169 airplanes in the area destroyed.
The Japanese lose 20 aircraft over Hawaii, including 4 claimed destroyed by Second Lieutenant George S Welch of the 47PS (Fighter), 15PG (Fighter) piloting a P-40, one of the few US fighters to successfully attack airplanes during the day. About 20 other aircraft are lost by the Japanese during carrier landings. Altogether the Japanese pay a small price for the damage done to the Americans on Oahu. For the remainder of the day, following the attacks, the Army AFs carries out fruitless searches for the carriers.
The air echelons of the 38th and 88RSS(H), 1 BW, begin operating from Hickam Field where they arrived during the Japanese attack. The crews of the 38th are dissolved and personnel are assigned to other units; the 88th will operate from Hickam Field until Feb 42.
INTERNATIONAL
Japan attacks Hawaii and other US and British possessions in the Pacific without warning. Japan already is at war with China, and Great Britain is at war with the Axis powers, Germany and Italy, which control most of Western Europe. The RAF is conducting an aerial offensive against Germany, and the Luftwaffe is engaged in a campaign against Britain. Russians are fighting German forces that have invaded the USSR.
British troops are battling Italians and Germans in Africa.
MONDAY, 8 DECEMBER 1941
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA: Starting today, B-18's fly armored reconnaissance each morning from Elmendorf Field, Anchorage to Kodiak Island in the Aleutian Islands.
CARIBBEAN (Caribbean AF): All Army AF units in the Caribbean begin flying ASW patrols.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The 1AF and 4AFs are made responsible for the air defense on the E and W coasts, respectively. The Commanding General 1AF orders the I BC to begin overwater reconnaissance with all available aircraft to locate and attack any hostile surface forces which might approach the E coast. Similar reconnaissance is ordered off the W coast. P-38's of the 1PG (Fighter) from Selfridge Field, Mount Clemens, Michigan begin to arrive at NAS San Diego, California being the first reinforcements of air strength on the W coast.
Effective this month, the following units begin flying ASW patrols: 1RS(H), I BC, from Westover Field, Massachusetts with B-17's until Oct 42.
3RS(M), 2BW from Orlando AAB, Florida with B-18's and B-25's until Aug 43.
4th, 7th and 18BS(H), 34BG(H) from Westover Field, Massachusetts with B-17's until Oct 42.
6RS(M), IV BC, from Muroc AAB, California with B-18's and LB-30's until Aug 42.
8th, 13th, 89th and 90BS(L), 3BG(L) from Savannah AAB, Georgia with A-20's until Jan 42.
9th, 11th and 22BS(H), 7BG(H) from Muroc AAB, California with B-17's, until 12 Dec.
12RS(H), II BC, from GeigerField, Washington with B-17's until Jan 42.
13RS(H), I BC, from Dow Field, Maine with A-29's and B-18's until Jan 42.
15BS(L), V Air Support Command, from Ft Dix AAFld, New Jersey with A-20's until Jan 42.
20th and 96BS(H), 2BG(H), from Mitchel Field, New York and Langley Field, Virginia with B-17's until Oct 42.
37BS(M), 17BG(M) from Pendleton AAB, Oregon with B-25's until Mar 42.
40BS(M), 13BG(M) from Orlando AAB, Florida with B-18's until Jun 43.
43BS(H), 29BG(H) from Pope Filed, North Carolina and MacDill Field, Florida with B-17's until Jun 42.
49BS(H), 2BG(H) with B-17's from Geiger Field, Washington in Dec and from Langley Field, Virginia Jul-Oct 42.
63(LB-30), 64th (B-18) and 65th (B-17) BS(H), 43BG(H) from Dow Field, Maine until Feb 42.
79PS (Interceptor), 20PG (Interceptor) with P-40's from Oakland MAP, California until Feb 42.
82OS, 69OG, with O-46's, O-47's, O-49's and O-52's from Salinas AAB, California until Aug 42.
84th, 85th, 86th and 97BS(L), 47BG(L), with A-20's and B-18's from Hammer Field, California until Jan 42.
101OS, 26OG, from Otis Field, Massachusetts with O-46's and O-47's until Aug 42.
116th and 123OSs, 70OG, from Gray Field, Washington with O-46's, O-47's and O-49's until Aug 42.
126OS, 59OG, from Ft Dix AAFld, New Jersey with O-47's, O-49's, and O-59's until Oct 42.
INTERNATIONAL: The US, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Canada, the Union of South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Free France, and 8 Latin American republics declare war against Japan.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): The first word of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is received on Luzon, Philippine Islands by commercial radio between 0300-0330 hours local. Within 30 minutes radar at Iba Field, Luzon plots a formation of airplanes 75-miles (120-km) offshore, heading for Corregidor Island. P-40's are sent out to intercept but make no contact. Shortly before 0930 hours, after Japanese aircraft are detected over Lingayen Gulf heading toward Manila, B-17's at Clark Field, Luzon are ordered airborne to prevent being caught on the ground. Fighters from Clark and Nichols Fields are sent to intercept the enemy but do not make contact. The Japanese airplanes swing E and bomb military installations at Baguio, Tarlac, Tuguegarao, and airfields at Cabantuan are also attacked. By 1130 hours, the B-17's and fighters sent into the air earlier have landed at Clark and Iba Fields for refueling, and radar has disclosed another flight of Japanese aircraft 70-miles (112-km) W of Lingayen Gulf, headed S. Fighters from Iba Field make a fruitless search over the S China Sea. Fighters from Nichols Field are dispatched to patrol over Bataan and Manila. Around 1145 hours a formation is reported headed S over Lingayen Gulf. Fighters are ordered from Del Carmen Field to cover Clark Field but fail to arrive before the Japanese hit Clark shortly after 1200 hours. B-17's and many fighters at Clark Field are caught on the ground, but a few P-4O's manage to get airborne. 2d Lieutenant Randall B Keator of the 20PS (Interceptor), 24PG (Interceptor), shoots down the first Japanese aircraft over the Philippines. The P-40's earlier sent on patrol of the S China Sea return to Iba Field with fuel running low at the beginning of a Japanese attack on that airfield. The P-40's fail to prevent bombing but manage to prevent low-level strafing of the sort which proved so destructive at Clark Field.
At the end of the day's action it is apparent that the Japanese have won a major victory. The effective striking power of FEAF has been destroyed, the fighter strength has been seriously reduced, most B-17 maintenance facilities have been demolished, and about 90 men have been killed.
TUESDAY, 9 DECEMBER 1941
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN: HQ 6BG(H) transfers from France Field, Canal Zone to Rio Hato, Panama.
HQ 32PG (Interceptor) transfers from Rio Hato, Panama to France Field, Canal Zone.
The 28th and 31PSs (Interceptor), 37PG (Interceptor), transfer with P-26's P-40's from Albrook Field, Canal Zone to Patilla Point and Chorrera, Panama respectively.
ZONE OF INTERIOR
1AF: Fighters at Mitchel Field, New York are dispatched to intercept a hostile airplane reported (falsely) to be approaching the E coast.
The 70BS(M), 38BG(M), based at Jackson AAB, Mississippi begins flying ASW patrols from Savannah AAB, Georgia with B-26's until 12 Dec.
4AF: The 2d, 19th and 33BS(M), 22BG(M) transfer from Langley Field, Virginia to Muroc AAB, California with B-26's and begin flying ASW patrols until Jan 42.
The 18RS(M), IV BC, transfers from Langley Field, Virginia to Muroc AAB, California with B-26's and begins flying ASW patrols until Jan 42.
The 94PS (Fighter), 1PG (Fighter), begins flying ASW patrols from NAS San Diego, California with P-38's until Mar 42.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: The 78thPS (Interceptor), 18PG (Interceptor), transfers with P-40's from Wheeler Field to Kaneohe, Territory of Hawaii.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Shortly after 0300 hours, Japanese aircraft attack Nichols Field. This attack, added to the previous day's raids on Clark and Iba Fields, leaves the FEAF strength reduced by half. Only 17 of 35 B-17's remain in commission; about 55 P-40's, 3 P-35's, and close to 30 other aircraft (B-10's, B-18's, and observation airplanes) have been lost in aerial combat or destroyed on the ground. During the morning and afternoon, B-17's from Mindanao Island fly reconnaissance missions and land on Clark and San Marcelino Fields on Luzon. Several more B-17's are flown from Mindanao Island to these Luzon bases for resistance against a possible invasion attempt.
The 3PS (Interceptor), 24PG (Interceptor), transfers from Iba Airfield to Nichols Field, Luzon with P-40's.
The 17PS (Interceptor), 24PG (Interceptor), based at Nichols Field begins operating from Clark Field, Luzon with P-40's.
WEDNESDAY, 10 DECEMBER 1941
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): The air echelons of the 11th and 22BS(H), 7BG(H) cease flying ASW patrols from Muroc AAB, California with B-17's. The 48BS(M), 41BG(M), transfers from Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona to Muroc AAB, California and begins flying ASW patrols with A-29's and B-18's until Sep 42.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's, P-40's, and P-35's attack a convoy landing troops and equipment at Vigan and at Aparri in N.Luzon. 1transport at Vigan is destroyed. The strikes include the much publicized attack of Captain Colin P Kelly Jr of the 14BS(H), 7BG(H) on a warship off Aparri. Captain Kelly, who is killed when his B-17 is shot down by fighters as he is returning to Clark Field, is later posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for destroying a battleship. However, later information reveals that he attacked the heavy cruiser ASHIGARA, probably scoring near misses.
THURSDAY, 11 DECEMBER 1941
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN: The 7RS(H), VI BC, transfers from Howard Field, Canal Zone to David, Panama with B-17's and B-18's.
The 32PS (Interceptor), 36PG (Interceptor), based at Losey Field, Puerto Rico sends a detachment to Arecibo, Puerto Rico with P-36's.
The 74BS(H), 6BG(H), transfers from Aguadulce, Panama to Rio Hato, Panama with B-18's.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The 2 and 4AFs are assigned to the US Army's Western Defense Command.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: 6 B-18's fly a sea-search mission from the Hawaiian Islands. Similar missions by B-17's, B-18's, and A-20's are flown each day for the remainder of the year; several submarines are sighted and some are attacked but without positive evidence of hits.
The 58BS(L), Hawaiian AF, and 72BS(H), 5BG(H), transfer from Hickam Field to Bellows Field, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii with A-20's and B-18's respectively.
INTERNATIONAL: Germany and Italy declare war on the US. The Congress declares war on Germany and Italy.
FRIDAY, 12 DECEMBER 1941
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): The 89RS(M), II BC, begins flying ASW patrols from Pendleton AAB, Oregon with B-25's; patrols continue until Mar 42.
The 9BS(H), 7BG(H), ceases flying ASW patrols from Muroc AAB, California with B-17's.
The 27PS (Fighter), 1PG (Fighter), begins flying ASW patrols from NAS San Diego, California with P-38's; patrols continue until 29 Dec.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 100+ Japanese aircraft hit targets at Clark Field, Batangas, and Olongapo on Luzon Island. No hits are scored by the single B-17 that is sent against Japanese transports at Vigan.
The 3PS (Interceptor), 24PG (Interceptor), transfers from Nichols Field to Ternate, Luzon and operating from Del Carmon, Luzon with P-40's.
SATURDAY, 13 DECEMBER 1941
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN: The 22 and 23PSs (Interceptor), 36PG (Interceptor), transfer from Losey Field to Vega Baja, Puerto Rico with P-36's.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): The 115OS, 69OG, transfers from Sherwood Field to San Bernardino AAFld, California with O-38's, O-47's and O-49's and continues flying ASW patrols.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 1Lieutenant Boyd D Wagner of the 17PS (Interceptor), 24PG (Interceptor), shoots down 4 Japanese airplanes near Aparri while on a reconnaissance mission over N Luzon. In another action, Captain Jesus Villamor of the Philippine AF leads 6 P-26's in an interception of 54 Japanese bombers attacking Batangas Field, Luzon; their harassing tactics minimized the damage to the field.
SUNDAY, 14 DECEMBER 1941
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): The 70BS(M), 38BG(M), ceases flying ASW patrols from Savannah AAB, Georgia with B-26's.
The 106OS, 66OG, transfers from Birmingham, Alabama to Miami MAP, Florida with O-47's and O-49's and begins flying ASW patrols which continue until Mar 42.
The 107OS, 67OG, transfers from Camp Beauregard, Louisiana to Charleston AAFld, South Carolina with O-47's and O-49's and begins ASW patrols which continue until Jan 42.
4AF: The 41PS (Interceptor), 31PG (Interceptor), begins flying ASW patrols from Paine Field, Washington with P-39's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's are sent against the Japanese beachhead at Legaspi, Luzon. 1Lieutenant Hewitt T Wheless is later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for bringing his bullet-riddled B-17 back from the mission to an emergency crashlanding at Cagayan, Mindanao Island.
MONDAY, 15 DECEMBER 1941
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): The 15BS(L), V Air Support Command, ceases operating from Mitchel Field, New York and returns to it's base at Ft Dix AAFld, New Jersey with A-20's. ASW patrols continue into Jan 42.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): The 39PS (Interceptor), 31Pursuit Group (Interceptor), begins flying ASW patrols from Bellingham AAFld, Washington with P-39's; patrols continue until Jan 42. The 71PS (Fighter), 1PG (Fighter), begins flying ASW patrols from NAS San Diego, California with P-38's; patrols continue until 30 Dec.
TUESDAY, 16 DECEMBER 1941
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): The 15OS, III Air Support Command, transfers from Post Field, Oklahoma to Ellington Field, Texas with O-43's, O-47's, O-49's and O-52's and begins flying ASW patrols which continue to Mar 42.
The 113OS, 67OG, transfers from Key Field, Mississippi to MacDill Field, Florida with O-47's, O-49's and O-52's and begins flying ASW patrols until Jan 42. The 153OS, 67OG, transfers from Key Field, Mississippi to Bluethenthal Field, North Carolina with O-47's, O-49's and O-52's and begins flying ASW patrols until Jan 42.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: The 98BS(H) is activated at Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii and assigned to the 11BG(H). B-18's will be assigned in 1942.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 1st Lieutenant Boyd D Wagner of the 17PS (Interceptor), 24PG (Interceptor), leads a dive-bombing raid on the airfield at Vigan and shoots down his fifth aircraft, thereby becoming the first Army AFs "Ace" in World War II.
WEDNESDAY, 17 DECEMBER 1941
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): The ground echelon of the 32BS(H), Sierra BG establishes HQ at Minter Field, California. They had departed San Francisco aboard ship for the Philippine Islands on 6 Dec and returned on 9 Dec. The air echelon is flying ASW patrols from Muroc AAB, California.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's, evacuating Luzon, begin arriving at Batchelor Field near Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Captain Floyd J Pell arrives in Australia to begin arrangements for the use of Australian facilities by the Far East Air Force.
UNITED KINGDOM: Major General James E Chaney, Chief Special Observer Group, US Army (SPOBS), writes to the Adjutant General, US Army on the "Construction Program of US Forces in UK," which indicates a shortage of accommodations for proposed US forces in Scotland, N Ireland, and England.
THURSDAY, 18 DECEMBER 1941
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): The 97OS, 66OG, begins flying ASW patrols from Miami MAP, Florida with O-47's, O-49's, O-52's and O-57's. A flight remains at Lawson Field, Georgia; patrols continue until Sep 42.
The 109OS, 67OG, transfers from Camp Beauregard, Louisiana to Savannah AAB, Georgia with O-38's, O-47's, O-49's and O-52's. The squadron begins flying ASW patrols which continue until Jan 42.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: Brigadier General Clarence L Tinker succeeds Major General Frederick L Martin as Commanding General, Hawaiian AF.
The air echelon of the 22BS(H), 7BG(H), arrives at Hickam Field, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii from the US with B-17's.
FRIDAY, 19 DECEMBER 1941
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): The 1AF is assigned to the Eastern Theater of Operations, US Army which is subsequently redesignated the Eastern Defense Command.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: The 58BS(L), Hawaiian AF, transfers from Bellows Field to Wheeler Field, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii with A-20's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): The air echelon of the 93BS(H), 19BG(H) transfers from Clark Field, Luzon to Batchelor Field near Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia with B-17's. The ground echelon is attached to the 5th Interceptor Command (Provisional) and will fight as infantry on Luzon and Mindanao Islands in the Philippines.
SATURDAY, 20 DECEMBER 1941
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): The 95BS(M), 17BG(M), begins flying ASW patrols from Pendleton
AAB, Oregon with B-25's.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: The 26BS(H), 11BG(H), transfers from Hickam Field to Wheeler Field, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii with B-17's and B-18's and begins flying search missions which continue until Jul 42.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): The air echelon of the 30BS(H), 19BG(H), transfers from Clark Field, Luzon to Batchelor Field near Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia with B-17's. The ground echelon is reassigned to the 5th Interceptor Command (Provisional) and will fight as infantry in the Philippines.
SUNDAY, 21 DECEMBER 1941
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): The 152OS, 26OG, begins flying ASW patrols from Ft Devens AAFld, Massachusetts with O-47's, O-49's, O-52's, O-58's and O-59's. The patrols continue until Aug 42.
MONDAY, 22 DECEMBER 1941
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN: The 20TS, Panama Air Depot, transfers from France Field, Canal Zone to Waller Field, Trinidad with C-39's, C-47's and C-49's. A detachment of the squadron remains at Howard Field, Canal Zone.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): The 34BS(M), 17BG(M), begins flying ASW patrols from Pendleton AAB, Oregon with B-25's. The 102OS, 71OG, transfers from Ft McClellan, Alabama to San Bernardino AAFld, California with O-46's, O-47's and O-49's and flies ASW patrols until Oct 42.
INTERNATIONAL: The Anglo-American conference (ARCADIA) opens in Washington, DC to deal with war strategy. President Franklin D Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston S Churchill, Harry Hopkins, Lord Beaverbrook, and American and British Chief of Staffs participate.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 9 B-17's from Batchelor Field near Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, attack shipping in Davao Bay, Mindanao Island and land at Del Monte on Mindanao Island.
HQ 7BG(H) and the ground echelon of it's 9th, 11th and 22BS(H) and attached 88RS(H) arrive at Brisbane, Australia from the US. The air echelons of the 9th and 11th are enroute from the US to Australia with B-17's; the air echelons of the 22 and 88th are operating from Hickam Field, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii until 5 Jan 42 and 10 Feb 42 respectively with B-17's. The 16th, 17th and 91BS(L), 27BG(L) transfer from Ft William McKinley to Lipa Airfield, San Fernando and San Marceleno, Luzon respectively without aircraft.
TUESDAY, 23 DECEMBER 1941
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN: The 31PS (Interceptor), 37PG (Interceptor), transfers from Chorrera, Panama to Albrook Field, Canal Zone with P-26's and P-40's.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): The air echelon of the 16RS(M) attached to the 42BG(M), begins flying ASW patrols from Paine Field, Washington with B-18's and B-26's; patrols continue until May 42. The 110OS, 71OG, begins flying ASW patrols from Salinas AAB, California with O-46's and O-47's; patrols continue until Aug 42.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 4 B-17's take off from Del Monte on Mindanao Island after midnight during the night of 22/23 Dec and bomb shipping in Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. 12 P-4O's and 6 P-35's strafe forces landing in San Miguel Bay on Luzon. The FEAF comes under control of the newly-created US Forces in Australia (USFIA).
Major General Lewis H Brereton, Commanding General FEAF, receives orders establishing HQ FEAF at Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
WEDNESDAY, 24 DECEMBER 1941(Christmas Eve):
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): A B-25 crew of the 95BS(M), 17BG(M), at Pendleton Field, Pendleton, Oregon, claims a submarine sunk off the mouth of the Columbia River, but this claim is not confirmed by the committees of the USN and British Admiralty which later assesses damage to enemy submarines during World War II.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 3 B-17's fly from Del Monte, Mindanao Island during the night of 24/25 Dec, bomb the airfield and shipping at Davao on Mindanao Island and land at Batchelor Field near Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. 2 airplanes leave Manila, Luzon for Darwin with personnel of HQ FEAF. Army AF units on Luzon, as well as ground forces, begin moving to Bataan Peninsula.
HQ 19BG(H) and the air echelon of the 28BS(H) transfer from Clark Field, Luzon to Batchelor Field with B-17's. The ground echelon of the 28th will fight as infantry on Luzon and Mindanao.
The air echelon of the 14BG(H), 7BG(H) begins operating from Batchelor Field with B-17's. The ground echelon is still at Clark Field, Luzon. The air echelons of the 16th, 17th and 91BS(L), 27BG(L) begin operating from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia with A-24's. The ground echelons will fight as infantry on Luzon.
The 17PS (Interceptor), 24PG (Interceptor) ceases operating from Clark Field, Luzon with P-40's.
THURSDAY, 25 DECEMBER 1941(Christmas Day):
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): The 122OS, 68OG, begins flying ASW patrols from New Orleans AAB, Louisifile and with O-38's, O-46's, O-47's and O-49's; patrols continue until Feb 42. The 154OS, 68OG, begins flying ASW patrols from Eglin Field, Florida with O-47's and O-49's; patrols continue until Feb 42.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Lieutenant Colonel Charles H Caldwell sets up HQ FEAF on the (RAAF) airfield at Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
HQ V BC is also established at Darwin.
The 3d, 17th, 20th, 21 and 34PSs (Interceptor), 24PG (Interceptor), transfer from Ternate, Nichols Field, Clark Field, Nichols Field and Del Carmen respectively to Bataan, Luzon with P-35's and P-40's. The 17th and 20th begin operating from Lubao, Luzon with P-40's.
HQ 27BG(L) and the ground echelon of it's 16th, 17th and 91BS(L) transfer from Lipa Airfield, San Fernando and San Marceleno respectively to Cabcaben, Luzon. The air echelons are operating from Brisbane, Australia; the ground echelons will fight as infantry on Luzon.
FRIDAY, 26 DECEMBER 1941
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): The 105th and 121OSs, 65OG, transfer from Owens Field, South Carolina to Langley Field, Virginia with O-47's and O-52's and begin ASW patrols which continue until Oct 42.
SATURDAY, 27 DECEMBER 1941
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): The 103OS, 59th OG, begins flying ASW patrols from Hillsgrove AAFld, Rhode Island with O-46's and O-47's; patrols continue until Aug 42.
SUNDAY, 28 DECEMBER 1941
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): The ground echelon of the 17BS(L), 27BG(L) transfers from Cabcaben to Limay, Luzon. The air echelon is operating from Brisbane, Australia.
MONDAY, 29 DECEMBER 1941
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA: In response to repeated requests by this Command to the War Department for additional aircraft to defend Alaska, the 77BS(M), 42BG(M), arrives at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage with 13 B-26's.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): The 27PS (Fighter), 1PG (Fighter) ceases flying ASW patrols from NAS San Diego, California with P-38's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Major General Lewis H Brereton, Commanding General FEAF, arrives at his new HQ at Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Colonel Harold H George remains at Manila in command of the air elements left in the Philippines, the chief center of Army AF activity in the S Philippines being Del Monte on Mindanao Island where air personnel are under the command of Major Ray T Ellsmore. (Brigadier General George is killed in an aircraft accident near Darwin on 29 Apr 42. Victorville AFB, California is renamed George AFB on 2 Jun 50 in his memory.) The ground echelon of the 16BS(L), 27BG(L), transfers from Cabcaben to Bataan, Luzon. The air echelon is operating from Brisbane, Australia.
TUESDAY, 30 DECEMBER 1941
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA: The 11PS (Interceptor), Western Theater of Operations, US Army, arrives at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage with 25 P-40's.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): The 71PS (Fighter), 1FG (Fighter), ceases flying ASW patrols from NAS San Diego, California with P-38's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): HQ 19BG(H) and the air echelon of it's 28BS(H) transfer from Batchelor Field near Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia to Singosari, Java, Netherlands East Indies with B-17's. The ground echelon of the 28th is on Luzon and Mindanao Islands.
The air echelon of the 14BS(H), 7BG(H), transfers from Batchelor Field to Singosari, Java with B-17's. The ground echelon is on Luzon Island.
WEDNESDAY, 31 DECEMBER 1941 (New Year's Eve):
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): The 104OS, 59OG, based at Detrick Field, Maryland begins flying ASW patrols from Ft Dix AAFld, New Jersey with O-46's, O-47's, O-49's and O-59's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): The 17th and 20PSs (Interceptor), 24PG (Interceptor), cease operating from Lubao with P-40's and return to their base on Bataan, Luzon.
The air echelon of the 30BS(H), 19BG(H) transfers from Batchelor Field near Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia to Singosari, Java, Netherlands East Indies with B-17's. The ground echelon is on Luzon and Mindanao Islands in the Philippines.
JANUARY 1942
THURSDAY, 1 JANUARY 1942
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN: HQ 53PG (Interceptor) arrives at Howard Field, Canal Zone from the US.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The Declaration of the United Nations is signed. Each signatory pledges not to make a separate peace and to employ its full resources against members of and adherents to the Tripartite Pact with which it is at war. The 43BS(H), 29BG(H), transfers from Pope Field, North Carolina to MacDill Field, Florida and continues flying ASW patrols with B-17's.
During the month of January, the following squadrons begin flying antisubmarine patrols: 2RS(H) and 27th and 38BS(H), 30BG(H) at Muroc, California with A-29's. 6BS(H), 29BG(H), MacDill Field, Florida with B-17's. 31OS, IV Air Support Command at San Bernardino AAFld, California with O-49's. 46BS(M), 41BG(M) at Muroc, California with B-18's. 52BS(H), 29BG(H) at MacDill Field, Florida with B-17's.
During the month of January, the following squadron cease flying antisubmarine patrols: 2d, 19th and 33BS(M) and 18RS(M), 22BG(M) at Muroc, California with B-26's.
8th, 13th, 89th and 90BS(L), 3BG(L) at Savannah AAB, Georgia with A-20's.
12RS(H), 39BG(H) at Geiger Field, Washington with B-17's.
13RS(H) and 65BS(H), 43BG(H) at Dow Field, Maine with B-17's.
15BS(L), V Air Support Command at Ft Dix AAFld, New Jersey with A-20's.
84th, 85th, 86th and 97BS(L), 47BG(L) at Hammer Field, California with B-18's and LB-30's.
109OS(M), 67OG, at Savannah AB, Georgia with O-38's, O-47's, O-49's and O-58's.
113OS(M), 67OG, at MacDill Field, Florida with O-47's, O-49's and O-52's.
153OS(L), 67OG, at Bluethenthal Field, North Carolina with O-47's, O-49's and O-52's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): HQ 24PG (Interceptor) from Clark Field to Mariveles, Luzon, Philippine Islands.
The ground echelon of the 14BS(H), 7BG(H), transfers from Clark Field, Luzon to Bugo, indanao, Island. The air echelon is operating from Singosari, Java with -17's. The air echelon of the 93BS(H), 19BG(H), transfers from Batchelor Field, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia to Singosari, Java with B-17's. The ground echelon is still on Luzon and Mindanao Islands in the Philippines.
FRIDAY, 2 JANUARY 1942
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN: The 13th, 14th and 15th Pursuit Squadrons (Interceptor), 53PG (Interceptor), arrive at Howard Field, Canal Zone; Chame, Panama; and La Chorrera, Panama respectively, from the US with P-39's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): The Japanese occupy Manila and Cavite naval base.
SATURDAY, 3 JANUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The 104OS, 59OG transfers from Detrick Field, Maryland to Atlantic City MAP, New Jersey.
The air echelon has been flying ASW patrols from Ft Dix AAFld, New Jersey with O-46, 0-47, O-49 and O-59's since 30 Dec 41.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): President Franklin D Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston S Churchill announce the creation of a unified command in the SW Pacific, with General Sir Archibald P Wavell as supreme commander of American, British, Dutch, and Australian (ABDA) forces in that area.
SUNDAY, 4 JANUARY 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Fighters from Bataan Peninsula, Luzon Island, attempt the interception of a bombing raid on Corregidor Island in Manila Bay. The fighters, failing to intercept until the enemy airplanes are over the target, have little effect on the raid. Several fighters depart for Mindanao Island following the mission .
The 21PS (Interceptor), 35PG (Interceptor), transfers from Lubao to Bataan Peninsula, Luzon, Philippine Islands with P-40's.
MONDAY, 5 JANUARY 1942
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: The air echelon of the 22BS(H), 7BG(H), which has been operating from Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii since 18 Dec 41, departs for Singosari, Java with B-17's. The ground echelon is at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's from Malang, Java stage through Samarinda, Borneo during the night of 4/5 Jan and attack shipping in Davao Bay on Mindanao Island, Philippine Islands. US Forces in Australia (USFIA), which controls FEAF, is redesignated US Army Forces in Australia (USAFIA), and Major General George H Brett assumes command.
The ground echelons of the 17th and 91BS(L), 27BG(L), transfer from Limay to Bataan Peninsula, Luzon, Philippine Islands. The air echelons are operating from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia with A-24's.
THURSDAY, 8 JANUARY 1942
UNITED KINGDOM: Major General James E Chaney is designated Commanding General US Army Forces in British Isles USAFBI); he continues as the Chief, Special Observer Group, US Army (SPOBS).
FRIDAY, 9 JANUARY 1942
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN: The 74BS(H), 6BG(H), transfers from Rio Hato, Panama to Guatemala City, Guatemala and continues flying ASW patrols with B-18's.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The 21BS(H), 30BG(H), begins flying ASW patrols from Muroc AAB, California with A-29's.
The 48BS(M), 41BG(M) transfers from Muroc AAB to Bakersfield MAP, California and continues flying ASW patrols with A-29's and B-18's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's, flying out of Kendari, Celebes Island, strike shipping in Davao Bay, Mindanao, Philippine Islands.
SATURDAY, 10 JANUARY 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In the Philippine Islands, fighter units complete a movement (begun 24 Dec 41) from various bases on Luzon Island to Bataan Peninsula on Luzon Island.
SUNDAY, 11 JANUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The 6RS(M), attached to the 41BS(M), transfers from Muroc AAB to MatherField, California and continues flying ASW patrols with A-29's, B-18's and LB-30's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's, out of Malang, Java, attack Japanese landing forces on Tarakan Island off Borneo.
MONDAY, 12 JANUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The 112OS, 65OG, begins flying ASW patrols from Dover AAFld, Delaware with O-47's, O-49's and O-57's. The patrols will continue until Oct 42.
TUESDAY, 13 JANUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: American and British Chiefs of Staff (CoSs) formally adopt an agreement to begin the movement of US AFs to the United ingdom as soon as possible in order to intensify the attack on Germany.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): The air chelons of the 9th and 11BS(H), 7BG(H), arrive at Singosari, Java from the US with B-17's; the air chelon of the 22BS(H) arrives at Singosari from the Territory of Hawaii. The ground echelons are at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
WEDNESDAY, 14 JANUARY 1942
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN: The 108OS(M), 72OG, arrives at Rio Hato, Panama from the US with O-47's. The squadron will provide air defense for the Panama Canal until Nov 43.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The ARCADIA conference ends. The conference, held in Washington, DC starting on 20 Dec 41, developed plans for the proposed Anglo-American offensive against Germany. Participants include President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill and their military staffs. Major discussions include the creation of the Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) to direct the US-British war effort, and employment of the main military efforts against Germany while containing the Japanese offensive. Colonel Claude E Duncan leaves Washington for Britain to prepare for the arrival of the Shadow Staff of BC.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): HQ FEAF and HQ V BC transfer from Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia to Java.
THURSDAY, 15 JANUARY 1942
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA: The Alaskan AF is activated at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage. The commander is Lieutenant Colonel Everett S Davis.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The 39PS (Interceptor), 35PG (Interceptor), ceases flying ASW patrols from Bellingham, Washington with P-39's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's, flying out of Palembang, Sumatra, attack Sungei Patani Airfield, Malaysia.
FRIDAY, 16 JANUARY 1942
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: The first significant deployment of aircraft from Hawaiian AF begins with movement of 6 B-17's, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Walter C Sweeney, to Palmyra Atoll in the Line Islands for duty with Task Group 8.9.
SATURDAY 17 JANUARY 1942
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: Aircraft unsuccessfully attack submarines in the Hawaiian Island area. B-17's of Task Group 8.9 proceed from Palmyra Atoll in the Line Islands to Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): On Celebes Island, B-17's from Malang, Java, staging through Kendari, hit Langoan Airfield and ships in Menado Bay.
SUNDAY, 18 JANUARY 1942
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN: HQ 72OG arrives at Howard Field, Canal Zone from the US.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The first increment (1,400 men) of US forces to be sent to the United Kingdom sails for Northern Ireland.
HQ 42BG(M) transfers from Gowen Field, Idaho to McChord Field, Washington. The group's squadrons are flying ASW patrols off the Pacific Northwest.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: Another unsuccessful attack on enemy submarines in Hawaiian Island area. B-17's of Task Group 8.9 conduct antisubmarine search from Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands.
MONDAY, 19 JANUARY 1942
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN: The 108OS(M), 72OG, transfers from Rio Hato, Panama to Howard Field, Canal Zone with O-47's.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: B-17's of Task Group 8.9 fly antisubmarine Mission from Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's, flying out of Malang, Java, attack shipping at Jolo Island in the Philippine Islands.
The air echelon of the 9BS(H), 7BG(H), transfers from Singosari to Jogjakarta, Java with B-17's.
The ground echelon is at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
The air echelons of the 11th and 22BS(H), 7BG(H), transfer from Singosari to Jogjakarta, Java with B-17's; the ground echelons transfer from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia to Jogjakarta.
TUESDAY, 20 JANUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: HQ 13BG(M) and it's 39BS(M) transfer from Orlando AAB, Florida to Westover Field, Massachusetts and begin flying ASW patrols with B-18's and B-25's.
The 76BS(M), 42BG(M), transfers from Gowen Field, Idaho to McChord Field, Washington and continues flying ASW patrols with B-26's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Major General George H Brett, Commanding General US Army Forces in Australia (USAFIA), halts ferrying of aircraft from India to the Netherlands East Indies. The USAAF has been sending heavy bombers to Java by way of Africa and India, but the Japanese are able to inflict prohibitive losses on USAAF aircraft on the last stops of the route by interception from newly acquired airfields near Java.
WEDNESDAY, 21 JANUARY 1942
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN: The 25BS(H), 6BG(H), transfers from Rio Hato, Panama to Salinas, Ecuador and begins flying ASW patrols with B-18's.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The 16RS(M), attached to the 42BG(M), transfers from Gowen Field, Idaho to Paine Field, Washington and continues flying ASW patrols with B-18's and B-26's.
The 41PS (Interceptor), 35PG (Interceptor), ceases flying ASW patrols from Paine Field, Washington with P-39's.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: B-17's of Task Group 8.9 fly from Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands to Nandi in the Fiji Islands.
THURSDAY, 22 JANUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The 3RS(M), attached to the 13BG(M), transfers from Orlando AAB, Florida to Mitchel Field, New York and continues flying ASW patrols with B-18's and B-25's.
The 40BS(M), 13BG(M), transfer from Orlando AAB, Florida to Westover Field, Massachusetts and continue flying ASW patrols with B-18's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): From this date through 3 Feb, B-17's launch at least 15 missions out of Malang, Java against shipping moving through Makassar Strait between Borneo and Celebes Island. 4 missions abort due to bad weather, 6 end with negative results, and the remaining 5 suffer heavy losses but sink 4 ships.
FRIDAY, 23 JANUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The Flying Training Command is established under the Chief of Air Corps and given jurisdiction over the Southeast Gulf Coast and West Coast Flying Training Centers which had been established on 8 Jul 40.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: HQ 14PW is inactivated at Wheeler Field, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. B-17's of Task Group 8.9 return from Nandi in the Fiji Islands to Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands.
SATURDAY, 24 JANUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The Special Court of Inquiry on Pearl Harbor, headed by Supreme Court Justice Owen J Roberts, places main responsibility for the 7 Dec 41disaster on Admiral Husband E Kimmel and Lieutenant General Walter C Short, accusing them of neglecting to heed attack warning, failing to confer with each other, and taking only minimum precautions. The 20BS(H), 2BG(H), which has been operating from Mitchel Field, New York since 8 Dec 41, returns to it's base at Langley Field, Virginia and continues flying ASW patrols with B-17's.
The 89RS(M), attached to the 17BG(M), transfers from McChord Field, Washington to Pendleton AAB, Oregon and continues flying ASW patrols with B-25's.
SUNDAY, 25 JANUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The 1RS(H) and 4th, 7th and 18BS(H), 34BG(H), transfer from Westover Field, Massachusetts to Pendleton AAB, Oregon and continues flying ASW patrols with B-17's. The 41BS(M), 13BG(M), transfers from Orlando AAB, Florida to Westover Field, Massachusetts and continues flying ASW patrols with B-25's.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: B-17's of Task Group 8.9 fly from Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands to Nandi in the Fiji Islands.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): The first USAAFPS in Java, the 17PS (Provisional) under Major Charles A Sprague, arrives with 13 P-40's flown from Australia.
MONDAY, 26 JANUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Lieutenant General Henry H (Hap) Arnold recommends to the General George C Marshall, Army Chief of Staff, that the AAF in Britain (AAFIB) be composed of a headquarters and 3 commands-bomber, interceptor, and base.
The 118OS(L), 66OG, transfers from Jacksonville AAFld, Florida to Charleston AAFld, Florida and starts flying ASW patrols with O-46's, O-47's and O-49's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Fighters from Bataan, Luzon Island bomb and strafe Nichols and Nielson Fields on Luzon Island during the night of 26/27 Jan, inflicting considerable damage on aircraft and fuel storage.
UNITED KINGDOM: The first increment of US troops arrives in NorthernIreland.
TUESDAY, 27 JANUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: HQ 34BG(H) transfers from Westover Field, Massachusetts to Pendleton AAB, Oregon. The group's squadrons are flying ASW patrols in the Pacific Northwest.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: B-17's of Task Group 8.9 return to Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands.
WEDNESDAY, 28 JANUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: HQ 8AF is activated at Savannah AB, Georgia, Colonel Asa N Duncan commanding. The 8th is originally designated as the air element of GYMNAST (the Allied plan for the seizure of Casablanca and the invasion of NW Africa).
The 66th, 67th and 68BS(H), 44BG(H), begin flying ASW patrols from Barksdale Field, Louisiana with B-18's and B-24's.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: B-17's of Task Group 8.9 fly an unsuccessful antisubmarine Mission from Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's from Malang, Java and Palembang, Sumatra attack airfields at Kendari on Celebes Island and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
THURSDAY, 29 JANUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The 107OS(L), 67OG, ceases flying ASW patrols and transfers from Charleston AAFld, South Carolina to Esler Field, Louisiana.
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: HQ 18BW is inactivated and replaced by the HQ VII BC which is activated at Hickam Field, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii.
B-17's of Task Group 8. 9 fly from Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands to Palmyra Atoll in the Line Islands.
The 70PS (Interceptor), US Army Forces in Fiji, arrives in Fiji from the US with P-39's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's, striking out of Palembang, Sumatra, hit Kuantan airfield in Malaysia scoring numerous hits on runways and hangars.
FRIDAY, 30 JANUARY 1942
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS HAWAII: B-17's of Task Group 8.9 return to Hawaii, having completed a mission (began on 16 Jan 42) which afforded a pioneer look at the problem of air operations over vast Pacific areas, especially the problems of navigation and the servicing of aircraft.
SATURDAY, 31 JANUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Major General Ira C Eaker is designated Commanding General, BC, US Army Forces in British Isles (USAFBI) and ordered to proceed to the United Kingdom.
FEBRUARY 1942
SUNDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: (HQ USAAF): Units activated on this date are VIII Bomber Command at Langley Field, Hampton, Virginia, VIII Interceptor Command at Selfridge Field, Mt Clemens, Michigan, and IX Interceptor Command at New Orleans AAB, Louisiana.
(1AF): During Feb, the 63and 64BS(H), 43BG(H), cease flying ASW patrols from Dow Field, Bangor, Maine with LB-30's and B-18's respectively.
(4AF): During Feb, the 75BS(M), 42BG(M), begins flying ASW patrols from Portland AAB, Oregon with B-18's and B-26's.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, FEAF): In the Philippine Islands, P-40's from Bataan bomb and strafe Ianding barges off Quinauan Point during the night of 1/2 Feb. These strikes, in conjunction with naval and field artillery fire, cause considerable damage and casualties but fail to prevent the landings which take place S of the point, although the attempt to reinforce troops already on the point is thwarted.
HQ 35PG (Interceptor) arrives at Brisbane, Australia from the US.
MONDAY, 2 FEBRUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): 122OS(L) and 154OS(M), 68OG, cease flying ASW patrols from New Orleans AAB, Louisiana and Eglin Field, Valpariso, Florida respectively with O-47's and O-49's.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Hawaiian AF): VII Interceptor Command is activated at Ft Shafter, Territory of Hawaii with Brigadier General Howard C Davidson in command. Major General Willis H Hale commands the VII Bomber Command.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, FEAF): HQ 49PG (Interceptor) and 7th, 8th and 9PSs (Interceptor) arrive at Melbourne, Australia from the US with P-40's; first Mission is 14 Mar, 20 Apr and 18 Mar respectively.
TUESDAY, 3 FEBRUARY 1942
ATO - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN: 31PS (Interceptor), 37PG (Interceptor), transfers from Albrook Field, Canal Zone to Chorrera, Panama with P-26's and P-40's.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, FEAF): Bad weather from now until 18 Feb, along with effective interception by fighters, thwarts attempts of heavy bombers in Java to deliver damaging blows on shipping and airfields in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI). B-17's strikes from Singosari, Java against shipping at Balikpapan, Borneo on 9 Feb and an airfield at Kendari, Celebes Island on 9 Feb are repulsed by fighter attacks. B-17's on a shipping strike claim hits on a carrier near Sinjai, Sumatra.
WEDNESDAY, 4 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, FEAF): HQ 7BG(H), 9BS(H), and 88RS(H) begin a movement from Brisbane, Australia to Karachi, India. The 9th is operating from Jogjakarta, Java with B-17's; the 88th is operating from Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii with B-17's.
THURSDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 1942
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Alaskan AF): Alaskan AF is redesignated 11AF.
CARIBBEAN (Caribbean AF): Caribbean AF is redesignated 6AF.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 47BS(M), 41BG(M), transfers from Muroc AAFld to Visalia AAFld, California with A-29's and continues flying ASW patrols.
ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): 113OS(M), 67th Observation Group, transfers from Key Field, Meridian, Mississippi to New Orleans AAB, Louisiana and starts flying ASW patrols with O-47's, O-49's and O-52's.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Hawaiian AF): Hawaiian AF is redesignated 7AF.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, FEAF): FEAF is redesignated 5AF.
Air echelon of 91BS(L), 27BG(L), ceases operating from Brisbane, Australia with A-24's and begins a movement to Malang, Java. The ground echelon is based on Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands.
FRIDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 1942
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ZONE OF INTERIOR
(HQ US Army): The War Department announces the creation of the US-British Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) in Washington, DC.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 94PS (Fighter), 1PG (Fighter), transfers from Naval Air Station San Diego to Long Beach Municipal Airport, California with P-38's and continues ASW patrols.
