This day in the war in the Pacific 65 years ago.

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PACIFIC: USS Saratoga sails from San Diego after repair of the torpedo
damage that occurred January 11, 1942.

MIDWAY OPERATIONS: In the U.S., fear of an attack on the west coast causes suspension of the movement of USAAF aircraft and crews from the U.S. to the U.K.

25 US subs are in posiition off Midway Island.

At 1300 hours local, the Japanese Kiska Invasion Force departs Kashiwabara on Paramushiru Island in the Kurile Islands enroute to Kiska Island in the Aleutians. The U.S. Navy's Task Group 8.6 built around the light cruiser USS Nashville (CL-43) enters the Gulf of Alaska intending to position themselves about 400 miles (741 km) south of Kodiak Island to "exploit opportunities. " Unfortunately, they will be too far away for the upcoming action.

ALASKA: In Alaska, the USAAF's 11th Air Force has a B-17E Flying Fortress, six B-26 Marauders and 17 P-40s at Cold Bay on the tip of the Alaskan Peninsula and 12 P-40s, six B-26 and a B-17E at Otter Point on Umnak Island.

During June 1942, 11th Fighter Squadron, 28th Composite Group, moves from Elmendorf Field, Anchorage to Ft Glenn, Umnak with P-40s. During Jun, 406th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 41st Bombardment Group (Medium), sends detachments to operate in Alaska with B-18s.

INDIAN OCEAN: For the third straight day, the Japanese submarine HIJMS I-10launches a "Glen," to fly a reconnaissance mission over Diego Suarez,
Madagascar.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS (10th Air Force): 5 heavy bombers attack the Rangoon, Burma dock and harbor area, claiming 1 tanker sunk and another left listing. 436th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Karachi to Lahabad, India with B-17Es; first mission is 4 Jun.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): B-17s attack Lae and Salamaua and Rabaul.

 

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PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th Air Force): 6 of 16 B-17s that have been on detached service at Midway return to Oahu, Territory of Hawaii.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): B-17s bomb the dock and military camp area at Rabaul. 39th Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Group, moves from Woodstock, Australia to Port Moresby, New Guinea with P-39s; first mission is today.

AUSTRALIA - Australian Prime Minister John Curtin bouyed by the arrival of American forces challenges the Japanese, saying "I defy the enemy to land large forces in Australia".

MIDWAY OPERATION: US Carrier TF meet NE of Midway Island. Amplifying the above, Task Force 17 (TF-17) under Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher and TF-16 under Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, rendezvous about 350-miles (648 km) northeast of Midway Island.
The joint force, under tactical command of Admiral Fletcher, is composed of three aircraft carriers, seven heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, 16 destroyers and two oilers. Supporting are 25 submarines deployed around Midway.
Six of the 16 B-17E Flying Fortresses that have been on detached service at Midway Island return to Oahu, Territory of Hawaii.

Two PBY-5A Catalinas of the USN's Patrol Squadron Forty One (VP-41) based at Naval Air Station Dutch Harbor, Alaska, locate the Japanese aircraft carriers HIJMS Ryujo and HIJMS Junyo approximately 210 miles (644 km) from Dutch Harbor. Both PBYs are shot down after reporting the
position of the ships; all crewmen perish except one who is taken prisoner.

Japanese Admiral Kakuta's light carriers prepare to raid Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands as part of the deception for the Midway Operation. These raids will occur June 3 and 4.

MADAGASGAR: After reports from locals that two Japanese had been seen in the Amponkarana Bay area, they were eventually found by a British patrol of 15 soldiers. These are the crew of the Japanese midget submarine crew that had attacked the HMS Ramillies on May 30. They would not
surrender, as honour dictated, and fought with pistols and a sword. They killed one British soldier and wounded four others before they themselves were killed. The crew's documents were recovered and these included details of their mission in the harbour. The wreckage of their midget
submarine was located some time later by a British air reconnaissance aircraft.
The crew of the miniature submarine from I-16 also failed to return from their mission and a search party on the beach outside the harbour found the body of another Japanese in Naval uniform the day after the attack. Their
miniature submarine and the second crew member were never found and the Japanese Navy will post both miniature submarines as missing tomorrow.

USA: Chinese Foreign Minister Soong and US Secretary of State Hull sign Lend-Lease Agreement.

The air echelons of the four squadrons of the USAAF's 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy), equipped with B-17Es and preparing to deploy to the U.K, are ordered to bases on the U.S. west coast as a defensive measure against Japanese attack.