SATURDAY, 7 FEBRUARY 1942
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ZONE OF INTERIOR(3AF): 14RS(H) and 68BS(H), 44BG(H), transfer from MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida to Barksdale Field, Shreveport, Louisiana with B-24's and continue ASW patrols. The 14th will be redesiganted 404BS(H) on 22 Apr.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 27BS(H), 30BG(H), transfers from Muroc AAFld to March Field, Riverside, California with A-29's and continues ASW patrols.
SUNDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 79PS (Interceptor), 20PG (Interceptor), ceases flying ASW patrols from Oakland Municipal Airport, California with P-40's and returns to base at Hamilton Field, San Rafael, California.
MONDAY, 9 FEBRUARY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 36BS(H), 28th Composite Group, transfers from Elmendorf Field, Anchorage to Ft Greeley, Kodiak Island, Aleutian Islands with B-18's.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): 78th and 79BS(M), 45BG(M), begin flying ASW patrols from Grenier Field, Manchester, New Hampshire with B-18's and DB-7's.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): 66th and 67BS(H), 44BG(H), transfers from MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida to Barksdale Field, Shreveport, Louisiana with B-24's and continues ASW patrols.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 38BS(H), 30BG(H), transfers from Muroc AAFld to March Field, Riverside, California with B-18's and continues ASW patrols.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12 B-17's are detached and released to Commander-in-Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC) for assignment to Task Force (TF) 11 for operations in the S Pacific.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Between this day and 18 Feb, heavy bombers fly at lesst 14 missions, but they result in claims of only 3 hits on shipping.
TUESDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 1942
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12PS (Interceptor), 50PG (Interceptor), arrives on Christmas Island, Line Islands from the US with P-39's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Air echelon of the 88RS(H), 7BG(H), begins a movement from Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii to the Fiji Islands with B-17's. The ground echelon is enroute from Australia to India.
WEDNESDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 21BG(H), 30BG(H) (under control of 28th Composite Group), transfers from Muroc AAFld to March Field, Riverside, California with A-29's and continues ASW patrols.
THURSDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (8AF): Lieutenant General Henry H (Hap) Arnold indicates that 16 heavy bomber groups, 3 PGs, and 8 photo-RSs will be sent to the UK during 1942. Brigadier General Asa N Duncan, Commanding General 8AF, requests that his force, inadequate for its intended mission under Operation GYMNAST (early Allied plan for the seizure of Casablanca and the invasion of NW Africa), be strengthened by several bombardment and PGs. This move, if carried out, would require diversion of units originally intended for other task forces.
ZI - ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (10AF):HQ 10AF is activated at Patterson Field, Fairfield, Ohio.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Air echelon of the 88RS(H), 7BG(H), arrives at Nandi Airport, Fiji Islands from the Territory of Hawaii with B-17's. The ground echelon is enroute from Australia to India.
SATURDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 1942
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): A B-17 flies a photo reconnaissance mission over Wake Island.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 9PS (Interceptor), 49PG (Interceptor), transfers from Melbourne to Williamstown, Australia with P-40's; first Mission is 18 Mar. A detachment of the 22BS(H), 7BG(H), based at Jogjakarta, Java begins operating from Nandi Airport, Fiji Islands with B-17's under control of USN (USN).
SUNDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): 89RS(M) and 95BS(M), 17BG(M), transfer from Pendleton Field, Oregon to Columbia AAB, South Carolina with B-25's and continue ASW patrols.
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS: Japanese forces on the Malay Peninsula capture Singapore.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS: In the UK, Lieutenant Colonel Townsend Griffiss, aide to Major General James E Chaney, is killed when the aircraft in which he is a passenper is mistakenly shot down by RAF Polish fliers. He is the first US airman to die in the line of duty in Europe since the US entered World War II. The 8AF base at Bushy Park is later named Camp Griffiss in his honor.
MONDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): 34th and 37BS(M), 17BG(M), transfer from Pendleton Field, Oregon to Columbia AAB, South Carolina with B-25's and continues ASW patrols.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): HQ 49PG (Interceptor) and 7PS (Interceptor) transfer from Melbourne to Bankstown, Australia with P-40's; the 8PS (Interceptor) transfers from Melbourne to Canberra with P-40's.
Air echelon of the 16BS(L), 27BG(L), transfers from Brisbane to Batchelor, Australia with A-24's.
The ground echelon is on Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands.
TUESDAY, 17 FEBRUARY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Colonel Lidnel R Dunlap arrives from the ZI and becomes Commanding Officer of the 11AF.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (10AF):Colonel Harry A Halverson becomes Commanding Officer.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): The air echeon of the 88RS(H), 7BG(H), departs Nandi Airport, Fiji Islands from Australia with B-17's. The ground echelon is enroute Australia to India.
WEDNESDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Detachment of the 22BS(H), 7BG(H), departs Nandi Airport, Fiji Islands from Australia with B-17's. The squadron is based at Jogjakarta, Java. Air echelon of 91BS(L), 27BG(L), begins operating from Malang, Java with A-4's; ground echelon is on Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands.
THURSDAY, 19 FEBRUARY 1942
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): 20TS, Panama Air Depot, transfers from France Field to Howard Field, Canal Zone with C-39's, C-47's and C-49's.
32PS (Interceptor), 36PG (Interceptor), transfers from Losey Field to Arecibo, Puerto Rico with P-36's.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): VII AF Base Cmmand (AFBC) is activated.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In the NEI, A-24's, with P-40 escort, and B-17's operating out of Malang, Madioen, and Jogjakarta, Java, attack vessels landing troops on Bali; the attacks, carried out during the aftenoon of 19 Feb and throughout the morning of 20 Feb, cause considerable damage to vessels but fail to halt the landings; P-40's shoot down or turn back seversl bombers sweeping W over Java. Japanese aircraft attack Darwin, Australia, bombing vessels loaded with troops destined for the defense of Koepang on Timor Island; 10 P-40's sent to Darwin to escort the convoy are almost entirely wiped out by the attack.
FRIDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
Brigadier General Ira C Eaker arrives in the UK with 6 staff officers.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 19PS (Interceptor), 18PG (Interceptor), transfers from Wheeler Field to Bellows Field, Territory of Hawaii wtih P-40's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Air echelon of 17BS(L), 27BG(L), begins a movement from Brisbane to Batchelor, Australia with A-24's. Ground echelon is on Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands. Detachment of the 22BS(H) and air echelon of 88RS(H), 7BG(H), arrive at Townsville, Australia from Fiji Island with B-17's. The detachment of the 22BS is under control of the USN. Ground echelon of the 22BG is at Jogjakarta, Java; ground echelon of 88th is enroute from Australia to India.
SATURDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Major General George H Brett, Deputy Commanding General American-British-Dutch-Australian Forces Command (ABDACOM) informs the War Department of his decision to evacuate the 5AF and other US troops from Java, NEI. 5AF bombers at Java bases fly about 20 strikes, usually in 2 and 3 aircraft elements, against shipping in the Java Sea and against targets on Bali from this date through 1Mar. 11strikes are complete failures; the remainder, although causing some damage to vessels and airfield facilities, fail to deter the invasion of Java.
SUNDAY, 22 FEBRUARY 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Air echelon of 17BS(L), 27BG(L), arrives at Batchelor from Brisbane, Australia with A-24's. Ground echelon is on Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands.
MONDAY, 23 FEBRUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Japanese submarine I-17 fires 13 rounds of 5.5-in (140mm) shells from a range of 2,500 yards (2,286 m) at an oil refinery N of Santa Barbara, California. Pursuit and bomber aircraft sent to the area are unable to destroy the sub.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ VIII BC arrives at Daws Hill, England from the US; Major General Ira C Eaker assumes command.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's fly the first Mission against Rabaul, New Britain Island. Operating out of Townsville, Australia the force suffers mechanical trouble and runs into bad weather. Only 1 B-17 manages to bomb the target.
Major General Lewis H Brereton, Commanding General 5AF, departs for India after issuing an order terminating HQ 5AF. Until 3 Sep 42, units of the 5AF will be initially under control of ABDACOM and then Allied AF (SWPA).
TUESDAY, 24 FEBRUARY 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): Reports of unidentified aircraft approachine Los Angeles, California from the ocean during the night of 24/25 Feb result in the "Battle of Los Angeles" in which some 1,400 rounds of 3-in (76.2 mm) AA ammunition is fired against various "targets." Later the US Army will conclude that the "battle" had been touched off by 1to 5 unidentified aircraft, but the USN will maintain there was no reason for the firing.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Heavy bomber units begin evacuating Java, NEI.
WEDNESDAY, 25 FEBRUARY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: (HQ USAAF): The Air War Plans Division recommends removal of Operation GYMNAST (early Allied plan for the seizure of Casablanca and the invasion of NW Africa) from the list of current projects. This proposal, if adopted, would leave the 8AF uncommitted to any operation.
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS [ETO, US Army Forces in British Isles (USAFBI)]: Major General James E Chaney, Commanding General USAFBI, instructs Brigadier General Ira C Eaker and the staff of the VIII BC to proceed to HQ, RAF BC for a study of bombing operations, and to make reconnaissance of certain airfields and submit plans for the reception and assignment of Army AFs units.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Arriving at Brisbane, Australia from the US are: HQ 3BG(L) and 8th, 13th, 89th and 90BS(L) with A-20's; first Mission is in Apr. HQ 22BG(M), 2d, 19th and 33BS(M) and 18RS(M) with B-26's; first Mission is in Apr. HQ 38BG(M) and 15RS(M) and 69th, 70th and 71BS(M) with B-26's; first Mission is Jun; air echelon of 69th and 70th remain in the US until May/Jun.
39PS (Interceptor), 35PS (Interceptor), with P-39's; first Mission is 2 Jun.
THURSDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 2RS(H), 30BG(H) and 46BS(M), 41BG(M), transfer from Muroc AAFld to Hammer Field, Fresno, California with LB-30's and B-18's respectively and continue flying ASW patrols.
FRIDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): The Battle of Java Sea. Allied air and naval units try to stop a convoy of some 80 ships approaching Java from the NE. All available B-17's, A-24's, P-40's and LB-30's are put into the air but achieve only insignificant results. An Allied naval force, 5 cruisers and 11destroyers, under Rear Admiral Karel W Doorman, Royal Netherlands Navy, meets the enemy near Surabaya, Java and is decisively defeated, losing 5 ships. Most of the 5AF ground echelon in Java is evacusted by sea. The SS Sea Witch delivers 27 crated P-40's to Tjilatjap, Java, but these will be destroyed to prevent their falling into Japanese hands. 32 P-40's aboard the Seaplane Tender USS Langley (AV-3), which sailed from Australia for India on 23 Feb, are lost when the USS Langley is sunk by aircraft 100 mi (160 km) S of Tjilatjsp. The pilots are rescued by other vessels in the convoy, but the enemy sinks these ships with the exception of a destroyer, which delivers 2 of the pilots to Perth, Australia.
13RS(H), 43BG(H), arrives at Melbourne, Australia from the US with B-17's; first Mission is Oct 42.
SATURDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): 92RS(M), 45BG(M), begins flying ASW patrols from Dow Field, Bangor, Maine with A-29's.
MARCH 1942
SUNDAY, 1 MARCH 1942
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): During Mar, a detachment of the 23PS (Interceptor), 36PG (Interceptor), is sent from Vega Baja, Puerto Rico to St Thomas, US Virgin Islands with P-39's and P-40's.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): During Mar, the following cease flying ASW patrols: 15OS(M), III Air Support Command, from Ellington Field, Houston, Texas with O-47's, O-49's and O-52's. 34th, 37th, and 95BS(M) and 89RS(M), 17BG(M), from Columbia AAB, South Carolina with B-25's. The 89th is redesignated 432BS(H) on 22 Apr. During Mar, the 55th, 56th, 57th and 88BS(L), 48BG(L), begin flying ASW patrols from Savannah AB, Georgia with A-20's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): The last heavy bomber mission is flown from Java, Netherlands East Indies (NEI). Air echelon of 9BS(H), 7BG(H), ceases operating from Jogjakarta, Java, NEI and begins a movement to India with B-17's and LB-30's. Ground echelon is already enroute from Australia to India.
11BS(H), 7BG(H), begins a movement from Jogjakarta, Java to Melbourne, Australia with B-17's and LB-30's.
Air echelon of 14BS(H), 7BG(H) [attached to 19BG(H)] ceases operating from Singosari, Java with B-17's, B-24's and LB-30's and begins moving to Melbourne, Australia. Ground echelon is at Bugo, Mindanao, Philippine Islands.
33BS(H), 22BG(M), transfers from Brisbane to Ipswich, Australia with B-26's; first Mission is 6 Apr.
Air echelon of 91BS(L), 27BG(L), ceases operating from Malang, Java and begins moving to Brisbane, Australia; ground echelon is on Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands.
93BS(H), 19BG(H), transfers from Singosari, Java to Melbourne, Australia.
During Mar: HQ 27BG(L) transfers from Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands to Batchelor Field, Australia.
HQ 35PG (Interceptor) transfers from Brisbane, Australia to New Delhi, India.
MONDAY, 2 MARCH 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: (AF Combat Command): 19OS(L), AF Combat Command, is activated at Miami Municipal Airport, Florida and during Mar begins flying ASW patrols with L-1's and L-4's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 5 B-17's and 3 LB-30's (the last airplane taking off just before midnight) evacuate the last 260 men from Jogjakarta, the last airfield on Java in Allied hands. Japanese ground forces are within 20 miles (32 km) at this time.
Bataan-based P-40's attack shipping in Subic Bay. The pilots claim considerable damage to the ships, but 4 of the few P-40's remaining on Bataan are lost.
HQ V BC ceases operating on Java and ceases to function as an operational unit.
HQ 19BG(H) transfers from Singosari, Java to Melbourne, Australia.
2 and 19BS(M), 22BG(M), transfer from Brisbane to Ipswich, Australia with B-26's; first Mission is in Apr.
TUESDAY, 3 MARCH 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) take under consideration a recommendation to continue Operation SUPERGYMNAST (projected plan to combine the US and British plans for the seizure of Dakar, Casablanca and Tunisia) as an "academic study" only. Thus the proposed N African venture ceases to affect the 8AF until it is revived later as Operation TORCH.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Japanese aircraft attack the airfield and harbor at Broome, Australia at 1000 hours, shortly after the arrival of 9 heavy bombers evacuating men from Java, NEI. The Japanese destroy 2 B-17's, 2 B-24's, 12 seaplanes, and 2 Hudsons, and kill at least 45 Dutch civilians and 20 US airmen.
WEDNESDAY, 4 MARCH 1942
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): A lone Japanese aircraft attempts to attack Honolulu, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii, but drops its bombs short of the city. Overcast conditions prevent successful pursuit by 7AF aircraft.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 11th and 22BS(H), 7BG(H), arrive at Melbourne, Australia from Jogjakarta, Java, NEI with B-17's and LB-30's. Air echelon of 14BS(H), 7BG(H) [attached to 19BG(H)] begins operating from Melbourne, Australia with B-17's, B-24's and LB-30's; ground echelon is at Bugo, Mindanano, Philippine Islands attached to 5th Interceptor Command (Provisional).
Air echelon of 28BS(H), 19BG(H), transfers from Singosari, Java, NEI to Melbourne, Australia with B-17's, B-24's and LB-30's. Ground echelon remains in Luzon and Mindanano Islands, Philippine Islands attached to the 5th Interceptor Command (Provisional).
THURSDAY, 5 MARCH 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: (HQ AAF): HQ XII Interceptor Command is activated at Drew Field, Tampa, Florida.
(1AF): The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) begins flying ASW patrols off the E coast.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): Major General Lewis H Brereton who arrived in India from the NEI on 25 Feb, formally takes command of the 10AF, which at this time has 8 tactical aircraft (B-17's).
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Air echelon of 30BS(H), 19BG(H), arrives at Melbourne, Australia from Singosari, Java, NEI with B-17's, B-24's and LB-30's. The ground echelon is on Luzon and Mindanao Islands, Philippine Islands attached to the 5th Interceptor Command (Provisional).
FRIDAY, 6 MARCH 1942
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): HQ XXVI Interceptor Command is activated at Albrook Field, Canal Zone, Brigadier General Adlai H Gilkeson commanding.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): HQ 8PG (Interceptor) and 35th, 36th and 80PSs (Interceptor) arrive at Brisbane, Australia from the US with P-39's; first Mission in Apr.
SATURDAY, 7 MARCH 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: (AF Combat Command): 19OS(L), AF Combat Command, transfers from Jacksonville Municipal Airport from Miami Municipal Airport, Florida and continues flying ASW patrols with L-1's and L-4's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): HQ 22BG(M) transfers from Brisbane to Ipswich, Australia.
SUNDAY, 8 MARCH 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Colonel William O Butler assumes command of the 11AF with HQ at Ft Richardson, Anchorage, Territory of Alaska.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): HQ 10AF begins moving from Patterson Field, Fairfield, Ohio to India. Between this date and 13 Mar, the 8 B-17's in India transport 474 troops and 29 tons (26.3 metric tonnes) of supplies from India to Magwe, Burma and on the return flights evacuate 423 civilians.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Air echelons of 16th and 17BS(L), 27BG(L), cease operating from Batchelor Field, Northern Territory and begin a movement to Brisbane, Australia with A-24's; ground echelon is on Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands. 89th and 90BS(L), 3BG(L), transfer from Brisbane to Charters Towers, Australia with A-20's; first Mission is in Apr. Following units transfer from Brisbane to Ballarat, Australia: HQ 38BG(M) and 15RS(M): with B-26's. Ground echelon of 69BS(M) also transfers; air echelon of 69th remains in US until May 42.
39PS (Interceptor), 35PG (Interceptor) with P-39's.
MONDAY, 9 MARCH 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Military reorganization, implementing an Executive Order of 28 Feb, becomes effective. The Air Corps and the US Army AF Combat Command, which previously had made up the Army AFs (AAF) under Lieutenant General Henry H "Hap" Arnold as Chief, are discontinued, and the AAF is reorganized with Arnold as Commanding General. Army Ground Forces under Lieutenant General Lesly J McNair and Services of Supply (later Army Service Forces) under Lieutenant General Brehon B Sommervell are also organized. All are under control of General George C Marshall, Chief of Staff (CoS). In the USN (USN), Admiral Ernest V King, Commander-in-Chief (CinC) US Fleet, assumes additional responsibilities as he succeeds Admiral Harold R Stark as Chief of Naval Operations (CNO).
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): Japanese forces complete the capture of Rangoon, Burma, dealing China a great blow by cutting off supplies from the Burma Road.
TUESDAY, 10 MARCH 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): HQ 3BG(L) and 13BS(L) transfer from Brisbane to Charters Towers, Australia with A-20's; first Mission is 6 Apr.
Arriving at Brisbane are the A-24 air echelons of the following 27BG(L) units: 16th and 17BS(L) from Batchelor Field, Australia, and 91BS(L) from Malang, Java.
Ground echelon of all 3 squadrons is on Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands.
THURSDAY, 12 MARCH 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 10 P-40's arrive in Karachi, India by ship from Australia.
Arriving at Karachi, India are: HQ 7BG(H) and 88RS(H) from Australia; the air echelon of the 88th is at Townsville, Australia with B-17's; 88th will be redesignated 436BS(H) on 22 Apr; last Mission from Australia is 14 Mar; first Mission is CBI is 4 Jun; And 16th and 25PSs (Interceptor), 51PG (Interceptor), from the US with P-40's; first Mission is in Jul 42.
FRIDAY, 13 MARCH 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): HQ XII BC is activated at MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 26PS (Interceptor), 51PG (Interceptor), arrives at Karachi, India from the US with P-40's; first Mission is 15 Oct.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 36PS (Interceptor), 8PG (Interceptor), transfers from Brisbane to Lowood, Australia with P-39's.
SATURDAY, 14 MARCH 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): HQ 51PG (Interceptor) arrives at Karachi, India from the US.
9BS(H), 7BG(H), arrives at Karachi, India from Australia with B-17's; first Mission is 2 Apr.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 13RS(H), 43BG(H), transfers from Melbourne to Laverton, Australia with B-17's; the 13th will be redesignated 403BS(H) on 22 Apr; first Mission is Oct 42. Air echelon of 14BS(H), 7BG(H), ceases operating from Melbourne, Australia with B-17's; men and equipment are transferred to other units; the ground echelon is at Bugo, Mindanano and fights as infantry; the unit is carried as an active unit but is not manned or equipped after the surrender of the Philippines in May 42. Detachment of the 22BS(H), 7BG(H), ceases operating from Townsville and returns to base at Melbourne, Australia with B-17's. 40RS(H) is formed at Townsville, Australia with LB-30's and assigned to 19BG(H); first Mission is today; squadron is redesignated 435BS(H) on 22 Apr. Air echelon of 88RS(H), 7BG(H), ceases operating from Townsville, Australia with B-17's and begins moving to Karachi, India; squadron is redesignated 436BS(H) on 22 Apr; first Mission in CBI is 4 Jun.
SUNDAY, 15 MARCH 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): XI Interceptor Command is activated at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, Territory of Alaska, Colonel Norman D Sillin commanding. Its operational components are the 11th and the 18PS (Interceptor).
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): 24PS (Interceptor), 16PG (Interceptor), transfers from Albrook Field, Canal Zone to La Joya, Panama with P-36's.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 123OS(L), 70OG, at Gray Field, Ft Lewis sends a detachment to Hoquiam, Washington with O-46, O-47 and O-49 to fly ASW patrols.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (7AF): 67PS (Interceptor), 58PG (Interceptor), the first AAF tactical unit in the theater, arrives on New Caledonia from the US with P-400's.
MONDAY, 16 MARCH 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (2AF): 116OS(M), 70OG, based at Gray Field, Ft Lewis, Washington sends a detachment to Yakima with O-47's and O-49's to fly ASW patrols.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 3 B-17's of the 40RS(H), 19BG(H) begin evacuating General Douglas MacArthur, his family, and his staff from Del Monte, Mindanao, Philippine Islands to Australia.
39PS (Interceptor), 35PG (Interceptor), transfers from Ballarat to Mount Gambier, Australia with P-39's; first combat is 2 Jun.
64BS(H), 43BG(H), arrives at Sydney, Australia from the US with B-17's; first Mission is 13 Aug.
68PS (Interceptor), 58PG (Interceptor), arrives at Amberly Field, Australia from the US with P-39's.
TUESDAY, 17 MARCH 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): General Douglas MacArthur arrives in Australia to assume command of United Nations forces in the SWPA.
He actually assumed command on 18 Apr. 8BS(L), 3BG(L), transfers from Brisbane to Charters Towers, Australia with A-20's; first Mission is 1Apr.
9PS (Interceptor), 49PG (Interceptor) transfers from Williamstown to Darwin, Australia with P-40's; first Mission is 18 Mar.
FRIDAY, 20 MARCH 1942
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): 39OS(M), 72OG, transfers from France Field to Howard Field, Canal Zone with O-47's and O-49's.
ZONE OF INTERIOR (HQ AAF): "Plan for Initiation of US Army BombardmentOperations in the British Isles" further elaborates previous AAF plans outlining the intention of launching strategic bombardment from the UK against facilities supporting German national, economic, and industrial structure.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (2AF): 390BS(M), 42BG(M), transfers from Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho to McChord Field, Tacoma, Washington and begins flying ASW patrols with A-29's.
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS [ETO, Army AFs in Britain (AAFIB)]: A report submitted by Brigadier General Ira C Eaker in compliance with Major General James E Chaney's instructions of 25 Feb indicates completion of studies of RAF BC operations and of airfields, training, tactical doctrine, equipment, and methods of conducting air offensive in cooperation with the RAF. The report also indicates much dependence upon the British for the present but emphasizes the apparent compatibility of the tactical doctrines of the US (daylight precision bombing) and RAF (night area bombing), and implies the principle of coordinating these attacks to complement each other.
TUESDAY, 24 MARCH 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 94PS (Fighter), 1PG (Fighter), ceases flying ASW patrols from Long Beach, California with P-38's.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 23BS(H), 5BG(H), transfers from Hickam Field to Mokuleia, Territory of Hawaii with B-17's and continues flying patrols.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Air echelon of 91BS(L), 27BG(L), ceases operating from Brisbane, Australia and begins moving to Charters Towers, Australia with A-24's. Ground echelon is on Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands.
WEDNESDAY, 25 MARCH 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) (AAFIB): Major Cecil P Lessig becomes the first AAF pilot to fly a mission over France in World War II. Flying a Spitfire VB with RAF 64 Squadron from Hornchurch, England, Lessig participates in a 36-aircraft fighter sweep that is recalled when 50 Luftwaffe fighters challenge them.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 16th and 17BS(L), 27BG(L), cease operating from Brisbane, Australia with A-24's and begin moving to Charters Towers, Australia.
THURSDAY, 26 MARCH 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 3 B-17's of the 40RS(H), 19BG(H), evacuate Philippine President Manual L Quezon and his family to Australia.
FRIDAY, 27 MARCH 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): 119OS(M), I Air Support Command (attached to 59OG), transfers from Newark Municipal Airport to Ft Dix, Wrightstown, New Jersey with O-47's, O-49's and O-52's and begins flying ASW patrols.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 30BS(H), 19BG(H), transfers from Melbourne to Cloncurry, Australia with B-17's; ground echelon is on Bataan and Mindanao, Philippine Islands.
SATURDAY, 28 MARCH 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): Units of the I BC engaged in ASW patrols are placed under operational control of Commander, Eastern Sea Frontier, USN.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): HQ 43BG(H) and 63 and 65BS(H) arrive at Sydney, Australia from the US with B-17's; first Mission is 14 Aug and 12 Nov respectively. 28BS(H), 19BG(H), transfers from Melbourne to Cloncurry, Australia with B-17's; a detachment begins operating from Perth, Australia; ground echelon is on Bataan on Mindanao, Philippine Islands. 80PS (Interceptor), 8PG (Interceptor), transfers from Brisbane to Lowood, Australia with P-39's; first Mission is 22 Jul.
SUNDAY, 29 MARCH 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): 24RS(H) and 340th, 341 and 342BS(H), 97BG(H), transfer from MacDill Field, Tampa to Sarasota AAFld, Florida with B-17's and begin flying ASW patrols.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 19BS(M), 22BG(M), transfers from Ipswich to Townsville, Australia with B-26's; first Mission is 6 Apr. 93BS(H), 19BG(H), transfers from Melbourne to Cloncurry, Australia with B-17's; ground echelon is on Bataan and Mindanao, Philippine Islands; first Mission is 23 Jul.
TUESDAY, 31 MARCH 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: (HQ AAF): Major General Carl Spaatz suggests that the now "task-less 8AF" be made the nucleus for AAFIB.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 8BS(L), 3BG(L), transfers from Charters Towers, Australia to Port Moresby, New Guinea with A-20's; first Mission is 1Apr.
APRIL 1942
WEDNESDAY, 1 APRIL 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: (HQ AAF): Air Corps Proving Ground redesignated Proving Ground Command, with main base at Eglin Field, Valpariso, Florida. The command performs operational tests and studies of aircraft and aircraft equipment.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (2AF): During Apr, 16RS(M), 41BG(M), flying ASW patrols from Paine Field, Everett, Washington with B-18's, B-26's and A-29's, sends a detachment to Astoria, Oregon; squadron redesignated 406BS(M) on 22 Apr.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): During Apr: 24RS(H) and 340th, 341 and 342BS(H), 97BG(H), ceases flying ASW patrols from Sarasota AAFld, Florida with B-17's; the 24th is redesignated 414BS(H) on 22 Apr, and 55th, 56th, 57th and 88BS(L), 48BG(L), cease flying ASW patrols from Savannah AAB, Georgia.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 51, 53and 87BS(L), 46BG(L), begin flying ASW patrols from Blythe AAB, California with A-20's. During Apr, the 6RS(M), 41BG(M), based at Mather Field, Sacramento begins operating from NAS Alameda, California flying ASW patrols with B-18's, A-29's and LB-30's; the squadron is redesignated 396BS(M) on 22 Apr.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): During Apr, HQ 16th, 17th and 91BS(L), 27BG(L), are established at Charters Towers, Australia; ground echelon remains on Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands.
THURSDAY, 2 APRIL 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): 50BS(L), 46BG(L), transfers from Barksdale Field, Shreveport, Louisiana to Galveston Municipal Airport, Texas and begins flying ASW patrols with A-20's.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): Major General Lewis H Brereton, Commanding General 10AF, leads 3 B-17's on a raid on shipping in the Andaman Islands off the S coast of Burma during the night of 2/3 Apr; they claim hits on 1 cruiser and a transport; 2 B-17's are damaged by AA and fighters, but all return to base. Earlier in the evening, a mission scheduled against the Rangoon, Burma area is aborted when 1 B-17 crashes on takeoff and the other has mechanical trouble.
FRIDAY, 3 APRIL 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 6 B-17's from Asansol, India, bomb warehouses and docks at Rangoon, Burma, starting 3 large fires; 1 B-17 fails to return.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 21 and 22TS, Air Transport Command, US Army Forces in Australia, are activated at Archerfield and Essendon Airdrome, Australia respectively with various transport aircraft. 39PS (Interceptor), 35PG (Interceptor), transfers from Mount Gambier to Williamstown, Australia with P-39's; first Mission is 2 Jun.
SATURDAY, 4 APRIL 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 36PS (Interceptor), 8PG (Interceptor), transfers from Lowood to Townsville, Australia with P-39's and P-400's; first Mission is 30 Apr.
MONDAY, 6 APRIL 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 10 DC-3's of Pan American Airways begin hauling 30,000 gallons (113,550 l) of fuel and 500 gallons (1,893) of lubricants from Calcutta to the airstrip at Asansol, India, completing the mission on the following day. This fuel, subsequently transferred via Dinjan, India to China, is for use by Lieutenant Colonel James H Doolittle's Tokyo raiders, already at sea aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8).
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 11th and 22BS(H), 7BG(H), begin a transfer without personnel and equipment to the US. They will be established at Columbia, AAB, South Carolina on 26 Apr, be re-equipped with B-25's and transfer to India in Jul 42.
TUESDAY, 7 APRIL 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: (HQ War Department): The War Department officially states that the 8AF will be established in the UK as an intermediate command between US Army Forces in British Isles (USAFBI) and the AAF commands. General George C Marshall notifies Major General James E Chaney of this decision.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): 92RS(M), 45BG(M), transfers from Dow Field, Bangor, Maine to Mitchell Field, Hempstead, New York and continues flying ASW patrols with A-29's; 92 is redesignated 433BS(H) on 22 Apr.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): During the night of 6/7 Apr the Japanese break the Philippine II Corps front on Bataan, thus necessitating immediate removal or an remaining fighters to Mindanao, where for the next 3 days they will fly reconnaissance, cover heavy bombers (sent to Mindanao from Australia) operating against concentrations at Legaspi, Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao, and carry out a strafing attack aircraft at Davao. After the heavy bombers return to Australia on 12 Apr, the fighters will continue to fly reconnaissance until Japanese forces envelop the troops on Mindanao on 1 May.
HQ 22BG(M) and 2BS(H) transfer from Ipswich to Townsville, Australia with B-26's; first Mission is 8 Apr.
8(Photo)S, 5AF (attached to Allied AFs) arrives at Melbourne, Australia from the US with F-4's; 2 flights remain at March Field, Riverside, California until 16 Jun.
18RS(M), 22BG(M), transfers from Brisbane to Townsville, Australia with B-26's; first Mission is 21Apr.
33BS(H), 22BG(M), transfers from Ipswich to Antil Plains, Australia with B-26's; first Mission was 6 Apr.
WEDNESDAY, 8 APRIL 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: (HQ AAF): V Air Support Command (activated 1Sep 41) is redesignated 9th AF with HQ at New Orleans AAB, Louisiana.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS: Harry L Hopkins, Special Assistant to President Franklin D Roosevelt, and General George C Marshall, US Army Chief of Staff, arrive in London for talks with British service and supply chiefs concerning the integration of US and British manpower and war production for action in Europe. General Marshall urges an offensive in the west to relieve pressure upon the USSR and promises a constant flow of US troops, including many air units, to the UK.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): The air echelons of the 3d, 17th and 20PSs (Interceptor), 24PG (Interceptor), and 21 and 34PSs (Interceptor), 35PG (Interceptor) [attached to 24PG (Interceptor)] based on Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands begin operating from Mindanao Island, Philippine Islands with whatever aircraft are left.
THURSDAY, 9 APRIL 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: (HQ AAF): 8AF HQ echelon is located at Bolling Field, Washington, DC, to prepare the 8AF for a move overseas.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): 78BS(M), 45BG(M), transfers from Grenier Field, Manchester, New Hampshire to Langley Field, Hampton, Virginia with A-20's, DB-7's and B-18's and continues flying ASW patrols.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Japanese capture Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands after 3 months. The US-Philippine forces surrender unconditionally. Japanese artillery emplaced on Bataan opens fire on Corregidor Island in conjunction with air attacks.
2BS(H), 22BG(M), transfers from Townsville to Reid River, Australia with B-26's; first Mission was yesterday.
7PS (Interceptor), 49PG (Interceptor), transfers from Bankstown to Batchelor Field, Australia with P-40's; they have been in combat since 14 Mar.
FRIDAY, 10 APRIL 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 2RS(H), 30BG(H), flying ASW patrols from Hammer Field, Fresno, California with LB-30's, sends a detachment to NAS San Diego; 2 is redesignated 392BS(H) on 22 Apr.
SUNDAY, 12 APRIL 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: (HQ AAF): Lieutenant General Henry H "Hap" Arnold sends air plans for Operation BOLERO, the buildup of US armed forces in the UK for an attack on Europe, to General George C Marshall in London. The plan calls for establishment of the 8AF in the UK.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Australia-based B-25's, staging through Mindanao Island, hit the harbor and shipping at Cebu, Cebu Island while B-17's carry out single-bomber strikes from Mindanao against Cebu harbor and Nichols Field on Luzon.
18RS(M), 22BG(M), transfers from Townsville to Reid River, Australia with B-26's; first Mission is 21Apr; 18th is redesignated 408BS(M) on 22 Apr.
MONDAY, 13 APRIL 1942
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): 27RS(H), 25BG(H), flying ASW patrols from Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico with B-18's, sends a detachment to Camaguey, Cuba; the detachment operates from Cuba until Aug 43; 27th is redesignated 417BS(H) on 22 Apr.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (7AF): Vice Admiral Robert L Ghormley is assigned as Commander-in-Chief South Pacific (COMSOPAC). He is to command all Allied base and local defense forces (land, sea, and air) in the South Pacific Islands, with the exception of New Zealand land defenses.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Australia-based B-25's hit targets in the Philippine Islands for the second consecutive day. Staging through Del Monte Airfield on Mindanao, the B-25's take off just after midnight during 12/13 Apr and bomb shipping at Cebu on Cebu Island and installations at Davao on Mindinao. Later in the day the B-25's again attack Davao, bombing the dock area.
TUESDAY, 14 APRIL 1942
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS: The British Government and Chiefs of Staff (CoSs) accept General George C Marshall's Operation BOLERO plan for the Allied build-up in the UK for an attack on Germany.
WEDNESDAY, 15 APRIL 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): The flight of the 97OS(M), 66OG, at Lawson Field, Ft Benning, Georgia, rejoins the squadron which is flying ASW patrols from Miami Municipal Airport, Florida with O-49's, O-52's and O-59's.
THURSDAY, 16 APRIL 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): B-17's take off from Dum Dum Airfield near Calcutta, India to bomb Rangoon, Burma. 6 B-17's, guided by flares, bomb the target; numerous searchlights make it impossible to estimate the bombing results.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): HQ 49PG (Interceptor) transfers from Bankstown to Darwin, Australia.
FRIDAY, 17 APRIL 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): 124OS(L), 75OG, transfers from Sherman Field, Ft Leavenworth, Kansas to Ellington Field, Houston, Texas and begins flying ASW patrols with O-46's, O-49's and O-52's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 8PS (Interceptor), 49PG (Interceptor), transfers from Canberra to Darwin, Australia with P-40's; first Mission is 20 Apr.
SATURDAY, 18 APRIL 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 18PS (Interceptor), 28th Composite Goup, transfers from Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, Territory of Alaska to Ft Greely, Kodiak Island, Aleutian Islands with P-40's.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA): Doolittle Raid on Japan. 16 B-25's launched from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) carry out the first AAF attack on the Japanese mainland. 15 of the B-25's bomb in Japan, the principal targets being Tokyo, Kobe, Yokohama, and Nagoya. Since the bombers had to be launched earlier than scheduled they are unable to reach planned bases in China and have to be crashlanded or abandoned, 15 in China and the other in the USSR.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 5AF units come under control of the Allied AFs (SWPA) which is created in Australia to control AAF, (RAAF) and Dutch elements.
HQ 19BG(H) transfers from Melbourne to Garbutt Field, Australia.
MONDAY, 20 APRIL 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Major General George H Brett assumes command of the Allied AFs, which has units based in N and E Australia, with advanced facilities in the Port Moresby, New Guinea area.
39PS (Interceptor), 35PG (Interceptor), transfers from Williamstown to Woodstock, Australia with P-39's; first Mission is 2 Jun. Ground echelon of 70BS(M), 38BG(M), transfers from Ballarat to Amberley Field, Australia; air echelon is still in the US with B-26's.
WEDNESDAY, 22 APRIL 1942
AMERICAN THEATER ZONE OF INTERIOR (HQ AAF): All RSs are redesignated BSs.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): Aircraft begin to evacuate military and civilian personnel and supplies from Burma to India. By 15 Jun the 10AF has evacuated 4,499 passengers and 1,733,026 pounds (786,095 kg) of freight.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (7AF): A joint US-New Zealand Naval Command is ordered established under Vice Admiral Robert L Ghormley. It is to operate separately but in close liaison with General Douglas MacArthur and Vice Admiral Herbert F Leary.
FRIDAY, 24 APRIL 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 8(Photo)S, 5AF (attached to Allied AFs), transfers from Melbourne to Brisbane, Australia with F-4's; first Mission was 16 Apr.
SUNDAY, 26 APRIL 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 35th and 36PSs (Interceptor), 8PG (Interceptor), transfer from Brisbane and Townsville, Australia respectively to Port Moresby, New Guinea with P-39's and P-400's; first Mission is 30 Apr.
MONDAY, 27 APRIL 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): Ground echelon of 9BS(H), 7BG(H), transfers from Karachi to Allahabad, India; the air echelon is at Baumrauli, India with B-17's.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Advanced echelon (ADVON) of HQ 8AF and bomber, interceptor and base commands, along with 15BS(L), 2Air Depot Group, and a weather detachment totalling about 1,800 men, sail from Boston, Massachusetts for the UK.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In Australia, US Army Air Services under Major General Rush B Lincoln takes over responsibility as an administrative, supply, maintenance and engineering command under Allied AFs.
TUESDAY, 28 APRIL 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): 105OS(M), 65OG, flying ASW patrols from Langely Field, Hampton, Virginia with O-47's and O-52's, begins operating from MCAS Cherry Point, New Bern, North Carolina.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ VIII Ground Air Support Command is activated at Bolling Field, Washington, DC.
WEDNESDAY, 29 APRIL 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): Rangoon, Burma is again hit by a flight of B-17's which pound the dock area.
THURSDAY, 30 APRIL 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: (HQ AAF): HQ Air Transport Command is established at Washington, DC, Brigadier General Fred S Borum commanding.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): The Japanese capture Lashio, Burma and begin a move to drive the Chinese back along the Burma Road toward China and drive US and British forces back toward India.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-39's flying out of Port Moresby strafe airplanes and fuel dumps at Lae and Salamaua.
HQ 38BG(M) and ground echelon of 69BS(M) transfer from Ballarat to Amberley Field, Australia; air echelon of the 69th is still in the US with B-26's. 71BS(M), 38BG(M), transfers from Ballarat to Batchelor Field, Australia with B-26's; first Mission is 15 Sep.
MAY 1942
FRIDAY, 1 May 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): Between May and Sep 42, the 433BS(M), 45BG(M), flying ASW patrols from Mitchel Field, Hempstead, New York with A-29's and B-34's, sends detachments to NAAS Boca Chica, Key West and Miami AAFld, Florida; and New Orleans AAB, Louisiana.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): During May, the 106OS(M), 66OG, begins flying ASW patrols from Savannah AAB, Georgia with A-20's, P-39's, P-40's and O-46's.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): During May, the 17OS(L), 71OG, begins flying ASW patrols from Salinas AAB, California with L-1's, O-46's, O-47's and O-52's. The detachment of the 116OS(M), 70OG, operating from Yakima County Airport returns to base at Gray Field, Ft Lewis, Washington.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): X Air Service Command is activated under command of Brigadier General Elmer E Adler.
SATURDAY, 2 MAY 1942
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): Detachment of 28PS (Interceptor), 37PG (Interceptor), operating from La Joya, Panama returns to base at Patilla Pint, Panama with P-39's.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Major General Carl Spaatz is designated 8AF commander.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 8(Photo)S, 5AF (attached to Allied AFs), transfers from Brisbane to Townsville, Australia with F-4's; first Mission was 16 Apr.
MONDAY, 4 MAY 1942
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): 3BS(H), 6BG(H), transfers from Rio Hato, Panama to the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador with B-18's and LB-30's to fly ASW patrols.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (2AF): The detachment of the 406BS(M), 41BG(M), operating from Astoria, Oregon returns to base at Paine Field, Everett, Washington with B-18's and A-29's.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): HQ 35PG (Interceptor) is transferred without personnel and equipment from New Delhi, India to Sydney, Australia.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (7AF): Battle of the Coral Sea begins with a US carrier-based air attack on Tulagi Island, Solomon Islands.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-26's bomb Vunakanau Airfield at Rabaul, New Britain Island. P-39's and B-17's hit the airfield at Lae, New Guinea.
HQ 27BG(L) and 16th, 17th and 91BS(L) transfer without personnel and equipment from Batchelor Field and Charters Towers, Australia to Hunter Field, Savannah, Georgia. The units will be remanned and equipped and fight in the Mediterranean.
TUESDAY, 5 MAY 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): On a raid against Mingaladon Airfield, Burma during the night of 4/5 May, 4 B-17's bomb a hangar and parked aircraft; the crews claim 40 aircraft destroyed but searchlights make accurate observation impossible.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Major General Carl Spaatz assumes command of HQ 8AF at Bolling Field, Washington, DC.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 28BS(H), 19BG(H), transfers from Cloncurry to Longreach, Australia with B-17's; a detachment is operating from Perth, Australia.
WEDNESDAY, 6 MAY 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): Mingaladon Airfield, Burma is hit for the second consecutive night; 3 B-17's score direct hits on fuel dumps at the field.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's unsuccessfully attack shipping in the Bougainville Island, Solomon Islands area. Corregidor Island in Manila Bay, Philippine Islands surrenders. All US organized resistance to the Japanese in the Philippines ends. The air and ground echelons of the following AAF units are killed or captured; the units are carried as active units without personnel until 2 Apr 46: 24PG (Interceptor) 2OS(M) 3d, 17th, 20th, 21 and 34PSs (Interceptor) 14BS(H) Most of the ground echelon of the following units were killed or captured: V BC 5th Interceptor Command (Provisional): 19BG(H) 27BG(L) 16th, 17th and 91B(L): 28th, 30th and 93BS(H)
THURSDAY, 7 MAY 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Battle of the Coral Sea, which began on 4 May, approaches its climax as Allied naval forces intercept Japanese naval forces near Misima Island, New Guinea. USN (USN) dive bombers sink the aircraft carrier SHOHO. Allied forces lose the destroyer USS SIMS (DD-409). Allied AF bombers join the battle but their effect is limited; several bombers attack Allied vessels by mistake.
FRIDAY, 8 MAY 1942
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Main action of Battle of the Coral Sea occurs as Allied and Japanese carrier forces clash. Allied bombers join USN aircraft in attacking the enemy's main support force which has around the S of San Cristobal Island, Solomon Islands. The aircraft carrier SHOKAKU is severely damaged by aircraft from the carriers USS LEXINGTON (CV-2) and USS YORKTOWN (CV-5). USS LEXINGTON is damaged so severely that it later is sunk by USN fire. USS YORKTOWN also suffers damage from aircraft.
Both sides lose heavily in aircraft, US losses totalling 66 and the Japanese considerably more. The Allies turn back the sea assault against Port Moresby, a key base in New Guinea and of great importance to the security of Australia. The battle is the first major naval engagement in history in which the opposing warships do not exchange a shot. The Coral Sea battle marks the end of the period in which the Allied forces in the SWPA are only on the defensive and paves the way for offensive operations. The reconnaissance work of the AAF proves of greater importance than its bombardment operations, which have no real effects on the battle. Lack of USN-AAF coordination is apparent from the Coral Sea action, and this eventually leads to better interservice communication.
SATURDAY, 9 MAY 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 46BS(M), 41BG(M), transfers from Hammer Field, Fresno to NAS Alameda, California with A-29's and continues flying ASW patrols.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): In Burma during the night of 8/9 May, 6 B-17's bomb Mingaladon and attack the docks at Rangoon.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 8 B-26's and a single B-17 attack shipping and seaplanes at Deboyne Island, New Guinea. 8BS(L), 3BG(L), transfers from Port Moresby, New Guinea to Charters Towers, Australia with A-20's; combat operations continue.
SUNDAY, 10 MAY 1942
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The 20TS, Panama Air Depot, based at Howard Field, Canal Zone with a detachment at Wallere Field, Trinidad, sends another detachment to Losey Field, Puerto Rico with C-39's, C-47's and C-49's.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): Detachment of 396BS(M), 41BG(M), flying ASW patrols from NAS Alameda with B-18's, LB-30's and A-29's, returns to base at Mather Field, Sacramento, California.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-25's bomb the seaplane base at Deboyne Island, New Guinea.
80PS (Interceptor), 8PG (Interceptor), transfers from Lowood to Petric, Australia with P-39's and P-400's; first Mission is 22 Jul.
MONDAY, 11 May 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): 19OS(L), 66OG, transfers from Jacksonville Municipal Airport, Florida to Pope Field, Ft Bragg, North Carolina and continues flying ASW patrols with L-1's, L-4's and A-20's.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF):Detachment of 392BS(H), 30BG(H), flying ASW patrols from NAS San Diego with LB-30's returns to base at Hammer Field, Fresno, California and continues flying patrols.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The transport SS ANDES docks in the UK, carrying about 1,800 personnel for various 8AF units. This is the first large shipment of AAF troops to the UK.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's attack Kessa in the N Solomon Islands while B-26's hit the seaplane base at Deboyne Island, New Guinea.
TUESDAY, 12 MAY 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): 105OS(M), 65OG, ceases flying ASW patrols from MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina and returns to Langely Field, Hampton, Virginia with O-49's, and O-52's; ASW patrols continue until Oct 42. 79BS(M), 45BG(M), transfers from Grenier Field, Manchester, New Hampshire to MCAS Cherry Point and continues flying ASW patrols with B-34's and A-29's.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): B-17's fly their first Mission in direct defense of the air cargo line to China when 4 B-17's from Dum Dum Airfield, India heavily damage the runways and set fire to several parked aircraft at Myitkyina, Burma. Myitkyina, which fell to the Japanese on 8 May, poses a serious fighter threat to the Allied base at Dinjan.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 39 officers and 348 enlisted men of HQ and the bomber, interceptor and service commands arrive at High Wycombe, England where the VIII Interceptor Command sets up HQ.
WEDNESDAY, 13 MAY 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 34BG(H) and 4th, 7th, 18th and 391BS(H) transfer from Pendleton Field, Oregon to Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona with B-17's and continue flying ASW patrols.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Flying personnel of the 15BS(L), VIII BC, the first US bomb unit sent to the UK, arrive at Newport, UK without aircraft.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's and B-26's hit shipping and the airfield at Rabaul, New Britain Island. 30BS(H), 19BG(H), transfers from Cloncurry to Longreach, Australia with B-17's.
THURSDAY, 14 MAY 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): B-17's pound Myitkyina, Burma for the second time, scoring direct hits on runways and several buildings.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Major General Ira C Eaker is designated commander of Detachment, HQ 8AF in addition to his duties as Commanding General VIII BC. Brigadier General Frank O'D Hunter assumes command of VIII Interceptor Command. 15BS(L), VIII BC, arrives at Grafton Underwood, England without aircraft.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's, B-26's and B-25's attack Rabaul, New Britain Island and Lae, New Guinea.
FRIDAY, 15 MAY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: (HQ AAF): Interceptor Commands and Pursuit Groups / Squadrons are redesignated Fighter Commands / Groups / Squadrons.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ VIII Bomber Command transfers from Daws Hill to High Wycombe, England.
SATURDAY, 16 MAY 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): 78BS(M), 45BG(M), transfers from Langley Field, Hampton, Virginia to Jacksonville Municipal Airport, Florida with A-20's and continues flying ASW patrols.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (3AF): 51BS(L), 46BG(L), ceases flying ASW patrols and transfers from Galveston Municipal Airport, Texas to Blythe AAB, California with A-20's.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): HQ 10AF completes its move from the US to New Delhi, India.
B-17's again strike the airfield at Myitkyina, Burma, pounding runways and buildings. Subsequent reconnaissance indicates that the runways are unusable.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (7AF): 68FS, 58FG, transfers from Amberly Field, Australia to Tongatabu Island, Tonga Islands with P-40's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-25's, B-26's and and B-17's hit the airfield and storehouses at Lae and seaplane base at Deboyne Island.
64BS(H), 43BG(H), transfers from Sydney to Daly Waters, Australia with B-17's.
SUNDAY, 17 MAY 1942
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): 29FS, 16FG, transfers from Albrook Field, Canal Zone to Casa Larga, Panama with P-40's and P-39's.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Detachment, 8AF, with the help of the VIII BC staff, issues a directive defining its mission, which is the organization, training and supplying of units advanced echelons of 8AF to prepare for immediate operations upon arrival of tactical elements of the 8th. 50 US intelligence officers arrive in the UK for training by the RAF Bomber Command.
MONDAY, 18 MAY 1942
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN: The US and Panama sign an agreement concerning the use of Panama defense areas by US forces.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): 50BS(L), 46BG(L), ceases flying ASW patrols from Galveston Municipal Airport, Texas and transfers to Blythe AAB, California with A-20's. 328th, 330th and 409BS(H), 93BG(H), transfer from Barksdale Field, Shreveport, Louisiana to Buckingham AAFld, Ft Meyers, Florida with B-24's and commence ASW patrols.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The 7AF is placed on alert in anticipation of a possible attack on Midway Island. For the next 10 days the old B-18's on hand are used on sea searches to supplement the B-17's. VII BC receives an influx of B-17's during this period, and the 72BS(H), 5BG(H), is converted from B-18's to B-17's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's bomb shipping in Koepang Bay, Timor Island.
HQ 19BG(H) and 93BS(H) transfers from Garbutt Field to Longreach, Australia with B-17's.
Detachment of 28BS(H), 19BG(H), ceases operating from Perth and returns to Longreach, Australia with B-17's.
TUESDAY, 19 MAY 1942
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): 31FS, 37FG, transfers from Chorrera, Panama to Albrook Field, Canal Zone with P-39's and P-40's.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Detachment, HQ 8AF under Major General Ira C Eaker, assumes control of all AAF organizations in the British Isles.
WEDNESDAY, 20 MAY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 11BS(H), 7BG(H), arrives at Karachi, India from the US with B-17's; first Mission is 3 Jun.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (7AF): Admiral John S McCain, in Seaplane Tender USS TANGIER (AV-8) at Noumea, New Caledonia Island, assumes command as Commander Aircraft South Pacific Forces (COMAIRSOPAC).
Ground echelon of 69BS(M), 38BG(M), transfers from Amberley Field, Australia to New Caledonia Island; air echelon is at Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii with B-26's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's attack the airfield and AA guns at Koepang, Timor Island.
THURSDAY, 21 May 1942
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): 112OS(L), 65OG, transfers from Dover AAFld, Delaware to Georgetown County Airport, South Carolina and continues flying ASW patrols with O-47's, O-49's, O-57's and O-58's.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (2AF): 76BS(M), 42BG(M), based at McChord Field, Tacoma, Washington, begins ASW operations from Jacksonville Municipal Airport, Florida with A-29's.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): 87BS(L), 46BG(L), ceases flying ASW patrols from Galveston Municipal Airport, Texas and transfers from Blythe AAB, California with A-20's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-26's bomb aircraft at Lae, New Guinea.
FRIDAY, 22 MAY 1942
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): In Territory of Hawaii, 19FS, 18FG, transfers from Bellows Field to Kualoa Field with P-40's; air echelon of 69BS(M), 38BG(M), arrives at Hickam Field with B-26's; ground echelon is on New Caledonia Island; and 73FS, 18FG, transfers from Wheeler Field to Bellow Field with P-40's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's pound the airfield at Rabaul, New Britain Island while B-26's hit the airfield at Lae, New Guinea and attack shipping in the harbor.
SATURDAY, 23 MAY 1942
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Agreement is reached on a plan to transfer the repair depot at Burtonwood, UK to US forces following a period of joint control to begin at the end of Jun 42; Burtonwood later becomes the greatest AAF depot overseas.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 31BS(H), 5BG(H), transfers from Hickam Field to Kipapa, Territory of Hawaii with B-17's and B-18's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-25's strike the airfield and buildings at Lae, New Guinea.
SUNDAY, 24 MAY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The deployment of air units from the eastern US is begun as a result of the threat of a naval attack on the W coast.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): 105OS(M), 65OG, transfers from Langely Field, Hampton, Virginia to Georgetown County Airport, South Carolina and continues flying ASW patrols with O-49's and O-57's.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): VIII AF Base Command, under overall logistical control of Service of Supply, is given primary responsibility for all supply and maintenance peculiar to the AAF, thus leaving much logistical autonomy to the Army AFs in Britain (AAFIB).
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-26's attach Lae Airfield, New Guinea, but heavy AA and at least 15 intercepting Zekes prevent accurate bombing. Several of the B-26's are shot down or badly damaged and forced to crashland.
MONDAY, 25 MAY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 11FS, 28th Composite Group, based at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, Territory of Alaska with P-40's sends a detachment to Cold Bay.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 116OS(M), 70OG, based at Gray Field, Ft Lewis, Washington sends a detachment to Moon Island Airport, Hoquiam, Washington to fly ASW patrols with O-47's and O-49's.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 4 B-17's bomb Rangoon, Burma during the night of 24/25 May.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's bomb Vunakanau Airfield at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
TUESDAY, 26 MAY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 11FS, 28th Composite Group, based at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, Territory of Hawaii sends a detachment to Umnak Island, Aleutian Islands with P-40's.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (1AF): Gulf Task Force, I BC is established and placed under operational control of the USN Commander, Gulf Sea Frontier, for ASW patrols in the Gulf of Mexico.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS: Lieutenant General Henry H "Hap" Arnold, Rear Admiral John H Towers and Air Chief Marshall Sir Charles F Portal attend an Anglo-American air conference in London. Topics of discussion include allocation of aircraft and the establishment of US air forces in the UK. The meeting begins at 10 Downing Street with Prime Minister Winston S Churchill.
WEDNESDAY, 27 MAY 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 11BS(H), 7BG(H), transfers from Karachi to Allahabad, India with B-17's.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's bomb the base at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
THURSDAY, 28 MAY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-17 flies the first armed reconnaissance from the secretly constructed airfield at Unmak Island, Aleutian Islands over the Aleutian Chain, but finds no sign of the enemy. XI Fighter Command elements are not deployed at Unmak (P-40's and P-38's), Cold Bay (P-40's), Kodiak (P-39's), and Elmendorf Field [P-38's and Royal Canadian AF (RCAF) Kittyhawks].
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): Following squadrons begin flying ASW patrols from Muroc AAB, California with B-17's: 32d, 352d, 353and 419BS(H), 301BG(H), based at Alamogordo AAB, New Mexico; 358th, 359th 360th and 427BS(H), 303BG(H), based at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-26's attack the airfield at Lae, New Guinea.
FRIDAY, 29 MAY 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 4 B-17's hit Myitkyina Airfield, Burma in a high-altitude strike. No activity is seen.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 19TS, 7AF transfers from Hickam Field to John Rodgers Airport, Territory of Hawaii with C-33's and C-53's.
SATURDAY, 30 MAY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 77BS(M), 28 Composite Group, based at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, Territory of Alaska, begins operating from Umnak Island, Aleutian Islands with B-26's.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): Myitkyina, Burma is again hit by B-17's. Again no activity is observed and the attacks are discontinued.
HQ 7BG(H) transfers from Karachi to Dum-Dum, India.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS: During conferences with Air Chief Marshall Sir Charles F Portal, Lieutenant General Henry H "Hap" Arnold presents "Programme of Arrival of US Army AFs in the United Kingdom" providing for 66 combat groups, exclusive of OSs, by Mar 43.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 7AF begins flying B-17's from the Territory of Hawaii to Midway Island in the face of an expected attack on that island.
394BS(H), 5BG(H), transfers from Hickam Field to Bellows Field, Territory of Hawaii with B-17's.
SUNDAY, 31 May 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 54FS, 55FG (attached to XI Fighter Command) arrives at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, Territory of Alaska with P-40's.
ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): 102OS(L), 69OG, transfers from San Bernardino AAFld to Ontario AAFld, California and continue flying ASW patrols with O-46's, O-47's, O-49's and O-52's.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): B-17's on detached service at Midway Island begin search operations.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17's attack Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea.
JUNE 1942
MONDAY, 1 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): During Jun 42, 11FS, 28 Composite Group, moves from Elmendorf Field, Anchorage to Ft Glenn, Umnak Island with P-40s.
During Jun, 406BS(M), 41BG(M), based at Paine Field, Everett, Washington, sends detachments to operate in Alaska with B-18s.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): During Jun, detachment of 20TS, Panama Air Depot, operating from Losey Field moves to Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico with C-39s, C-47s and C-49s.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Fear of an attack on the US W coast causes suspension of the movement of aircraft and crews from the US to the UK. 115OS(L), 69OG, moves from San Bernardino AAFld to Ontario AAFld, California with O-47s, O-49s and L-4s and continues ASW patrols. During Jun 42, 6BS(H), 29BG(H), moves from MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida to Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho with B-17s and continues flying ASW patrols during part of the month; 396BS(M), 41BG(M), based at Mather Field, Sacramento, California sends a detachment to MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina with B-25s to fly ASW patrols; 404BS(H), 44BG(H), ceases flying ASW patrols from Barksdale Field, Louisiana with B-24s.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 5 heavy bombers attack the Rangoon, Burma dock and harbor area, claiming 1tanker sunk and another left listing. 436BS(H), 7BG(H), moves from Karachi to Allahabad, India with B-17Es; first Mission is 4 Jun.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s attack Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea and Rabaul, New Britain Island.
TUESDAY, 2 JUNE 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Aircraft and crews of 97BG(H), then in New England for movement to the UK, are ordered to the US W coast as a defensive measure against an attack on US. 31OS(M), 69OG, moves from San Bernardino AAFld to Ontario AAFld, California with O-47s, O-49s and O-52s and continues flying ASW patrols.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 6 of 16 B-17s that have been on detached service at Midway Island return to Oahu, Territory of Hawaii.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s bomb the dock and military camp area at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
39FS, 35FG, moves from Woodstock, Australia to Port Moresby, New Guinea with P-39s; first Mission is today.
WEDNESDAY, 3 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Japanese carrier-based bombers and fighters bomb and strafe Ft Mears and Dutch Harbor in several waves inflicting little damage but killing 52 US personnel. P-40s from Cold Bay trying to intercept them arrive 10 minutes after the last attack wave departs. Other P-40s at Umnak are notified too late due to communication failure. 9 P-40s and 6 B-26s fly a patrol but cannot find the fleet-l80 miles (288 km) S of Dutch Harborbut 2 of the P-40s engage 4 carrier-based aircraft, shoot down one and damage another.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: 47BS(M), 41BG(M), moves from Visalia AAFld to Hammer Field, Fresno, California with B-25s and continues flying ASW patrols.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): A flight of 6 B-25s of the 11BS(H), 7BG(H), earmarked for China, take off from Dinjan, India for China. They bomb Lashio, Burma en route to Kunming, but afterward 9 crash into an overcast-hidden mountain at 10,000 feet (3,048 m) and another is abandoned when it runs out of fuel near Chan-i, China. The remaining 2 B-25's reach Kunming, China, 1with its radio operator killed by a fighter.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): Preliminary action begins in the Battle of Midway. 9 B-17s, flying out of Midway Island, attack 5 large warships 570 miles (912 km) off Midway, claiming 5 hits and several near misses. 7 other B-17s leave Oahu, Territory of Hawaii and fly to Midway.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s hit the wharf, warehouse area, and military camp at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
THURSDAY, 4 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A carrier-borne force strikes again as 11bombers, 10 fighters and 8 torpedo bombers attack Dutch Harbor in several waves. 2 P-40s intercept 4 bombers just before noon over Umnak Pass and shoot down 3.
During the afternoon P-40s intercept 9 fighters; a dogfight claims 1enemy aircraft and 1 P-40, the 11AF's first combat casualty. AA fire claims another Japanese bomber. During the afternoon 2 B-17s and 5 B-26s attack the carrier force, and 3 more B-26s strike the cruiser TAKAO; no hits are scored; 1 B-24 and 1 B-25 fail to return.
36BS(H), 28th Composite Group, based at Ft Greeley, Kodiak Island with B-17Es and LB-30s, sends detachments to operate from various bases in the Aleutian Islands.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 2 heavy bombers bomb Rangoon, Burma, but are attacked by 10 fighters; 1heavy bomber is shot down and the other badly damaged. This raid ends 2 months of harassing strikes against Rangoon; soon all heavy bombers are grounded by the monsoons.
11BS(H), 7BG(H), is established at Kunming, China with B-25s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): A HQ AAF schedule, with tables of composition and strength, indicating a total of 3,649 aircraft, is set up for the AAF in the UK.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): Battle of Midway. 4 B-26s, in conjunction with USN (USN) torpedo bombers, attack a carrier; 2 of the B-26s are shot down. In further morning action 14 B-17s attack a task force approaching Midway at a distance of 145 miles (232 km); they claim several hits on carriers and 2 Zekes shot down. In the late afternoon 2 B-17s attack a carrier force at 31-40N 179-10W, claiming hits on a battleship and a carrier and 9 aircraft shot down; 4 other B-17s claim a hit on heavy cruiser 185 miles (296 km) from Midway. 6 B-17s, en route to Midway from Hawaii, bomb ships 170 miles (272 km) from Midway, claiming hits on a burning carrier, the HIRYU, hit earlier in the battle, and a destroyer, which is claimed sunk.
FRIDAY, 5 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 18 B-26s, 10 B-17s and 2 LB-30s search and attack sorties are flown against the carrier force, the B-26s splitting into 3 missions, the B-17s into 2. No contact is made. The B-17s using radar bomb targets which look like ships, but later turn out to be the Pribilof Islands.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Aircraft and pilots of the 1FG, then at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine for movement to the UK, fly to Morris Field, Charlotte, North Carolina, enroute to the W coast for defense against attack.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): VIII AF Base Command, activated in the US on 28 Jan 42, is redesignated VIII AF Services Command. Colonel Harold A McGinnis assumes command.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The Battle of Midway continues with the Japanese fleet retiring westward. In the morning 8 B-17s hit a force 130 miles (208 km) from Midway Island, claiming hits on 2 large warships. During the afternoon 6 B-17s claim hits on a heavy cruiser 300 miles (480 km) from Midway. The last strike by 7AF aircraft in the Battle of Midway is by 5 B-17s which bomb a heavy cruiser 425 miles (680 km) from Midway. 1 B-17 is shot down and another lost due to fuel shortage. The battle ends with Midway's installations heavily damaged by bombs but still in US hands and with landing strips still intact. During the fighting (3-5 Jun) 7AF aircraft carried out 16 B-17 attacks (55 sorties) and 1 torpedo attack by 4 B-26s, claiming 22 hits on ships and 10 fighters shot down. 2 B-17s and 2 B-26s were lost. One of the decisive battles of naval history, Midway will cost Japan the initiative and will be a turning point in the Pacific war.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s hit wharves, a warehouse, and coal jetty at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
SATURDAY, 6 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Various bomber search-attack missions are flown in an attempt to contact the fleet reported near Seguam Island. No contact is made due to weather. 8 P-38s enroute from Cold Bay to Umnak Island mistakenly attack a Soviet freighter. The Japanese begin to land on Kiska Island.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Aircraft and pilots of the 1FG at Morris Field, Charlotte, North Carolina, return to Dow Field, Bangor, Maine, following the defeat of the Japanese fleet in the Battle of Midway.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): B-17s maintain a search out of Midway Island. 6 B-17s mistakenly attack a US submarine, which later reports no damage. More B-17s arrive on Midway from Oahu, Territory of Hawaii.
SUNDAY, 7 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Japanese troops invade Attu Island. More troops are put ashore on Kiska Island. An enemy airplane is sighted over Cold Bay but cannot be intercepted.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Detachments of 21BS(H), 30BG(H), operating from Mines Field, Los Angeles and Hamilton Field, San Rafael, California and McChord Field, Tacoma, Washington with B-24s, return to base at March Field, Riverside, California.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): Major General Clarence L Tinker, Commanding General 7AF, is lost during the night of 6/7 Jun while leading a flight of LB-30s from Midway Island for a predawn attack on Wake Island.
MONDAY, 8 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1LB-30 flies armed patrol over Kiska and Umnak Islands and discovers Japanese naval units in Kiska Harbor.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: 313th, 314th, 315th and 398BS(M), 21BG(M), all fly ASW patrols in the Gulf of Mexico.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS: European Theater of Operations US Army (ETOUSA) established by presidential directive. Major General James E Chaney is designated commander of all US forces of ETOUSA.
TUESDAY, 9 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Patrols are flown but encounter no aircraft.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: 103OS(M), 26OG, moves from Hillsgrove AAFld, Rhode Island to Hyannis Airport, Massachusetts with O-47s and O-52s and continues flying ASW patrols.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The second contingent of personnel for HQ 8AF and subordinate commands, including the main body of the VIII AF Services Command, arrives in the UK.
15BS(L), VIII BC, moves from Grafton Underwood to Molesworth, England with A-20s; first Mission is 4 Jul.
Ground echelon of 27FS, 1FG, arrives at Goxhill, England from the US.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): Brigadier General Howard C Davidson, Commanding General VII Fighter Command, also becomes Commanding General 7AF.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s, B-25s, and B-26s attack Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea.
WEDNESDAY, 10 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Local patrol is flown at Umnak Island.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The main part of the ground echelon, including ground echelons of the 97BG(H), 1 and 31FGs, 60TCG and 5th Air Depot Group, and service units arrive in the UK aboard the QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 1FG and 71 and 94FSs at Goxhill (first missions are 1Sep and 3 Aug respectively); 12TS, 60TCG, at Chelveston with C-47s; and 308FS, 31FG, at Atcham (first Mission is 17 Aug).
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s bomb aircraft and buildings at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
HQ 38BG(M) moves from Amberley Field to Eagle Farms, Australia.
THURSDAY, 11JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): The 11AF strikes at Kiska Island for the first time. 5 B-24's and 5 B-17s from Cold Bay load bombs at Umnak Island and hit Kiska harbor installations and shipping targets. Low-altitude runs score near misses on 2 cruisers and a destroyer. AA downs a B-24; the other B-24s are pursued by 4 fighters back to Unmak where US fighters drive them off. USN aircraft discover Japanese landing at Attu Island.
Air echelon of 21BS(H), 30BG(H), based at March Field, Riverside, California, begins operating from Umnak Island with B-24s.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Aircraft and crews of the 97BG(H) deployed temporarily to the W coast, are ordered back to New England for movement to the UK.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 31FG at Atcham; 10th and 11TS, 60TCG, at Chelveston; 307FS, 31FG, at Atcham (first Mission is 17 Aug); and 340th and 414BS(H), 97BG(H) at Polebrook with B-17s (first Mission is 17 Aug).
FRIDAY, 12 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 6 B-17s and 1 B-24 bomb shipping in the harbor at Kiska Island. A cruiser is heavily damaged and one destroyer is seen burning.
42FS, 54FG, based at Harding Field, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, begins operating from Kodiak, Alaska with P-39s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Another contingent of personnel for HQ 8AF and subordinate commands arrive in the UK.
Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 60TCG at Chelveston; 309FS, 31FG, at High Ercall (first Mission is 17 Aug); 341BS(H), 97BG(H), at Polebrook with B-17s (first Mission is 17 Aug).
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS: 13 B-24's of the HALPRO detachment (the bombing detachment for the China-Burma-India Theater) under command of Colonel Harry A Halverson enroute from US to China take off during the night of 11/12 Jun from Fayid, Egypt to bomb oilfields at Ploesti, Rumania. Only 12 attack at dawn; 4 of the 13 land at a base in Iraq which was designated for recovery of the flight, 3 land at other Iraq fields, 2 land in Syria, and 4 are interned in Turkey. Though damage to the target is negligible, the raid is significant because it is the first AAF combat mission in the European-African-Middle East (EAME) Theater in World War II, and the first strike at a target which later will be famous.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s bomb the building area and Vunakanau and Lakunai Airfields at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
SATURDAY, 13 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): An LB-30 flies a weather mission and for the third straight day shipping in the harbor at Kiska Island is bombed by 5 B-17s and 3 B-24s; 2 heavy bombers turn back; the others bomb partially cloud-obscured targets. No effect is observed.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 97BG(H) arrives at Polebrook, England from US.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s hit the airfield at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
SUNDAY, 14 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 4 B-17s and 3 B-24s bomb shipping in the harbor of Kiska Island from an altitude of 700 feet (213 m), lowest altitude yet. 2 cruisers are hit and one scout seaplane is downed. 2 B-17s are heavily damaged but return to base. The Japanese bomb Nazan Bay, Atka Island.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: 32BS(H), 352BS(H), 353BS(H) and 419BS(H), 301BG(H), cease operating from Muroc AAB, California and return to base at Alamogordo AAFld, New Mexico with B-17s and cease flying ASW patrols.
358th, 359th and 360BS(H), 303BG(H), cease operating from Muroc AAB, California and return to base at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho with B-17s and cease flying ASW patrols.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The aircraft program for the AAF in the UK is revised downward from 3,649 to 3,266, and the date of anticipated final strength is advanced 1month to 1Apr 43.
MONDAY, 15 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A bombing Mission to Kiska Island by 3 B-17s and 2 B-24s is aborted due to weather.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Major General Carl Spaatz, Commanding General 8AF, arrives in the UK. The VIII BC takes a significant step toward development of the organization for control of combat operations by establishing the 1BW (Provisional) at Brampton Grange, England.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS: 7 B-24s of the HALPRO detachment, along with 2 RAF Liberators and torpedo-carrying Beauforts, attack the Italian fleet E of Malta. The B-24s bomb and damage a battleship and a cruiser, while the Beauforts sink a cruiser.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 63BS(H), 43BG(H), moves from Sydney to Charleville, Australia with B-17s.
TUESDAY, 16 JUNE 1942
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): HQ 40BG(H) and 29BS(H) move from Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico to Howard Field, Canal Zone and Aguadulce, Panama, respectively, with B-18s and A-17s.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: 40BS(M), 13BG(M), moves from Westover Field, Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts to Langley Field, Hampton, Virginia with B-18s and continues flying ASW patrols.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-26s, B-25s, and B-17s pound Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea hitting runways and buildings and starting several fires.
WEDNESDAY, 17 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A Kiska Harbor bombing Mission is cancelled due to weather as is a patrolling mission by heavy bombers.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): 395BS(H), 40BG(H), moves from Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico to Rio Hato, Panama with B-18s and A-17s. In addition to ASW patrols, the squadron serves as a replacement training unit.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: 433BS(H), 45BG(M), moves from Mitchel Field, Hempsted, New York to Miami AAFld, Florida with RM-37s and continues flying ASW patrols.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 5(Photo)RS, 8AF, arrives at Molesworth, England from the US with F-4s; first Mission is in Nov 42.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS: The HALPRO detachment is ordered to the vicinity of Cairo, Egypt to report to Brigadier General Russell L Maxwell, designated Commanding General US Army Forces in the Middle East (USAFIME).
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): P-40s of 73FS, 18FG, aboard the aircraft carrier USS SARATOGA (CV-3) are flown off the carrier at Midway Island to replace USN aircraft lost in the Battle of Midway. The P-40s begin dawn and dusk patrols which continue until the P-40s are relieved on 23 Jun 43.
THURSDAY, 18 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1LB-30, 3 B-17s and 4 B-24s make a precision high-altitude attack on Kiska Harbor. A transport is left burning and sinking, another is mauled, and 2 scout planes are possibly shot down. 1 B-24 crashes at sea; part of its crew is saved.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Prime Minister Winston S Churchill arrives in Washington, DC for a series of conferences (until 25 Jun) with President Franklin D Roosevelt. Subjects discussed include war production, shipping, help for China, diversion of Germany from the Eastern Front and atomic research.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 8AF opens in London with Major General Carl Spaatz commanding. The British Air Ministry publishes a tentative list of 87 airfields to be made ready for the 8AF.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Air echelon of 69BS(M), 38BG(M), leaves Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii with B-26s and proceeds to New Caledonia Island to join the ground echelon; the squadron will fly sea-search missions until Dec 42.
FRIDAY, 19 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): B-24s taking off to bomb Kiska Island abort due to fog. 1 of them and 2 of its crew are lost when forced to land in the water. A B-17 is dispatched to attack a reported submarine but makes no contact.
MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS: Brigadier General Russell L Maxwell, formerly head of the US Military North African Mission, assumes command of USAFIME.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s pound shipping and Vunakanau Airfield at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
SATURDAY, 20 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1LB-30, 1 B-17 and 7 B-24s take off on a search and bombing Mission over Kiska Island. 3 aircraft abort the mission due to weather, 3 bomb through an overcast with unobserved results, and 3 others search in vain for a B-24 lost on the preceding day.
56th and 57FSs, 54FG, based at Harding Field, Baton Rouge, Louisiana begin operating from Nome and Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, Alaska respectively with P-39s.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Major General James E Chaney, Commanding General ETOUSA is recalled from the UK and will be replaced by Brigadier General Dwight D Eisenhower.
128OS(L), 77OG, moves from Key Field, Meridian, Mississippi to New Orleans AAB, Louisiana with O-47s and begins flying ASW patrols.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): General George C Marshall's letter of instruction to Brigadier General Dwight D Eisenhower reveals plan to integrate all US air units in the UK into the 8AF.
The broad objective of the AAF in the ETO is to attain "air supremacy over Western Continental Europe" in preparation for a future invasion of the Continent.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): Major General Willis H Hale becomes Commanding General 7AF, and Colonel Albert Hegenberger becomes temporary commanding officer of the VII BC.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s bomb the runway at Lae, New Guinea.
SUNDAY, 21JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): The War Department authorizes the XI AF Services Command, hitherto the Provisional Service Command, which is activated at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage. It is charged with maintaining and supplying all of the 11th's bases. Weather cancels all missions except an armed weather sortie over Kiska Island. Fighters fly local patrols.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: An agreement is signed by Lieutenant General Henry H "Hap" Arnold, USAAF; Air Chief Marshall Sir Charles F Portal, RAF; and Rear Admiral John H Towers, USN dealing with US air commitments and provides for a strong AF for Operation BOLERO (the buildup of US armed forces in the UK for an attack on Europe).
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS: 9 B-24s of the HALPRO detachment bomb the harbor at Bengasi, Libya after RAF Wellingtons light the target with flares and incendiaries.
MONDAY, 22 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-17 weather reconnaissance aircraft flies over Kiska Island. Fighters fly air base patrols. A bombing Mission is cancelled due to weather.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: 113OS, 77OG, moves from New Orleans AAB, Louisiana to Hattiesburg AAFld, Mississippi with O-49s and O-52s and continues flying ASW patrols.
TUESDAY, 23 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Weather cancels a bombing mission. A B-17 flies a reconnaissance mission over Kiska Island. A P-40 on defensive patrol crashes at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Major General Carl Spaatz is informed that Operation ROUNDUP (plans for the invasion of Western Europe) has been put off until Spring 1943. This postponement is due to a decision to mount Operation TORCH (plan for Allied landings in North and Northwest Africa in Nov 42), which will necessitate the diversion of large numbers of aircraft earlier slated for the 8AF in the UK.
WEDNESDAY, 24 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Weather cancels bombing. 1 B-17 flies a weather reconnaissance over Kiska Island. Fighters patrol airfields.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: 43and 52BS(H), 29BG(H), cease flying ASW patrols and move from MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida to Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho with B-17s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Lieutenant General Dwight D Eisenhower arrives in the UK.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS: HALPRO detachment B-24s bomb the harbor at Bengasi, Libya during the night of 23/24 Jun.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s hit Vunakanau Airfield on New Britain Island. Bomb loads include several bundles of incendiaries which cause intense fires.
THURSDAY, 25 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 2 B-17s, 4 B-24s and 1LB-30 fly bombing and weather missions over Kiska Island, bombing the N side of the harbor.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The Arnold-Portal-Towers agreement concerning AFs for Operation BOLERO (signed on 21 Jun) is approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 8AF moves from London to Bushy Park, a London suburb.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): Brigadier General William E Lynd becomes Commanding General VII BC.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-25s bomb Salamaua, New Guinea.
FRIDAY, 26 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 5 B-24s drop incendiaries and fire bombs on Kiska Harbor installations.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): Brigadier General Earl L Naiden becomes Commanding General 10AF, succeeding Major General Lewis H Brereton who departs for the Middle East with Brigadier General Elmer E Adler, Commanding General X Air Service Command, and several other key subordinates. The aircraft and crews of the 9BS(H) follow. This move leaves the 10AF almost a skeleton.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Air echelons of the 3FG are established at Atcham and High Ercall, England by this date. These are the first combat personnel of the VIII Fighter Command to reach the UK.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS: B-24s of the HALPRO detachment fly a diversion for a RAF Albacore attack on 2 merchant vessels at Tobruk, Libya.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 3 LB-30s bomb installations on Wake Island. The raid takes place during the night of 26/27 Jun and is staged through Midway Island.
SATURDAY, 27 JUNE 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 16FS, 51FG, moves from Karachi, India to Kunming, China with P-40s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS: B-24s of the HALPRO detachment bomb the harbor at Tobruk, Libya during the night of 26/27 Jun in an effort to disrupt the movement of supplies.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-26s bomb Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea.
SUNDAY, 28 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-17 weather aircraft flies over Kiska Island. A solid weather front cancels bombing. On this and the following day US advanced reconnaissance parties land on Adak Island from submarines.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 11BS(H), 7BG(H), based at Kunming, China, sends a detachment to operate from Dinjan, India with B-25s.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS: Lieutenant General Dwight D Eisenhower assumes command of ETOUSA, succeeding Major General James E Chaney.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS: Major General Lewis H Brereton arrives at Cairo, Egypt, where HQ USAFIME issues orders placing him in command of US Army, Middle East AFs (USAMEAF), which is activated immediately. USAMEAF is comprised of the Halverson Detachment (HALPRO), Brereton's detachment [9BS(H) and other personnel which Brereton brought from India], and the Air Section of US Military North African Mission. Also activated is Air Service Command, USAMEAF, under Brigadier General Elmer E Adler.
B-24s of the HALPRO Detachment bomb the harbor and shipping at Tobruk, Libya.
MONDAY, 29 JUNE 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): Colonel Robert C Oliver assumes command of the X Air Service Command.
9BS(H), 7BG(H) (attached to USAMEAF) departs India for Palestine with B-17s. Ground echelon leaves from Allahabad, India and air echelon leaves from Baumrauli, India.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Captain Charles C Kegelman [Commanding Officer, 15BS(L)], flying on a mission with 12 RAF Bostons against Hazebrouck marshalling yard, France, becomes the first member of the 8AF drop bombs on enemy-occupied Europe. The first pilot fatality of the 8AF in the ETO is suffered when First Lieutenant Alfred W Giacomini of the 31FG crashes a Spitfire while landing at Atcham, England.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s hit airfields at Rabaul, New Britain Island and Lae, New Guinea during the night of 28/29 Jun.
35FS, 8FG, moves from Port Moresby, New Guinea to Woodstock, Australia with P-39s.
TUESDAY, 30 JUNE 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-17 flies weather reconnaissance over Kiska Island.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 11BS(H), 7BG(H), based at Kunming, China, sends detachments to operate from Kweilin, Hengyang and Nanning, China with B-25s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Joint Anglo-American control of Burtonwood air depot begins with a view toward subsequent exclusive control by the AAF. VIII AF Services Command is designated the US agent at Burtonwood.
MTO - (MTO, USAMEAF) B-24s bomb the harbor at Tobruk, Libya during the night of 29/30 Jun; first US combat casualties in the Middle East are recorded as 1 B-24 is lost. Major General Lewis H Brereton moves his detachment from Egypt to Palestine, as General Erwin Rommel advances toward the Suez Canal.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s attack Dili and Koepang on Timor Island and Kendari on Celebes Island; B-25s and B-26s hit Lae, New Guinea.
36FS, 8FG, moves from Port Moresby, New Guinea to Townsville, Australia with P-39s.
JULY 1942
WEDNESDAY, 1 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): The XI BC (Provisional) comprising the 28th Composite Group and its assigned squadrons is activated, Colonel William O Eareckson in command. A B-17 flies weather reconnaissance over Kiska Island, Aleutian Islands and lands early due to weather.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): During Jul, the following units begin flying ASW mission: 2 Sea-Search Attack Squadron(M), 1Sea-Search Group(M), from Langley Field, Virginia with B-25s; 9OS, 59OG, from Ft Dix AAB, New Jersey with O-47s and O-52s.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (4AF): 4th, 7th, 18th and 391BS(H), 34BG(H), move from Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona to Geiger Field, Washington and continue flying ASW patrols with B-24s.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Operation BOLERO, the buildup of US armed forces in the UK for an attack on Europe, is revised downward from 66 to 54 combat groups because of demands of other theaters. AAF Foreign Service Concentration Command is activated to handle the movement of units and troops to and from overseas theaters.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): In China, 4 B-25s from Hengyang, escorted by P-40s, bomb docks at Hankow; bad weather handicaps the bombardiers, and the effects of the raid are inconsequential.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The first B-17, assigned to the 97BG(H) of the BOLERO air movement via the N Atlantic route lands at Prestwick, Scotland.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s bomb the harbor at Tobruk, Libya during the night of 1/2 Jul.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): During Jul, HQ 11BG(H) moves from Hickam Field, Hawaii to the New Hebrides Islands.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-26's bomb Salamaua, New Guinea. Other medium and heavy bomber strikes abort due to bad weather.
THURSDAY, 2 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, 7 B-24s and 1 B-17 fly photo and bombing missions to Attu Island, which appears deserted, and to Kiska and Agattu Islands; near misses are scored on a transport and a destroyer at Agattu.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (4AF): 48BS(M), 41BG(M), moves from Minter Field to NAS Alameda, California and continues flying ASW patrols with A-29s and B-18s.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) approve of the Arnold-Portal-Towers agreement. This agreement, signed on 21Jun 42, deals with US air commitments and provides for a strong AF for Operation BOLERO.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): B-25s and P-40s hit the Hankow dock area for the second consecutive day. This raid, more successful than the first, causes considerable damage. The Japanese retaliate during the night by attacking Hengyang but fail to hit the airfield.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-17s and B-24s bomb Tobruk, Libya harbor during the night of 2/3 Jul. 9BS(H), 7BG(H) (attached to USAMEAF), arrives at Lydda, Palestine from Allahabad, India with B-17Es; first Mission is 4 Jul.
FRIDAY, 3 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, 7 B-24s and 2 B-17s bomb Kiska and Near Islands, encountering neither fighter opposition nor AA; results are not observed.
WESTERN DEFENSE COMMAND: 46BS(M), 41BG(M), moves from NAS Alameda to Hammer Field, California with A-29s and B-18s and continues flying ASW patrols.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): In China, 10AF aircraft bomb and strafe the airfield at Nanchang, the probable base of the preceding night's raiders on Hengyang; several parked aircraft are destroyed; during the night Japanese aircraft again strike at Hengyang and once more fail to hit the airfield.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 27FS, 1FG based at Goxhill, England, begins operating from Reykjavik, Iceland with P-38s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s attack Tobruk, Libya harbor during the daylight hours and B-17s bomb supplies at Tobruk during the night of 3/4 Jul.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s attack the barracks area at Koepang, Timor Island and airfield at Lae, New Guinea. 1A-24 bombs Tulagi Island, Solomon Islands.
SATURDAY, 4 JULY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Air Transport Command, which was established on 30 Apr 42, is redesignated I Troop Carrier Command at Stout Field, Indiana and made responsible for training and preparing units and personnel for troop carrier (airborne) operations. Ferrying Command, which was established on 29 May 41, is redesignated Air Transport Command and made responsible for air transport and ferrying operations.
Transport Wings, Groups and Squadrons are redesignated Troop Carrier Wings, Groups and Squadrons.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): CATF is activated under command of Brigadier
General Clare L Chennault. This new command is the successor to Chennault's American Volunteer Group (AVG) which had attained 300 confirmed victories over Japanese aircraft at a cost of less than 50 aircraft and only 9 pilots. Only 5 pilots and a few ground personnel of the AVG choose to join the USAAF, although 20 other pilots agree to stay until replacements arrive in Kunming, China. Combat elements of CATF are: 1. HQ 23FG at Kunming with Colonel Robert L Scott, Jr in command and 74th and 76FSs at Kunming with P-40s and 75FS at Hengyang with P-40s; all units were activated today.
2. 16FS, 51FG attached to 23FG, at Kunming with P-40s.