 

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MIDWAY OPERATIONS: The Japanese Invasion Group is spotted by land based aircraft from Midway. An unsuccessful raid by USAAF B-17s is mounted.
Amplifying the above:
Preliminary action begins in the Battle of Midway. Nine B-17 Flying Fortresses, flying out of Midway Island, attack five large transports 570 miles off Midway, claiming 5 hits and several near misses; actually, they hit nothing. Seven other B-17s leave Oahu, Territory of Hawaii and fly to Midway.

Alaska - Japanese occupy Kiska and Attu in the Aleutians.

Despite dense fog and rough seas, the Japanese light aircraft carriers HIJMS Junyo and HIJMS Ryujo, supported by the heavy cruisers HIJMS Takao and HIJMS Maya, three destroyers and an oiler, begin launching aircraft at 0325 hours local against Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island, Aleutian Islands.
This is part of the "AL" Operation. Only half of the aircraft reach the objective; the other half either crash into the sea or return to their ships. At 0545 hours, 15 aircraft appear and begin strafing targets at naval installations at Dutch Harbor and the Army's Fort Mears; at 0555 hours, the first of four waves of bombers in groups of three or four, Nakajima B5N, Navy "Kate," Bombers, Allied Code Name release 16 bombs on Fort Mears killing 25 and wounding many others. P-40s from Cold Bay trying to intercept them arrive 10 minutes after the last attack wave departs. Other P-40s at Otter Point Field on Umnak Island are notified too late due to communication failure.
The Japanese cruisers had catapulted four Nakajima E8N2 Navy Type 95 Reconnaissance Seaplanes, Allied Code Name "Dave," to reconnoiter the area west of Dutch Harbor and two of them flew over Umnak and one was shot down and the other was damaged and retreated still unaware of the new airdrome. By 0745 hours local, the Japanese carriers had recovered their aircraft. Meanwhile, nine P-40s and six B-26's fly a patrol but cannot find the fleet, 180 miles south of Dutch Harbor.
However, a PBY-5A Catalina of the USN's Patrol Squadron VP-42 flies through a snow squall and locates the Japanese ships. The aircraft is attacked by Japanese fighters but the Americans linger in the area until the composition and position of the force can be determined. The PBY finally heads for home but runs out of fuel and makes an open sea landing where the crew is rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Nemaha.
Another PBY-5A of VP-41 searching for the Japanese are shot down and three are captured and taken aboard the cruiser HIJMS Takao. The Japanese torture the three in an attempt to learn the location of the unknown USAAF base but the sailors reveal nothing. The three are taken to Japan and survive their internment. One "Zeke," is damaged by AA fire and the pilot makes an emergency landing on Akutan Island. However, he was fooled by the flat surface; it is actually a bog and the aircraft flips over killing the pilot. The recovery of this aircraft in July 1942 reveals many of its secrets.
Six B-17Es equipped with SCR-521 radar arrive at Kodiak and are immediately dispatched on search missions to locate the Japanese ships.

Additional losses in the Aleutians: 26 Army and 1 Navy were killed, and four quonset huts, one barracks building, and one radio tower were destroyed. All but one of the carrier-based air returned safely but two of four Pete float planes were shot down late in the day when they were ambushed by P-40's from Cold Bay.
Anti-aircraft fire from the few US Navy weapons was heavy but ineffective due to the siting of the weapons. The US Army's 206th CA (AA) was ashore and well-sited but the commander refused to allow it to open fire from concerns about revealing its location. Accurate fire was returned from the SS PRESIDENT FILLMORE, moored in the harbor, which had G/260th CA (AA) (often but inaccurately listed as G/503rd CA (AA) on board with its guns on deck through the foresight of then 1st Lt Perry Faust. The Port Captain later credited this unit for its performance and noted that he had thought the ship had exploded, so heavy was the fire being returned from the ship.
The Port Engineer had only recently completed the pier at Dutch Harbor, a example of really solid engineering due to the extreme depth of the harbor. He ran along the dock during the attack and continued to order all moored vessels to set sail lest the Japanese damage "his" pier. He was ignored by the ship's captains.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS (10th Air Force): A flight of 6 B-25s of the 11th Bombardment Squadron, 7th BG, 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 and another is abandoned when it runs out of fuel near Chan-i, China. The remaining 2 B-25's reach Kunming, China, 1 with its radio operator killed by a fighter.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): B-17s hit the wharf, warehouse area, and military camp at Rabaul.

 

[Lucky13]

MIDWAY....

 

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MIDWAY....

Midway what?