3. 11BS(H), 7BG(H), at Kunming and a detachment at Kweilin, Hengyang and Nanning with B-25s; Colonel Caleb V Haynes is in command.
In air action in China, 5 B-25s, with fighter escort, heavily damage buildings, runways and parked aircraft at Tien Ho Airfield. P-40s over Kweilin intercept a formation of fighter-bombers, claiming 13 destroyed; the Japanese fail to bomb the target.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): First USAAF air operation over W Europe. 15BS(L) flying 6 Americanbuilt Bostons belonging to No. 226 Squadron RAF, join a RAF lowlevel attack on De Koog (2 aircraft), Bergen/Alkamaar, Haanstede and Valkenberg (2 aircraft) Airfields in the Netherlands; 2 aircraft are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 6 airmen are MIA. Aircraft flown by Captain Charles C Kegelman, Squadron Commander, is severely damaged, but Kegelman succeeds in bringing it back to base at Swanton Morley. VIII Air Force Composite Command is activated in the US. Second B-17 arrives in the UK via the N Atlantic ferry route.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s attack a convoy in the Mediterranean during the night of 4/5 Jul, setting 1tanker aflame.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s, B-26s and B-25s bomb airfields at Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea.
19BS(M), 22BG(M), moves from Townsville to Woodstock, Australia with B-26s.
SUNDAY, 5 JULY 1942
AMERICAN THEATER ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-17 flies a weather mission.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s bomb the harbor and ships at Bengasi, Libya during the night of 4/5 Jul.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s and B-26's attack Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea.
HQ 22BG(M) moves from Townsville to Woodstock, Australia.
MONDAY, 6 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 4 B-24s and 1LB-30 fly bombing and weather missions to Kiska Island; results are not observed.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): German submarine, U-153, is damaged in an attack by A-20s of the 59BS(L), VI BC, off Panama at 12-50N, 72-21W; the submarine is sunk a week later by the destroyer USS Landsdowne (DD-486).
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): B-25s bomb the waterfront at Canton, China, marking their initial action against coastal facilities of Japanese-held Chinese ports.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The RAF invites the 8AF to share membership in important RAF operational committees dealing with targets, operational research, interception, and bomber operations. VIII AF Service Command sets up HQ at Bushy Park with Major General Walter H Frank as Commanding General. 6 B-17s arrive in the UK via the N Atlantic ferry route.
TUESDAY, 7 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-17 and 7 B-24s fly weather, bombing and photo missions to Kiska, Attu and Agattu Islands; all bombs are returned to base due to weather; 1seaplane is shot down.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): An A-29 of a detachment of the 396BS(M), 41BG(M), operating from MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, sinks German submarine, U-701, off North Carolina at 34-50N 74-55W. This is the first submarine sunk by USAAF aircraft during World War II.
329BS(H), 93BG(H), begins flying ASW patrols from Page Field, Florida with B-24s.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Major General Millard F Harmon, USAAF, is designated Commanding General of US Army Forces in the South Pacific (COMGENSOPAC).
WEDNESDAY, 8 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 404BS(H), 44BG(H) arrives in the Alaskan Theater with B-24s, originally destined for N Africa; first Mission is 18 Jul. In the Aleutian Islands, 1 B-24 flies 2 photo missions over the S shore of Kiska Island and over Little Kiska Island; the bombing Mission is cancelled due to weather.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): A single B-25 piloted by Colonel Caleb V Haynes, bombs Japanese HQ at Tengchung, China near the Burma border. Bad weather, pilot fatigue, and maintenance halt major operations for several days.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): In Libya, B-24s bomb the harbor and shipping at Bengasi during the night of 8/9 Jul, while B-17s hit the harbor at Tobruk.
THURSDAY, 9 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 5 B-24s fly photo, weather, and bombing missions to Kiska Island but return with the bombs due to weather.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 7 P-38s arrive in the UK via the N Atlantic route, this being the first time single-seater USAAF aircraft have flown this route.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): 6 B-24s dispatched against shipping are attacked by fighters; 1 B-24 is lost and the others return to base without bombing targets.
FRIDAY, 10 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-24 aborts a reconnaissance mission to Kiska Island due to weather.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: USAAF planners for the Operation BOLERO build-up estimate 137 USAAF groups in the UK by 31Dec 43.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): 57FG, enroute from the US, is assigned to USAMEAF.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): Ground echelon of the 11BG(H) leaves Hawaii for the S Pacific aboard USS Argonne (AS-10).
SATURDAY, 11 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 4 B-24s taking off for weather, bombing and photo missions to Kiska Island are attack by seaplane fighters; no losses. A cruiser is bombed with unobserved results.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): First formal decoration ceremony held in the 8AF takes place when Major General Carl Spaatz pins the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) on Major Charles C Kegelman for extraordinary gallantry and heroism during the raid of 4 Jul.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s attack harbor and shipping at Begasi, Libya during during the night of 11/12 Jul.
SUNDAY, 12 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 3 B-24s dispatched on weather, photo and bombing Mission to Kiska Island abort due to weather.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 6 of 6 Bostons borrowed from the RAF hit Abbeville/Drucat Airfield, France; 2 aircraft are damaged; no casualties. The 15BS(L) stands down after this Mission to prepare their own Bostons which are ex-RAF machines.
MONDAY, 13 JULY 1942
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 52FG arrives at Eglinton, Co. Derry, Ireland from the US.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): In Libya during the night of 13/14 Jul, B-17s bomb Tobruk harbor and B-24s hit ships and harbor at Bengasi; heavy AA fire accounts for the loss of 1 B-24.
WEDNESDAY, 15 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 3 B-24s on a bombing Mission to Kiska Island turn back due to weather.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (4AF): 392BS(H), 30BG(H), moves from Hammer Field to March Field, California and continues flying ASW patrols with LB-30s.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): India-China Ferrying Command is activated to replace the Assam-Burma-China Command.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s strike the harbor and ships at Bengasi, Libya during the night of 15/16 Jul.
THURSDAY, 16 JULY 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): In China, 4 B-25s from Kweilin, with P-40 escort, bomb a storage area at Hankow, starting a fire that is later reported to have burned 3 days. The B-25s land at Hengyang during the return flight to refuel, but are attacked by Japanese aircraft and have to take off immediately. Amidst the confusion a P-40 pilot mistakes a B-25 for a Japanese aircraft and shoots it down, the first bomber lost since the CATF began operations in China; the crew is saved.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): B-17s of the 11BG(H) begin leaving Hickam Field, Hawaii for the S Pacific.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 1 B-17 bombs Salamaua, New Guinea.
FRIDAY, 17 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 3 B-17s and 7 B-24s fly weather, bombing and photo missions; shipping is bombed and North and South Heads of Kiska Island are photographed; fighters down 1 B-17.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): Halverson Detachment is redesignated Hal BS.
In Libya, B-24s bomb Bengasi harbor and B-17s hit Tobruk.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s bomb the harbor at Rabaul, New Britain Island, Admiralty Islands.
SATURDAY, 18 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-17 flying weather and photo reconnaissance over Kiska Island crashes on Umnak Island, Aleutian Islands.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): In China, 3 B-25s from Kweilin bomb Tien Ho Airfield.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS: Harry Hopkins, General George C Marshall, Admiral Ernest V King, Prime Minister Winston S Churchill and the British Chiefs of Staff begin a conference in London on the proposed invasion of N Africa (Operation TORCH).
SUNDAY, 19 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Search missions are flown over Attu and Agattu Islands.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): 39BS(M), 13BG(M), moves from Westover Field, Massachusetts to Dover AAB, Delaware with B-25s to continue flying ASW patrols.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): In response to a Chinese request, 2 B-25s strike in support of Chinese ground forces at Linchwan, a Japanese held city undersiege for some time. The Chinese commanding officer later reports that the raid broke the stalemate and the city was entered the next day.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): In Libya, B-24s hit Bengasi while B-17s attack Tobruk in a continuing effort to disrupt movement of supplies.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 26BS(H), 11BG(H), departs Wheeler Field, Hawaii for the S Pacific with B-17s.
MONDAY, 20 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Brigadier General William O Butler moves advance HQ to Umnak Island. 3 B-17s bomb Kiska Island (especially the barracks) with incendiaries and demolition charges. 4 P-38s try to intercept 4 fighters reported by USN (USN) aircraft but no contact is made.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): 3 B-25s bomb docks and warehouses at Chinkiang, China on the Yangtze River; 4 escorting P-40s strafe junks on the river. This is the last CATF bombing raid of Jul.
In China, detachments of 11BS(H), 7BG(H), operating from Kweilin, Hengyang and Nanning with B-25s return to base at Kunming.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): Hal BS and 9BS(H): with 19 B-24s and 9 B-17s are organized as the 1Provisional Group under Colonel Harry A Halverson's command at Lydda, Palestine.
HQ 57FG arrives at Muqueibile, Palestine from the US.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Unit moves in Australia: 33BS(M), 22BG(M), from Antil Plains to Woodstock with B-26s; 80FS, 8FG, from Petric to Port Moresby, New Guinea with P-39s and P-400s (first Mission is 22 Jul).
TUESDAY, 21 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 4 B-24s fly search and bomb missions over Kiska Island but make no contact because of weather.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: President Franklin D Roosevelt calls Admiral William D Leahy, Ambassador to France and former Chief of Naval Operations, to serve as Chief of Staff to the Commanders-in-Chief of the US Army and Navy.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Lieutenant General Dwight D Eisenhower assigns to the 8AF the mission of carrying out, in collaboration with the RAF, the degree of air operations with the view of attaining air domination over W France by 1Apr 43.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Air echelon of 98BS(H), 11BG(H), begins operating from Plaines des Gaiacs, Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands with B-17s (first Mission is 31Jul); the ground echelon is enroute from Hawaii.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-26s attack a convoy off Salamaua as an invasion force heads for Buna, where it begins landings during the night of 21/22 Jul. This move by the enemy forestalls Allied operations which were to have secured the same general area.
WEDNESDAY, 22 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Of 8 B-24s and 2 B-17s dispatched to Kiska Island, only 8 reach the target and due to fog drop only 7 bombs with unobserved results; 1 B-24 is missing on the return flight.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): 66th, 67th and 68BS(H), 44BG(H), cease flying ASW patrols from Barksdale Field, Louisiana with B-24s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s bomb Suda Bay, Greece claiming hits on 2 vessels. B-17s hit Tobruk, Libya.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-40s and P-39s hit shipping and lading barges at Gona as Japanese forces continue to land in NE New Guinea with the ultimate aim of pushing across the Owen Stanley Range to the Allied base at Port Moresby.
HQ 35FG moves from Sydney, Australia to Port Moresby, New Guinea.
THURSDAY, 23 JULY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): HQ IX BC is activated at MacDill Field, Florida.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 22BS(H), 7BG(H), arrives at Karachi, India from the US with B-25s; first Mission is 14 Dec.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 3 B-17s, staging through Canton Island, Phoenix Islands, carry out photo reconnaissance of Makin Island, Gilbert Islands.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): 11BG(H) B-17s on New Caledonia Island begin photo reconnaissance of the Guadalcanal-Tulagi-Gavutu area in the Solomon Islands.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-17s, B-26s, A-24s and fighters pound shipping, landing barges, storage dumps, AA positions, and troop concentrations at Buna and Gona as the enemy pushes inland along the Kokoda trail; fighters also hit the harbor at Salamaua. 93BS(H), 19BG(H), moves from Longreach to Mareeba, Australia with B-17s, B-24s and LB-30s.
FRIDAY, 24 JULY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): Air echelon of 76BS(M), 42BG(M), attached to 45BG(M), moves from Jacksonville Municipal Airport to NAS Opalocka, Florida with A-29s and continues flying ASW patrols; the squadron is based at McChord Field, Washington.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): 124OS, 75OG, moves from Ellington Field to Galveston AAB, Texas and continues flying ASW patrols with O-47s.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) issue a statement that heavy and medium bomber groups will he shifted from Operation BOLERO assignments to Africa for Operations TORCH. BOLERO resources are further depleted by a decision to send 15 combat groups to the Pacific theater.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): 9(Photo)RS, 10AF, arrives at Karachi, India from the US with F-4s; first Mission is 1Dec 42.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): In Libya during the night of 23/24 Jul, B-17s attack Tobruk harbor; B-24s hit the harbor at Bengasi; a B-24 crashes on return to base, killing 1crew member.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 394BS(H), 5BG(H), moves from Bellows Field to Hickam Field, Hawaii with B-17s and continues flying patrols over the Pacific.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): 431BS(H), 11BG(H), arrives at Viti Levu Island, Fiji Islands with B-17s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-26s, A-24s, and fighters continue to pound AA positions and enemy troops at Gona as the Japanese continue to push inland toward Kokoda.
HQ 19BG(H) and 28th and 30BS(H) move from Longreach to Mareeba, Australia with B-17s.
SATURDAY, 25 JULY 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): 49BS(H), 2BG(H), begins flying ASW patrols from Langley Field, Virginia with B-17s.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): 76FS, 23FG, moves from Kunming to Kweilin, China with P-40s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): HQ 98BG(H) and 344BS(H) arrive at Ramat David, Palestine from the US with B-24s; first Mission is 1Aug.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Daily search missions over the S Solomons are begun from New Caledonia Island.
26BS(H), 11BG(H), arrives at Efate Island, New Hebrides Islands from Hawaii with B-17s; first Mission is 30 Jul.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-25s, and P-39s pound barges and concentrations at Gona and troops on the Gona and Kokoda trails; Japanese forces push to Oivi, within 6 miles (10 km) of Kokoda.
SUNDAY, 26 JULY 1942
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Lieutenant Colonel Albert P Clark, Executive Officer of the 31FG, is shot down while flying an RAF fighter on a sweep over France, thus becoming the first 8AF fighter pilot to be shot down in the ETO; he survives and is taken prisoner by the Germans.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): During the night of 25/26 Jul, B-17s and B-24s bomb the harbor at Tobruk, Libya.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): A B-25 strike against Gasmata Island off New Britain Island, is repulsed by fighter interception. In New Guinea, B-26s attack a destroyer off Gona but fail to score hits; Australian troops flown into Kokoda fail to halt the Japanese advance and Kokoda is evacuated.
39FS, 35FG, moves from Port Moresby, New Guinea to Townsville, Australia with P-39s.
MONDAY, 27 JULY 1942
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ VIII BC issues an order establishing 1BW at Brampton Grange [replacing 1BW (Provisional), established there on 15 Jun): and 2BW at Old Catton. 1BW is commanded by Colonel Claude E Duncan; 2BW by Colonel Newton Longfellow. US aircraft of 97BG(H) and 1FG land at Prestwick, Scotland, thus completing the first series of flights in Operation BOLERO, air movement across the N Atlantic ferry route. 97BG(H) becomes the first US heavy bomber group complete with air and ground echelons in the UK. Lieutenant General Ira C Eaker and officers of the RAF Fighter Command agree to use Spitfire Mk IX's as high fighter cover for B-17s of the VIII BC until the VIII Fighter Command is ready for escort duty; this also will provide a test of the Spitfire Mk IX against Fw 190s at high altitude.
HQ VIII Fighter Command moves from High Wycombe to Bushey Hall, England.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Major General Millard F Harmon arrives at Noumea, New Caledonia Island, to assume command of US Army Forces in South Pacific Area (USAFISPA) with responsibility for training all army (air and ground) personnel. Air units in the theater are under operational control of Commander Aircraft South Pacific Forces (COMAIRSOPAC).
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-26s and A-24s hit Gona and targets along the Buna trail.
35FS, 8FG, moves from Woodstock to Townsville, Australia with P-39s and P-400s.
TUESDAY, 28 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): An air coverage survey for Army ground operations to Adak and Tanaga Islands is flown. Weather cancels a bombing Mission to Kiska Island.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ VIII Fighter Command opens at Bushey Hall, England following move from temporary HQ at High Wycombe. Brigadier General Frank O'D Hunter, designated Commanding General VIII Fighter Command on 14 May in the US, assumes command in England.
HQ VIII Ground Air Support Command, Brigadier General Robert C Candee, Commanding General, arrives at Bushy Park, England from the US. General Candee announces staff assignments and begins the organization of his command in the UK.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-17s hit Tobruk, Libya, during the night of 27/28 Jul, while B-24s attack a convoy in the Mediterranean, claiming hits on 2 merchant ships.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 1 B-26 bombs installations at Gona, New Guinea. Lieutenant General George C Kenney, commander-designate of Allied AFs, arrives in Australia.
WEDNESDAY, 29 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 4 B-24s and 5 B-17s bomb vessels and installations in the Kiska Harbor area with unobserved results due to clouds.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 28TCS, 60TCG arrives at Podington, England from the US with C-47s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): 65FS, 57FG, arrives at Muqueibile, Palestine from the US with P-40s; first Mission is 7 Oct.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-24s, with P-39 escort, and (RAAF) aircraft attack shipping off Gona, partially frustrating Japanese attempts to land more troops and supplies; the Japanese recapture Kokoda, which they temporarily lost the previous day.
HQ 8FG moves from Brisbane to Townsville, Australia.
THURSDAY, 30 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, 1LB-30, 9 B-17s and 3 B-24s fly photo reconnaissance and bombing missions to Tanaga and Kiska Islands; the mission s are unsuccessful due to weather.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): 328th, 329th and 330BS(H), 93BG(H), cease flying ASW patrols from Page Field, Florida.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): The Japanese send about 120 aircraft against the base at Hengyang from which CATF is harassing the Yangtze Valley; the attacks last about 36 hours; fierce opposition by US P-40s prevents major damage to the base; 17 Japanese aircraft are shot down, 4 of them at night; 3 P-40s are lost.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): During the night of 30/31Jul, B-24s bomb convoy in Pylos Bay, Greece claiming hits on 2 merchant ships. B-17s hit the harbor at Tobruk, Libya.
81BS(M), 12BG(M), arrives at Deversoir, Egypt from the US with B-25s; first Mission is 16 Aug.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): B-17s of the 11BG(H) begin arriving at Espiritu Santo Island where they are to constitute a reconnaissance and strike force over the Guadalcanal-Tulagi-Gavutu area in preparation for the amphibious assault by US Marines on 7 Aug.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s attack shipping in the Solomon Sea E of the Huon Gulf and S of New Britain Island.
FRIDAY, 31 JULY 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-24 and 1LB-30 fly weather and photo reconnaissance; weather cancels a combat mission to Kiska Island.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): 101OS, 26OG, moves from Otis Field to NAAF Hyannis, Massachusetts and continue flying ASW patrols with O-47s and O-52s; 313th, 314th, 315th and 398BS(M), 21BG(M), begin flying ASW patrols from MacDill Field, Florida with B-26s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Units of the Provisional Troop Carrier Command are organized in UK.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): Arrivals from the US: HQ 12BG(M) at Deversoir, Egypt; 415BS(H), 98BG(H), at Ramat David, Palestine with B-24s (first Mission is 4 Aug).
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 1 B-17, from Midway Island, flies photo reconnaissance of Wake Island. The B-17 is Intercepted by 6 fighters; in the ensuing fight US gunners claim 4 fighters destroyed.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Colonel LaVerne G Saunders leads 9 B-17s of his 11BG(H) from Efate Island on a strike against Guadalcanal Island, bombing the landing strip and area about Lunga Point. From this date until 7 Aug, the 11BG(H): flies 56 strike and 22 search sorties in support of the invasion of Guadalcanal.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s hit Gona, New Guinea and a nearby transport which had been previously damaged, and bomb Kukum Beach and Lunga landing strip on the N coast of Guadalcanal Island as the US invasion forces leave the Fiji Islands for the Solomon Islands.
AUGUST 1942
SATURDAY, 1 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Weather and photo reconnaissance is flown by 1 B-24 and 1LB-30 over Korovin Bay and North Cape, Aleutian Islands.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): Following units stop flying ASW patrols during Aug: 101OS and 152OSs, 26OG, from Hyannis and Ft Devens, Massachusetts respectively; 118OS, 66OG, from Charleston AAFld, South Carolina.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (4AF): During Aug, 47th and 396BS(M), 41BG(M), stop flying ASW patrols from Hammer Field, California and MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina respectively.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Lieutenant General Ira C Eaker describes the mission of the VIII BC as the destruction of carefully chosen strategic targets in Europe.
HQ 31FG and 307th, 308th and 309FSs move from Atcham to Westhampnett, Biggin Hill, Kenley and Westhampnett, England respectively with Spitfire Mk Vs.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): During the night of 1/2 Aug, B-24s hit a convoy in the Mediterranean, scoring 3 direct hits on a large merchant ship which the last aircraft reports sinking; 1 B-24 is lost in crashlanding at base.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): During Aug, forward echelon of 26th and 431BS(H), 11BG(H), begin operating from Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands with B-17s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-17s attack installations at Gona and shipping 75 mi (121km) E of Salamaua in Huon Gulf.
HQ 43BG(H) moves from Sydney to Torrens Creek, Australia.
SUNDAY, 2 AUGUST 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): In China, a detachment of 11BS(H), 7BG(H), based at Kunming with B-25s, begins operating from Nanning.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): 82BS(H), 12BG(M), arrives at Deversoir, Egypt from the US with B-25s; first Mission is 16 Aug.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, 1 B-17 flies an unsuccessful strike against a cargo vessel 5 mi (8 km) S of Salamaua while another bombs Gona.
64BS(H), 43BG(H), moves from Daly Waters to Fenton Field, Australia with B-17s; first Mission is 13 Aug.
MONDAY, 3 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, 3 B-17s, 2 B-24s and 1LB-30 fly a bombing and photo reconnaissance mission to Tanaga and Kanaga Islands and also bomb Kiska Island; 4 of the aircraft have mechanical trouble but all return.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): 13BG(M) squadron moves: 40BS(M) from Westover Field, Massachusetts to Mitchel Field, New York with B-18s; 393BS(H) from Langley Field, Virginia to Westover Field with B-18s and B-25s; both squadrons continue flying ASW patrols.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): P-400's strafe Oivi and Kokoda, New Guinea. 63BS(H), 43BG(H), moves from Charleveill to Torrens Creek, Australia with B-17s; first Mission is 14 Aug.
TUESDAY, 4 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1LB-30 flies a photo mission and 2 B-17s and 3 B-24s covered by 8 P-38's escort USN (USN) tenders to Nazan Bay, Atka Island, Aleutian Islands; two 4-engine seaplane bombers and a possible third are downed near Atka Island by 2 of the P-38's, in their first aerial combat in any theater; weather cancels bombing Mission to Kiska Island.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): P-40's sweep Japanese HQ at Linchwan and bomb HQ buildings and barracks and strafe transports.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s strike a convoy in the Mediterranean during the night of 4/5 Aug, claiming hits on 2 merchant ships.
WEDNESDAY, 5 AUGUST 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): Japanese aircraft again attack US airfield at Kweilin; notified well in advance by the Chinese warning net (previously set up under Brigadier General Claire L Chennault while he was head of the American Volunteer Group (AVG), P-40s meet the Japanese over the target, shooting down 2, and another is downed by ground fire.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): VIII Fighter Command dispatches its first mission-11Spitfire Mk Vs of the 31FG on a practice run over France.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): Lieutenant General Lewis H Brereton, in his first strategic estimate of the Middle Eastern war, indicates that the 3 major objectives for the Allied AFs are to assist in the destruction of General Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps by support to ground troops, secure sea and air communications on and over the Mediterranean, and carry out a sustained air offensive against Italy and against oil installations at Ploesti, Rumania and in the Caucasus, if the latter should fall under Axis control.
Unit moves: 65FS, 57FG, from Muqueibile, Palestine to Cyprus with P-40s; 345BS(H) arrives at Ramat David, Palestine from the US with B-24s; first Mission is 12 Aug.
THURSDAY, 6 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 3 B-24s, 2 B-17s and 10 P-38s provide air coverage for USN tenders to Nazan Bay, Atka Island; photo reconnaissance is flown over Attu Island, Aleutian Islands.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): 39OS, 72OG attached to Trinidad Sector and Base Command, moves from Howard Field, Canal Zone to Waller Field, Trinidad, British West Indies with O-47s and O-49s.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): 76BS(M), 42BG(M), attached to 45BG(M), and based at McChord Field, Washington, moves from NAS Opalocka to Drew Field, Florida and continues flying ASW patrols with A-29s.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): B-25s bomb Tien Ho Airfield, Canton, China, causing heavy damage to the runways and destroying several parked aircraft.
Detachment of 11BS(H), 7BG(H), operating from Nanning, China with B-25s returns to base at Kunming.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s hit the harbor at Tobruk, Libya.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-25s and B-26s pound airfields at Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea.
FRIDAY, 7 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 3 B-24s dispatched to bomb Kiska Island return with their bombs due to solid overcast; 4 more B-24s also depart for Kiska; 1 turns back with mechanical trouble, the others abort the mission over the target due to undercast; 1 B-24, 4 P-38s and an LB-30 fly 2 air coverage missions at Nazan Bay, Atka Island for USN tenders.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 60TCG and 10th and 28TCS move from Chelveston and Podington to Aldermaston, England with C-47s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): Colonel Harry A Halverson relinquishes command of Hal BS, to be succeeded by Lieutenant Colonel George F McGuire.
343BS(H), 98BG(H), arrives at Ramat David, Palestine from the US with B-24s; first Mission is in Aug.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): First Marine Division (Reinforced) invades Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 13 B-17s of the 19BG(H), led by Lieutenant Colonel Richard H Carmichael hit Vunakanau Airfield, New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago, in coordination with USMC (USMC): landings on Guadalcanal Island. B-26s attack Lae, New Guinea, and a B-17 and a B-25 each attack a submarine in the Gulf of Papua.
HQ 38BG(M) and 405BS(M): move from Eagle Farms and Ballarat respectively to Breddan Field, Australia with B-25s; first Mission is 17 Sep.
SATURDAY, 8 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1LB-30, 3 B-24s and 8 P-38s on photo and bombing missions over Kiska Island cannot attack but Navy PBYs also operating over and off Kiska Island hit freighters and a transport, claiming 1 transport sinking, and score many hits on North Head and Main Camp.
EDC (1AF): 313th, 314th, 315th and 398BS(M), 21BG(M), stop flying ASW patrols from MacDill Field, Florida.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): In China, B-25s hit the Canton area, bombing Tien Ho Airfield and other targets in the vicinity and claiming 2 interceptors shot down.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): From this date through 23 Aug, B-17s fly search missions covering the lower Solomon Islands in order to detect any attempt to make a surprise attack on the forces consolidating the Guadalcanal Island beachhead.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-400s dive-bomb Kokoda and Yodda; B-17s, B-25s and B-26s bomb runways and targets of opportunity at Lae and Salamaua.
SUNDAY, 9 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 6 bombers fly armed reconnaissance over Kiska and Attu Islands and hit Kiska Island.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): In China, P-40s of the 23FG continue to support Chinese ground forces by harassing the Japanese at Linchwan; 4 B-25s and 3 P-40s from the Kweilin-Hengyang area, staging through Nanning, bomb docks and warehouses at Haiphong, French Indochina, causing considerable damage and claiming a freighter sunk in the harbor; this is the first CATF raid over French Indochina.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Unit moves in England: HQ 301BG(H) to Chelveston from the US; 27FS from Goxhill to Atcham (the squadron is operating their P-38s from Reykjavik, Iceland).
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s bomb shipping and airfields at Rabaul, New Britain Island and Gasmata Island off the S coast of New Britain Island while B-26s hit the harbor area at Salamaua, New Guinea.
MONDAY, 10 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 5 B-17s and 3 B-24s bomb Kiska Island targets; fighters and AA down 1 B-24 and only the pilot is saved.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (4AF): 123OS, 70OG, stops flying ASW patrols from Gray Field and Hoquiam, Washington.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): In China, B-25s bomb Hankow; afterwards the P-40 escorts, led by Colonel Robert L Scott, strike ammunition dumps and military warehouses at Sienning, causing heavy destruction of material which the Japanese have accumulated to use against Hengyang and other US bases in C China.
TUESDAY, 11 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, 1 B-24 flies photo reconnaissance over W Semichi Island and the N coast of Attu Island.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): In China, P-40s hit airfields at Yoyang and Nanchang from which the enemy has been attacking Hengyang.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Referring to Operation TORCH (plans for the invasion of N Africa in Nov 42), Major General Carl Spaatz informs General Henry H "Hap" Arnold that, in his opinion, the UK remains the only base from which air supremacy over Germany can be established.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): 98BS(H), 11BG(H), moves from Hickam Field, Oahu, Hawaii to Espiritu Santo Island; they have been operating B-17s from New Caledonia Island since 21 Jul.
WEDNESDAY, 12 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, 1 B-24 flies photo reconnaissance over Amlia and Atka Islands.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 31FG at Westhampnett, England with Spitfire Mk Vs, is declared fully operational and ready for combat operations under RAF control until it gains enough experience to be able to fight as a group; this is first US fighter unit in the UK to reach this operational status.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s bomb shipping at Rabaul, New Britain Island, scoring damaging hits on 3 vessels.
71BS(M), 38BG(M), moves from Batchelor Field to Breddan Field, Australia with B-25s; first Mission is 15 Sep.
THURSDAY, 13 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-24 flies photo reconnaissance over Kiska Island.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): 83BS(H), 12BG(M), arrives at Ismailia, Egypt from the US with B-25s; first Mission is 16 Aug.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): A Japanese convoy, headed toward Basabua near Gona, New Guinea, with 3,000 construction troops, is attacked first by B-17s 76 mi (122 km) NE of Gona, followed by B-26s 20-25 mi (32-40 km) N of Gona and another B-17 attack as the convoy approaches landing position. In New Guinea, Japanese ground forces attack at Deniki, driving Allied forces back about 5 mi (8 km) and firmly securing the Buna-Kokoda trail.
FRIDAY, 14 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, a B-24 trying to fly photo reconnaissance over Tanaga and Adak Islands aborts over Kiska Island due to weather.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: AAF Foreign Service Concentration Command is redesignated I Concentration Command.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 1 Composite Squadron, AAF Composite Force 8012, arrives on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic from the US with P-39s and B-25s.
ICELAND BASE COMMAND: 2d Lieutenant Joseph D Shaffer (33FS): and 2d Lieutenant Elza E Shahan (27FS) jointly shoot down an Fw 200 off the coast of Iceland. This is the first aerial victory of the AAF in the ETO.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s bomb the harbor at Tobruk, Libya during the night of 14/15 Aug.
434BS(M), 12BG(M), arrives at Ismailia, Egypt from the US with B-25s; first Mission is 28 Aug.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s attack shipping off Gona, New Guinea. ;
SATURDAY, 15 AUGUST 1942
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 11TCS, 60TCG, moves from Chelveston to Aldermaston, England with C-47s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 65BS(H), 43BG(H), moves from Williamstown to Torrens Creek, Australia with B-17s; first Mission is 12 Nov.
SUNDAY, 16 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-24 aborts a photo reconnaissance flight over Adak Island because of mechanical failure.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (4AF): 82 and 110OSs, 71OG, stop flying ASW patrols from Salinas AAB, California.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 6FW arrives at Bushey Hall, England from the US; the wing will train replacement pilot for fighter organizations until Sep 43.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): Personnel strength is greatly increased and supply and maintenance prospects are much improved by the arrival of ground echelons of the 57FG, 12BG(M), 98BG(H) and 323 Service Group.
MONDAY, 17 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-24 flies photo reconnaissance over Buldir, Kiska and Amchitka Islands, Aleutian Islands, despite heavy rain.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): Unit moves in China: 16FS, 51FG, from Kunming to Chungking with P-40s; 75FS, 23FG, from Hengyang to Chanyi with P-40s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 1: 12 of 12 B-17s bomb Rouen/Sotteville marshalling yard in France at 1739-1746 hours; they claim 0-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-17s are damaged. 6 B-17s also fly a diversion without loss; escort is provided by RAF Spitfires.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-25s of the 81BS(M) hit stores, depot and tank repair shops at Matruh, Egypt. This marks the debut of the B-25s of the 12BG(M) in the Middle East.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): A single B-17 bombs Kavieng, New Ireland Island, Bismarck
Archipelago.
TUESDAY, 18 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-24 takes oblique photos of Amchitka and Tanaga Islands; Heavy fog over Kiska and Attu Islands precludes armed reconnaissance.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): 397BS(H), 6BG(H), moves from David, Panama to Talara, Peru with LB-30s and continues flying ASW patrols.
CBI 10AF: Major General Clayton L Bissell becomes Commanding General 10AF, relieving Brigadier General Earl L Naiden who now devotes full time to command of India-China Ferry Command under the 10AF.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): 76FS, 23FG, moves from Kweilin to Kunming, China with P-40s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 14FG at Atcham; HQ 64TCG and 16th, 17th, 18th and 35TCS at Ramsbury with C-47s; HQ 92BG(H): and 325th, 326th, 327th and 407BS(H) at Bovingdon with B-17s (they will fly some combat mission s while training replacement crews, Aug 42-Jan 43); 32BS(H), 301BG(H), at Chelveston with B-17s (first Mission is 2 Oct).
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): For a second consecutive day a single B-17 attacks Kavieng, New Ireland Island; bombs fall in the airfield dispersal area.
WEDNESDAY, 19 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Mechanical failure prevents a B-24 from flying reconnaissance over Tanaga Island.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): 103OS, 26OG, stops flying ASW patrols from Hyannis, Massachusetts.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 2: 22 of 24 B-17s bomb Abbeville/Drucat Airfield, France at 1032-1040 hours; 3 B-17s are damaged; 6 B-17s fly a diversion and 2 airmen are WIA. This mission is flown to occupy the Luftwaffe and prevent them from opposing an invasion by over 5,000 Allied troops, mostly Canadians, who raid Dieppe, France. 123 Spitfire Mk Vs of the 31FG support the raid on Dieppe and claim 1-1-5 Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of 8 Spitfires (4 pilots are MIA); 2d Lieutenant Samuel F Junkin Jr of the 309FS, 31FG, flying a Spitfire Mk V in support of the amphibious raid on Dieppe, shoots down a German fighter, this being the first aerial victory won by an 8AF fighter pilot flying from the UK.
Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 1BW at Brampton Grange; 353and 419BS(H), 301BG(H), at Chelveston with B-17s (first Mission is 2 Oct).
2d, 4th and 5FS, 52FG arrive at Eglinton, Co Derry, Ireland from the US (squadrons will be equipped with Spitfire Mk Vs and 2 and 4FSs will fly their first Mission on 27 Aug; 5FS will not fly missions).
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): 64th and 66FSs, 57FG, arrive at Muqueibile and Beit Daras, Palestine respectively from the US with P-40s; first Mission is 7 Oct.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s bomb shipping on Faisi Island, Shortland Islands, Solomon Islands.
THURSDAY, 20 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-24 flies photo reconnaissance over Kiska Island; a patrol is flown over Shumagin Island, Aleutian Islands.
WDC (4th AF): 25OS, 71OG, stops flying ASW patrols from Salinas AAB, California.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: HQ 12AF is activated at Bolling Field, Washington, DC.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The principle of coordinated day and night bombing receives its first formal definition in the "Joint British/American Directive on Day Bomber Operations involving Fighter Cooperation." The emphasis is placed on achieving continuity in the bombing offensive from the UK.
Mission 3: 11 of 12 B-17s bomb Amiens/Longeau marshalling yard, France at 1801hours without loss.
Unit moves in England: 27FS, 1FG, from Atcham to High Ercall (the squadron is operating from Reykjavik, Iceland with P-38s); 352BS(H), 301BG(H) to Podington from the US with B-17s (first Mission is 5 Sep).
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 63BS(H), 43BG(H), moves from Torrens Creek to Mareeba, Australia with B-17s.
FRIDAY, 21 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-24 trying to fly reconnaissance over Kiska Island aborts due to weather.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): HQ XXXVI Fighter Command is activated at Waller Field, Trinidad.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): At General Henry H "HAP" Arnold's request, Lieutenant General Dwight D Eisenhower gives Major General Carl Spaatz additional duties as Air Officer for the ETO and head of the air section of its staff, thus assuring active participation by the 8AF in theater planning.
Mission 4: 12 B-17s are dispatched to the bomb the shipyards at Rotterdam, The Netherlands but the mission is aborted due to an attack by 25 Bf 109s and Fw 190s; the bombers claim 2-5-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1bomber is damaged; 1airman is KIA and 5 WIA. Lack of proper coordination with the Spitfire escorts is a major factor in the failure of the mission .
HQ VIII Ground Air Support Command moves from Bushy Park to Membury, England.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s from 2 squadrons hit a convoy SW of Crete, claiming 2 ships probably sunk; fighters attack a straggling B-24 and force it to crashland at sea.
343BS(H) and 344BS(H), 98BG(H), move from David to St Jean, Palestine with B-24s.
SATURDAY, 22 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A photo reconnaissance mission over Kiska Island is aborted due to overcast.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): German submarine, U-654, is sunk off Panama at 12-00N 79-56W, by the 45BS(H), 40BG(H), based at France Field, Canal Zone.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: XII AF Services Command is activated at MacDill Field, Florida, under Major John L Cheeselbrough.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-25s hit a tank and motor repair shop and storage dumps at Matruh, Egypt; a B-25 is mistakenly shot down by an RAF Beaufighter.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): First AAF aircraft, 5 P-400s of the 67FS, 58FG, based on New Caledonia Island, arrive at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal Island, joining USMC aircraft which arrived earlier; these P-400s, which operate under control of Marine Aircraft Wing One (MAW-1), prove no match for Japanese Zekes or bombers at high altitudes.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s bomb airfields at Lae, New Guinea and Rabaul, New Britain Island.
SUNDAY, 23 AUGUST 1942
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): 1BS(H), 9BG(H), moves from Waller Field to Edinburgh Field, Trinidad.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 333FS, 18FG, is activated at Bellows Field, Hawaii and equipped with P-39s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): A lone B-17 bombs Buka Island, Solomon Islands.
MONDAY 24 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 404BS(H), 28th Composite Group, begins to operate from Umnak Island, Aleutian Islands with B-24s. A photo reconnaissance sortie is cancelled due to overcast.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 5: 12 of 12 B-17s bomb the shipyard of Ateliers et Chantiers Maritime de la Seine at Le Trait, France; 3 B-17s are damaged and 5 airmen are WIA.
Major General Carl Spaatz reports the the RAF attitude towards US daylight precision bombing seems to be changing from one of skepticism to one of tentative approval.
Unit moves in England: HQ 6FW from Bushey Hall to Atcham; HQ 1FG and 71FS from Goxhill to Ibsley with P-38s (first Mission is 1Sep); 307FS, 31FG, from Biggin Hill to Merston.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s attack Tobruk, Libya harbor.
SOPAC (Joint Chiefs of Staff): In the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, 7 B-17s and USN dive- and torpedo-bombers from the carriers USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Saratoga (CV-3) attack a task force covering a transport formation heading for Guadalcanal Island; USN aircraft sink the Japanese aircraft carrier Ryujo; during the night 4 Japanese warships shell the airstrip on Guadalcanal.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s hit Gasmata Island and airfields at Rabaul, New Britain Island. Japanese amphibious forces leave Buna, New Guinea in barges and New Ireland Island in transports, heading for Milne Bay, New Guinea; the barges are detected by an Australian coastwatcher during the afternoon.
TUESDAY, 25 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A photo reconnaissance airplane flies over Kiska, Attu and Adak Islands, then turns back because of mechanical failure.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Units of the Provisional Troop Carrier Command, organized in the UK on 31Jul pending arrival of the VIII Troop Carrier Command, are transferred to the VIII Ground Air Support Command after plans to organize the VIII Troop Carrier Command are abandoned. 308FS, 31FG, moves from Kenley to Westhampnett, England with Spitfires.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-25s bomb shipping and landing grounds. B-24s attack Corinth Canal, Greece.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): The Japanese invasion force sailing toward Guadalcanal (see 24 Aug) is hit hard by USMC dive bombers 125 mi (201km): from the island at 0835 hours; B-17s from Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Island sink the destroyer Mutsuki as it is attempting to sink the damaged transport Kinuru Maru; by 1200 hours the force is heading N in retreat; the enemy has lost about 90 aircraft in the battle.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, Japanese amphibious forces bound for Milne Bay from Buna are stranded on Goodenough Island when P-40s from Milne Bay destroy all of their beached barges. P-40s also attack a convoy proceeding from New Ireland Island toward Milne Bay but are hampered by bad weather and fail to halt landings at 3 points E of Rabi during the night of 25/26 Aug. P-400s hit the airfield and AA positions at Buna.
WEDNESDAY, 26 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A photo mission is aborted over Atka Island due to weather.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): 119OS, 59OG, moves from Ft Dix AAB, New Jersey to Hyannis Municipal Airport, Massachusetts and continues flying ASW patrols with O-47s, O-49s, O-52 and O-58s.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): B-25s, which have moved temporarily from C China to Yunnani, bomb Lashio, Burma, an important rail center, highway junction and air base; covering P-40s strafe numerous targets of opportunity and shoot down at least 2 Japanese fighters.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Unit moves in England: HQ 52FG and 2d, 4th and 5FSs from Eglinton, Ireland to Goxhill with Spitfires; 27FS, 1FG, stops operating from Reykjavik, Iceland with P-38s and moves to High Ercall.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-40s, B-25s, B-26s and B-17s plus (RAAF) Hudsons, pound Japanese forces in Milne Bay; a large transport is damaged and most of the supplies on the beachheads E of Rabi are destroyed; P-400s strafe Buna Airfield.
THURSDAY, 27 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 4 B-17s, 6 B-24s, and 2 P-38s fly weather, reconnaissance and patrol missions over Kiska and Atka Islands. The Japanese begin to transfer the Attu Island garrison to Kiska Island, which is completed on 16 Sep.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): 126OS, 59OG, moves from Ft Dix AAB, New Jersey to Hyannis Municipal Airport, Massachusetts and continues flying ASW patrols with O-46s, O-47s, O-49s, O-52s and O-59s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 6: 7 of 9 B-17s bomb the shipyards at Rotterdam, The Netherlands at 1740 hours; 3 B-17s are damaged; 1airman is WIA. 92BG(H) completes nonstop flight of the last of its 4 squadrons from Newfoundland to UK without a loss. A Combat Crew Replacement Center (CCRC), the first in the 8AF, is established at Bovingdon, England.
94FS, 1FG, moves from Kirton in Lindsey to Ibsley, England with P-38s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s bomb a convoy, hitting 1merchant ship which is reported sinking.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-26s and P-400s bomb Buna Airfield while P-40s strafe the beachhead and fuel dumps at Milne Bay.
403BS(H), 43BG(H), moves from Laverton to Torrens Creek, Australia with B-17s; first Mission is in Oct.
FRIDAY, 28 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Of 3 B-17s bombing Kiska Island, 1fails to return; all available B-24s and 2 flights of P-38s fly naval cover at Nazan Bay, Atka Island; and an attack mission to Attu Island is cancelled due to weather.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): 46BS(M), 41BG(M), moves from Hammer Field, California to MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina and continues flying ASW patrols with A-29s.
ZI: Lieutenant Colonel Harold L Neely takes command of the 12AF.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): In French Indochina, 8 B-25s hit barracks and ammunition dumps at
Hoang Su Phi and a fuel dump at Phu Lo; this is the largest force of B-25s used by CATF to date, and the first B-25 Mission flown without escort.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 7: 11 of 14 B-17s bomb the Avions Potez aircraft factory at Meaulte at 1337-1344 hours; 3 B-17s are damaged; 1airman is KIA.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): 2 B-24 squadrons bomb docks, shipping and jetties in Tobruk, Libya harbor.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-26s pound forces at Milne Bay, New Guinea.
SATURDAY, 29 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A USN PBY reports a force of 3 cruisers and 4 destroyers NW of Umnak Island; thereupon all aircraft of the 11th go on attack alert; the surface force then identifies itself as friendly.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): 105OS, 65OG, moves from Georgetown Co Airport to Charleston AAFld, South Carolina and continues flying ASW patrols with O-46s, O-47s, O-49s, O-52s and O-57s.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): B-25s pound Lashio, Burma, scoring numerous hits on the airport
and starting 3 large fires in warehouse area SE of the city.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 8: In France, 11 of 13 B-17s attack Courtrai Airfield at 1131-1136 hours; 1 B-17 hits Steene Airfield at 1137; they claim 0-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-17s are damaged.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s fail to locate shipping near Crete and return without bombing. B-25s bomb a landing ground during the night of 29/30 Aug.
65FS, 57FG, moves from Cyprus to Muqueibile, Palestine with P-40s; first Mission is 7 Oct.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-26s and P-400s hit the airfield at Buna; B-17s pound the airfield at Rabaul, New Britain Island, and P-40s hit facilities in the Milne Bay area as enemy ground forces continue their drive over the Owen Stanley Range toward Port Moresby.
SUNDAY, 30 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): US troops occupy Kuluk Bay, Adak Island, amidst a terrific storm and start building a runway. 5 B-24s photograph Kiska Island but do not bomb due to overcast, and then fly patrol and photo reconnaissance over Amchitka and Tanaga Islands. P-38s fly patrol between Great Sitkin and Little Tanaga Islands.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): Air echelon of 40BS(M), 13BG(M), based at Mitchel Field, New York, begins flying ASW patrols from Guantanamo, Cuba with B-18s; 112OS, 65OG, moves from Georgetown Co. Airport, South Carolina to Palm Beach Co Airpark, Lantana, Florida and continues flying ASW patrols with O-47s, O-49s, O-57s and O-58s.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): Myitkyina, northernmost Japanese supply depot and airfield in Burma, from which fighters could hit Dinjan, India (terminus of the Assam-Burma Ferry), is bombed for the first time by 8 China-based B-25s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s bomb docks and jetties in Tobruk, Libya harbor.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 6FS, 18FG, moves from Wheeler Field to Kahuku, Hawaii with P-40s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s attack shipping in Saint George's Channel between New Ireland and New Britain Islands.
MONDAY 31 AUGUST 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Of 2 B-24s flying weather, reconnaissance and patrol missions over Tanaga Island, 1returns due to weather.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): B-25s from China bomb Myitkyina, Burma for the second consecutive day.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ XII BC arrives at High Wycombe, England and is assigned to HQ 12AF.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-25s attack aircraft on a landing ground, and B-24s raid the harbor at Tobruk, Libya. P-40s of the 66FS, 57FG, escort RAF bombers during raid on Maryut, Egypt. B-25s, in conjunction with RAF Bostons, attack troop concentrations and military vehicles as the battle of Alam-el-Halfa begins along the El Alamein line.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-26s and A-20s bomb the airfield at Lae; B-17s bomb an ammunition dump at Buna; P-400s strafe positions at Wairopi; and P-40s bomb landing barges and strafe gun positions in Milne Bay area where Australian ground forces now take the offensive.
SEPTEMBER 1942
TUESDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): US forces complete the occupation of Adak Island, Aleutian Islands. During Sep, HQ 343FG moves from Elmendorf Field, Anchorage to Ft Glenn, Umnak Island, Aleutian Islands. The detachment of the 11FS, XI Fighter Command, operating from Ft Randall, Cold Bay, Alaska with P-40s, returns to base at Ft Glenn.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): During Sep, the 24FS, 16FG, moves from La Joya, Panama to Albrook Field, Canal Zone with P-39s.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): During Sep, the 97th and 106OSs, 66OG, ceases flying ASW patrols from Miami Municipal Airport, Florida and Savannah AAB, Georgia respectively.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (4AF): During Sep, the following squadrons cease flying ASW patrols from bases in California: the 17OS, 71OG, from Salinas AAB; the 31 and 115OSs, 69OG, from Ontario AAF; and the 48BS(M), 41BG(M), from NAS Alameda.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): During Jul, the following units arrive in England from the US: HQ 51TCW at Greenham Common.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s attack the harbor at Candia, Crete, scoring several direct hits on 1vessel and hitting others. 2 squadrons of the 57FG fly escort missions and sweeps with the RAF. B-25s, in conjunction with RAF light bombers, hit trucks and tanks in the battle area of Alam-el-Halfa, Egypt.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): During Sep, the forward echelon of the 26BS(H), 11BG(H), begins operating from Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands with B-17s; the squadron is based on Efate Island, New Hebrides Islands.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-40s hit a Japanese HQ at Wagga Wagga on Milne Bay while P-400s strafe Kokoda and Kokoda Pass in the Owen Stanley Range; Australian ground forces continue a slow retreat over the range but make progress in Milne Bay offensive; and the 89BS(L), 3BG(L), moves from Charters Towers, Australia to Port Moresby with A-20s.
WEDNESDAY, 2 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, 6 bombers and 12 P-38s fly cover and photo reconnaissance over Nazan and Kuluk Bays on Adak Island, and Amchitka and Semisopochnoi Islands.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The 22FS, 36FG, based at Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, sends detachments to operate from Aruba and Curacao, Lesser Antilles Islands with P-39s and P-40s.
HQ AAF (12AF): Colonel Claude E Duncan becomes Commanding Officer XII BC.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): In China, P-40s hit barges and junks carrying rice in the Poyang Lake region, strafe HQ and runways at Nanchang Airfield, attack railroad stations and warehouses at Hua Yuan, and sink a launch, damage 4 junks, and wreck a train on Wuchang Peninsula.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s hit docks and jetties at Tobruk, Libya; B-25s bomb aircraft and a landing ground and, with the RAF, attack troops and vehicles in the battle area around Alamel-Halfa, Egypt ridge; P-40s fly escort and sweep missions over the battle area in conjunction with the RAF.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): The mission of the 67FS P-400s on Guadalcanal Island is shifted from air defense to close air support for Marine ground forces and attacks on shipping, tasks for
which they are better suited.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-400s bomb and strafe forces in the Kokoda and Alola areas as the Japanese continue to push toward Port Moresby.
THURSDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, of 6 bombers and 5 P-38s off to bomb Kiska Island and flying air cover over Kuluk Bay, Adak Island, 5 bombers and 3 fighters abort due to weather; the others strafe seaplanes and boats in Kiska Harbor and nearby installations; between 1 and 4 seaplanes are claimed destroyed on the water; this is the longest over-water attack flight thus far in World War II; the 2 fighters which reach the target area return from the 1,260 mile (2,028 km) round trip with only 40 US gallons (151l) of fuel; and the 21BS(H), 30BG(under control of the 28th Composite Group), arrives at Umnak Island from the US with B-24s.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): In French Indochina, 1 B-25 dumps bombs and pamphlets on Hanoi in the first US raid against that city; munitions, supplies, and several parked aircraft are destroyed or damaged; 9 interceptors pursue the B-25s for about 30 miles (48 km) but fail to make contact; for the next 3 weeks, bad weather and inaccurate Chinese weather forecasts severely limit bomber operations.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s attack a convoy at sea; B-25s hit troop concentrations, vehicles, and airfield installations in the battle area of Alam-el-Halfa, Egypt and behind enemy lines; P-40s, mostly operating with the RAF, escort bombers and engage fighters in combat, claiming at least 1 shot down.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Lieutenant General George C Kenney assumes command of the 5AF in Brisbane, Australia, where the Fifth's HQ is remanned; General Kenney retains command of the Allied Air Force.
In New Guinea, P-400s bomb and strafe the Kokoda Pass area, hitting the airfield at Kokoda and in the vicinity of Alola, Isurava, and Missima; B-25s and A-20s pound the Mubo-Busama-Salamaua area. A B-17 strafes seaplanes at Faisi Island in the Shortland Islands.
FRIDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 2 bombers and 1 P-38 bomb and patrol Nazan and Kuluk Bays, but bombing of Kiska Island is cancelled due to weather.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 352BS(H), 301BG(H), moves from Podington to Chelveston, England with B-17s (first Mission is tomorrow).
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s, in conjunction with the RAF and the Royal Navy (RN), attack a convoy at sea; 2 merchant ships are reported sunk and 1 left burning. B-25s and RAF Bostons, repelling counterattacks during the Alam-el-Halfa, Egypt battle, hit troop concentrations and vehicles, while P-40s, operating with the RAF, escort bombers and engage in combat over the battle area, claiming 1 fighter destroyed.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-40s bomb and strafe forces in the Milne Bay area at Goroni, Wagga Wagga, Ahioma, and N of Lilihoa; Australian ground forces pushing E along Milne Bay reach Goroni; the Japanese begin evacuation of the area.
SATURDAY, 5 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 3 B-24s abort the bombing of Kiska Island due to an overcast.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s strike shipping and dock area in Candia Bay, Crete. In Egypt, P-40s escort RAF bombers over the the battle area SE of Alam-el-Halfa ridge near Rayil Dayr Ar Depression as the enemy offensive falters and is pushed back.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Because of Major General Carl Spaatz's convincing protests, Lieutenant General Dwight D Eisenhower changes his mind concerning his recent orders to suspend 8AF operations from the UK in order to devote total air effort to support of the 12AF and the forthcoming African campaign; General Eisenhower informs General George C Marshall that he considers air operations in UK and in Africa mutually complementary.
Mission 9: 49 bombers and 24 fighters attack targets in France without loss: 1. 11 of 12 DB-7s attack the port area at Le Havre at 0932 hours; escort is provided by 24 Spitfires.
2. 31 of 37 B-17s bomb the locomotive depot at Rouen/Sotteville marshalling yard; this is largest force of 8AF heavy bombers to attack to date; almost 20% of the high explosive bombs burst within the marshalling yard.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): Brigadier General Kenneth N Walker becomes Commanding General V BC as the command is remanned at Townsville, Australia.
In New Guinea, P-400s strafe Kokoda, Kaile, Isurava, Alola, Buna, Sanananda, and Buna-Kokoda trail; the airfield at Buna is strafed and bombed by P-400s and A-20s; as the Japanese withdraw from the Milne Bay area, Australian ground forces capture the Wagga Wagga supply dump.
SUNDAY, 6 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-24 flying patrol and armed reconnaissance over Tanaga Island, Aleutian Islands, sinks a mine layer and strafes a tender as well as nearby tents and buildings.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 10: 76 bombers and 37 fighters bomb targets in France; 2 B-17s are lost: 1. 12 of 12 DB-7s attack the Abbeville/Drucat Airfield at 1702 hours; escort is provided by 37 Spitfires, all without loss.
2. 30 of 51 B-17s, 30 attack the Avions Potez aircraft plant at Meaulte at 1740-1748 hours; they claim 4-19-20 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-17s are lost and 7 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 5 WIA and 18 MIA. This is the VIII Bomber Command's first loss of aircraft in combat.
3. Of 13 B-17s, 11 hit St Omer/Longuenesse Airfield and 2 St Omer/Ft Rouge Airfield without loss.
Arrivals in England from the US: HQ 67OG at Membury; and the 367th, 368th and 369BS(H), 306BG(H), at Thurleigh with B-17s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): In Egypt, P-40s fly an offensive sweep over the battle area near the Rayil Dayr Ar Depression, claiming 3 Ju 87s shot down; P-40s also escort RAF bombers and fly 2 interceptor missions.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-400s, A-20s, and B-17s strafe and bomb positions, troops, and shipping at Myola, Mubo, Kokoda, Myola Lake, Eora Creek, and Milne Bay; Australian ground forces continue to clear the enemy from the Milne Bay area while Australian troops in the Owen Stanley Range fall back to the vicinity of the Efogi Spur beyond Gap Mountain, where defensive positions are already established.
MONDAY, 7 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 3 B-24s patrol and bomb Kiska Island Harbor and camp area and also patrol Tanaga Island; they are attacked by 3 sea fighters of which at least 1 is downed.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 11: 29 bombers attack targets in the Netherlands without loss: 1. 4 of 15 B-17s ineffectively raid the Wilton shipyards at Rotterdam in bad weather; they claim 8-4-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17s are damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 3 WIA.
2. 5 of 14 B-17s seek targets of opportunity in the vicinity of Utrecht; they claim 4-6-5 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 is damaged and 1airman is WIA.
Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 2BW at Old Catton; HQ 93BG(H) and 328th, 329th, 330th and 409BS(H) at Alconbury with B-24s (first Mission is 9 Oct 42); HQ 306BG(H) at Thurleigh; 12th, 107th, 109th and 153OSs, 67OG, at Membury with no aircraft (first Mission is in Aug, Dec 43 and Jan 44 respectively); and 15Photographic Mapping Squadron, 3(Photo)G, at Membury with B-17s (first Mission is Nov 42).
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s bomb convoys at sea, hit other shipping, and in Crete, attack Maleme Airfield and Suda Bay.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s and P-400s strafe and bomb positions at Myola Lake and Efogi in the Owen Stanley Range; P-40s and (RAAF) Hudsons, Beauforts, and Beaufighters attack a cruiser and destroyer 17 miles (27 km) ENE of Cape Karitahua; organized Japanese resistance in the Milne Bay sector ends.
TUESDAY, 8 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, 1 B-24 and 1 B-26 fly photo reconnaissance over Agattu, Attu, and Kiska Islands; the detachment of the 42FS, 54FG, operating from Kodiak with P-39s begins a movement to Adak (the squadron is based at Harding Field, Louisiana).
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The "Joint British American Directive on Day Bomber Operations Involving Fighter Cooperation" is issued; worked out between Major General Carl Spaatz and the RAF, it consigns night bombing to the RAF and day bombing to the 8AF; the purpose is to achieve continuity in the bombing offensive and secure RAF fighter support for US bombers; General Spaatz orders all tactical operations to give way to activity in support of Operation TORCH (plan for Allied landings in N and NW Africa in Nov 42); processing of units of the newly created 12AF destined for N Africa takes priority over combat operations for the present. In England, HQ 3(Photo)G arrives at Membury from the US; 342d and 414BS(H), 97BG(H), move from Grafton Underwood to Polebrook with B-17s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s attack shipping and the harbor at Suda Bay, Crete.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-400s bomb and strafe the Efogi area where Australian forces are hard pressed by the Japanese. B-17s and RAAF Hudsons attack cruisers and a destroyer N of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands.
WEDNESDAY, 9 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-26 patrols Tanaga and Adak Islands.
HQ, AAF: Lieutenant General Henry H "Hap" Arnold, Commanding General AAF, submits to the Chief of Staff a plan (AWPD-42) estimating the size of the air force necessary to attain air ascendancy over the enemy and outlining suggestions for the use of these forces in the several theaters; this plan, which by 17 Nov 42 has been approved by the War Department and President Roosevelt, includes the buildup of the depleted 8AF in the UK and contains the seeds of the Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO).
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (4AF): A Japanese airplane, launched from a submarine off the coast, drops an incendiary bomb on a mountain slope near Brookings, Oregon, causing a small forest fire; this comprises the total bombing of the continental US by enemy aircraft during World War II.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): HQ 7BG(H) moves from Dum-Dum to Karachi, India.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 423BS(H), 306BG(H), arrives at Thurleigh, England from the US with B-17s (first Mission is 9 Oct).
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s attack Tobruk, Libya harbor and shipping.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The 31BS(H), 5BG(H), moves from Kipapa to Kualoa, Territory of Hawaii with B-17s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): P-40s strafe the Galaiwa Bay area on Goodenough Island, D'Entrecasteaux Islands. In New Guinea, A-20s, in support of encircled Australian ground forces, strafe and bomb troops in the Efogi Spur area; and the 8(Photo)RS, V Bomber Command, moves from Townsville, Australia to Port Moresby with F-4s.
THURSDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Weather, photo reconnaissance, and patrol missions are flown during the morning over Nazan Bay, Tanaga, Adak and Amchitka Islands; poor weather is encountered at Kiska, Attu, and Agattu Islands; a detachment of the 42FS, 54FG arrives at Adak Island with P-39s (the squadron is based at Harding Field, Louisiana).
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (3AF): The 124OS, 75OG, moves from Galveston AAB, Texas to New Orleans AAB, Louisiana and continues flying ASW patrols with L-4s and O-47s; and the 433BS(M), 45BG(M), moves from Brookley Field, Alabama to Galveston AAB, Texas and continues flying ASW patrols with RM-37s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): In England, the 5(Photo)RS, VIII BC, moves from Molesworth to Podington with F-4s (first Mission is in Nov); and the 67BS(H), 44BG(H), arrives at Cheddington with B-24s (first Mission is 20 Dec).
FRIDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A weather, photo, and patrol aircraft draws AA fire over Chichagof Harbor, Attu Island and also covers Tanaga, Amchitka, and Semichi Islands, Aleutian Islands. HQ 343FG is actived at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): The 79BS(M), 45BG(M), moves from MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina to Miami Municipal Airport, Florida and continues flying ASW patrols with RM-37s.
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ICELAND (Iceland Base Command): HQ 342Composite Group and the 337FS are activated in Iceland with P-38s.
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS UK (8AF): The 364th and 365BS(H), 305BG(H), arrive at Grafton Underwood, England from
the US with B-17s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): P-40s fly an uneventful sweep with the RAF during a lull after the Battle of Alam-el-Halfa, Egypt.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The 333FS, 18th FG, moves from Bellows Field, Territory of Hawaii to Canton
Island, Phoenix Islands with P-39s.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Island combat control groups are authorized for New Caledonia and Fiji Islands; these units, under immediate control of the Commanding General of US Army Forces in the South Pacific (COMGENSOPAC), are to take over local operational direction of fighter aircraft and all other units in the island combat team.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s and B-26s hit Efogi and Menari in the Owen Stanley Range and Buna Airfield; B-17s, along with RAAF Hudsons, attack 2 destroyers 20 miles (32 km) E of Normanby Island; a B-17 scores a direct hit on the stern of the destroyer Yayoi, which later sinks.
SATURDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, a weather and patrol reconnaissance aircraft finds overcast at Kiska Island but takes photos over Tanaga, Kanaga, and Attu Islands. The runway at Adak Island is completed.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ VIII AF Composite Command arrives in Ireland and is temporarily stationed at Long Kesh, County Down. Following units arrive in England from the US: HQ 3BW at Elveden Hall; HQ 4BW at Camp Lynn but soon loses its personnel to the XII Bomber Command and is not manned again until Jan 43; HQ 91BG(H) at Kimbolton; HQ 303BG(H) and 358th, 359th, 360th and 427BS(H) at Molesworth with B-17s (first Mission 17 Nov); HQ 305BG(H) and 366th and 422BS(H) at Grafton Underwood with B-17s (first Mission 17 Nov); 66th and 68BS(H), 44BG(H) at Cheddington with B-24s (first Mission is 7 Nov). In England, HQ 4FG and 334th, 335th and 336FSs are activated at Bushey Hall with Spitfires to be manned by US pilots who formerly flew with the RAF Eagle Squadrons; and the 27FS, 1FG, moves from High Ercall to Colerne with P-38s (first Mission is 2 Oct).
12AF: The following units arrive in England from the US: HQ 12AF, XII Fighter Command and XII AF Services Command; HQ 319BG(M) and 437th, 438th, 439th and 440BS(M) at Shipdham with B-26s (first Mission 28 Nov);
HQ 320BG(M) and 441, 442 and 443BS(M) at Hethel with B-26s (first Mission 22 Apr);
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): P-40s fly 3 uneventful scramble missions along the frontlines.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): HQ 90BG(H): and 319th, 320th, 321 and 400BS(H) arrive at Hickam Field, Kahuku Field, Kipapa, Wheeler Field, and Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii respectively from the US with B-24s (first Mission is 13 Nov).
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): P-400s, B-26s, A-20s, and B-17s bomb the airfield and strafe barges at Buna, New Guinea. P-40s strafe Gadaibai on Goodenough Island. A B-17 strafes a vessel in Bismarck Sea S of Kavieng, New Ireland Island, Bismarck Archipelago.
SUNDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 14 B-24s of the 21 and 404BS(H) move up to Adak Island. 1LB-30 and 2 P-38s fly a photo reconnaissance, antisubmarine coverage and strafing mission over Kiska Island lakes and harbor; a tender in the harbor is slightly damaged, 1float fighter is downed; a P-38 is hit by AA fire and fighters damage the LB-30.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): In England, the 15BS(L), VIII BC, moves from Molesworth to Podington, with DB-7s; the 322d, 323d, 324th and 401BS(H), 91BG(H), arrive at Kimbolton from the US with B-17s (first Mission is 7 Nov).
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): In Libya during the night of 13/14 Sep, B-24s attack Tobruk and shipping in Bengasi harbor while B-25s hit landing grounds SE of Matruh, Egypt.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-26s pound the airfield at Lae, New Guinea. B-17s unsuccessfully attack a cruiser SE of Rabaul, New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago. P-40s strafe buildings on Goodenough Island.
MONDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the first combined heavy mission over Kiska Island 13 B-24s, 1 B-17, 14 P-38s, and 14 P-39s fly low-altitude and photo runs; the P-39s shell 3 submarines in the harbor; the other aircraft bomb and strafe many installations including AA guns and the submarine base; a single aircraft also strafes Segula Island; enemy losses are 5 float planes shot down and 1flying boat destroyed on the water; 2 mine sweepers sunk and another vessel slightly damaged; while a large cargo vessel and several small barges and vessels sustain hits; 2 P-38s are lost, colliding head-on while after a fighter.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The detachment of the 40BS(M), 13BG(M) (air echelon attached to the USN Caribbean Sea Frontier) moves from Guantanamo, Cuba to Vernam Field, Jamaica, British West Indies (squadron is based at Mitchel Field, New York).
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): After the transfer of the combat unit to the 12AF (see below), the combat units assigned to the Eighth are: HQ 3d (Photo)G and 5th, 12th, 13th and 14(Photo)Ss and 15(Photo)Mapping Squadron with F-4s, F-5s and B-17Fs; HQ 4FGnd 334th, 335th and 336FSs at Steeple Morden with Spitfire Vs; HQ 44BG(H) and 66th, 67th and 68BS(H) at Cheddington with B-24s; HQ 67OG and 12th, 107th, 109th and 153OSs at Membury with no aircraft; HQ 91BG and 322d, 323d, 324th and 401BS(H) at Kimbolton with B-17Fs; HQ 92BG(H) and 325th, 326th, 327th and 407BS(H) at Bovingdon with B-17Fs; HQ 93BG(H) and 328th, 329th, 330th and 409BS(H) at Alconbury with B-24Ds;
HQ 303BG(H) and 358th, 359th, 360th and 427BS(H) at Molesworth with B-17Fs; HQ 305BG(H) and 364th, 365th, 366th and 422BS(H) at Grafton Underwood with B-17Fs; and HQ 306BG(H) and 367th, 368th, 369th and 423BS(H) at Thurleigh with B-17Fs.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ 12AF XII Fighter Command, XII AF Services Command, and XII BC are attached to corresponding units of the 8AF in the UK; The Eighth subsequently handles the buildup of the Twelfth by assigning a large number of its own units to the new AF (appropriately dubbed JUNIOR) and supervises its training. The following combat units are transferred from the Eighth to 12AF: HQ 1FG and 27th, 71 and 94FSs at Ibsley and High Ercall with P-38Fs; HQ 14FG and 48th and 49FSs at Atcham with P-38Fs; HQ 31FG and 307th, 308th and 309FSs at Westhampnett with Spitfire Vs; HQ 52FG and 2d, 4th and 5FSs at Goxhill with Spitfire Vs; HQ 60TCG and 10th, 11th, 12th and 28TCSs at Aldermaston with C-47s; HQ 64TCG and 16th, 17th, 18th and 35TCSs at Ramsbury with C-47s; HQ 97BG(H) and 340th, 341, 342 and 414BS(H) at Polebrook with B-17Fs; HQ 301BG(H) and 32d, 352d, 353and 419BSs at Chelveston with B-17Fs; and 15BS(L) at Podington with DB-7s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s attack shipping at Suda Bay, Crete, setting 1 vessel afire, while other B-24s hit Tobruk, Libya; P-40s fly a sweep with the RAF over the frontlines.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, a single A-20 bombs ground forces and installations at Myola; and HQ 43BG(H) moves from Torrens Creek, Australia to Port Moresby.
TUESDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-17 and 1 B-24 fly armed reconnaissance over Kiska Island, and at Amchitka Island blast buildings in the Constantine Harbor area; fighters strafe Kiska Island Camp area and down 4 intercepting aircraft.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): HQ 341BG(M) and the 490th and 491BS(M) are activated at Karachi, India with B-25s; also assigned are the 11th and 22BS(M) at Kunming, China and Karachi respectively with B-25s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): A lone B-24 drops 1bomb on a tanker in Suda Bay, Crete. B-24s bomb behind the enemy lines while P-40s, along with the RAF, fly escort and carry out a scramble missions over the area W of El Alamein, Egypt.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guiana, medium bombers hit Buna and Sanananda and attack camps at Efogi and Myola; and the first US infantry troops, elements of the 32Infantry Division, arrive at Port Moresby. B-17s bomb the harbor and airfield at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
The 19BS(M), 22BG(M), moves from Woodstock to Iron Range, Australia with B-26s.
WEDNESDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): The Japanese completes transfer of the Attu Island garrison to Kiska Island, begun on 27 Aug; 1 B-17 and 1 B-24 fly photo and reconnaissance runs over Adak Island.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): HQ 40BG(H) moves from Howard Field to Albrook Field, Canal Zone. The 22FS, 36th FG, based at Vega Baja, Puerto Rico with P-39s and P-40s sends a detachment to operate from Zandery Field, Surinam; other detachments are operating from Waller Field, Trinidad, Aruba, and Curacao.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The VIII AF Services Command selects Honington and Watton, England as sites for BC advance depots; the site for the VIII Fighter Command awaits a final settlement of question of location and Mission of the Fighter Command.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): Major General Lewis H Brereton is officially assigned to the Middle East as a result of pressure from Major General Clayton L Bissell, new Commanding General 10AF for clarification of the status of Brereton and other key staff officers and combat crews who had gone from India to the Middle East in Jun and Jul 42. HQ 57FG and the 64th, 65th and 66FSs move from Muqeibile and Beit Daras, Palestine to Landing Ground 174, Egypt with P-40s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s bomb the wharf and airfield at Rabaul, New Britain Island and airfield on Gasmata Island off the S coast of New Britain Island. In New Guinea, a lone B-17 attacks landing barges in the Sanananda area while a single A-20 bombs and strafes positions at Nauro and Menari in the Efogi area; the Japanese ground offensive toward Port Moresby comes to a halt at Ioribaiwa; Australians are entrenched on Imita Range where they are preparing a counteroffensive.
THURSDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 1942
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): XII Ground Air Support Command is activated at Birmingham, Alabama; the only 12AF command to be completely organized in the US, it eventually will proceed directly to N Africa as part of the Western Task Force (WTF). HQ XII Fighter Command moves from Wattisham to Bushey Hall, England.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): During the night of 16/17 Sep, B-24s bomb Bengasi, Libya harbor; during the day, targets for B-24s are in Greece: shipping in Pylos Bay and shipping and piers near Sphakia, and in Khalones and Pylos Island. P-40s make an offensive sweep with the RAF over the front lines.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s, carrying out singlebomber attacks, bomb airfields at Rabaul, New Britain Island; B-17s also hit Lae, and hit a beached cargo vessel at Salamaua; P-400s, P-40s, and P-39s strafe and bomb landing barges at Buna and Sanananda Point; Japanese ground forces, halted within sight of Port Moresby, are unable to attack without reinforcements and supplies, neither of which is available.
FRIDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: (HQ AAF): The designation of all AFs is changed from a number to a name, e.g., 1to First, 2 to Second, etc.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): VIII Ground Air Support Command at Membury, England is redesignated VIII Air Support Command.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): 12 British units--signal, observer, radar, and air warning--are attached to the XII Fighter Command in the UK. Colonel Rosenham R Beam becomes Commanding Officer XII Ground Air Support Command.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, 1 B-17 bombs Salamaua while a B-25 strafes pack trains on the Kokoda trail in the Andemba-Wairopi-Kokoda area; and HQ 8FG and the 35th and 36FS move from Townsville, Australia to Milne Bay with P-39s and P-400s.
SATURDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): In China, B-25s strike Lungling; the raid is ineffective due to bad weather but results in the discovery of much Japanese activity which further reconnaissance reveals as part of a heavy movement of enemy and supplies along the Burma Road toward the Salween front.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): In Greece, B-24s bomb the Pylos Bay area, Pylos Island and Khalones during the night of 19/20 Sep.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s and B-26s strafe and bomb the airfield at Lae; and the 7FS, 49FG, moves from Batchelor, Australia to Port Moresby with P-40s. B-17s attack cargo vessels near Umboi (Rooke) Island between New Guinea and New Britain Island. A whaling vessel is strafed by fighters off Goodenough Island.
SUNDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The 2Sea-Search Attack Squadron(M), 1 Sea-Search Attack Group, based at Langely Field, Virginia, begins flying ASW patrols from Edinburgh Field, Trinidad with B-18s.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Rear Admiral Aubrey W Fitch becomes Commander Aircraft South Pacific Forces (COMAIRSOPAC).
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In Owen Stanley Range of New Guinea, A-20s bomb and strafe troops and installations at Sangara, Arehe, and along the Popondetta-Andemba road, and P-40s strafe the airfield at Kokoda, bridges on the trail near Wairopi, and troops at Myola, Efogi, and Kagi.
MONDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Bombers fly reconnaissance over Kiska Island and bomb and fire Constantine Harbor installations at Amchitka Island; and the 21BS(H), 30BG(H) (operating under control of the 28th Composite Group), based on Umnak Island, begins operating from Adak Island with B-24s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-40s bomb and strafe bridges and targets of opportunity along Buna-Kokoda trail.
TUESDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 9 B-24s, 2 B-17s, and 1LB-30, accompanied by 15 P-39s and 20 P-40s, abort a Kiska Island bombing Mission due to weather; photo reconnaissance suggests that Chichagof Harbor, Attu Island is abandoned.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): Brigadier General John K Cannon takes command of the XII Ground Air Support Command.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s bomb shipping in Bengasi, Libya harbor; direct hits are made on 1large vessel while a smaller vessel and other targets receive lesser hits.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s bomb and strafe occupied areas at Menari, Efogi, Nauro, Yodda, and Kokoda; P-40s strafe AA positions, huts, and barges at Buna and Salamaua and bomb and strafe Wairopi bridge, strafe buildings at Yodda, the airfield at Buna, and AA positions and other targets along the Buna-Kokoda trail; 1 B-25 bombs the N end of Buna Airfield and the coastal end of Sanananda track. B-17s bomb the airfield and shipping at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
WEDNESDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Weather causes a mission abort to Kiska Island; photo reconnaissance over Attu Island confirms it's abandonment by the enemy; a USN (USN) PBY escorted by 2 P-38s lands off Amchitka Island with a scouting party which determines that the island is unsuited as an airfield; the P-38s also bomb a radio shack and sink a submarine at Amchitka Island.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): Major General James H Doolittle assumes command of the 12AF in Great Britain.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The movement of the 72BS(H) to the SOPAC on 18 Sep, plus subsequent movement of other squadrons of the 5BG(H) to the SOPAC, makes it difficult for some time to maintain the minimum force of 35 heavy bombers considered necessary for the defense of the Hawaiian Islands; this situation is relieved by 90BG(H), which stops in Hawaii while enroute to the SWPA, and by the 307BG(H), which is assigned to the 7AF for a time.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-40s, P-39s, P-400s, and B-17s hit tanks, buildings, and airfield at Buna, Wairopi bridge and targets of opportunity on the Buna-Kokoda trail, and Tau-Pota mission near Goodenough Bay.
THURSDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): On Kiska Island, 3 B-24s bomb Main Camp, storage dumps, and dock areas, starting several fires.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The 417BS(M), 25BG(M), moves form Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico to Vernam Field, Jamaica with B-18s.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): XII Ground Air Support Command is redesignated XII Air Support Command.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): The 72BS(H), 5BG(H), arrives at Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Island from Hawaii with B-17s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s bomb shipping at Rabaul, New Britain Island. In New Guinea, P-40s and A-20s hit Mubo while B-17s bomb wrecked vessel at Gona; P-40s hit the airfield at Kokoda and targets along the Kokoda-Wairopi trail, including a bridge at Wairopi.
FRIDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 9 B-24s, 1 B-17, and 1 B-24 photo airplane, escorted by 11 P-39s and 17 P-40s, fly he first of 2 missions to Kiska Island; Royal Canadian AF (RCAF) Kittyhawks participate in this first combined Canadian-American Mission of the 11AF; later 2 B-24s and a B-17, escorted by 15 P-39s, pound Little Kiska and Kiska Islands; radar installations at Little Kiska Island are destroyed and explosions and fires are caused in the Main Camp area; other targets include shipping, stores, and tents; the P-39s also strafe 2 submarines; 2 float planes are downed; 5 to 8 biplanes are probably destroyed on the water; 1large transport vessel is hit and lists badly; and 150 personnel are believed killed.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): 4 B-25s, with an escort of 10 P-40s, attack Hanoi, French Indochina; the strike force is intercepted by 10 fighters but the B-25s place several bombs on the runway at Gia Lam Airfield; the P-40s claim at least 9 fighters shot down. In China, CATF bombers fly 11missions during the remainder of Sep and early Oct to support Chinese ground forces attempting to hold the Japanese on the W bank of the Salween River.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ 62TCG and 4th, 7th and 8TCS arrive at Keevil, England from the US with C-47s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s fail to locate a shipping convoy S of Crete and return without bombing. Other B-24s bomb Bengasi, Libya.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-40s again bomb the bridge at Wairopi, scoring a direct hit on the NE end, which is demolished; Australian ground forces open a counteroffensive, attacking strongly toward Ioribaiwa to drive the enemy back along the Port Moresby-Kokoda trail; and the 8FS, 49FG, moves from Darwin, Australia to Port Moresby with P-40s.
SATURDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 destroyer and 1 freighter are bombed N of Atka Island at 53-30N 174-20E; 2 near misses are scored on the freighter.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): 4 B-25s devastate the village of Luchiangpa in SW China.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 12: 75 B-17s and 36 P-38s are dispatched to attack Cherbourg/Maupertus and Morlaix/Porjeau Airfields, France; 16 execute diversionary missions but the remainder are recalled due to adverse weather.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s of 3 squadrons sent on shipping strikes fail to locate targets.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s bomb and strafe forces N of Ioribaiwa and along the Efogi-Menari trail in support of the Australian counteroffensive in Papua; and a B-17, along with RAAF aircraft, bomb Buna Airfield. B-17s strike shipping and airfield at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
SUNDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Shore and harbor areas of Kiska Island are bombed: 8 B-24s and 1 B-17, escorted by 1 P-38, 13 P-39s and 4 P-40s take off first, and are followed by 6 unescorted B-24s; weather turns back 13 of the fighters; an LB-30 flies photo-weather reconnaissance over Attu, Buldir, the Semichi, Agattu, and Amchitka Islands.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): 4 B-25s over SW China blast Mengshih, claiming about 30 trucks and 400 troops destroyed; The B-25s also bomb Tengchung, leaving it aflame; 3 flights of P-40s strafe targets of opportunity along the Burma Road, claiming 15 trucks destroyed and 5 barracks groups damaged.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): Following a series of command changes between 16 and 27 Sep, Brigadier General Thomas W Blackburn becomes Commanding General XII Fighter Command. The War Department assigns to the XII Air Support Command the units which are to constitute its force for the invasion of N Africa: the 5BW [47BG(L) and 68OG], the 7FW (33and 81FGs), and 10 signal, service, and engineer units of various sizes.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s are dispatched to attack an 8,000-ton vessel at Bengasi, Libya. No bombs hit the target but several straddle a jetty in the harbor.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s continue to pound forces N of Ioribaiwa in the area between Kagi and Efogi and in the Myola and Menari areas; the Japanese abandon Ioribaiwa Ridge and are in full retreat under heavy pressure from Australian ground forces.
MONDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 2 bombing missions are flown to Kiska and Attu Islands by 7 B-24s, 1 B-17, and 1LB-30, escorted by 17 fighters; installations on Kiska Island and a freighter nearby are bombed; 1 of the B-24s and the LB-30 bomb the village and Chichagof Harbor on Attu Island and on returning silence AA guns on a freighter; 5 floatplanes are shot down, and 1 submarine is sunk; 1 P-39 is shot down.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The 394BS(H), 5BG(H), moves from Hickam Field to Bellows Field, Territory of Hawaii with B-17s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-40s and P-400s bomb and strafe Wairopi bridge, the village of Kagi, Myola Lake area, and targets of opportunity along the Buna-Kokoda trail; 1 B-17 bombs Lae Airfield; the main body of the US 126th Infantry Regiment, 32Infantry Division, arrives at Port Moresby and is assigned to the New Guinea Force to join the Australian advance on Wairopi.
TUESDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A morning armed reconnaissance mission is flown by an LB-30 over Semichi and Attu Islands; it strafes a ship at Attu Island; 3 B-24s bomb and strafe sea transport, scoring no hits.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): US pilots who had been members of the 3 RAF Eagle Squadrons (Numbers 71, 121 and 133 Squadrons) are taken over by the VIII Fighter Command and organized into the 4FG as the 334th, 335th and 336FSs; the group HQ and all squadrons move from Bushey
Hall to Debden, England with Spitfires.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s hit harbor installations at Suda Bay, Crete. P-40s fly an offensive sweep over the battle area, and carry out an interception mission against Ju 87s over the frontline near El Alamein, Egypt. The 434BS(M), 12BG(M), moves from Ismailia to Landing Ground 88, Egypt with B-25s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-17s bomb AA positions at Buna and Salamaua Airfield; a single A-20 bombs the Menari area.
HQ 22BG(M) and 33BS(H) moves from Woodstock to Iron Range, Australia with B-26s.
WEDNESDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Of 9 B-24s off to bomb Kiska and Attu Islands, 2 turn back; the others blast the Attu Camp area, and at Kiska Harbor score at least 1direct hit and near misses on a ship; 8 fighters intercept over Kiska and Little Kiska Islands but inflict no losses; the detachment of the 57FS, 54FG operating from Elmendorf Field, Anchorage moves to Kodiak with P-39s (the squadron is based at Harding Field, Louisiana).
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The 31FS, 37FG, moves from Albrook Field to Howard Field, Canal Zone with P-39s and P-40s.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): Brigadier General Delmar H Dunton assumes command of the XII AF Services Command.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-17s, A-20s, and P-40s pound occupied areas at Menari, Myola Lake, Kagi, and Efogi and a bridge at Wairopi. HQ 38BG(M) and the 405BS(M) moves from Breddan Field to Townsville, Australia with B-25s.
OCTOBER 1942
THURSDAY, 1 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, a Japanese reconnaissance airplane over Adak Island establishes US occupation of the island; 7 B-24s on a search-attack and photo reconnaissance mission over Kiska Island hit hangars and ramps, starting several fires; 4 fighters appear and are engaged; 1probable victory is claimed; 2 other B-24s take off, after a Navy PBY contact a transport, but cannot locate it.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): During Oct, the 22FS, 36th FG, moves from Vega Baja, Puerto Rico to Waller Field, Trinidad with P-39s and P-40s (detachments are operating from Aruba, Curacao and Zandery Field, Surinam).
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (4AF): During Oct, the 4th, 7th and 18BS(H), 34BG(H), cease flying ASW patrols from Geiger Field, Washington
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 350FG and the 345th, 346th and 347FSs are activated at Bushey Hall, England; the ground echelons of the squadrons are at Harding Field, Louisiana and will sail to North Africa for the invasion.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): The 441BS(M), 442BS(M) and 443BS(M), 320BG(M), move from Hethel to Tibenham, England with B-26s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s bomb shipping in Pylos Bay, Greece, claiming 2 direct hits and several near misses on a large vessel; other B-24s dispatched to bomb a convoy at sea fail to find the target.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-17s and P-40s pound forces and communications in the Owen Stanley Range, hitting Menari, Kagi, Myola Lake, the Kokoda area, Wairopi bridge, and the Buna-Wairopi trail; and the 71BS(M), 38BG(M), moves from Bredden Field, Australia to Port Moresby with B-25s.
FRIDAY, 2 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): On Kiska Island, 11 B-24s and 6 P-39s bomb 2 cargo ships in the harbor (no hits observed), drop demolition charges throughout the Main Camp area, and hit a hangar S of the seaplane ramp; 4 floatplanes and 1biplane are shot down. Enemy aircraft bomb the Adak Island airfield without inflicting damage.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): German sub, U-512, is sunk off French Guiana, 06-50N, 52-25W, by aircraft of the 99BS(H), 9BG(H), based at Zandery Field, Surinam.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 13: 61 bombers and 54 fighters are dispatched to attack 3 targets in France; 1 fighter is lost: 1. 32 of 43 B-17s dispatched hit the Avions Potez aircraft factory at Meaulte; they claim 4-9-5 aircraft; 6 B-17s are damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. Escort is provided by 31 P-38s; 1 P-38 is lost.
2. 6 of 6 B-17s fly a diversionary missions to St Omer/Longuenesse Airfield; they claim 5-4-4 aircraft. Escort is provided by 23 Spitfires; they claim 4-0-1 aircraft without loss.
3. 11 of 12 unescorted DB-7s attack a ship in a dock at Le Havre without loss.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In the Owen Stanley Range of New Guinea, A-20s bomb and strafe Japanese campsites around Myola and hit several trails in the area, while P-400s strafe bridges at Sirorata and Wairopi and a village NE of Wairopi. B-17s bomb shipping and airfield at Rabaul on New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago.
SATURDAY, 3 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 6 B-24s, 4 P-38s, and 8 P-39s bomb and strafe 7 vessels in and around Kiska Island Harbor hitting a beached cargo vessel and the camp; the fighters down 6 float fighters attempting interception; the enemy bombs Adak Island Airfield but inflicts no damage. The 77BS(M), 28th Composite Group, moves from Elmendorf Field, Anchorage to Adak Island (the squadron continues to operate from Umnak Island with B-25s and B-26s until Dec 42).
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): INDIA AIR TASK FORCE (IATF): The IATF is activated at Dinjan, India to support Chinese resistance along the Salween River by hitting supply lines in C and S Burma; the new task force, commanded by Colonel Caleb V Haynes, includes all AAF combat units in India, all based at Karachi-the 7BG(H), the 51FG, and the 341BG(M).