 

[Lucky13]

Battle of Midway...

 

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Battle of Midway...

Lots of things happened at Midway. See my next post for a partial listing.

 

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MIDWAY OPERATIONS: The 1st wave of Japanese Naval aircraft (108 ) flying from Admiral Nagumo's carriers are launched at Midway Island. USAAF and Marine aircraft based on Midway attack the Japanese carriers. After the limited success of the first wave, a second wave attack, on Midway, is ordered.
Meanwhile the US carrier forces off Midway have spotted the Japanese carriers. They get their attack underway. The Japanese scouts then find the US carriers. Nagumo orders a change in armament for the strike. His first wave also returns. The appearance of the US carriers is not something that Nagumo had expected.
While the Japanese carriers are re-arming their strike, the US attack force finds them. This strike has been somewhat unorganized. The range has forced a separation of the torpedo planes from the dive bombers. The TBDs arrive 1st with their torpedo's at low level. Their attack is ineffective with most planes of the force lost.
The dive bombers now arrive overhead and attack. The Japanese fighters have been caught at low level and are ineffective against the dive bombers. Between 10:25 and 10:28 this morning hits are made on carriers Kaga, Akagi, and Soryu.
These 3 carriers are fatally hit and sink soon thereafter. The US attack has caught them with planes in various stages of refueling and rearming. The fumes and armaments contribute to the rapid demise of these ships. Also a factor is the level of Japanese damage control.
The Hiryu launchs a strike which hits the USS Yorktown. Despite effective damage control, I-168 launches fatal torpedos. The Enterprise and Hornet launch another strike, with 4 direct hits, which fatally wound Hiryu.This battle ends and the balance of power changes hands in the Pacific.

This victory had born a high cost, particularly among the young Navy, Marine, and Army aviators that had carried the battle to the enemy. During the days fighting the three American carriers had lost seventy-eight
aircraft in action, with with nine others out of action and a further twenty trapped aboard the abandoned YORKTOWN. Additionally, the Midway based squadrons had lost thirty-six planes, with fifteen others out of action. Overall, the days had cost the bean counters 158 aircraft. But the real cost was in men, not machines. Although twenty-four downed aviators had been rescued during the day, ten were confimed dead, twenty-two were wounded, and a staggering 183 were missing although, fortunately, twenty-six of these were to be rescued in the next fewdays.

Amplifying the above:
A Japanese destroyer picks up a TBD Devastator pilot of Torpedo Squadron Three and a second destroyer picks up the two-man crew of a Scouting Squadron Six SBD Dauntless. After interrogation, all three are murdered.

On no other day in the entire Pacific war would as many aircraft be lost in a single day's battle, and the staggering number of aviator casualties suffered on 4 June would not be exceeded either. In fact, even on their worst days, the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces would be hard pressed to top the total number of actual fatalities (167) suffered on 4 June.

The Grumman TBF Avenger enters combat during the Battle of Midway. Six unescorted TBF-1s of the shore-based element of Torpedo Squadron Eight, which is operating from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, attack the Japanese fleet. Five Avengers are shot down and the sixth makes it back to Midway but it is damaged beyond repair. None of the TBFs scored a torpedo hit on the enemy force.

In the Aleutian Islands, it is rainy with a low-overcast limiting visibility and the two Japanese light aircraft carriers, HIJMS Junyo and HIJMS Ryujo, wait for it to clear. Finally, planes are dispatched to bomb Dutch Harbor in weather so poor that only the best pilots on the two ships were permitted to fly. Eleven "Val's" ten "Zero's" and eight "Kate's" attack Dutch Harbor in several waves beginning at 1800 hours local; the fighters make a strafing attack followed by the eleven "Vals" that hit four fuel tanks igniting 22,000 barrels of fuel, demolish part of the naval hospital and damage a beached barracks ship. At 1821 hours, three "Kates" attack but do not do any damage; this was followed by five more "Kates" at 1825 hours which hit an AA emplacement killing four U.S. sailors. U.S. Army and Navy casualties during the two days are 43 killed and approximately 50 wounded.
After the attack, the eight "Vals" and "Zekes" from the carrier HIJMS Junyo, unaware of the USAAF's new fighter base at Otter Point on Umnak Island, rally at the west end of Umnak and are met by eight P-40s which shoot down two "Vals" and two "Zekes." One other plane from HIJMS Junyo fails to return but all of the aircraft from HIJMS Ryujo return to the ship.
A PBY-5A Catalina of the USN's Patrol Squadron Forty Two locates the Japanese force by radar and circles it for an hour radioing its position. A torpedo attack is made by three B-26's but none of the ships are hit.

Additional information on the Japanese attack in the Aleutian Islands:
Four oil tanks with 22,000 gallons of fuel oil and a separate diesel fuel tank were hit and set afire. One warehouse building and one hangar containing a PBY-5A were damaged, along with the Catalina, and the NORTHWESTERN, a coastal merchant ship, was seriously damaged and hadto be beached. Army, 7 Navy, 1 Marine, and 1 US civilian were killed. No aircraft were lost to the Japanese, though one US B-26 was lost attacking the Japanese carriers.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS (10th Air Force): 2 heavy bombers bomb Rangoon, Burma, but are attacked by 10 fighters; 1 heavy 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. 11th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), is established at Kunming, China with B-25s.

 

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MIDWAY OPERATIONS: Off Midway Island, the Japanese 1st Mobile Fleet is retiring westward while being pursued by carrier aircraft of Task Force 16 and
Midway-based USAAF and USMC aircraft. B-17's make two attacks on three ships but do not hit the ships.
The aircraft carriers HIJMS Akagi and HIJMS Hiryu, which were damaged yesterday and left drifting, are scuttled by Japanese destroyers.
While turning to avoid the submarine USS Tambor, the heavy cruisers HIJMS Mogami and HIJMS Mikuma collide and are damaged. Later in the day, six SBD-2 Dauntlesses and six SB2U-3 Vindicators of Marine Scout Bombing Squadron Two Hundred Forty One attack HIJMS Mikuma but do not score any hits.
A salvage party of 29 officers and 141 enlisted men return to the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in an attempt to save her. Five destroyers form an antisubmarine screen while the salvage party boards the listing carrier.

At Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii: Admiral Chester Nimitz, USN announces the defeat of the Imperial Japanese Naval fleet at the Battle of Midway.

In the Aleutian Islands, Japanese Naval Headquarters issues an order at 0920 hours local instructing the 2nd Mobile Fleet, the two light aircraft carriers that attacked Dutch Harbor, Alaska, yesterday, to join the 1st Mobile Fleet off Midway and the two carriers begin steaming south. This order is cancelled at 2355 hours.
The Japanese also order 1,200 troops of the Adak-Attu Occupation Force to steam towards Attu Island.
The USAAF's 11th Air Force dispatches ten B-17's, 18 B-26's and two LB-30's to search for the two aircraft carriers. One radar-equipped B-17E locates the "targets" on radar and bombs; the "targets" were actually the Pribilof Islands.

The Battle of Midway continues with the Japanese fleet retiring westward. In the morning 8 B-17s hit a force 130 miles from Midway, claiming hits on 2 large warships. During the afternoon 6 B-17's claim hits on a heavy cruiser 300 miles from Midway. The last strike by Seventh Air Force aircraft in the Battle of Midway is by 5 B-17's which bomb a heavy cruiser 425 miles 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) Seventh Air Force aircraft carried out 16 B-17 attacks (55 sorties) and 1 torpedo attack by 4 B-26's, claiming 22 hits on ships and 10 fighters shot down. 2 B-17's and 2 B-26's 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.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): B-17s hit wharves, a warehouse, and coal jetty at Rabaul.

 

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ALASKA (11th Air Force): Various bomber search-attack missions are flown in an attempt to contact the fleet reported near Seguam . No contact is made due to weather. 8 P-38's enroute from Cold Bay to Umnak mistakenly attack a Soviet freighter. The Japanese begin to land on Kiska.
In the Aleutian Islands, 500 men of the elite Maizura 3rd Special Landing Force and 700 labor troops invade Kiska Island at 1027 hours local.
The is the first invasion of U.S. territory by a foreign power since the British invaded during the War of 1812. A 10-man USN weather detachment are the only Americans on the island; all ten flee into the hills. The Japanese rename the island Narukami.