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 95FS, 82FG, arrives at Eglington, Co Derry, Ireland from the US with P-38s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s attack shipping in Pylos Bay, Greece during the night of 3/4 Oct; they claim 2 fighters shot down.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): HQ 347FG and the 339FS are activated on New Caledonia Island with P-38s, P-39s, and P-400s (a detachment of the 339th begins operating from Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands); the 67th, 68th and 70FSs are transferred to the 347FG; the 67th is based on New Caledonia with P-39s and P-400s but is operating from Guadalcanal Island; the 68th is based on Tongatabu Island, Tonga Islands with P-39s and P-40s; and the 70th is based in the Fiji Islands with P-39s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s bomb and strafe Efogi and Myola Lake, P-40s strafe the Efogi-Buna trail, B-25's hit a bridge at Wairopi, and a lone B-17 bombs a camp on the Kumusi River.
SUNDAY, 4 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 3 B-24s abort weather, bombing and photo missions over Kiska Island due to weather and instead attack a cargo vessel; the ship's rudder is probably damaged; 1 B-24 is damaged.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 347FS, 350FG, moves from Bushey Hall to Snailwell, England with P-39s and P-40s.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): In England, HQ 319BG(M) and the 437th, 439th and 440BS(M) move from Shipdham to Horsham St Faith with B-26s; the 154OS, 68OG, arrives at Wattisham from the US with A-20s; and the 444BS(M), 320BG(M), arrives at Hethel from the US with B-26s.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): The 72BS(H), 5BG(H), based on Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands with B-17s, begins operating from Guadalcanal Island.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-40s strafe forces and occupied areas at Myola Lake, Kokoda, Wairopi, Yodda, and Buna; a US reconnaissance party from the 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division reaches Jauri, completing a reconnaissance of the Kapa Kapa-Jauri trail, which is found to be difficult but practicable for use as a route in a contemplated offensive against the Buna-Gona area.
MONDAY, 5 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 6 B-24s, 3 P-38s and 3 P-39s abort a bombing, weather, and photo mission over Kiska Island due to weather.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): INDIA AIR TASK FORCE (IATF): The 9BS(H), 7BG(H), returns to Karachi, India from Lydda, Palestine.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 82FG and the 96th and 97FS arrive at Eglington, Co Derry, Ireland from the US with P-38s.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): The 16th and 122OSs, 68OG, based at Langley Field, Virginia, send detachments to Wattisham, England with A-20s; and the 438BS(M), 319BG(M), moves from Shipdham to Horsham St Faith, England with B-26s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-25s attack a convoy off Buna; A-20s hit AA positions at Sanananda Point and bomb the village of Sanananda; B-17s bomb airfields at Buna and also hit airfields at Rabaul on New Britain Island.
TUESDAY, 6 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 8 B-24s, 1 B-17, 10 P-39s, and 8 P-38s fly bombing and weather missions over Kiska Island; a large transport is bombed in the harbor which is left sinking; hits are scored on a corvette and on a large freighter at Gertrude Cove and on a hangar in Main Camp; the radio station is damaged; a float fighter is strafed and set afire, and 6 Zekes are hit on the water.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): The air echelon of the 40BS(M), 13BG(M), operating from Vernam Field, Jamaica, British West Indies moves to Edinburgh Field, Trinidad with B-18s (the squadron is based at Mitchel Field, New York).
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): In Libya, B-24s hit Bengasi harbor, scoring a large number or near misses but no direct hits; 1 B-24 bombs Bardia during the return flight; AA is heavy and accurate and fighters attack 6 B-24s over target; 2 B-24s are lost.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, 5AF aircraft complete the movement of the reinforced Australian 18 Brigade to Wanigela on the peninsula between Dyke Acland and Collingwood Bays on the E coast of Papua; this is part of the move aimed at capture of the Buna-Gona area.
WEDNESDAY, 7 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, 3 B-24s taking off to bomb Kiska Island and patrol Near Island abort mission due to mechanical failure and instead fly reconnaissance over Agattu, Attu, and Semichi Islands with negative results.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s score 7 direct hits on a tanker and 8 on fuel installations at Suda Bay, Crete. 66 P-40s escort bombers over the battle area W of El Alamein, Egypt.
THURSDAY, 8 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 9 B-24s, 3 B-17s, and 12 P-38s blast Kiska Island Harbor installations (starting fires in Main Camp), and strafe AA positions, hangars, a corvette (silencing her guns), and a freighter.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): In letter to Major General George E Stratemeyer, Chief of the Air Staff, Major General Ira C Eaker, Commanding General 8AF, indicates plans for developing a highly-skilled intruder force capable of using bad weather as a cloak for small blind-bombing operations. These missions are also to serve the purpose of keeping the enemy from resting during periods of bad weather when big strategic missions cannot be flown.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s fail to reach the target at Bengasi, Libya because of bad weather. The Hal BS manages to attack shipping at Bengasi.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-25s bomb the Buna area while A-20s pound the Buna-Kokoda trail; the Japanese withdrawal NE across the Owen Stanley Range slows as they prepare to make a stand at Templeton's Crossing N of Myola.
FRIDAY, 9 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 7 B-17s and 10 B-24s escorted by 6 P-38s and 4 P-39s bomb the harbor at Kiska Island, installations, and shipping 6 times; targets include shipping in Gertrude Cove, small cargo vessels in Kiska Harbor, installations at North Head, a hangar, Main Camp area (hit several times), and various shore facilities.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (1AF): The air echelon of the 40BS(M), 13BG(M), ceases operating from Edinburgh Field, Trinidad and moves to Zandery Field, Surinam with B-18s (the squadron is based at Mitchel Field, New York).
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 14: 108 bombers are dispatched to bomb the steel and engineering works of the Compagnie de Fives at Lille, France and the locomotive and freight car works of Ateliers d'Hellemmes at Lille; 59 B-17s and 10 B-24s hit the primary targets; 2 B-17s hit the secondary target, Courtrai Airfield; other targets hit are Longuenesse Airfield (6) and Roubaix (2); the bombers claim 25-38-44 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 bombers are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 46 damaged; 10 airmen are WIA and 29 MIA.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s strike shipping and harbor facilities at Bengasi, Libya; P-40s fly escort and strafe a landing ground W of El Daba, Egypt and emplacements in the battle area W of El Alamein, Egypt.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 30 B-17s pound numerous targets at Rabaul, New Britain Island. In New Guinea, 14 B-25s hit the airfield at Lae; and HQ 49FG moves from Darwin, Australia to Port Moresby.
SATURDAY, 10 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 10 B-24s, 7 B-17s, and 4 P-38s fly 4 missions to Kiska Island; the third mission (3 B-17s) does not make contact; the others bomb and strafe the Main Camp area, hit shipping in Trout Lagoon and off South Head, where gun positions and installations are also blasted; fires are started in the Main Camp and hangar areas. The 344FS, 343FG, is activated at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage with P-40s.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The 12BS(M), 25BG(M), moves from Benedict Field, St Croix, Virgin Islands to Dakota Field, Aruba, Netherlands West Indies with B-18s.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): INDIA AIR TASK FORCE (IATF): HQ 51FG and the 26FS move from Karachi to Dinjan, India with P-40s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 44BG(H) and the 66th, 67th and 68BS(H) arrive at Shipham, England from the US with B-24s (first Mission is 7 Nov).
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s bomb shipping and the dock area at Bengasi, Libya, while B-25s hit landing grounds.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): The 13TCS, Army Forces in South Pacific Area, arrives at Plaines des Gaiacs, New Caledonia Island from the US with C-47s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s pound Rabaul and nearby Lakunai airfield on New Britain Island. In New Guinea, A-20s hit targets along the Buna-Kokoda trail and, with P-400s, strike villages in the area of Asisi and Sanananda; and the 9FS moves from Darwin, Australia to Port Moresby with P-40s.
SUNDAY, 11 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Kiska Island is hit by 3 bombing and strafing missions flown by 10 B-24s and 3 B-17s; the B-17s make no contact; the B-24s blast harbor targets and Main Camp.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s attack a convoy in the Mediterranean Sea, hitting 1 vessel and claiming 1 fighter shot down.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): B-17s sight a Japanese Task Force of cruisers and destroyers bearing down on Guadalcanal Island in the afternoon; during the night of 11/12 Oct, in the Battle of Cape Esperance, Rear Admiral Norman Scott's cruisers drive away the vessels; search has been and continues to be the most useful service of the B-17s in the SOPAC.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): The 22TCS, Air Carrier Service, Air Service Command, 5AF, moves from Essendon Airdrome to Garbutt Field, Australia with C-47s.
MONDAY, 12 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 2 B-24s abort bombing of Kiska Island due to overcast and instead fly shipping search W of Attu Island.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The VIII Fighter Command is made responsible for the preparation and movement of air echelons of the Twelfth AF from the UK to N Africa.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): BC USAMEAF is organized at Cairo, Egypt with Colonel Patrick W Timberlake as Commanding Officer; this step comes about as part of a move to preserve the Lieutenant General Henry H "Hap" Arnold-Air Chief Marshall Sir Charles F Portal-Admiral John H Towers, USN, agreement that US combat units in theaters of British strategic responsibility are to be organized in homogeneous "American formations" and under strategic control only" of a British Commander-in-Chief.
B-17s hit shipping at Tobruk, Libya harbor.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): 5 B-17s bomb installations at Buka Island, Solomon Islands.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s hit the village of Isivita and targets on the trail near Wairopi; B-25s bomb Buna, Wairopi bridge, and targets along the Buna-Kokoda trail. The 64BS(H), 43BG(H), arrives at Fenton Field from Iron Range, Australia with B-17s.
TUESDAY, 13 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A search mission is not completed due to weather.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): P-40s fly a fighter sweep, patrol, and interception mission s W of El Alamein, Egypt; fighters claim 2 Bf 109s destroyed and 1 damaged.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): 6 B-17s bomb Buka Island and Tonolai on Bougainville Island, Solomon Islands; Japanese aircraft from Rabaul, New Britain Island pound Henderson Field, Guadalcanal Island during the day and hit troops of the Americal Division disembarking at Lunga Point; artillery also begins shelling the airstrip; during the night of 13/14 Oct the Japanese battleships Kongo and Haruna hit Henderson Field with a terrific bombardment; the field is damaged severely and many aircraft are destroyed or damaged.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s again pound Rabaul, New Britain Island, concentrating on Vunakanau and Lakunai Airfields. In New Guinea, a B-17 bombs Buna; and the 6TCS, 63TCG, arrives at Port Moresby from the US with C-47s. The 65BS(H), 43BG(H), moves from Torrens Creek to Iron Range, Australia with B-17s.
WEDNESDAY, 14 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 9 B-24s, 6 B-26s, 1 B-17 and 12 P-38s bomb and strafe Kiska Island installations and shipping; fire bombs are dropped on hangars and the Main Camp area where a large fire is started; 2 torpedo attacks on shipping in Gertrude Cove score no hits; the P-38s destroy 3 floatplanes on water; 1 P-38 is shot down.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 91BG(H) and the 322d, 323d, 324th and 401BS(H) move from Kimbolton to Bassingbourn, England with B-17s (first Mission is 7 Nov).
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-17s hit shipping at Tobruk, Libya, scoring 2 direct hits on a large vessel and demolishing a smaller ship moored alongside; P-40s fly patrols, reconnaissance and interception mission s between El Alamein and Burg el Arab, Egypt.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): B-17s which have been temporarily operating out of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal Island, are evacuated; the field is again pounded by artillery and naval bombardment, and by afternoon is out of operation; and the aviation fuel supply is low.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-25s attack Lae, a bridge 40 miles (64 km) N of Port Moresby, and the area of the Wairopi bridge; on the Kokoda trail Japanese offer fierce resistance to Australians pushing NE in the vicinity of Templeton's Crossing; and 5AF aircraft begin flying a force of Australians and Americans to Wanigela.
THURSDAY, 15 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 3 B-26s bomb and 1 B-24 flies photo reconnaissance over Kiska and Attu Islands; the B-26s hit a large cargo ship in Gertrude Cove, Kiska Island, starting a fire, and hit buildings on Attu Island; AA claims 1 B-26.
ASW - OPERATIONS (Antisubmarine Command): HQ AAF Antisubmarine Command is activated at New York, New York, assigned directly to HQ AAF. It takes over antisubmarine operations of the 1BC, which is inactivated; most OSs that have been flying ASW patrols cease and are inactivated; units assigned to the new command are:
1. 13BG(M) at Westover Field, Massachusetts with four BS(M), i.e.:
- The 39th at Dover AAFld, Delaware with B-25s
- The 40th at Mitchel Field, New York with B-18s
- The 41at Westover Field with A-29s and B-25s
- The 393at Westover Field with B-18s and B-25s
2. 45BG(M) at Miami, Florida with four BS(M), i.e.:
- The 78th at Jacksonville Municipal Airport, Florida with B-18s
- The 79th at Miami with B-18s
- The 80th at Miami with B-18s
- The 433rd at Galveston AAFld, Texas with RM-37sThe following units are attached:
- 46BS(M), 41BG(M), at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina with B-17s and A-29s
- 76BS(M) (air echelon only), 42BG(M), at Drew Field, Florida with A-29s
- 124OS, 75OG, at New Orleans AAB, Louisiana with O-47s
- 128OS, 77OG, at New Orleans AAB with O-47s
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 350FG and the 345th, 346th and 347FSs move from Bushey Hall to Duxford, England where they equip with P-39s and P-400s
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): The 82BS(H), 12BG(M), moves from Deversoir to Landing Ground 88, Egypt with B-25s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): HQ 318FG is activated at Hickam Field, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii; squadrons assigned, all equipped with P-40s, are the 44th and 72FSs at Bellows Field and the 73FS on Midway Island.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Aviation fuel arrives at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal Island from Espiritu Santo Island by aircraft and ship.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s and P-40s pound forces S of Templeton's Crossing and at Popondetta; B-25s bomb Salamaua and hit targets in the Owen Stanley Range and in the area around the bridge at Wairopi. A single B-17 attacks shipping near Treasury Islands, Solomon Islands.
FRIDAY, 16 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-17, 6 B-26s, and 4 P-38s bomb Kiska Island and lowlevel bomb and sink 2 destroyers just N of there; duds hit a large freighter beached off Trout Lagoon; 1 B-26 is shot down.
ASW - OPERATIONS (Antisubmarine Command): The air echelon of the 40BS(M), 13BG(M), moves from Zandery Field, Surinam to Vernam Field, Jamaica with B-18s (squadron is based at Mitchel Field, New York).
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): In Libya, B-24s bomb shipping in Bengasi harbor; B-17s and B-24s dispatched to attack Tobruk and Bengasi are forced to abort by bad weather.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Seabees on Guadalcanal Island patch up Henderson Field runways enough for use by fighters; USMC (USMC) fighters and AAF P-400s and P-39s begin pounding the invasion force landing at the Kokumbona-Doma Reef area just 8 miles (12.8 km) away; however, the enemy continues to bombard Henderson Field by air strike and artillery and to land troops.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s and B-25s hit the village of Pawaia, trails in the Kokoda area, the Buna-Kokoda trail, and villages at the mouth and along the Mambare River; and B-25s also bomb the Mubo-Salamaua trail. B-17s bomb airfield at Rabaul, New Britain Island and attack targets in the Solomon Islands, including the airfield at Buin on Bougainville Island, and shipping off Moila Point and the Shortland Islands.
SATURDAY, 17 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 5 B-24s bomb the Main Camp area on Kiska Island and a beached vessel in Trout Lagoon; the results are unobserved due to clouds; 1 B-24 flying weather reconnaissance finds no trace of 2 destroyers, confirming their sinking on 16 Oct.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): The 403BS(H), 43BG(H), moves from Torrens Creek to Iron Range, Australia with B-17s.
SUNDAY, 18 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, on Kiska Island 4 B-24s bomb Main Camp, score near misses on a beached vessel in Trout Lagoon, and hit a gasoline storage area; weather aircraft flies reconnaissance over Attu, Segula, Little Sitkin, and Gareloi Islands.
ASW - OPERATIONS (Antisubmarine Command): The following units are activated and assigned:/p>
1. HQ 377BG(H) at Ft Dix AAB, New Jersey with the following BS(H)
- 516th at Ft Dix AAB with O-47s and O-52s
- 517th at Atlantic City Municipal Airport, New Jersey with O-49s
- 519th at Hyannis, Massachusetts with O-47s and O-52s
2. HQ 378BG(H) at Langley Field, Virginia with the following BS(H)
- 520th at Jacksonville Municipal Airport, Florida with O-47s
- 521st at Charleston AAFld, South Carolina with O-46s
- 522nd at Palm Beach County Park, Florida with B-34s
- 523rd at Langley Field with B-17s3. 518BS(H), AAF Antisubmarine Command, at Grenier Field, New Hampshire, with O-47s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): The 81 and 83BS(M), 12BG(M), move from Deversoir and Ismailia respectively to Landing Ground 88, Egypt with B-25s.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Admiral William F Halsey succeeds Vice Admiral Robert L Ghormley as Commander-in-Chief, South Pacific (COMSOPAC).
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s attack shipping and aircraft in the Faisi area in the Shortland Islands, Solomon Islands, schooners and buildings at Lorengau on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Kahili Airfield, and shipping off Kahili, Pupukuna Point, and Buin on Bougainville Island. In New Guinea, B-25s hit Wairopi bridge in the Owen Stanley Range, the village of Mubo, and the dock and occupied area on Pilelo Island; the 5AF completes the air movement of most of the 128th Infantry Regiment, 32Infantry Division, to Wanigela; and the 39FS, 35FG, moves from Townsville, Australia to Port Moresby with P-38s.
MONDAY, 19 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, a B-17 flies weather reconnaissance and bomb runs over Attu, Semichi, Kiska, and Amchitka Islands; 6 B-24s dispatched to bomb Kiska Island abort the mission due to weather.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ VIII Air Support Command moves from Membury to Sunninghill Park, Berkshire, England.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): The air offensive preliminary to the British Eighth Army ground attack W of El Alamein, Egypt begins as B-25s hit a landing ground and B-24s score a direct hit on vessel at Tobruk, Libya.
TUESDAY, 20 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 6 B-24s take off for Kiska Island but return due to weather; reconnaissance is flown to 70 miles (113 km) E of Attu Island; a negative search is made for a missing C-53. The detachment of the 56FS, 54FG, moves from Nome to Elmendorf Field, Alaska with P-39s (the squadron is based at Harding Field, Louisiana).
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Lieutenant General Dwight D Eisenhower issues a directive reflecting the immediate urgency of Operation TORCH (plan for the Allied landings in N and NW Africa in Nov 42) as the currently important item of Allied strategy and requiring the 8AF, as a matter of first priority, to protect the movement of men and supplies from the UK to N Africa by attacking German submarine bases on the W coast of France, with shipping docks on the French W coast as a secondary targets for these missions and with German aircraft factories and depots in France as second priority.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): Air action is intensified with the aim of attaining strong air superiority preceding General Bernard L Montgomery's El Alamein, Egypt offensive; in Libya, B-17s and B-24s sent to attack shipping at Tobruk fail to locate the target due to bad weather and poor visibility; 3 of the B-17s bomb a coastal road near Bardia during the return trip; B-25s, in conjunction with the RAF, attack landing grounds.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The 19FS, 18FG, moves from Kualoa Field to Bellows Field, Hawaii with P-40s. SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Admiral William F Halsey sends the Army's 147th Infantry Regiment to Guadalcanal Island and also institutes construction of another bomber strip to be located at Koli Point, 12 miles (19 km) SE of Henderson Field.
WEDNESDAY, 21 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Weather reconnaissance aircraft returns twice due to fog.
HQ AAF: The 2Sea-Search Attack Squadron(M), 1Sea-Search Attack Group(M), ceases operating from Edinburgh Field, Trinidad with B-18s and returns to base at Langley Field, Virginia.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): INDIA AIR TASK FORCE (IATF): B-24s of the IATF stage through Chengtu, China to bomb Lin-hsi, China coal mines; the plan is to blast nearby power stations and pumping facilities and flood the mines; the attack fails to flood the mines but inflicts considerable damage to the target area; this marks the first use of heavy bombers in China and the first AAF strike N of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 15: 107 bombers are dispatched to hit submarine bases and an airfield in France; 3 bombers are lost: [1.] 66 B-7s and 24 B-24s are dispatched to hit the U-boat pens at Lorient/Keroman; clouds prevent all but 15 B-17s from bombing from 17,500 feet (5,334m), 5,000 to 10,000 feet (1,524 to 3,048 m) lower than usual; 36 Fw 190s intercept and shoot down 3 B-17s. [2.] 8 of 17 B-17s hit Cherbourg Airfield; they claim 10-4-3 aircraft without loss.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ 52FG, the 154OS and the 438th and 440BS(M), 319BG(M), depart England for the N African invasion. The detachment of the 16th and 122OSs, 68OG, cease operating from Wattisham, England.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s dispatched against shipping at Bengasi, Libya fail to locate target because of bad weather; during the return flight, several B-24s bomb tent areas along the coast and also hit landing grounds; B-25s, cooperating with the RAF, bomb landing ground and tent area.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-25s hit Luscan Harbor on the S coast of New Britain Island.
THURSDAY, 22 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Weather reconnaissance aircraft reports a submarine at 52-08N 177-21W; a USN (US) aircraft later makes contact and drops depth bomb; the result is unknown.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 330BS(H), 93BG(H), based at Alconbury, England with B-24s, begins operating from Holmsley, England.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ 12AF, the 307FS, 31FG, and the 437th and 439BS(M), 319BG(M), begin the move from the UK to N Africa.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): Advance US Air HQ, previously attached to the RAF Advanced Air HQ, Western Desert, to gain field experience, becomes HQ of Desert Air Task Force (DATF), located at Burg el Arab, Egypt, with Lieutenant General Lewis H Brereton as Commanding General and Major General Elmer E Adler attached with advance HQ of Air Service Command; the Chief of Staff of the DATF is Brigadier General Auby C Strickland.
B-25s bomb dispersed aircraft. In Egypt, P-40s escort bombers, attack tent areas and motor transport along the coastal road near El Hammam, fly reconnaissance and fighter sweeps W of El Daba, and bomb artillery positions; P-40s claim 2 fighters destroyed. B-17s sent to hit Candia, Crete abort because of weather.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Henderson Field on Guadalcanal Island is out of operation again as result of enemy action.
FRIDAY, 23 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Armed reconnaissance by 7 bombers, escorted by 6 P-38s, is flown over Kiska Island installations, chiefly the submarine base and Main Camp; visibility is excellent and direct hits are scored, including 1on the submarine base. A detachment of the 56FS, 54FG, based at Harding Field, Louisiana, begins operating from Elmendorf Field, Anchorage with P-39s.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): The 27th and 71FSs, 1FG, and 308th and 309FSs, 31FG, begin the move from the UK to N Africa.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-17s and B-24s sent to attack Candia, Crete and Bengasi, Libya turn back short of the target due to bad weather. The El Alamein, Egypt offensive by the British Eighth Army begins at 2140 hours local with an artillery barrage by 1,000+ guns aimed at enemy batteries; at 2200 hours, the barrage switches to the enemy forward positions as British troops move forward; heavy fighting continues during the night of 23/24 Oct.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Henderson Field, Guadalcanal Island, is again made operational by the Seabees, and USMC and AAF fighters begin to inflict heavy losses on Japanese naval aircraft; Japanese ground forces assault defensive lines around the airfields but are thrown back.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): A-20s bomb and strafe Deniki and Deniki-Kokoda trail in New Guinea. B-17s thoroughly pound shipping at Rabaul on New Britain Island. HQ 19BG(H), which has been fighting since 8 Dec 41, begins a movement from Mareeba, Australia to the US.
SATURDAY, 24 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 3 B-17s hit the Kiska Island submarine base; results are not observed; and a weather reconnaissance flight is made over Attu Island.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): The 11BS(M), 341 BG(M), based at Kunming with B-25s, sends a detachment to operate from Nanning.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): The 94FS, 1FG, begins the move from the UK to N Africa.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): In Egypt, B-25s support the British Eighth Army Offensive W of El Alamein between the Mediterranean Sea and the Qattara Depression as 30 Corps, with 4 divisions in assault, secures 2 corridors through enemy minefields on the British N flank, while 13 Corps on the S flank breaks through minefields N of Himeimat and establishes a small bridgehead; the B-25s hit troop concentrations, tent areas, gun emplacements, and vehicles; P-40s, working with the RAF and South African AF (SAAF), escort medium and light bombers and hit motor transports and tanks.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): USMC and AAF fighters at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal Island, continue to inflict damaging losses upon the Japanese naval AF; Japanese ground forces, attacking aggressively, are again repulsed by defenses around Henderson area.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-25s hit Lae Airfield; and organized Japanese resistance on Goodenough Island ceases.
SUNDAY, 25 OCTOBER 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): 12 B-25s and 7 P-40s, led by Colonel Merian C Cooper, hit Kowloon Docks at Hong Kong; 21 aircraft intercept; 1 B-25 and 1 P-40 are shot down; this marks the first loss of a CATF B-25 in combat; the Japanese interceptors are virtually annihilated; during the night of 25/26 Oct 6 B-25s, on the first CATF night strike, continue pounding Hong Kong, bombing the North Point power plant which provides electricity for the shipyards; 3 other B-25s bomb the secondary target, the Canton warehouse area, causing several large explosions and fires.
INDIA AIR TASK FORCE (IATF): In India, Japanese aircraft attack airfields connected with the the India-China air transport route, heavily bombing Dinjan and Chabua fields and scoring hits also at Mohanbari and Sookerating; 10 US aircraft are destroyed and 17 badly damaged; 9 Japanese aircraft are downed. The 492BS(H), 7BG(H), arrives at Karchi, India from the US with B-24s; and the 493BS(H) is activated at Karachi and assigned to the 7BG(H) (the 492 and 493will fly their first Mission on 24 and 26 Jan 43 respectively).
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): The Battle of El Alamein continues as General Bernard L Montgomery decides to make the main effort on the N flank of 30 Corps; the Australian 9 Division drives N toward the coastal road to Rahman; B-25s disperse motor transport and other targets in support of ground forces; P-40s on escort attack vehicles and other targets; fighters claim several airplanes destroyed in combat; and B-24s sent to bomb the harbor at Bengasi, Libya and a convoy at sea fail to reach targets as bad weather prevails.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): On Guadalcanal Island, Japanese ground assaults on the defensive lines around Henderson Field are again thrown back; USMC and AAF fighters continue to inflict telling losses on Japanese Navy aircraft. During the afternoon, a B-17 on sea-search mission sights a powerful Japanese Task Force NW of Santa Cruz Island, Solomon Islands, heading for Guadalcanal Island. A detachment of the 33TCS, 315TCG, which is enroute from the US to Australia, begins operating from New Caledonia Island.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): 13 B-17s bomb shipping at Rabaul, New Britain Island. In New Guinea, A-20s bomb and strafe the Isurava- Kokoda trail, the W bank of the Kumusi River, and the area N of Asisi as Australian ground forces push toward Kokoda in the Owen Stanley Range; and HQ 38BG(M) and the 405BS(M) move from Townsville, Australia to Port Moresby with B-25s.
The 93BS(H), 19BG(H), begins a movement from Mareeba, Australia to the US.
MONDAY, 26 OCTOBER 1942
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): CATF B-25s move to W China to carry out the neutralization of Lashio, Burma, where the Japanese have aircraft they are using against the Dinjan, India area; P-40's continue to hit the Hong Kong-Canton area, using dive-bombing tactics for first time in the area.
INDIA AIR TASK FORCE (IATF): In India, the Japanese again bit airfields in Assam connected with the India-China transport route, concentrating on Sookerating; a freight depot, containing food and medical supplies for China, is destroyed but no US aircraft are lost; due to a lack of warning, no fighters intercept the attacking force.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ XII Fighter Command begins the move from the UK to N Africa; and HQ 3(Photo)G moves from Membury to Steeple Morden, England.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): The momentum of the British drive decreases in the El Alamein, Egypt battle; 30 Corps takes Kidney Ridge, and General Bernard L Montgomery decides to regroup for a break-out assault; Allied aircraft continue strong support to ground forces and disperse enemy concentrations preparing for an attack; B-25s hit transport, troop concentrations, and tanks; P-40s fly sweeps over the El Daba area, Egypt and attack motor transport and other targets; enemy air action increases and considerable aerial combat ensues; US fighters claim 4 airplanes shot down. 30+ B-17s and B-24s attack shipping off the coast of Libya.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Carrier aircraft from the aircraft carriers USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) fight a fierce air action with a Japanese Task Force in the Battle of Santa Cruz Island; B-17s also attack the task force but report no hits; with 3 of his carriers hit and almost 100 airplanes lost, Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo retires toward Truk Island in the Caroline Islands; the USS Hornet is severely damaged and is sunk the following day by Japanese aircraft and US destroyers with bomBSand torpedos.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-25s hit Salamaua and the airfield at Lae; A-20's, escorted by P-40s, bomb and strafe trails in the Missima-Kaile-Deniki area.
TUESDAY, 27 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 6 B-24s flying an attack on the Kiska Island submarine base turn back due to weather; a weather aircraft flies reconnaissance over Gareloi, Segula, Kiska, and Attu Islands, Aleutian Islands.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): The 5th and 16FSs, 52FG, begin the move from the UK to N Africa. The 15(Photo)Mapping Squadron, 3(Photo)G, moves from Membury to Steeple Morden, England with B-17s and F-4s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-25s, with fighter escorts, bomb Matruh, Egypt and attack motor transports, tanks, and other ground targets; enemy reinforcements brought up from the S, counterattack Kidney Ridge and are repulsed; the British Eighth Army continues regrouping for an assault.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s hit trails in SE Papua around Alola, Isurava, and Abuari; P-39s escort Royal Australian AF (RAAF) Hudsons in strike against small craft at Ferguson Island in the D'Entrecasteaux Islands.
WEDNESDAY, 28 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 6 B-24s turn back from an attempted attack on the Kiska Island submarine base because of adverse weather; a B-17 bombs Attu Island with unobserved results and flies weather reconnaissance over Kiska, Amchitka, and Tanaga Islands, Aleutian Islands.
ASW - OPERATIONS (Antisubmarine Command): The 20th, 49th and 96BS(H), 2BG(H), cease flying ASW patrols from Langley Field, Virginia.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The last 2 squadrons of the 14FG, the 48th and 49FSs, leave the UK for N Africa; this completes the transfer of VIII Fighter Command's fighting units to the XII Fighter Command and leaves the VIII Fighter Command with only the 4FG operational.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-17s, dispatched to attack a convoy at sea, fail to locate the target but attack cruisers in Pylos Bay, Greece; B-25s attack tanks, motor transports, and landing grounds; P-40s fly medium and light bomber escort, bomb and strafe landing grounds and other targets, and engage aircraft in combat, mostly in the area between El Alamein and El Daba, Egypt; fighters claim 3 Bf 109s destroyed; attacks by US and RAF aircraft cause the enemy to abandon a plan for a counterattack on Kidney Ridge.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): The 68FS, 347FG, begins moving from Tongatabu Island to New Caledonia Island.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s pound shipping in the harbor at Rabaul, New Britain Island, while B-25s bomb the airfield on Gasmata Island off the S coast of New Britain Island.
THURSDAY, 29 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): The Japanese reoccupy Attu Island; a special reconnaissance flown with Lieutenant General Simon B Buckner, covers Tanaga, Amchitka, and Kiska Islands.
ASW - OPERATIONS (Antisubmarine Command): HQ 304BG(H) and the 361, 362d, 363and 421BS(H): move from Ephratra AAB, Washington to Langley Field, Virginia with B-17s, B-18s, DB-7s, A-20s, and OA-12s and are assigned to the AAF Antisubmarine Command.
US: A 1943 production objective of 107,000 aircraft is given top priority by President Franklin D Roosevelt in his instructions to Donald M Nelson, Chairman of the War Production Board.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): The 2 and 4FSs, 52FG, and the 5(Photo)RS, 12AF (attached to 3d (Photo)G) begin the move from the UK to N Africa.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s and B-17s strike Maleme Airfield, Crete. In Egypt, B-25s bomb landing grounds, motor transports, and tanks; P-40s fly escort, then bomb and strafe road E of El Daba, and attack troop concentration and vehicles; in view of the strong German reinforcements on his N flank near the coast, General Bernard L Montgomery alters the breakout plan; instead of pushing W along coast, he decides to shift the point of advance S in order to attack against Italian troops.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): A-20s hit the Isurava-Deniki and Abuari-Kaile trails, New Guinea; B-17s attack shipping in Bougainville Strait between Buin, Bougainville Island and Faisi Island, Shortland Islands. The 71BS(M), 38BG(M), moves from Townsville, Australia to Port Moresby with B-25s.
FRIDAY, 30 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-24 twice flies reconnaissance over Kiska and Agattu Islands; there are no bombing Mission as all bombers are on alert for possible naval targets.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): In Crete, B-24s bomb Maleme Airfield and 1 B-24 bombs the main jetty in Suda Bay. In Egypt, B-25s attack landing grounds at Fuka-Bagush and El Daba; P-40s fly escort; the British Eighth Army sends 9 Australian Division N to the sea and then E, trapping a large force in a pocket, as Allied aircraft provide excellent support; enemy tanks breaking through from the W, however, enable most of the surrounded force to escape.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s bomb harbor and shipping at Buin, Bougainville Island.
SATURDAY, 31 OCTOBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Weather and reconnaissance flight over Attu and Kiska Islands; over Kiska Island, the weather aircraft draws AA fire from Little Kiska Island; no other missions as all combat aircraft are alerted for a possible naval target.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): HQ 9BG(H) and the 1 and 5BS(H) move from Trinidad and St Lucia Island, Windward Islands and British Guiana to the US.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Major General Spaatz, Commanding General 8AF, informs Lieutenant General Henry H "Hap" Arnold, Commanding General AAF, that operations against submarine pens may prove too costly for results obtained; believing the pens impervious to normal high-altitude bombing, Spaatz plans to operate as low as 4,000 feet (1,219 m) and accept higher casualty rates.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-25s hit a landing ground; they claim 1 fighter shot down while P-40s flying escort claim 3; B-24s sent to bomb the Maleme dispersal area on Crete fail to locate the target because of overcast. HQ 376BG(H) and the 512th, 513th, 514th and 515BSs are activated at Lydda, Palestine with B-24s replacing the 1Provisional Group; the 376th is intended to become part of an Anglo-American AF to be sent to the Caucasus area to aid the USSR, but the plan falls through and the 376th remains in the Middle East.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s bomb and strafe Nauro and the area to N; B-25s strafe supply trucks SE of Gona. B-17s bomb shipping at Rabaul, New Britain Island, and in Buin, Bougainville-Faisi Island-Tonolai, Bougainville Island area.
NOVEMBER 1942
NOTE: A number in parenthesis after a target name indicates the number of bombers attacking.
SUNDAY, 1 NOVEMBER 1942
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ASW OPERATIONS
(AAF Antisubmarine Command): During Nov 42, the 80BS(M), 45BG(M), based at Miami, Florida, begins operating from Edinburgh Field, Trinidad, British West Indies with B-18s.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): HQ 25BG(M) and the 10BS(M) move from Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico to Edinburgh Field, Trinidad with B-18s; the 35BS(M), assigned to the same group, moves from Coolidge Field, Antigua to Zandery Field, Surinam with B-18s while a detachment begins operating from Atkinson Field, British Guiana.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): INDIA AIR TASK FORCE (IATF): During Nov 42, the 9(Photo)RS, 10AF based at Karachi, India, with F-4s, sends a flight to operate from Kunming, China until Jul 43 (first Mission is 1 Dec).
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
ICELAND (Iceland Base Command): During Nov 42, the 337FS, 342Composite Group, begins a movement from Iceland to the US.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s strike the airfield and dispersal areas at Maleme, Crete; P-40s escort the bombers and hit ground targets in the battle area. An air depot, 2 service groups, and 1Military Police company are assigned to USAMEAF.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): HQ 307BG(H) arrives at Hickam Field, Hawaii from the US.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): The 431BS(H), 11BG(H), moves from Viti Levu Island, Fiji Islands, to Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands with B-17s. During Nov, the 98BS(H), 11BG(H), based on Espiritu Santo Island, begins operating from Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands with B-17s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-25s bomb the airfield and dump area at Lae, New Guinea. In the Solomon Islands, B-17s strike shipping in the Buin, Bougainville Island-Faisi Island, Shortland Islands-Tonolai, Bougainville Island area. Kahili Airfield on Bougainville Island is also attacked. A detachment of the 33TCS, 315TCG, begins operating from Cairns, Queensland, Australia with C-47s (squadron is enroute to Australia from the US).
MONDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 1942
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Brigadier General Robet C Candee, Commanding General VIII Air Support Command, states that the effort expended and personnel lost in organizing the Twelfth AF and preparing for its move from the UK to N Africa has severely retarded organization of his HQ and staff.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): In Egypt, the British Eighth Army opens an assault (Operation SUPERCHARGE, the plan for the British XXX Corps breakout from Egypt) W of Tell el-Eisa with 2 New Zealand Division in the lead; B-25s bomb a track extending S from Rahman as the British 9 Armored Brigade establishes bridgeheads across the track; other B-25s attack tanks and other targets in support of the assault; P-40s fly escort and strafing missions in the battle area. B-17s bomb shipping and jetties in Tobruk, Libya harbor.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The 370BS(H), 371BS(H), 372BS(H) and 424BS(H), 307BG(H), arrive at Kipapa Field, Wheeler Field, Kahuku and Dillingham Field, Hawaii respectively from the US with B-24s (sea-search missions are flown in Nov-Dec).
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): The 68FS, 347FG, arrives on New Caledonia Island from Tongatabu Island, Tonga Islands with P-40s (first Mission is 12 Nov).
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-26s bomb Dili, Timor Island, Lesser Sunda Islands. B-17s attack shipping NE of Buna, New Guinea while B-25s strike at a convoy S of New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago.
In New Guinea, Australian ground forces seize Kokoda in the Owen Stanley Range with its airfield after long days of fighting; this will greatly facilitate supply and reinforcement of troops in this area as they push over the mountains toward the Buna-Gona area.
TUESDAY, 3 NOVEMBER 1942
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): In Egypt, B-25s bomb tanks, motor transports, landing ground, ammunition dumps, mainly in the Rahman Track area and on the road between Fuka and El Daba, and also hit town of Fuka and Ghazal station; P-40s fly several escort and fighter-bomber mission s, attacking ground targets in support of the British Eighth Army; Allied aircraft fly 400+ sorties against troops retreating along the coastal road; during the night of 3/4 Nov, British and Indian troops outflank and break an enemy tank screen in the sector S of Tell el Aqqaqir.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-26s bomb Dili, Timor Island.
B-17s bomb the airfield and wharf at Lae, New Guinea, and attack a ship S of Gasmata Island off the S coast of New Britain Island.
WEDNESDAY, 4 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, bad weather at Umnak Island and Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island and a flooded field at Adak Island preclude missions; a new Adak Island runway permits an air alert.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): 9 B-24s bomb the Bengasi, Libya harbor, hitting 3 ships and claiming 1enemy fighter shot down. In Egypt, B-25s and P-40s attack motor transports and troops retreating W from the El Alamein battleline with British in pursuit; 10 Corps armor clashes with the rearguard S of Ghazal.
Lieutenant General Frank M Andrews replaces Brigadier General Russell L Maxwell as Commanding General USAFIME.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-26s bomb Aileu on Timor Island. In New Guinea, B-17s and B-25s bomb the town and harbor of Salamaua; A-20s hit troop concentrations at Oivi, where an Australian attack meets firm resistance; transports fly most of the remainder of the 128th Infantry Regiment, 32Infantry Division, to Wanigela. HQ 90BG(H) and the 319th, 320th, 321 and 400BS(H): arrive at Iron Range, Queensland, Australia from Hawaii with B-24s (first Mission is 13 Nov).
THURSDAY, 5 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands weather reconnaissance is flown over Kiska and Little Kiska Islands.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): General Bernard L Montgomery announces the victory of the British Eighth Army in Egypt; 10 Corps, pushing rapidly W, overcomes a rearguard action near Fuka; as Field Marshall Erwin Rommel retreats W from El Alamein, P-40s bomb targets on the Fuka road and patrol the Sidi Hanaish area; B-25s also bomb motor transports.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-25s unsuccessfully attack a schooner near Arawe, New Britain Island.
FRIDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A weather aircraft is forced back near Kiska Island.
ASW - OPERATIONS (Antisubmarine Command): The 519BS(H), 337BS(H), moves from Naval Auxiliary Airfield Hyannis to Otis Field, Falmouth, Massachusetts with B-25s and continues flying ASW patrols.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): INDIA AIR TASK FORCE (IATF): In India, the 25FS, 51FG, based at Karachi, sends a detachment to operate from Sadiya with P-40s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s hit the harbors of Tobruk and Bengasi, Libya, scoring hits on 2 vessels. Heavy rains delay the British pursuit of the retreating enemy in the Matruh, Egypt area.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): A single B-25 attacks a destroyer off the S tip of New Ireland Island, Bismarck Archipelago; no hits are scored. General Douglas MacArthur arrives in Point Moresby, New Guinea, where the Advanced Echelon of GHQ opens to direct operations.
SATURDAY, 7 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, 6 B-24s and 2 B-26s attack the submarine base in Kiska Island Harbor, slightly damaging float fighters and a seaplane beached by storm; a B-17 flies reconnaissance over the airfield W of Holtz Bay on Attu Island, and bombs the submarine base and a previously-damaged freighter in Gertrude Cove on Kiska Island.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 16: 23 of 56 B-17s and 11 of 12 B-24s attack the U-boat pens at Brest, France; they claim 4-3-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 12 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA. 7 B-24s fly a diversion.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS (12AF): The air movement of the Twelfth AF from the UK to N Africa begins; other elements of the Twelfth AF moving from the UK and US are aboard Allied ships approaching the Algerian and Moroccan coasts.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s bomb and strafe forces at Kakandeta in the Owen Stanley Range; B-25s attack seaplanes at Lasonga Island and shipping at Maklo Island in the Bismarck Archipelago.
The 65BS(H), 43BG(H), moves from Iron Range to Mareeba, Australia with B-17s (first Mission is 12 Nov).
SUNDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, there is an intermittent air alert; the weather aircraft returns due to icing.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 17: 53 bombers are dispatched to hit two targets in France; 1 B-17 is lost: 1. 11 of 15 B-17s bomb the Abbeville/Drucat Airfield; they claim 1-2-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-17s are damaged and 5 airmen are WIA.