MIDWAY OPERATIONS: Off Midway Island, SBD Dauntlesses from the aircraft carriers USS Enterprise and USS Hornet bomb the heavy cruisers HIJMS Mikuma and HIJMS Magami which were damaged in a collision yesterday; the Mikuma sinks later in the day. SBDs also attack two destroyers but do not score any hits. Rear Admiral Raymond A Spruance orders that the TBD Devastator torpedo bomber not be allowed to participate in these attacks; Torpedo Squadron Six in USS Enterprise is the only squadron with operational TBDs.
During the morning, the tug USS Vireo arrives from Pearl Harbor and takes the damaged aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in tow. To assist the repair parties in Yorktown, the destroyer USS Hammann comes alongside to starboard, aft, and furnishes pumps and electric power. By mid-afternoon, the process of reducing topside weight on Yorktown was proceeding well; one 5-inch gun had been dropped over the side, and a second was ready to be cast loose; planes had been pushed over the side; the submersible pumps (powered by electricity provided by USS Hammann) had pumped out considerable quantities of water from the engineering spaces and the list had been reduced about two degrees.
However, the Japanese submarine HIJMS I-158 had slipped past the destroyer screen and fired four torpedoes at Yorktown from the starboard beam. One torpedo hit the destroyer USS Hammann directly amidships and broke her back; the destroyer jackknifed and sank in four minutes. Two torpedoes struck Yorktown just below the turn of the bilge at the after end of the island structure. The fourth torpedo passed just astern of the carrier. Approximately a minute after Hammann's stern disappeared beneath the waves, an explosion rumbled up from the depths, possibly caused by the destroyer's depth charges going off. The blast killed many of Hammann's and a few of Yorktown's men who had been thrown into the water. The concussion battered the already-damaged carrier's hull and caused tremendous shocks that carried away Yorktown's auxiliary generator, sent numerous fixtures from the hangar deck overhead crashing to the deck below; sheared rivets in the starboard leg of the foremast; and threw men in every direction, causing broken bones and several minor injuries.
The remaining destroyers immediately began searching for the submarine, which escaped, and commenced rescuing survivors from the water. The tug USS Vireo cut the towline and also began picking up survivors; over 80-men on the Hammann were killed. Remarkably, USS Yorktown remains afloat.
The losses suffered by the Japanese at Midway causes the cancellation of the "FS" Operation, the invasion of Fiji and Samoa and also forces the Japanese to concentrate on building aircraft carriers.

 

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MIDWAY: Throughout the night of 6/7 June, the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown remained stubbornly afloat northeast of Midway Island. By 0530 hours, however, the men in the ships nearby noted that the carrier's list was rapidly increasing to port. As if tired, the valiant flattop turned over at 0701 hours on her port side and sank in 3,000 fathoms (18,000 feet) of water in position 30.36N, 176.34W.
During the night of 6/7 June, the USAAF's 7th Air Force dispatches a flight of four LB-30 Liberators from Midway Island for a predawn attack on Wake Island. The aircraft are unable to find the target and one LB-30 crashes into the sea killing all of the crew including Major General Clarence L Tinker, Commanding General, 7th Air Force. On 11 November 1943, the Oklahoma City Air Depot at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was renamed Tinker Field (now AFB) in memory of General Tinker.

ALASKA: In the Aleutians, the 1,143 man Japanese Army's North Sea Detachment, consisting of the 301st Independent Infantry Battalion, the 301st Independent Engineer Company and a service unit, invade Attu Island at 0300 hours local. There are 44 American civilians on the island, 42 Aleut Indians and two Caucasians, Mr. and Mrs. Jones. Charles Jones dies during the invasion, either a suicide or killed by Japanese troops as he attempts to escape. The Aleuts and Mrs. Etta Jones are interned in Japan, the Aleuts at Otaru City on Hokkaido and Mrs. Jones with Australian nurses in Yokohama. Only 24 of the Aleuts and Mrs. Jones survive interment. The Japanese rename the island Atsuta.
Nine of the ten USN sailors manning a weather station on Kiska are captured by the Japanese who had discovered the emergency supply caches the sailors had hidden. The tenth man, who was wearing light clothing, evades the Japanese for 48-days surviving on plants and earthworms until forced to surrender after fainting from lack of food.

 

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ALASKA: The crew of a USN PBY-5A Catalina of Patrol Squadron based at Dutch Harbor, Unalaska Island, Aleutian Islands, spots four transports and two destroyers in Kiska Harbor; flying to Attu Island, they spot the Japanese forces. This is the first indication that the Japanese have occupied these two islands.
(11th Air Force): 1 LB-30 flies armed patrol over Kiska and Umnak s and discovers Japanese naval units in Kiska Harbor.

USA: The Soviet Ambassador to the U.S., Maxim M. Litvinov, informs Harry Hopkins, President Roosevelt's assistant, that the Soviet Government has agreed to a Lend-Lease air corridor being established between the Territory of Alaska and Siberia.

CANADA: The Royal Canadian Air Force's No. 111 (Fighter) Squadron, equipped with Curtiss Kittyhawk Mk. Is, arrives at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, Territory of Alaska, as part of the RCAF reinforcements to the USAAF.