2. 31 of 38 B-17s bomb the Atclier d'Hellemmes locomotive works at Lille; they claim 10-4-13 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 is lost and 8 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 11 MIA.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): HQ 376BG(H) and the 513th, 514th and 515BS(H) move from Lydda, Palestine to Abu Sueir, Egypt with B-24s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): The invasion of N Africa (Operation TORCH): begins. In French Morocco, C-47s of the 60TCG attempting to land troops at La Senia Airfield find the French unexpectedly hostile and have several aircraft shot down by fighters and AA; several other C-47s are damaged when trying to land on the dry lakebed of Sebkra d'Oran. Spitfires of the 31FG, flying from Gibraltar into Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria during the afternoon of D-Day, claim 3 hostile French fighters destroyed. In Algeria, the following units arrive at Tafaraoui Airfield from the UK: HQ XII Fighter Command, HQ 31FG, HQ 60TCG and 10th, 11th and 12TCSs with C-47s, air echelon of 2d, 4th and 5FSs, 52FG with Spitfires, and the 308th and 309FSs, 31FG, with Spitfires; the 71FS, 1FG, arrives at St Leu from the UK with P-38s. In French Morocco during Nov 42, HQ 5BW and HQ 7FW arrive at Casablanca from the US.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-25s bomb the radio station and airfield on Gasmata Island. In New Guinea, A-20s hit forces in the Oivi area in the Owen Stanley Range as Australian ground forces push over the mountains toward the Gona-Buna area; 5AF transports fly the final elements of the 128th Infantry Regiment, 32Infantry Division, from Port Moresby to Wanigela; the 80FS, 8FG, moves from Port Moresby to Milne Bay with P-39s and P-400s. The 64BS(H), 43BG(H), moves from Iron Range to Mareeba, Australia with B-17s.
MONDAY, 9 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, 2 B-26s and 4 P-38s bomb a cargo ship in Gertrude Cove, Kiska Island; no hits; 2 P-38s then strafe the harbor area on Kiska Island; 1 B-17 and 4 P-38s attack Holtz Bay, Attu Island Island and Attu Island Airfield, destroying 8 float Zekes; 1 B-17 flies weather reconnaissance over Attu, Kiska, and Segula Islands.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Lieutenant General Carl Spaatz, Commanding General 8AF, in a memo to Lieutenant General Dwight D Eisenhower, agrees that any increase in air commitments to N Africa must necessarily be made at the expense of US forces in the UK as US forces in other theaters are considered irreducible.
Mission 18: 31 of 33 B-17s and 12 of 14 B-24s attack the U-boat base at Saint Nazaire, France from reduced altitude; only 1 of the 12 B-24s bombing from 17,500 to 18,300 feet (5,334 to 5,578 m) suffer AA damage, but 31 B-17s at 7,500 to 10,000 feet (2,286 to 3,048 m) lose 3 of aircraft and have 22 damaged by AA fire, 1airman KIA, 11 WIA and 32 MIA; this ends the experiment with low-level attacks of heavy bombers, against submarine bases.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): The 512BS(H), 376BG(H), moves from Lydda, Palestine to Abu Sueir, Egypt with B-24s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Algeria, Spitfires of the 31FG attack and halt an armored column moving N toward Tafaraoui, and also attack artillery and AA batteries SE of Tafaraoui and along the coastal road; at 1605 hours, Major General James H Doolittle, Commanding General 12AF arrives in Algeria from Gibraltar by B-17, escorted by 12 Spitfires from the 52FG; HQ Twelfth AF arrives in Algeria from the UK; HQ 52FG arrives at Tafaraoui from the UK; the 27FS, 1FG arrives at St Leu with P-38s; the 307FS, 31FG arrives at Tafaraoui with Spitfires. In French Morocco, HQ XII Air Support Command arrives from the US; HQ 68OG and the 16th and 122OS arrive at Casablanca and Fedala respectively from the US with A-20s and P-39s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s hit troops at Oivi in support of an Australian offensive in the Owen Stanley Range; B-26s bomb Buna while B-25s score hit on a merchant vessel off the S tip of New Ireland Island and attack a schooner off Salamaua; airlift of elements of the 126th Infantry Regiment, US 32Infantry Division, from Port Moresby to forward areas begins; the first elements are flown to Abel's Field and moved overland to Pongani.
TUESDAY, 10 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, reconnaissance is flown over Attu, Semichi, Segula, Alaid, and Kiska Islands; 5 B-24s and 1 B-17 bomb Kiska Island, but they cannot bomb the Kika submarine base and return with some bombs; 2 P-38s and 1OA-10 fly local air coverage.
ASW - OPERATIONS (Antisubmarine Command): The 361BS(H), 304BG(H) (air echelon attached to VIII BC), based at Langley Field, Virginia begins operating from St Eval, England with B-24s.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): HQ 53FG and the 13th, 14th and 15FSs begin a movement from Howard Field, Canal Zone and Chame and LaChorrera, Panama to the US; it will become a replacement training unit in Florida until disbanded on 1 May 44. The 28FS, 37FG, moves from Patilla Point to Chame, Panama with P-39s.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): B-24s hit the harbor at Bengasi, Libya while B-17s hit the harbor at Candia, Crete. The 343BS(H), 98BG(H), moves from St Jean, Palestine to Kabrit, Egypt with B-24s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): AAF Spitfires escort a convoy, fly reconnaissance, and attack tanks and other vehicles in the Oran, Algeria area. French Admiral Jean F Darlan broadcasts orders for the French forces in N Africa to cease resistance against the Allies. In Algeria, the following units arrive at St Leu from the UK: 111th and 154OSs, 68OG, with A-20s; 437th, 438th, 439th and 440BS(M), 319BG(M), with B-26s. In French Morocco, 72 P-40s of the 33FG, catapulted from the US auxiliary aircraft carrier USS Chenango (ACV-28), land in Port Lyautey; the 91 and 93FSs, 81FG, arrive at Port Lyautey from the US with P-39s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-26s bomb AA positions and supply dumps along the Sanananda-Soputa trail; A-20s hit positions at Soputa as Australian ground forces push the Japanese from Oivi toward the mouth of the Kumusi River. The 30BS(H), 19BG(H), begins a movement from Mareeba, Australia to the US (the squadron will convert to B-29s and return to the Pacific in Jan 45).
WEDNESDAY, 11 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, 3 B-26s, 3 B-17s, and 3 B-24s are over Kiska Island; the B-26s make unsuccessful runs on a ship in Gertrude Cove; the B-17s and B-24s find the submarine base closed by weather.
A weather aircraft flies over Attu and Amchitka Islands.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): INDIA AIR TASK FORCE (IATF): 9 P-40s hit Shinghbwiyang, Burma, causing heavy damage.
MTO - US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AF (USAMEAF): In Libya, B-24s hit shipping N of Bengasi, claiming 4 direct hits and several near misses on 1 vessel; P-40s fly a sweep over the Gambut area, claiming 3 Stukas destroyed; the British Eighth Army drives the last of the enemy from Egypt and crosses into Libya, taking Bardia without opposition; HQ 98BG(H) and the 344BS(H), move from Ramat David, Palestine to Fayid, Egypt with B-24.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Algeria, fighters fly reconnaissance over the Oran-Tafaraoui area and escort C-47s carrying paratroops from Gibraltar to Algiers. All French resistance against the Allies in NW Africa ceases in the early morning. HQ 319BG(M) moves from England to St Leu, Algeria. The 16th, 17th and 18TCSs, 64th TCG, based in England begin operating from Maison Blance, Algeria. The 92FS, 81FG, arrives at Port Lyautey, French Morocco from the US with P-39s.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Search aircraft from Guadalcanal Island report at least 61Japanese ships in the Buin-Tonolai area of Bougainville Island; other ships are massed at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s attack shipping off the S coast of Bougainville Island. In New Guinea, A-20s bomb and strafe targets in the Wairopi area; HQ, 126th Infantry Regiment, US 32Infantry Division, is flown from Port Moresby to Pongani. HQ V Fighter Command arrives in Australia from the US; Brigadier General Paul B Wurtsmith is named Commanding General.
THURSDAY, 12 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, bombers are on alert at Umnak and Adak Islands to attack any reported naval targets; intermittent fighter patrols fly over Adak Island. The 344FS, 343FG, based at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, sends a detachment to Cold Bay, Alaska with P-40s.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The AAF School of Applied Tactics is established at Orlando AAB, Orlando, Florida; the school is established to (1) train the cadres to form the nuclei of new units, (2) train individuals in highly specialized duties and (3) testing of new tactics and techniques under combat conditions.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): US Army Middle East AF (USAMEAF) is dissolved and replaced by HQ 9AF, commanded by Lieutenant General Lewis H Brereton; major components are: IX BC (Brigadier General Patrick W Timberlake) at Ismailia, Egypt, IX Fighter Command (Colonel John C Kilborn) enroute to Egypt, and IX Air Service Command (Brigadier General Elmer E Adler). HQ 57FG and the 65FS move from Egypt to Libya with P-40s; the 85FS, 86FS and 87FSs, 79FG, arrives in Egypt from the US with P-40s; the 415BS(H), 98BG(H), moves from Ramat David, Palestine to Fayid, Egypt with B-24s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Algeria, fighters fly patrols over a wide area around Oran and escort C-47s which drop US paratroops at Duzerville Airfield SE of Bone; Duzerville Airfield is bombed by Axis aircraft during the night of 12/13 Nov; HQ XII Fighter Command moves from Tafaraoi to La Senia; the ground echelon of the 2d, 4th and 5FSs, 52FG, arrive at La Senia from the UK; the 5(Photo)RS, Twelfth AF (attached to 3(Photo)G) arrives La Senia from the UK with F-4s (first Mission in Nov 42); the 307FS, 31FG, moves from Tafaraoui to La Senia with Spitfires. In French Morocco, the 16th and 122OSs, 68th OG, move from Fedala to Casablanca with A-20s and P-39s.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): 11transports carrying 13,500 troops and supported by a force of cruisers and 2 battleships (Kirishima and Hiei) leave the Shortland Island area and head for Guadalcanal Island; during the afternoon the reconnaissance value and defensive capability of the B-17 are ably demonstrated when a single B-17 sights a carrier 350 miles (563 km) off Guadalcanal Island and maintains contact for 2 hours before returning to base with claims of 6 Zekes shot down. The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal Island (12-15 Nov) opens as Japanese aircraft attack US transports unloading troops in Lunga Roads of Guadalcanal. The first 12 P-38s of the 339FS, 347FG, as well as USMC and USN aircraft, are moved from Tontouta Airfield on New Caledonia Island and Espiritu Santo Island to Henderson Field to bolster the defense of Guadalcanal Island. The 68FS, 347FGG, moves from New Caledonia Island to Guadalcanal Island with P-39s and P-40s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): B-17s bomb shipping at Tonolai harbor on Bougainville Island. In New Guinea, the 3Battalion of the 126th Infantry Regiment, US 32Infantry Division, is airlifted from Port Moresby to Pongani; the troops immediately start overland toward Natunga; the 2d Battalion, flown in earlier, reaches Bofu. HQ 374TCG is activated at Brisbane, Australia.
FRIDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, reconnaissance over Attu and Agattu Islands reveals 5 landing barges in Chichagof harbor on Attu Island.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ VIII AF Composite Command moves from the temporary station at Long Kesh to Kirkassock House, Ireland.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Tobruk, Libya falls to 10 Corps of the British Eighth Army. The 64FS and 66FSs, 57FG, move from Egypt to Libya with P-40s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Algeria, C-47s, with P-38 escort, fly AA guns and aviation gasoline to Duzerville Airfield; US Spitfires patrol the Oran-Tafaraoui area; HQ 1FG arrives at Tafaraoui from the UK;
HQ 97BG(H) and the 340BS(H) arrive at Maison Blanche from the UK with B-17s; the 15BS(L), 12AF arrives at Tebessa from the UK with A-20s; the 27FS, 1FG, moves from St Leu to Tafaraoui with P-38s. In French Morocco, HQ 33FG moves from Port Lyautey to Casablanca.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Air strength on Guadalcanal Island is raised by the arrival of 3 B-26s of the 69th and 70BS(M), 38BG(M), from New Hebrides Island as the naval battle of Guadalcanal Island continues; Japanese cruisers and destroyers bombard Henderson Field on Guadalcanal during the night of 13/14 Nov, and destroy one of the new P-38s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): On Bougainville Island, B-17s bomb shipping off Tonolai-Komaleai Point and the airfield at Kahili. A B-17 strafes a schooner in Lorengau harbor on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands.
SATURDAY, 14 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, 1 B-24 flies armed reconnaissance over Kiska and Attu Islands and bombs Holtz Bay and Chichagof on Attu Island with negative results; bombers at Adak and Umnak Islands are alerted for shipping targets.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): INDIA AIR TASK FORCE (IATF): In India, the following squadrons of the 7BG(H) begin operating or move to Gaya with B-24s: - 9BS(H) based at Karachi, begins operating from Gaya with B-24s
- 436BS(H) moves from Allahabad to Gaya
- 492BS(H) moves from Karachi to GayaETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 19: 34 bombers are dispatched to hit U-boats pens at La Pallice, France but the target is covered by 10/10 clouds and 15 of 21 B-17s and 9 of 13 B-24s hit the secondary, the port area at St Nazaire, France; 1 B-24 is damaged. 6 B-24s fly a diversion for this mission.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 6 B-17s are dispatched to attack the harbor at Bengasi, Libya, but only 1locates the target and drops its bombs.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Algeria, US Spitfires fly routine patrols in the Oran-Tafaraoui area and escort C-53's carrying paratroops from Gibraltar to Algiers; HQ 52FG moves from Tafaraoui to La Senia; the 28TCS, 60TCG, arrives at Tafaraoui from the UK with C-47s; the 71FS, 1FG moves from St Leu to Tafaraoui with P-38s; the 309FS, 31FG moves from Tafaraoui to La Senia with Spitfires. In French Morocco, the 35TCS, 64TCG, begins operating from Casablanca with C-47s (squadron is enroute from the UK).
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Aircraft from the US aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) are joined by landbased USMC and AAF aircraft in driving off the force that bombarded Henderson Field on Guadalcanal Island the previous night. In view of the pressing need for aircraft in the SOPAC, Admiral Chester W Nimitz [Commander-in-Chief SOPAC (CINCPOA)] is given more freedom to deploy his air weapons; he receives authority to distribute as he sees fit all available air units assigned to the S and C Pacific provided he move units rather than individual aircraft and crews.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, 1 B-25 bomBSand strafes the track N of Soputa; 5AF aircraft drop bridging equipment at Wairopi on the Kokoda trail where the Australian 25 Brigade is crossing on improvised bridge; US and Australian forces are consolidating at Natunga and in the Oro Bay-Embogu-Embi areas. 2 B-17s attack transport in the Solomon Islands.
SUNDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): The 21BS(H), 30BG(H) (under control of the 28th Composite Group), ceases operating from Adak Island and returns to base on Umnak island with B-24s.
The 406BS(M), 41BG(M): (attached to 28th Composite Group), arrives at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage from the US with A-29s and B-18s (the squadron has been operating from Alaska since Jun 42).
ASW - OPERATIONS (Antisubmarine Command): The air echelon of the 40BS(M), 13BG(M), ceases operating from Vernam Field, Jamaica, British West Indies and returns to base at Mitchel Field, New York with B-18s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Libya, B-24s from 2 groups are sent to bomb Tripoli, but unfavorable weather prevents them from reaching the target; 1 group bombs a motor convoy, as well as an airfield and crowded roads in the Bengasi area; P-40s fly sweeps and fighter-bomber mission s against the retreating enemy W of Martuba; Martuba Airfields are captured by British 10 Corps and are soon occupied by the 57FG.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Algeria, C-47s fly an airborne operation from Algiers to Youks-le-Bains; escort is provided at intervals by Royal Air Force (RAF) Spitfires and Hurricanes. British First Army ground forces reach Tunisia at Taberka; the following units arrive at Tafaraoui from the UK: HQ
14FG; HQ 62TCG and the 4th and 7TCS with C-47s; the 94FS, 1FG, with P-38s.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Rear Admiral Willis A Lee's force of 2 battleships [USS Washington (BB-56) and USS South Dakota (BB-57)] and 3 destroyers meets and turns back a larger Japanese force, sinking the battleship Kirishima and a destroyer while losing a destroyer. This ends the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal Island (12-15 Nov) which involved squadrons of the 11BG(H), as well as the 69th and 70BS(M), 72BS(H), and the 39th and 339FSs.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s strafe targets near Gona while B-25s and B-26s pound AA positions at Buna and Soputa as US and Australian ground forces prepare to move against the Buna-Gona beachhead. B-17s hit shipping at Rabaul, New Britain Island. The 435BS(H), 19BG(H), begins a movement from Townsville, Australia to the US (the squadron will re-equip with B-29s and return to the Pacific in Aug 45).
MONDAY, 16 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, a weather reconnaissance flight is flown over Kiska and Attu Islands. On Attu Island, demolition charges are dropped on Holtz Bay, AA guns, and on a village; results are not observed.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): P-40s patrol over the Germiston, Libya area; the 345BS(H), 98BG(H), moves from Ramat David, Palestine to Fayid, Egypt with B-24s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Tunisia, Twelfth AF C-47s drop British paratroops at Souk el Arba; 6 B-17s, of the 97BG(H) based at Maison Blanche, Algeria, raid Sidi Ahmed Airfield at Bizerte; thus the 97th which flew the first US heavy bomber mission from the UK, on 17 Aug, becomes the first Twelfth AF BG to fly a combat mission in Africa. In Algeria, the 8TCS, 62TCG, arrives at Tafaraoui from the UK with C-47s; the 111th and 154OS, 68OG, moves from St Leu to Tafaraoui with A-20s; the 341BS(H), 97BG(H) arrives at Maison Blanche from the UK with B-17s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-26s, B-25s, and A-20s pound the areas around Buna, Gona, Soputa, Sanananda, and Giruwa, hitting AA positions, buildings, barges, and troop concentrations as the Australian 7 Division and US 32Infantry Division move forward against the Buna-Gona beachhead.
TUESDAY, 17 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, weather a reconnaissance aircraft is forced back by weather W of Kiska Island; bombers are on alert to attack surface vessels.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 20: 2 locations are targetted: 1. 23 of 49 B-17s and 12 of 14 B-24s hit the U-boats pens at St Nazaire, France; they claim 6-8-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 9 B-17s and 7 B-24s are damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 3 WIA.
2. 6 B-24s are dispatched to hit Maupertus Airfield at Cherbourg but abort due to cloud cover.
3. 10 B-17s fly a diversion to covert the mission s above.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Libya, P-40s patrol over Tobruk and the Derna road.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Algeria, air action is limited to routine patrols in the Tafaraoui area; the 5(Photo)RS, 12AF (attached to 3 (Photo)G) moves from La Senia to Tafaraoui with F-4s; the 437th and 438BS(M), 319BG(M), move from St Leu to Tafaraoui with B-26s.
In French Morocco, the following units arrive at Mediuna from the US: 85th, 86th and 97BS(L), 47BG(L), with A-20s; 380BS(M), 310BG(M), with B-25s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The 6FS, 18th FG, moves from Kahuku to Kipapa, Hawaii with P-70s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-26s hit Gona mission as the US 32Infantry and Australian 7 Divisions continue to move toward the Buna-Gona beachhead. B-25s bomb airfields at Lae, New Guinea and Gasmata Island. A lone B-24 bombs the wharf area at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
WEDNESDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, armed reconnaissance is flown over Kiska and Attu Islands; no bombs are dropped.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 21: 65 bombers are dispatched to hit targets against U-boat bases in France; 1 bomber is lost: 1. 13 of 13 B-24s hit Lorient; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 3 are damaged; 5 airmen are KIA and 8 WIA.
2. 19 of 21 B-17s hit St Nazaire; 15 B-17s are damaged and 3 airmen are WIA.
3. 21 of 34 B-17s hit La Pallice; 1 B-17s is lost and 9 damaged; 1airman is KIA and 3 WIA.
4. 20 B-17s and 6 B-24s fly diversions for the above missions.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): B-17s bomb the marshalling yard and docks at Bengasi, Libya. HQ 79FG arrives at Kasfareet, Egypt from the US.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Algeria, several P-38s are damaged in an enemy air raid on Maison Blanche Airfield; HQ 14FG moves from Tafaraoui to Maison Blanche; HQ 319BG(M) and the 439th, and 440BS(M) move from St Leu to Tafaraoui with B-26s; "A" flight of the air echelon of the 15(Photo)Mapping Squadron, 3(Photo)G, arrives at Tafaraoui with B-17s and F-4s (ground echelon in England; "B" and "C" Flights of air echelon remain in Colorado until Oct 43). In French Morocco, HQ 47BG(L) and the 84BS(L) arrive at Mediouna from the US with A-20s; HQ 310BG(M) and the 381BS(M) arrive at Mediouna from the US with B-25s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-25s bomb the airfields at Lae and Salamaua; B-17s attack warships 50 miles (80 km) SW of Gasmata Island located off the S coast of New Britain Island, 17 miles (27 km) N of Buna, and between Gona and Cape Ward Hunt; B-26s bomb and strafe the area between Cape Endaiadere and Buna. The 28BS(H), 7BG(H), begins a movement from Mareeba, Australia to the US (squadron will return to Guam in Jan 45 with B-29s).
THURSDAY, 19 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, reconnaissance aircraft over Attu and Agattu Islands sights 2 unidentified float monoplanes E of Buldir Island.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Submarine yards at Vegesack, Bremen, and Kiel, Germany are added to day bombardment program as top priority objectives.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): B-17s, escorted by P-38s, bomb El Aouina Airfield, Tunisia. In Algeria, the 342 and 414BS(H), 97BG(H), arrive at Maison Blanche from the UK with B-17s. In French Morocco, the 345th and 346FSs, 350th FG, arrive at Casablanca, the air echelon from the UK with P-39s and P-400s and the ground echelon from the US; the 379th and 428BS(M), 310BG(M), arrive at Mediouna with B-25s.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): The 12FS, 15FG, moves from Christmas Island in the Line Islands to Efate Island in the New Hebrides Islands with P-39s.
FRIDAY, 20 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A reconnaissance aircraft over Kiska Island draws heavy AA from Gertrude Cove.
ASW - OPERATIONS (Antisubmarine Command): HQ 25th and 26(Anti-sub)Ws are activated at New York, New York and Miami, Florida respectively.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): INDIA AIR TASK FORCE (IATF): 8 B-24s bomb the marshalling yard at Mandalay, Burma as IATF bombers, commanded by Colonel Conrad F Necrason, intensify their campaign against Burma and Thailand.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): P-40s patrol over the battle area near Bengasi, Libya, as that city falls to the British 10 Corps.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Algeria during the night of 20/21Nov, enemy aircraft bomb the harbor and Maison Blanche Airfield at Algiers, destroying several aircraft at the field; HQ 1FG and the 27FS move from Tafaraoui to Nouvion; the 154OS, 68OG, moves from Tafaraoui to Blida with A-20s.
SATURDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, reconnaissance is flown over Kiska, Attu, and Agattu Islands.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 109OS, 67OG, moves from Membury to Atcham, England with A-20s (first Mission is Dec 43).
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Libya, B-24s flying out of Gambut bomb Tripoli harbor, scoring a direct hit on a warehouse; RAF bombers follow the US raids with staggered attacks during the night of 21/22 Nov; P-40s patrol the battle area S of Bengasi.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): B-17s hit El Aouina Airfield, Tunisia. In Algeria, P-38s of the 1FG arrive at Nouvion to replace the 14th FG in escorting B-17s; during the night of 21/22 Nov enemy aircraft again hit Algiers, damaging several aircraft and destroying a B-17; the 71 and 94FSs, 1FG, move from Tafaraoui to Nouvion; the 440BS(M), 319BG(M), moves from Tafaraoui to Maison Blanche with B-26s. In French Morocco, the 12(Photo)RS, 3 (Photo)G, arrives at Casablanca from the US with F-4s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s and B-25s pound the airfield, AA positions, and bridge at Buna and hit the village of Sanananda in support of Allied ground forces; the Australian-US force is advancing from Soputa toward Sanananda; US forces driving on Buna are halted by strong bunker positions at The Triangle where trails to Buna mission and Buna village meet.
SUNDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, a B-24 flies reconnaissance over Kiska, Attu, and Agattu Islands; bombers and fighters are alerted for a 23 Nov Mission to find and destroy a reported 5-vessel convoy.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): INDIA AIR TASK FORCE (IATF): 6 B-24s inflict heavy damage on the railroad center at Mandalay, Burma.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 22: 68 B-17s and 8 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Keroma U-boat pens at Lorient, France; only 11 B-17s find a gap in the 10/10 cloud cover and bomb at 1410 hours local without loss.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): P-40s patrol over the Derna, Libya area.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Algeria, HQ XII BC arrives at Tafaraoui from the UK; HQ 14FG moves from Maison Blanche to Youks-les-Bains; HQ 97BG(H) and the 340th, 341, 342d and 414BS(H) move from Maison Blanche to Tafaraoui with B-17s because of enemy bombing raids.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The critical lack of aircraft repair and maintenance facilities is alleviated somewhat by the arrival of the 13th Air Depot and the 6th and 29th Service Groups; the units are based on New Caledonia and Espiritu Santo Islands.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): HQ 4(Photo)G arrives on New Caledonia Island from the US.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s pound trails around Sanananda while B-26s hit the Buna area; B-17s and B-25s hit the airfield at Lae and barges between Lae and Salamaua, and attack warships 68 miles (109 km) SW of Arawe, New Britain Island and elsewhere in the Solomon Sea.
MONDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, reconnaissance is flown over Kiska, Attu, Agattu, and Amchitka Islands.
ASW - OPERATIONS (Antisubmarine Command): The 361BS(H), 304BG(H), is redesignated 1(Anti-sub)S(H) (ground echelon is at Langley Field, Virginia and air echelon is operating from St Eval, England); the 523BS(H), 378BG(H), at Langley Field, Virginia, is redesignated the 2(Anti-sub)S(H).
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): 9 B-25s and 7 P-40s feint at Hong Kong, then fly to the Gulf of Tonkin and sink a freighter and damage 2 others near Haiphong, French Indochina. 6 B-25s and 17 P-40s pound Tien Ho Airfield at Canton claiming 40+ aircraft destroyed on the field; these strikes follow 3 weeks of missions in support of Chinese forces along the Siang-Chiang River.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 23: 50 B-17s and 8 B-24s are dispatched to hit the St Nazaire submarine base in France for the 5th time in 2 weeks; the cumulative effect of the operation on the base is large though the sub shelter shows little permanent damage; 28 B-17s and 8 B-24s hit the target; they claim 16-2-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; the AAF crews report a change in fighter tactics from rear to head-on attack as the Luftwaffe learns that the B-17 and B-24 are weak in forward firepower; 4 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 16 B-17s and 1 B-24 are damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 16 WIA and 43 MIA. Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, First Lord of the Admiralty, writes to Lieutenant General Ira C Eaker, Commanding General 8AF, praising the effects of the US bomber attacks on disorganizing the servicing schedule of the German U-boat bases on the French W coast.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 316TCG and the 36th and 37TCSs arrive at El Adem, Egypt from the US with C-47s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): B-17s, with P-38 escort, sent to bomb the airfield at Elmas, Sardinia abort due to bad weather. In Algeria, the 12AF Main HQ moves from Gibraltar to Algiers; HQ 51Troop Carrier Wing arrives at Algiers from the UK.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s and B-26s pound Sanananda Point E as Australian forces begin their assault on Gona and US forces approach Sanananda; the 403BS(H), 43BG(H), moves from Iron Range, Australia to Milne Bay.
TUESDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, 1 B-24 flies reconnaissance over Kiska Island; weather precludes the westward continuation of reconnaissance; a scheduled Mission of 8 B-24s and 4 B-26s to Kiska Island is called off due to icing conditions.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Libya, P-40s patrol over the Bengasi and Derna areas.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): B-17s, with P-38 escort, are dispatched against the harbor at Bizerte, Tunisia but must abort because of bad weather.
In Algeria, fighters patrol the Oran-Nouvion-Tafaraoui area, and fly sea patrol off Oran and destroy several aircraft and attack ground targets in the vicinity of Gabes, Tunisia. In Algeria, HQ 319BG(M): and the 439BS(M) move from Tafaraoui to Maison Blanche with B-26s; the 352 and 419BS(H), 301BG(H), arrive at Tafaraoui from the UK with B-17s.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): Search aircraft over the Buin, Bougainville Island area report a large number of destroyers and cargo vessels in the harbor. By this date elements of the Americal Division have pushed along the N coast of Guadalcanal Island to a position S of Point Cruz where they wait until a general offensive can be prepared following the arrival of reinforcements. Throughout these operations P-39s have continually hit ground positions and troops all along the coast, flying as many as 11 strikes on some days.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s, B-25s, B-26s, B-17s, P-40s, P-39s, and P-400s hit Sanananda Point, the Buna area, the Sanananda-Soputa trail S of Sanananda, and the area between Cape Killerton and Sanananda Point as Allied forces launch a ground assault on The Triangle; the attack is repelled by fierce resistance; B-17s also bomb 2 destroyers and a light cruiser between Lae and Finschhafen.
WEDNESDAY, 25 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, reconnaissance is flown over Kiska, Attu and the Semichi Islands.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): B-25s and P-40s cripple 3 freighters on Pearl River near Canton, China.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 107OS, 67OG, moves from Membury to Aldermaston, England with A-20s, L-4s and Spitfires (first Mission is 20 Dec 43).
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Libya, P-40s escort minesweepers in the vicinity of Bengasi harbor; the RAF raids Tripoli harbor during the night of 25/26 Nov.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Spitfires and P-38s fly widespread reconnaissance missions over coastal Algeria.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, P-38s hit the airfield at Lae; a lone B-25 scores a hit on a cruiser off Tami Island.
THURSDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Aleutian Islands, a B-24 reconnoitering Holtz Bay harbor on Attu Island spots shipping targets which are subsequently hit by 4 B-26s escorted by 4 P-38s; 1large vessel is claimed afire and sinking; reconnaissance is flown over Rat Island, Kiska Island shipping, Agattu and Semichi Islands and the N coast of Attu Island; 2 P-38s and 1 B-26 sustain minor damage.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Libya, B-24s fly 3 missions against Tripoli, scoring direct hits on 2 vessels, 1 B-24 bombs a ship at Homs harbor; P-40s patrol over the Bengasi and Derna area. In Algeria, HQ 301BG(H) and the 32 and 353BS(H): arrive at Tafaraoui from the UK with B-17s; the 437BS(M), 319BG(M), moves from Tafaraoui to Maison Blanche with B-26s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, US and Australian ground forces carry out limited attacks on the Buna front, making little progress; in an effort to break Japanese air superiority over Buna, P-40s, A-20s, and B-25s pound airfields and AA positions in the area; B-26s strike the Salamaua area.
FRIDAY, 27 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Photo reconnaissance covers Kiska, Amchitka and Attu Islands; a ship attacked in Holtz Bay on Attu Island on the previous day is observed lower in water and still burning.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): 10 B-25s and 20+ P-40s, the largest CATF effort in China to date, hit shipping and harbor installations at Hong Kong, firing warehouses and claiming 2 freighters and numerous barges sunk; a large force of fighters intercept during the return trip but are driven off by the escort; the P-40s and B-25s claim several airplanes shot down.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): B-17s bomb Portolago Bay in the Dodecanese Islands hitting 2 vessels.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Algeria, HQ XII BC moves from Tafaraoui to Algiers; HQ 60TCG and the 10th and 28TCS move from Tafaraoui to Relizane; the 5(Photo)RS, 12AF (attached to 3(Photo)G), moves from Tafaraoui to Algiers.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-26s pound the Buna area, hitting buildings, the airfield, and other targets, as Allied ground forces prepare to renew attacks in the Buna-Gona area.
SATURDAY, 28 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-24 photographs a beached freighter at Holtz Bay, Attu Island drawing no AA fire during 10 runs over the bay, and flies reconnaissance over Kiska Island.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): In China, the detachment of the 11BS(M), 341BG(M), operating from Nanning with B-25s, returns to base at Kunming (another detachment is operating from Karachi, India).
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): In England, the 153OS, 67OG, moves from Membury to Keevil with A-20s, L-4s and P-51s (first Mission is 18 Aug 43); the 330BS(H), 93BG(H), ceases operating from Holmsley with B-24s and returns to base to Alconbury.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Tunisia, 35 B-17s of the 97BG(H) and the newly-arrived 301BG(H) bomb Bizerte airfield and dock area; because of mud, no P-38 escort is provided; 2 B-17s are lost to fighter attacks; B-26s of the newly-arrived 319BG(M) bomb oil tanks, warehouses, and rail yards at Sfax, marking the debut of 12AF medium bombers in NW Africa. The 94FS, 1FG, moves from Nouvion to Youks-les-Bains, Algeria with P-38s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-26s bomb the airfields at Lae and Buna; elements of the 126th Infantry Regiment, US 32d Infantry Division arrive on the Sanananda front from Wairopi.
SUNDAY, 29 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-24 over Holtz Bay, Attu Island reports the vessel bombed and damaged on 26 Nov as still sinking; 1 B-26 flies an uneventful reconnaissance over the S shore of Kiska Island.
ASW - OPERATIONS (Antisubmarine Command): In a major reorganization, all BSs assigned to the AAF Antisubmarine Command are redesignated (Anti-sub)Ss as follows: 3(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-39BS(M) 4(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-40BS(M) 5(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-41BS(M) 6(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-393BS(H) 7(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-78BS(M) 8(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-79BS(M) 9(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-80BS(M) 10(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-433BS(H) 11(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-516BS(H) 12(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-517BS(H) 13(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-518BS(H) 14(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-519BS(H) 15(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-520BS(H) 16(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-521BS(H) 17(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-522BS(H) 18(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-362BS(H) 19(Anti-sub)S(H), ex-363BS(H)
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (CATF - CHINA AIR TASK FORCE): B-25s bomb Hongay and Campho on the French Indochina coast. The 16FS, 51FG (attached to 23FG), moves from Kweilin to Chenyi, China with P-40s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): B-24s bomb Tripoli, Libya harbor at dusk, hitting docks, warehouses, 2 vessels, and silencing an AA battery.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Tunisia, the British First Army, after taking Tebourba on 27 Nov, is stalled at Djedeida; in an effort to rejuvenate the drive on Tunis elements of the British 1Parachute Brigade are dropped at Depienne by Twelfth AF C-47s, but the objective of capturing Oudna airfield and threatening Tunis, 10 miles (16 km) to the N, fails because of overwhelming defense of the airfield; over 300 casualties are suffered by the paratroops; P-38s and DB-7s attack Gabes Airfield while other US fighters operate with the RAF out of Bone, Algeria, furnishing air cover for ground units in the battle area. The 11TCS, 60TCG, moves from Tafaraoui to Relizane, Algeria with C-47s.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): A detachment of the 33TCS, 374TCG, ceases operating from New Caledonia Island (another detachment is operating from Cairns, Australia; the squadron is enroute from the US to Australia).
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-17s, P-40s, and A-20s pound the Gona area while B-25s and a single A-20 bomb the airfield at Lae; B-17s intercept a force of 4 troop carrying destroyers proceeding through Vitiaz Strait between New Britain Island and New Guinea without air cover; the B-17s damage 2 vessels and cause the others to turn back, thus preventing reinforcement of Gona with fresh troops from Rabaul on New Britain Island.
MONDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 1942
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-24 flies reconnaissance over Semichi and Attu Islands; other flights are prevented by weather.
ASW - OPERATIONS (Antisubmarine Command): In a major reorganization, HQ 13BG(M) at Westover Field, Massachusetts is inactivated and all assigned BSs are redesignated (Anti-sub)SS(H). The organization of the command is: AAF Antisubmarine Command, New York, New York
13(Anti-sub)S(H), Grenier Field, New Hampshire/O-47s
25(Anti-sub)W, New York, New York
3(Anti-sub)S(H), Dover AAB, Delaware/B-25s
4(Anti-sub)S(H), Mitchel Field, New York/B-18s
5(Anti-sub)S(H), Westover Field, Massachusetts/A-29s and B-25s
6(Anti-sub)S(H), Westover Field, Massachusetts/B-18s and B-25s
304BG(H), Langley Field, Virginia
1(Anti-sub)S(H), Langley Field (air echelon at St Eval, England)/B-24s
18(Anti-sub)S(H), Langley Field/A-20s, B-17s, B-18s, B-24s, B-34s (this squadron is the operational training unit for the 25(Anti-sub)W): 19(Anti-sub)S(H), Langley Field/B-17s
377BG(H), Ft Dix AAB, New Jersey
11(Anti-sub)S(H), Ft Dix AAB/O-47s & O-52s
12(Anti-sub)S(H), Atlantic City Municipal Airport, New Jersey/O-46s, O-47s and O-49s
14(Anti-sub)S(H), Otis Field, Massachusetts/B-25s
378BG(H), Langley Field, Virginia
2(Anti-sub)S(H), Langley Field/B-24s
15(Anti-sub)S(H), Jacksonville Municipal Airport, Florida (operating from Langley Field)/B-25s and B-34s
16(Anti-sub)S(H), Charleston AAFld, South Carolina/ B-34s
17(Anti-sub)S(H), Palm Beach County Airpark, Florida/ B-34s
26(Anti-sub)W, Miami, Florida
8(Anti-sub)S(H), Miami, Florida/A-29s & B-18s
10(Anti-sub)S(H), Galveston AAFld, Texas/RM-37s
45BG(M), Miami, Florida
7(Anti-sub)S(H), Jacksonville Municipal Airport, Florida/B-18s
9(Anti-sub)S(H), Miami, Florida/B-18s
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): INDIA AIR TASK FORCE (IATF): B-24s attack shipping at Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, claiming damage to 1vessel by near misses; this strike begins a series of raids on this water approach to Burma. The 9(Photo)RS, 10AF, moves from Karachi to Chakulia, India with F-4s (a flight is operating from Kunming, China).
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): In a meeting at the Air Ministry a joint decision is made on the allocation of responsibility, with the RAF to provide aerial defense of sectors in which US airfields are located while the VIII Fighter Command operates principally as escort for bomber strikes against the Continent.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Tunisia, B-17s bomb the N quay at Bizerte; B-26s hit the airfield and railroad at Gabes; DB-7s attack a bridge and railway station at Djedeida; P-38s escort all 3 missions; other P-38s strafe Gabes Airfield, fly reconnaissance, and shoot down a Bf 109 in an aerial battle near Tunis; elements of the British First Army remain hard pressed at Djedeida. The 12TCS, 60TCG, moves from Tafaraoui to Relizane, Algeria with C-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (Joint Chiefs of Staff): In the Battle of Tassafaronga, the USN turns back a Japanese effort to land troops in the Tassafaronga area of Guadalcanal Island during the night of 30 Nov/1Dec. The 31BS(H), 5BG(H), arrives on Espiritu Santo Island from Hawaii with B-17s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-25s and B-26s pound the airfield, AA positions, and defenses in the Buna area; 3 attempts by Allied ground forces to take Buna fail; US forces establish a block behind enemy forces on the Soputa-Sanananda trail but frontal and flanking assaults make little headway.
DECEMBER 1942
TUESDAY, 1 DECEMBER 1942
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (6 and 7AFs): In the Aleutian Islands, a B-24 flies reconnaissance over the Semichis and Attu Islands. Weather prevents any other flights.
The detachment of the 52FS, 32FG that has been operating from Seymour Island, Galapagos Islands with P-40s since 5 Jun 42 returns to France Field, Canal Zone.
The detachment of the 57FS, 54FG with P-39s that has been operating in Alaska since 20 Jun 42 returns to it base at Harding Field, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): The 9(Photo)RS flies its first combat mission with F-4s from its base at Karachi, India with a detachment at Kunming, China; the squadron arrived at Karachi on 24 Jul.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Major General Ira C. Eaker replaces Major General Carl Spaatz as Commanding General 8AF. Spaatz flies to Algeria to serve as air adviser to Lieutenant General Eisenhower, Commanding General European Theater of Operations.
Headquarters 78FG and its 82d, 83and 84FS is established at Goxhill England upon arrival from the US. The three squadrons are equipped with P-38Gs but begin transitioning to the P-47C in Jan 43 and enter combat with their P-47s on 13 Apr 43. Headquarters 315TCG and its 34th and 43TCS is established at Aldermaston, England upon arrival from the US.
The air echelon is flying their C-47s across the North Atlantic with the first aircraft arriving on 12 Dec.
Headquarters 322BG(M) and its 449th, 450th, 451 and 452BS(M) is established at Rougham, England upon arrival from the US. The air echelon with B-26C-6s will not depart the US until Mar 43; they will fly their aircraft via the southern route with the last aircraft arriving until 29 May 43. The group will not fly it's first combat mission until 14 May 43.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, DB-7s and later B-17s, bomb El Aouina Airfield with P-38s escorting both forces. In the Djedeida area, P-38s on a sweep attack tanks northwest of the town. A German counterattack is launched toward Tebourba, inflicting heavy tank losses on the BLADE Force, which, along with part of the US 1Armored Division, was prepared to attack Tunis on the following day.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): Headquarters 5BG(H), and its 23BS(H) with B-17s transfers from the Territory of Hawaii to Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s, B-25s, B-26s and P-400s pound the Buna area, but Allied ground troops fail in another attempt to capture the village. The Australian 21Brigade, however, turns back from Giruwa three large groups of Japanese reinforcements destined for Gona, then attacks and takes Gona, forcing the enemy back to Gona mission for a final stand.
In Australia, HQ 33TCS, 374TCG with C-47s is established at Brisbane upon arrival from the US. A detachment has been operating from Cairns since 1Nov and will remain there until 10 Dec.
WEDNESDAY, 2 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, a B-24 finds Semichi and Attu unchanged during a reconnaissance run; a B-26s on reconnaissance finds Kiska closed by fog.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 13(Photo)RS arrives at Podington, England from the US. The squadron, which was scheduled to go to North Africa with the 3(Photo)G, is reassigned to the 8AF due to lack of equipment, personnel and aircraft and will remain in England for the rest of the war. The squadron will be equipped with F-5s and will fly it's first combat mission on 28 Mar 43.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, DB-7s and B-26s bomb the El Aouina Airfield; B-17s hit the Sidi Ahmed Airfield and Bizerte harbor; and B-25s attack AA guns near the Gabes Airfield. P-38s provide escort and fly reconnaissance missions and sweeps, claiming eight aircraft and one tank destroyed. The British First Army withstands another German counterattack on Tebourba.
Headquarters 320BG(M) is established at La Senia, Algeria upon arrival from England.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): Headquarters 17(Photo)RS, 4(Photo)G with the air echelon of A and B flights arrives Noumea, New Caledonia Is. The air echelons of C and D flights will remain in the US until Jan 44.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s, B-17s, B-25s and P-400s attack four destroyers off Guna and Gona, and the airfield and positions in the Buna area and between Watutu Point and Cape Killerton. As a result of this attack, the destroyers, originally bound for Gona with 800 reinforcements, lands the troops near the mouth of the Kumment River twelve miles to the north.
After a bombardment of Gona, Allied ground forces attack in strength but are again halted short of the village.
THURSDAY, 3 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, two bombers and several fighters fly reconnaissance over Semichis, Kiska and Attu Islands. There is a constant air alert for US forces on Adak.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, B-17s of the 97BG(H) hit the docks and shipping at Bizerte harbor; radar warned the Germans of the approach of the bombers and Bf 109s jumped the escorting P-38s shooting down three with two more missing; two Bf 109s are shot down. DB-7s, with P-38s as escort, bomb the El Aouina Airfield. Spitfires and P-38s fly patrols and photographic reconnaissance over wide areas of Northwest Africa, and carry out fighter sweeps during which several ground targets, including the Gabes, Tunisia Airfield, are attacked.
The British First Army withdraws from Tebourba as German forces, through continuous attacks, occupy the city during the night of 3/4 Dec.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Solomons, eight SBDs, seven TBFs and fighters attack the Tokyo Express 150 miles northwest of Guadalcanal; one destroyer is slightly damaged; and ten Petes are shot down, four by three P-39 pilots of the 67FS, 347FG. US losses are one TBF, one SBD and one fighter.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s, B-25s and P-400s bomb and strafe Sanananda Point and the Buna areas and attack a small torpedo boat in Dyke Acland Bay.
During the night of 3/4 Dec, B-17s bomb airfields at Lae and Salamaua.
On the ground, the US roadblock on the Soputa-Sanananda trail remains precarious as the Japanese maintain attacks from all sides and hold off US reinforcements.
In the Bismarck Archipelago, a lone B-17 attacks a submarine 75 miles southeast of Rabaul, New Britain Island.
FRIDAY, 4 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, seven B-24s and nine B-26s escorted by 16 P-38s take off upon a Navy PBY report of a surface force southeast of Amchitka Island. At the interception point, the area is searched without results. The PBY pilot later report he saw "clouds." Reconnaissance is flown over Attu, Agattu, Semichi, Kiska and Amchitka Islands.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Italy, 20 B-24s of the 98th and 376BGS(H), in the first attack by the USAAF against Italy, hit the Italian fleet and docks at Naples; hits are scored on numerous harbor installations, a railroad yard, and three or four ships, including a battleship.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, B-17s bomb shipping and docks at Bizerte while B-26s, with fighter escort, attack the same target a half hour later. B-17s, F-4s and P-38s fly reconnaissance, while other P-38s attack vehicles and troop concentrations, mainly in the Gabes and Sfax areas.
SATURDAY, 5 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, reconnaissance missions over Attu, Agattu, the Semichis, Amchitka and Kiska turns up nothing.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): The 82 and 434BS(M), 12BG(M) with B-25s transfer from Egypt to Gambut, Libya.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, B-17s bomb the docks and shipping at Tunis; B-25s hit the Sidi Ahmed Airfield; and DB-7s follow shortly with a raid on Sidi Ahmed while another small force of DB-7s hits Faid. Each raid is escorted by P-38s.
P-38s fly reconnaissance over wide areas of Tunisia, a B-17 photographs the Sousse-Sfax-Gabes, Tunisia area while an F-4 flies photographic reconnaissance over southern Sardinia
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): The following 7AF units are transferred to the Army Forces in South Pacific Area: 5BG(H) with its 23d, 31, 72 and 394BS(H) with B-17s. The 394th is enroute from Hawaii to Fiji; all others are on Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands with the 72BS operating from Guadalcanal.
11BGS(H) with its 26th, 42d, 98th and 431BS(H) with B-17s. The 26th is on Efate Is while the 42 and 98th are on Espiritu Santo Is, all in the New Hebrides Islands.
The 431BS(H) is on Viti Levu Island, Fiji Islands.
12FS, 15FG with P-39s and the 44FS, 318FG with P-40s, both on Efate Island, New Hebrides Islands.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s and B-25s pound the Buna area. Allied ground forces again fail to take the village, but some elements push to within 50 yards of Buna, some break through to the sea, and others invest the west bank of Entrance Creek; Buna is thus completely isolated.
In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-24s bomb Kavieng Airfield on New Ireland Island.
SUNDAY, 6 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): Reconnaissance is flown over Attu, Agattu, Amchitka, Kiska and the Semichis Islands.
The 18FS, 343FG with P-40s transfers from Alaska to Adak Island, Aleutian Islands.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): On Mission 24, 103 heavy bombers are dispatched against France. Nineteen are dispatched against the Abbeville/Drucat Airfield; six bomb the target with one aircraft lost. Sixty six are dispatched against the Atelier d'Hellemmes locomotive works at Lille; 36 bomb the target with the loss of one aircraft. Eighteen other aircraft fly a diversion.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Libya, B-24s sent to attack shipping at Tobruk fail to locate the target due to bad weather, but a few bombers manage to bomb Misurata and two enemy airfields. Meanwhile, P-40s fly top cover for RAF aircraft attacking Marble Arch.
HQ, 12BG(M) and its 81 and 83BS(M) with B-25s moves from Egypt to Gambut, Libya.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, DB-7s, with fighter escort, bomb the bridge over the Medjerda River at El Bathan. P-38s and F-4s fly patrols and reconnaissance missions over parts of Algeria and Tunisia.
In ground fighting in Tunisia, a German attack penetrates positions of the US 1Armored Division, which is operating with the British First Army, on the El Guettar Mountains.
HQ, 15(Photo)Mapping Squadron, 3(Photo)G with B-17s and F-4s arrives at La Senia, Algeria from England. "A" Flight has been operating from Algeria since 18 Nov; "B" and "C" Flights remain in the US until Jan 44.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Solomon Islands, P-39s strafing Munda on New Georgia Island discover trucks, steam rollers and other construction equipment, and evidence of two airfields under construction. B-17s will bomb Munda 21 times in December and continue to hit it in Jan 43, as the Japanese continue to work at building the strips despite the constant air strikes.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-17s bomb Lakunai Airfield and the town of Rabaul on New Britain Island.
In New Guinea, B-25s bomb Lae Airfield.
MONDAY, 7 DECEMBER 1942 (Anniversary of Pearl Harbor): ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): A reconnaissance mission is flown over the Semichis and Attu Islands; reconnaissance of Kiska Is is aborted due to weather.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, B-17s, escorted by P-38s, attack docks and shipping at Bizerte. Escorted DB-7s attack tanks in the Tebourba-El Bathan area where elements of the British First Army continue to be hard pressed. Other DB-7s sent to bomb at La Hencha and Sousse abort because of bad weather.
P-38s and P-40s fly numerous reconnaissance missions over the Sousse-Sfax-Gabes area and patrols over Oran, Algeria while B-17s and F-4s fly photographic reconnaissance over the Sousse-Sfax-Gabes area and the Tunis-Bizerte area.
Ground fighting subsides as German attacks in the Tebourba area decrease in intensity.
The air echelons of the 328th and 330BS(H), 93BG(H), based in England with B-24s, begins operating from Tafaraoui, Algeria on TDY.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Solomons, 13 SBDs attack the Tokyo Express; three destroyers are damaged for the loss of one SBD.
The 69BS(M), 38BG(M): with B-26s moves from New Caledonia Island to Efate Island, New Hebrides Islands.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-25s pound the area around Buna as ground forces attack the village and clear a trench at the southern edge; B-25s also hit the airfield at Lae. B-17s attack a wrecked vessel off Gona and a tanker off Gasmata Island, Bismarck Archipelago.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, an attempted bombing Mission of Attu and Kiska Islands by six B-24s and six B-26s, escorted by eight P-38s, is forced back by weather. An uneventful reconnaissance is flown by a B-24 and a B-26 over Attu, Agattu, Amchitka, Kiska and the Semichis Islands.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): An VIII BC study of air attacks on submarine pens indicates that available US bombs are incapable of penetrating roofs of the pens from any bombing level low enough to maintain accuracy.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Libya, P-40s fly fighter-bomber mission s in the battle area east of El Agheila; the American claim seven enemy aircraft shot down.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Algeria, fighters of the 31 and 52FGs patrol in the Oran-La Senia-Tafaraoui area. Weather prevents operations of all bomber and fighter units in eastern Algeria.
The British First Army receives perMission to withdraw from areas west of Tebourba and east of Medjez el Bab to more favorable positions slightly to the west from which to prepare for the move on Tunis.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s and B-25s pound AA positions at Buna and the area around Buna mission and Cape Endaiadere as ground forces attack bunker positions on the southern end of Buna. P-38s hit a wrecked vessel off Gona.
In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-24s bomb the airfield on Gasmata Island, off the southern coast of New Britain. Six destroyers carrying troops to reinforce the Buna-Gona, New Guinea beachhead are bombed by B-17s and a lone B-24 and turn back to Rabaul, New Britain Island.
WEDNESDAY, 9 DECEMBER 1942
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Second, Sixth & 11AFs): In the Aleutians, the daily weather aircraft cannot return to base due to a sudden snow squall and crash-lands at Atka Island. An attempted bombing Mission to Kiska Harbor by three B-26s and six P-38s is forced back by weather.
The 51FS, 32FG with P-40s transfers from the Canal Zone to Seymour Island, Galapagos Islands. The squadron leaves a detachment at Guatemala City, Guatemala.
The 19BG(H) and its 30BS(H) establish HQ in the US after transferring from Australia without personnel and equipment. These units were stationed at Clark Field, Luzon on 7 Dec 41 and fought through the Southwest Pacific until decimated. They will become replacement training units until 1944 when they will re-equipped with B-29s and return to the Pacific in early 1945.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Libya, P-40s fly a fighter sweep over the El Agheila region.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, heavy rains stop most air operations in eastern Algeria and Tunisia; a few P-38s fly reconnaissance south of Gafsa.
In Algeria, P-40s fly an intercept Mission over Youks-les-Bains, damaging one enemy aircraft.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Solomons, B-17s bomb the airfield at Munda, New Georgia Island. No aircraft are lost.
On Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, command passes from Lieutenant General Vandegrift, USMC, Commanding General First Marine Division (Reinforced), to Major General Patch, USA, Commanding General Americal Division. The battle-weary Marines gradually withdraw from Guadalcanal during Dec.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-26s pound the Buna area as ground forces prepare for the final assault on the village. P-40s hit the area along the Sanananda-Soputa trail. In nearby Gona, following air and artillery bombardment, Australian forces overcome resistance, taking the village in hand-to-hand combat.
THURSDAY, 10 DECEMBER 42
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, the weather aircraft which crashlanded at Atka Island yesterday is sighted on the west end of the island, its fuselage broken off aft of the wings. The crew, later brought back, is unharmed except for light injuries to Lieutenant General William Lynd, a visiting Inspector General. An uneventful reconnaissance covers Attu, Kiska and the Semichis Islands. Four B-26s and six P-38s abort a bomb run to Kiska due to weather.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): P-40s of the 57FG claim one enemy aircraft destroyed.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): Due to heavy rains and waterlogging of airfields, aerial activity in the Algeria-Tunisia area practically ceases.
On the ground, Allied troops repulse another armored and infantry attack on Medjez el Bab. During the night of 10/11Dec, elements of the British 78 Division and the US 1Armored Division begin a withdrawal to the Bedja area to refit. The Americans sustain heavy loss of equipment as they withdraw.
HQ 3(Photo)G is established at La Senia, Algeria after transfer from England.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Solomons, eleven B-17s escorted by eight P-38s of the 339FS, 347FG, attack ships in Faisi Harbor on
Shortland Island; one tanker is hit; six Zekes are claimed destroyed, five by P-38s and one by a B-17.
FRIDAY, 11 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, an uneventful reconnaissance covers Attu, Agattu, Amchitka, Kiska and the Semichis Islands. Three B-26s and four P-38s rebomb and strafe a previously bombed cargo vessel in Kiska Harbor, scouting two more direct hits. The P-38s also strafe and bomb Kiska Harbor submarine base and seaplane hangars, camp area and nearby gun emplacements.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): In the Andaman Islands, B-24s of the India Air Task Force attack shipping at Port Blair, with negative results.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Italy, B-24s bomb the harbor and surrounding areas at Naples with good results.
In Libya, P-40s fly several fighter-bomber mission s and sweeps over the battle area in preparation for the ground assault on El Agheila which General Montgomery schedules for 14 Dec.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): The 12AF creates five area commands covering Northwest Africa from the west coast of Morocco to the east coast of Tunisia. From west to east they are: Moroccan Composite Wing (Colonel Rosenham R Beam): Western Algerian Composite Wing (Colonel Lawrence P Hickey): Central Algerian Composite Wing (Colonel Paul L Williams): XII BC (Colonel Charles T Phillips): XII Fighter Command (Brigadier General Blackburn): In Tunisia, B-25s with fighter escort, attack the rail bridge at La Hencha while P-38s fly sea patrol off the north coast and over the Gulf of Tunis and reconnaissance over the Sousse region. Spitfires sweep over Medjez el Bab and Bone.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Solomons, B-17s bomb the airfield at Munda, New Georgia Island with no losses.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-26s bomb the airfield and targets of opportunity in the Buna area while B-25s and B-26s attack the Lae Airfield.
SATURDAY, 12 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, an attempted photographic reconnaissance mission over Kiska Island 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 Island.
The detachment of the 42FS, 54FG, which has been operating in Alaska with P-39s since Jun 42, returns to its base at Harding Field, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): During Mission Number 25, 90 bombers are dispatched to bomb two targets in France; 78 aircraft are dispatched to the Rouen-Sotteville Marshalling Yard; 17 attack the target with the loss of two aircraft. A diversion is flown against the Abbeville/Drucat Airfield by 12 aircraft but the target is overcast and the aircraft return without attacking.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Libya, P-40s fly sweeps and attack ground forces in the El Agheila and Brega area.
In Italy, RAF Liberators, under IX BC operational control, attack the dock area at Naples.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, B-17s, with P-38 escort, bomb the rail facilities and harbor area at Tunis; B-26s on a mission to bomb at Sousse or La Hencha abort due to very bad weather; and P-38s and P-40s fly widespread reconnaissance operations.
HQ 64TCG and its 16th, 17th and 35TCS, which have been operating from North Africa since Nov, are established at Blida, Algeria upon arrival from England.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Solomon Islands, B-17s begin a series of daily attacks on the Japanese airfields nearing completion at Munda, New Georgia Island. Nine SBDs join the attack which is the first by the USMC.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s strafe barges off Sanananda Point while B-17s bomb the airfields at Lae and Salamaua.
SUNDAY, 13 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, a largely negative reconnaissance is flown over Attu, Agattu, Kiska, Amchitka and the Semichis Islands by two B-24s and two P-38s.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Libya, aircraft of the Western Desert AF, including more than 100 P-40s, fly strafing and bombing missions against ground forces which begin withdrawing from El Agheila during the early morning. The 57FG claims two Bf 109s for the loss of one P-40. The British 51 Division penetrates the eastern defenses of El Agheila.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): Over Tunisia, 15 B-17s of the 97BG(H) hit the harbor and docks at Tunis. Over Bizerte, ten B-17s of the 301BG(H) bomb the harbor and docks; they are followed shortly by 19 B-24s of the 93BG(H), which are TDY from England, which attack the same targets. Meanwhile, six B-25s of the 310BG(M) hit the harbor area at Sousse while B-26s blast a bridge north of Sfax; P-38s escort both missions. Other P-38s attack several targets including vehicles north of Gabes and a schooner off Cape Dimasse.
In other action, P-38s, P-40s and Spitfires fly reconnaissance and patrols over much of Northwest Africa and C-47s fly 17 transport missions between various points in Northwest Africa.
The 380BS(M), 310BG(M) with B-25s, moves from Mediouna, French Morocco to Telergma, Algeria and flies its first combat mission .
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, a Japanese convoy of five destroyers is detected off Madang, as it attempts to bring in reinforcements for the beachhead in the Buna area. B-17s and B-24s attack as it moves south but fail to deter its progress. Meanwhile A-20s bomb and strafe the Cape Killerton area while B-17s bomb the Salamaua area.
In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-26s hit the airfield on Gasmata Island.
MONDAY, 14 DECEMBER 1942
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): An Inspector General report states that the drain of stocks from the 8AF for the purpose of equipping the 12AF in Northwest Africa is hindering greatly the training and combat program of the 8AF.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Libya, P-40s continue to pound retreating German forces east of El Agheila. The 57FG claims one enemy aircraft destroyed. As the British 7 Armored and 51Infantry Divisions push west, the New Zealand 2 Division pushes southwest and rounds the enemy's right flank, then heads northwest towards the coast to cut off their retreat.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): Over Tunisia, B-24s bomb the harbor and shipping at Bizerte while B-17s hit similar targets at Tunis. DB-7s made two attacks on the marshaling yard at Sfax escorted by P-38s and P-40s. P-38s attack vessels off the northern Tunisian coast, the road between Tunis and Bizerte, a train near Kerker, trucks near Chaaba, and El Djem, and a train near La Hencha. P-40s fly sweeps; F-4s carry out photographic reconnaissance over areas of Tunisia; and C-47s fly 19 transport missions between various points in Northwest Africa.
The 86BS(L), 47BG(L) with A-20s moves from Mediouna, French Morocco to Youks-les-Bains, Algeria and enters combat.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Solomons, B-17s attack Buin, Bougainville Island with no losses.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, the five Japanese troop-carrying destroyers attack by 5AF aircraft yesterday, reach the mouth of the Mambare River and unload without being detected. However, medium and light bombers and fighters, along with RAAF aircraft, subsequently deliver damaging blows against these troops and their supplies and also hit forces along the Kumusi River in the Cape Endaiadere area and along the Mambare River. The five destroyers are attacked off Cape Ward Hunt by medium and heavy bombers. Attacks are also carried out agains the Lae Airfield and the airfield on Gasmata Island, Bismarck Archipelago.
On the ground, American troops capture Buna.
TUESDAY, 15 DECEMBER 1942
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): Over Tunisia, nine B-24s of the 376BG(H), opening the 9AF offensive against Tunisian ports, hit the railroad yard, repair shop, and roundhouse at Sfax dropping 72x500 pound bombs.
Over Libya, B-25s and P-40s strike at retreating troops and vehicles between El Agheila and Merduma, as the New Zealand 2 Division drives to the coast in the Merduma area to obstruct the retreating Germans.
Over Italy, RAF Liberators, operationally controlled by the IX BC, hit Naples harbor during the night of 15/16 Dec.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): Over Tunisia, B-26s attack El Aouina Airfield while B-17s bomb the harbor area and other B-17s hit the harbor at Bizerte. F-4s fly several photographic reconnaissance missions over coastal Tunisia covering the area from Bizerte to Gabes; fighters fly routine patrols; and C-47s carry out numerous courier and transport missions in Northwest Africa.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s hit Japanese forces along the Mambare River while a B-24 bombs a wrecked ship at Gona.
WEDNESDAY, 16 DECEMBER 1942
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Libya, P-40s fly fighter-bomber mission s and sweeps over the battle area as the enemy, breaking into small detachments, manages to withdraw from El Agheila positions after hard fighting and heavy losses. Meanwhile, B-25s hit troop concentrations and transport targets.
Detachments of the 328th, 330th and 409BS(H), 93BG(H) based at Hardwick, England with B-24s, move from Tafaraoui, Algeria to Gambut, Libya; the three squadrons, which have been in Algeria since 7 Dec, will remain attached to the IX Bomber Command until Feb 43.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, DB-7s bomb the rail junction east of Mateur and hit the town area of Massicault and the nearby vehicle dispersal area; P-38s attack ships off the north coast scoring a hit on one vessel; other P-38s fly reconnaissance mission, exchanging ineffective fire with enemy aircraft; and the 86BS(L), 47BG(L) flies its first Mission with A-20s.
The 4TCS, 62TCG with C-47s moves from Tafaraoui, Algeria to Casablanca, French Morocco.
The 18TCS, 64TCG establishes HQ at Blida, Algeria upon arrival from England. The air echelon has been operating from Maison Blanche, Algeria since 11Nov.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Solomons, B-17s of the 5BG(H) attack the airstrip at Munda, New Georgia Island. They are met by 16 Zekes; the B-17s claim four Zekes with the loss of one B-17.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s and B-26s hit forces in the Buna area and at the mouth of the Kumusi River, and strafe barges on the lagoon shoreline south of the Kumusi's mouth. Meanwhile, B-24s attack a wreck off Gona, a cargo vessel in the Bismarck Sea, and a destroyer, two cargo ships and two tankers in the Solomon Sea, southeast of Cape Orford.
THURSDAY, 17 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, a reconnaissance sortie is flown over Attu, Agattu, Kiska, Amchitka and the Semichis Islands. Two attacks by five B-24s, two B-25s and four B-26s--the second attack escorted by eight P-38s--take off for Kiska Island. On the first mission, four B-24s, gets through and hit the submarine base area, marine railway, buildings, and communication facilities. The second Mission aborts due to weather. P-38s and B-24s also fly offshore patrol between Vega Point and Little Kiska.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): China Air Task Force aircraft bomb Lashio, Burma.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Algeria, French Admiral Jean Darlan announces that French Fleet units at Alexandria, Dakar and North African ports are joining the Allies.
In Tunisia, 36 B-17s hit the harbors and docks at Tunis and Bizerte, claiming damage to both targets and the destruction of one vessel and three aircraft at Tunis. DB-7s and A-20s hit military installations north and west of Gabes Airfield and the landing ground near Sidi Tabet; B-25s and B-26s sent on a shipping raid in the Gulf of Tunis fail to find the target; and P-38s and Spitfires escort all bombing missions. Other P-38s on a sea mission off the northern Tunisia coast engage German aircraft in combat, claiming one destroyed; other P-38s and F-4 fly reconnaissance over Tunisia.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): On Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, the US 132nd Infantry Regiment open preliminaries for an offensive with an attack on positions in the Mount Austen area which overlooks Henderson Field; the enemy offers bitter resistance. USAAF aircraft, especially P-39s, and USMC SBDs, provide support and continue to do so as the offensive progresses from coastal supply points, hitting reinforcements moving through the jungle, and destroying ammunition dumps.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-26s bomb Buna mission while US ground forces make fruitless attacks on the Triangle now dubbed "Bloody Triangle."
FRIDAY, 18 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, a B-24 flies reconnaissance over Kiska, Attu, Agattu and Semichis Islands.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Libya, P-40s fly reconnaissance and patrol as the British Eighth Army's lead division, the New Zealand 2 Division, clashes with the enemy rear guards at Nofilia.
In Tunisia, B-17s hit shipping and harbor installations at Sousse while RAF Liberators, under the control of IX BC, follow with a raid on the same target during the night of 18/19 Dec.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, 36 B-17s with 16 P-38s of the 1FG as escort , hit Bizerte harbor and shipping offshore; a direct hit is scored on one vessel. AA and attacks by fighters result in the loss of one B-17 and four P-38s; three enemy fights are destroyed and others damaged. B-26s with P-38 escort attack the marshaling yard at Sousse, hitting the station, roundhouse and other buildings, tracks, and a train; heavy AA accounts for the loss of two B-26s. DB-7s with fighter escort hit the landing ground and dispersal area near Mateur and attack the railroad yards in the town. P-38s and P-40s fly reconnaissance missions and sweeps and attack ground targets, including a train north of Sfax and trucks near Sainte-Marie-du-Zit.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s hit positions at Kurenada in the Cape Endaiadere area while Allied ground forces launch a concerted assault. B-17s attack a convoy in Astrolabe Bay off Madang, while B-24s bomb the Alexishafen area and other B-24s bomb the airfield at Lae and attack the convoy off Madang and a transport northwest of Lorengau.
SATURDAY, 19 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, two B-24s fly reconnaissance and patrol over Amchitka and Kiska Islands. Four escorting P-38s turn back due to weather and mechanical difficulties.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): Rain curtails most aerial operations. In Tunisia, A-20s and DB-7s, with fighter escort, hit the marshaling yard at Sfax.
In Algeria, fighters fly routine patrols in the Oran area.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Solomon Islands, B-17s, escorted by P-38s, hit the airfield at Munda, New Georgia. They are attacked by 20 Zekes; the Americans claim three Zekes with no American losses.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): IN New Guinea, A-20s and B-25s hit the Buna mission area in which Australian forces attacking The Triangle are halted by fierce crossfire.
B-17s and B-24s attack warships, transports and cargo vessels off Madang in Astrolabe Bay and north northwest of Finschhafen off the coast of Huon Peninsula. Meanwhile, B-25 bomb the Lae Airfield.
SUNDAY, 20 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, four B-26s, five B-24s, five B-25s and nine P-38s make a coordinated bombing, strafing, and incendiary attack on Kiska Harbor installations and vicinity, especially on the submarine base and near the marine railway and gun emplacements. A direct hit is scored on a probable ammunition dump. P-38s also strafe a previously damaged cargo ship off Trout Lagoon. One B-24 and two P-38s fly photographic and reconnaissance patrol over Attu, Agattu, Semichis and Amchitka Islands.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, China Air Task Force bombers hit Lashio.
In India, Japanese aircraft bomb Calcutta and vicinity, hitting docks, shipping and airfields in the area.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): During Mission Number 26, 80 B-17s and 21 B-24s are dispatched to attack the Luftwaffe air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine; 72 bomb the target with the loss of six B-17s to German fighters.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Tunisia, B-24s sent to attack the harbor at Sousse abort the mission due to weather; three bombers hit a wrecked vessel north of Sfax.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, operations are severely curtailed as a result of heavy rains. C-47s maintain transport and courier service while fighter fly reconnaissance and scramble missions.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): The 44FS, 318FG with P-40s based at Efate Island, New Hebrides Islands begins operating from Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands. The squadron will fly its first combat mission tomorrow, 21Dec.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s and B-25s pound Giropa Point and the area around Buna mission near which are located strong bunker positions. After preparatory bombardment Australian forces again assault the positions, attacking twice under cover of smoke, but are beaten back. A decision is made to bypass The Triangle.
MONDAY, 21 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, one B-24s flies an uneventful reconnaissance over Amchitka, Kiska, Semichis and Attu Islands. A B-24 and two P-38s abort a photographic Mission due to weather.
A detachment of the 56FS, 54FG, which has been operating P-39s in Alaska since 20 Jun 42, returns to its base at Harding Field, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The air echelon of the 371BS(H), 307BG(H) based at Wheeler Field, Territory of Hawaii with B-24s, flies to Midway Island.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Tunisia, B-24s of the 93BG(H) abort a mission against Sousse harbor due to weather. Six RAF Liberators, under operational control of the IX BC, attack the harbor; results are not observed.
In Libya, light forces of the British Eighth Army overtake the enemy rearguard at Sirte and are halted temporarily.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, weather prevents B-17s from bombing Sfax or the secondary target, Gabes. P-40s destroy a tank and several cars and trucks with trailers in the Kairouan area; F-4s fly three photographic reconnaissance missions over the area between Bizerte and Gabes.
In Algeria, P-38s scramble over Youks-les-Bains and shoot down two Ju 88s and C-47s continue transport and courier missions.
HQ 17BG(M) and its 37BS(M) with B-26s is established at Telergma, Algeria upon arrival from the US.
The 379th, 381 and 428BS(M), 310BG(M) with B-25s moves from French Morocco to Telergma, Algeria.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Solomons, B-17s attack two cargo ships near Kahili, Bougainville Island; a direct hit is scored on one ship. No B-17s are lost.
The 70FS, 347FG, based on Fiji with P-39s, begins operating from Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands. The squadron flies its first combat mission today.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-17s attack vessels in Finschhafen harbor while B-24s carry out single-bomber strikes on a cargo ship north of Finschhafen and barges at the mouth of the Mambare River and off Cape Ward Hunt.
TUESDAY, 22 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, all missions including a B-24 weather reconnaissance weather run are cancelled due to weather.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): Detachments of the 370th, 372 and 424BS(H), 307BG(H) based in the Territory of Hawaii with B-24s arrives on Midway Island. During the night of 22/23 Dec, 26 B-24s bomb Wake Island from 2,500 to 8,000 feet, dropping 135x500 pound bombs. The total length of the mission , from Hawaii and return, was over 4,300 nautical miles. No aircraft were lost.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, China Air Task Force aircraft bomb Lashio.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Tunisia, B-24s of the 93BG(H) and RAF Liberators are dispatched agains the harbor at Sousse; only two bombers reach the target, the others are forced to return to base due to weather, but a few manage to bomb Monastir and the railroads at Mahdia.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, a solid overcast prevents B-17s from bombing Bizerte or alternate targets of Sousse and Sfax. P-40s shoot up a train in Kairouan and destroy trucks on the Sfax-Faid road. F-4s continue reconnaissance bwteen Bizerte and the Gabes-Medenine area.
On the ground, the British 5 Corps of the First Army renews the drive on Tunis. 2 Coldstream Guards attack Djebel el Ahmera (Longstop Hill): northeast of Medjez el Bab.
The 432BS(H), 17BG(M): with B-26s establishes HQ at Telergma, Algeria upon arrival from the US.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): The 26BS(H), 11BG(H): with B-17s transfers from Efate Island, New Hebrides Islands to Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands.
The 67FS, 347FG, which has been operating from Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands with P-39s since 22 Aug, returns to its base on New Caledonia Island.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, B-25s bomb Maimba mission and the village near Buna when Japanese ground forces continue to resist stubbornly; B-17s hit a ship in the harbor at Arawe.
In the Bismarck Archipelago, a single B-24 attacks a transport off Gasmata Island.
WEDNESDAY, 23 DECEMBER 1942
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): The 324FG and its 314th and 316FSs with P-40s establish HQ at El Amiriya, Egypt upon arrival from the US. The group will fly its first combat mission on 26 Mar 43.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, total cloud cover causes B-17s, escorted by P-38s, to abort the bombing Mission against Tunis and Bizerte Airfields.
On the ground, elements of the US 1 Infantry Division, after relieving 2 Coldstream Guards on Djebel el Ahmera, are forced to withdraw by a German counterattack.
In Algeria, Spitfires fly routine patrol over the Oran-Tafaraoui area.
The 34BS(M), 17BG(M): with B-26s establishes HQ at Telergma, Algeria upon arrival from the US.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s strafe troops near Gona and at Woiba Islands while B-24s attack a cargo ship at Arawe.
In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-25s bomb Cape Gloucester Airfield on New Britain Island and attack a ship at Pilelo Island. B-24s carry out single-bomber attacks on a transport west southwest of Cape Orford, a vessel northwest of Lorengau and the Cape Gloucester Airfield.
THURSDAY, 24 DECEMBER 1942 (CHRISTMAS EVE):
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, the reconnaissance aircraft over Kiska finds shipping there unchanged. Weather cancel all other missions.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The detachments of the 370th, 371, 372 and 424BS(H), 307BG(H) that have been operating from Midway Island with B-24s return to their bases in the Territory of Hawaii.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The first P-47s arrive in England however, because of VHF radio and engine difficulties, the P-47s are not sent into combat until Apr 43.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Tunisia, B-24s sent to bomb Tunis abort due to weather. In Italy, B-24s attack the harbor at Naples during the night of 23/24 Dec; one aircraft bombs Taranto.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Algeria, French Admiral Jean Darlan is assassinated in Algiers; General Henry Giraud becomes acting French ruler of African colonies.
In Tunisia, four P-40s attack a bridge north of Gabes.
During a conference with Lieutenant General Eisenhower, Lieutenant General Sir Kenneth A Anderson, Commanding General British First Army, decides to cease the attack on Tunis until after the rainy season. On the ground, British forces retake positions on Djebel el Ahmera.
HQ 33FG transfers from French Morocco to Telergma, Algeria.
HQ 95BS(M), 17BG(M): with B-26s is established at Telergma, Algeria upon arrival from the US.
The squadron will enter combat on 30 Dec.
HQ 95th, 96th and 97FSs, 82FG with P-38s is established at Tafaraoui, Algeria upon arrival from the UK. The squadrons will enter combat tomorrow.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Solomons, nine SBDs, nine P-39s, four P-38s and four F4Fs attack the airstrip at Munda, New Georgia Island.; they are met by 14 Zekes. The Americans claim 14 Zekes shot down, seven by two F4F pilots while four P-39s pilots of the 12FS, 15FG get five and a P-38 pilot of the 70FS, 347FG got one.
The SBDs destroyed ten Zekes on the ground as they were taking off. There are no US losses.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s strafe troops near Kel Kel and along the northern bank of the Amboga River and trail. B-24s, operating singly, bomb Lae, a schooner in Vitiaz Strait, and the harbor at Arawe.
In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-17s and B-24s hit shipping and the airfield at Gasmata Island.
FRIDAY, 25 DECEMBER 1942 (CHRISTMAS DAY):
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, a B-24 takes photographs of Kiska and Attu Islands and unsuccessfully bombs five barges between Gertrude Cove and Kiska Harbor.
The B-24 then sights eight float Zekes; three Zekes unsuccessfully attempt to attack the B-24.
HQ 344FS, 343FG with P-40s transfers from Elmendorf Field, Anchorage to Ft Randall, Cold Bay.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 24th Composite Wing is activated in Iceland to control all USAAF units on the island.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, P-40s bomb a troop concentration at Sfax while P-38s sent to bomb a convoy off northern Tunisia fail to sight any ships.
On the ground, the Germans retake Djebel el Ahmera.
HQ 12(Photo)RS, 3(Photo)G with F-4s moves from French Morocco to Algiers, Algeria.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Bismarck Archipelago, six B-17s, of the eleven dispatched, bomb Rabaul Harbor on New Britain Island. Two aircraft score three hits on a large cargo ship, while four bomb wharves and airfields. There are no US losses.
HQ 394BS(H), 5BG(H) with B-17s is established on Fiji upon arrival from the Territory of Hawaii.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In the Bismarck Archipelago, a B-17 attacks a submarine in Wide Bay off New Britain; one B-24 attacks runways at Cape Gloucester Airfield.
In New Guinea, a B-24 bombs Lae.
SATURDAY, 26 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, six B-24s and nine P-38s attack Holtz Bay but do not find the eight float Zekes seen there yesterday; the P-38s strafe Attu installations at minimum altitude. while the B-24s bomb Sarana Bay. AA fire downs on P-38 and damages another. Later, six B-25s and four P-38s over Kiska and Gertrude Cove abort due to low ceiling. An OA-10 flies reconnaissance over northeast Kiska.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): In Thailand, 12 India Air Task Force B-24s bomb the railroad station, dock area, arsenal, and power plant at Bangkok.
In Burma, China Air Task Force B-25s hit Lashio.
In China, a large force of enemy aircraft attempt to raid Yunnani Airfield. They are intercepted by P-40s of the 16FS, 51FG, and four Japanese aircraft are shot down.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Tunisia, B-24s are dispatched agains Tunis harbor during the night of 26/27 Dec; three hit the primary target while two others bomb Sousse and Sfax.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, B-17s, with fighter escort, hit the harbor and shipping at Bizerte; heavy AA and fighter attacks account for two B-17s and two P-38s shot down; P-38s claim two Fw 190s destroyed. Other B-17s, with P-40 escort, bomb the harbor and shipping at Sfax; three enemy vessels are claimed sunk. P-38s on reconnaissance attack locomotives and motor vehicles south of Tunis and west of Sousse. P-40s strafe barges off Sousse, destroying one of them, and strafe ground targets during reconnaissance over the Kairouan-Sousse-Kasserine area. During the night of 26/27 Dec, C-47s drop a detachment of US paratroops at a bridge north of El Djem.
HQ 27BG(L) and its 16th, 17th and 91BS(L) with A-20s is established at Ste-Barbe-du-Tlelat, Algeria upon arrival from the US. The group will enter combat on 6 Jun 43.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): Brigadier General Francis P Mulcahy, USMC, arrives on Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands, with the Second Marine Aircraft Wing and assumes operational control of all aircraft on the island, including those of the USAAF and USN.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In the Bismarck Archipelago, heavy bombers carry out single-bomber attacks against Cape Gloucester Airfield on New Britain Island and attack shipping off New Britain.
In New Guinea, heavy bombers carry out single-bomber attacks against Finschhafen and Madang. Japanese aircraft from Rabaul, New Britain Island attack Doboduru but are driven off by US fighters.
SUNDAY, 27 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, two B-24s flying reconnaissance over Kiska and Amchitka Islands abort in bad weather.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, B-17s, escorted by P-38s, bomb the shipping and dock facilities at Sousse, damaging docks and warehouses and claiming direct hits on four vessels while P-38s and P-40s fly several reconnaissance missions.
In Algeria, Spitfires patrol Oran and Bone.
On the ground, the British First Army repels an attack in the Medjez el Bab area.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-17s pound shipping at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
In New Guinea, B-26s hit targets in the Gona area while a single B-24 hits the runway at Finschhafen. In their first significant action in the Pacific, a dozen P-38s of the 39FS, 35FG engage some 24 Japanese aircraft, claiming nine Zekes and two Vals shot down for one P-38 damaged.
MONDAY, 28 DECEMBER 1942
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (2AF and 11AF's): In the Aleutians, icing conditions and low visibility prevent all flying.
HQ 93BS(H), 19BG(H) is established at Pocatello, Idaho. This squadron was at Clark Field, Luzon, Philippine Islands on 7 Dec 41, and after being decimated in continuous fighting in the Southwest Pacific, the unit is transferred without personnel and equipment to the US. The squadron will be a replacement training unit until Apr 44 when it is re-equipped with B-29s and returns to Guam in Jan 45.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, China Air Task Force B-25s, with fighter support, hit Magwe.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Tunisia, during the night of 27/28 Dec and also during the day, B-24s, including RAF Liberators under IX BC operational control, bomb the harbor at Sousse, hitting vessels and dock installations.
On the ground, British Army patrols reach a point east of Buerat, overlooking Wadi el Chebir, without opposition.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, B-17s bomb the dock and harbor installations at Sousse, while P-38s fly escort; P-38s and P-40s on patrol and reconnaissance missions claim four enemy aircraft downed in combat and several vehicles destroyed at various points; and F-4s fly reconnaissance over the Tunis, Sousse and Sfax areas.
In Algeria, Spitfires patrol the Oran and Bone areas.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-24 bomb Rabaul on New Britain Island and Gasmata Island.
In New Guinea, B-24s bomb Lae.
HQ, 33TCS, 374TCG with C-47s, moves from Australia to Port Moresby, New Guinea.
TUESDAY, 29 DECEMBER 1942
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, a B-24 flies a negative reconnaissance over Rat and Amchitka Islands. A scheduled attack on Kiska Island and the reconnaissance mission over Amchitka Island are cancelled by bad weather.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, twelve B-24s attack shipping in the vicinity of Rangoon.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Tunisia, B-24s sent to bomb Tunis harbor during the night of 29/30 Dec find the target obscured by clouds and attack Sousse instead.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, B-17s attack Sousse docks and harbor; P-38s provide escort. DB-7s and A-20 hit bridges at La Hencha while escorting P-40s strafe flatcars and a locomotive at Sainte-Juliette. P-38s attack a tank depot southeast of Pont-du-Fahs; DB-7s and A-20s follow with an attack on the same target.
P-38s and P-40s fly reconnaissance missions and patrols over wide areas of Algeria and Tunisia.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Solomons, six P-39s and USMC aircraft attack cargo vessels in the New Georgia group. Two vessels are sunk by the P-39s.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s strafe forces and occupied areas at Lokanu and along the west bank of the Amboga River while B-24s carry out single-bomber attacks on the Lae Airfield.
In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-24s also carry out single-bomber attacks on the airfield on Gasmata Island.
WEDNESDAY, 30 DECEMBER 1942
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Second and 11AFs): In the Aleutians, B-25s and 14 P-38s approach Kiska Harbor at minimum altitude for a bombing and strafing attack. Two ships and three submarines, newly arrived, are covered by Zekes. Four of the Zekes engage the approaching P-38s in a dogfight; two P-38s are shot down and four Zekes are listed as probables. The B-25s meanwhile attack the ships with unobserved results; one B-25 is shot down off Little Kiska. A Navy PBY picks up survivors, but fails to return to base. Kiska Harbor is then attacked once more by five B-24s, four B-25s and four B-26s. They claim hits on both vessels observing explosions on the smaller ship. A B-24 photographs Amchitka while a weather reconnaissance of Near Island is cancelled due to weather. Aerial reconnaissance observes for the first time Japanese use of a smoke screen at Kiska Harbor.
HQ 28th and 435BS(H), 19BG(H) are established at Pocatello, Idaho. These squadrons were at Clark Field, Luzon, Philippine Islands on 7 Dec 41 and were decimated in continuous fighting in the Southwest Pacific. HQs is transferred without personnel and equipment and re-equipped with B-17s, they became replacement training units until they were again re-equipped with B-29s in 1944; the squadrons returned to Guam in Jan 45.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): During Mission Number 27, 77 bombers are dispatched to the submarine base at Lorient, France; 40 aircraft attack with the loss of three B-17s to German fighters. The submarine base shows the cumulative effect of repeated bombardment.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, B-17s with P-38 escort, attack docks and the marshaling yard at Sfax; B-25s, escorted by P-38s, follow with an attack on the same marshaling yard. DB-7s hit a troop concentration near Gabes, this attack being followed by an A-20 raid on the airfield. During the afternoon, more DB-7s, with P-38 and P-40 escort, hit Gabes, concentrating on the airfield.
A-20s hit a fuel dump at El Aouinet; on the return flight, escorting P-40s strafe near El Guettar. P-40s and F-4s fly uneventful reconnaissance missions.
In Libya, P-38s fly two reconnaissance missions to Tripoli, one flight destroying several truck on the return trip.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-17s bombs shipping at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
In New Guinea, A-20s strafe forces in the Duvira Creek area while B-24s carry out single-bomber attacks on the airfield at Lae, Madang Village, and troops and vehicles at Wewak. A B-17 strafes a schooner in Jacquinot Bay.
THURSDAY, 31 DECEMBER 1942 (NEW YEAR'S EVE):
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (11AF): In the Aleutians, six B-24s covered by nine P-38s, attack Kiska Harbor, hitting two cargo vessels; one of six intercepting Japanese aircraft is probably shot down. A B-25 searching for the Navy PBY missing since yesterday also flies reconnaissance over Semisopochnoi, Segula, Little Sitkin, Gareloi and Amchitka.
CBI - INDIA-BURMA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, P-40s on armed reconnaissance hit railroad targets of opportunity from Naba to Pinbaw.
MTO - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (9AF): In Tunisia, B-24s, including RAF Liberators, bomb shipping and the dock area at Sfax with good results.
MTO - WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (12AF): In Tunisia, light bombers, with fighter escort, make two attacks on Sousse, bombing the railroad yards and docks. Escorted B-17s hit the harbor area of Sfax while B-26s, with fighter escort, hit the airfield area at Gabes and shipping and rail bridges in the Bizerte-Tunis area. P-38s and P-40s, flying reconnaissance, destroy several vehicles.
SOPAC - SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (13AF): In the Solomons, B-26s of the 69BS(M), 38BG(M), escorted by P-38s and P-39s, attack the airfield at Munda, New Georgia.
SWPA - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF): In New Guinea, A-20s strafe forces in the Sanananda and Giruwa area and along the Amboga River. B-26s pound forces on the north shore of the Markham River near its mouth, while A-20s strafe parked aircraft at Lae.
In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-24s operating singly, bomb the airfield on Gasmata Island and attack shipping in Wide Bay and Saint George Channel.
Editor for Asisbiz: Matthew Laird Acred
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