 

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NG: Lieutenant Commander Lyndon B. Johnson, USNR, on a congressional inspection tour of the Southwest Pacific, boards a B-26 Marauder, msn 1353, USAAC s/n 40-1488, flown by 1st Lt. W.H. Greer as pilot and RAAF Sergeant Pilot G.A. McMullin as co-pilot. The aircraft was named "Heckling Hare." This a/c was part of the USAAF's 19th Bombardment Squadron, 22d BG based at Townsville, Australia, to participate in an attack on Japanese airfields in New Guinea. The aircraft takes off but engine trouble forces the pilot to return to base without having seen combat.
Eleven B-26 Marauder's of the 22nd BG departed Townsville, Queensland, Australia, at 1330 hours local on 8 June 1942 and arrived at Seven Mile Aerodrome, Port Moresby, New Guinea, by 1746 hours local. They then raided Lae, New Guinea, on 9 June 1942. This mission was called "TOW 9" in the official records. Lieutenant Commander Lyndon Baines Johnson, USNR, the future 36th President of the United States, went on this raid as an observer. Lyndon Johnson travelled from Townsville to Port Moresby by B-17 on the morning of the raid. The raid was delayed by an hour waiting for the VIP's that were to accompany them on the raid. The VIP's were Congressman Lyndon Baines Johnson (USNR), General Marquat, Col. G. Anderson (Gen Staff), Lt. Col. Dwight Divine II and Lt. Col. Francis R. Stevens. Lyndon Johnson was initially assigned to Lt. Bench's aircraft, "The Virginian," USAAC 40-1508. But he apparently left the aircraft to retrieve his camera and on return he found that Lt. Col. Francis R. Stevens had taken his place on "The Virginian." Lyndon Johnson then changed aircraft from "The Virginian" to Arkie Greer's "Heckling Hare" just before he took off on the mission. The crew of "Heckling Hare" apparently also knew their aircraft as "Arkansas Traveller." This was fortuitous for Lyndon Johnson, as Bench's aircraft, "The Virginian," was boxed in so low by "Shamrock," Thunderbird" and "Boomerang" as they departed the target, that "The Virginian" flew into the water off Salamaua killing Willis Bench and all of his crew.
After the mission, Lyndon Johnson returned to Australia in General Brett's Boeing B-17D Flying Fortress, USAAC 40-3097 "Swoose" flown by Captain Frank Kurtz. They almost ran out of fuel when they became lost heading for Cloncurry, Queensland. They landed in the bush on Carisbrooke Station near Winton. This B-17, "Swoose", then flew back to USA with General Brett. The aircraft is owned by the National Air and Space Museum in Washington.
Nine days after the raid, Lyndon Johnson was awarded an Amy Silver Star medal, the nation's 3rd highest medal for valor, by General MacArthur's chief of Staff, Major-General R.K. Sutherland for his participation in the above bombing raid. He often wore this medal during his term as President of the United States. He refused to discuss the details of how we won the medal.
His citation read:- "For gallantry in action in the vicinity of Port Moresby and Salamaua, New Guinea on June 9, 1942. While on a mission of obtaining information in the Southwest Pacific area, Lieutenant Commander Johnson, in order to obtain personal knowledge of combat conditions, volunteered as an observer on a hazardous aerial combat mission over hostile positions in New Guinea. As our planes neared the target area they were intercepted by eight hostile fighters. When, at this time, the plane in which Lieutenant Commander Johnson was an observer, developed mechanical trouble and was forced to turn back alone, presenting a favorable target to the enemy fighters, he evidenced marked coolness in spite of the hazards involved. His gallant action enabled him to obtain and return with valuable information. " Lyndon Johnson's diary records the following regarding this mission:- "After we were off the field with Prell and Greer leading, Greer's generator went out: crew begged him to go on. For the next thirty minutes we flew on one generator."
After President Roosevelt ordered all members of Congress in the Armed Forces to return to their legislative duties, Johnson was released from active duty under honorable conditions on 16 June 1942. In 1949 he was promoted to Commander in the Naval Reserves to date from 1 June 1948. During his time in service, Johnson was awarded the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. After he became President following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Johnson's resignation from the United States Naval Reserve was accepted by the Secretary of the Navy effective 18 January 1964.

PI: The Japanese declare that the Philippine Islands are secured.

MADAGASGAR: HMS Ramillies leaves Diego Suarez today, bound for Durban for structural repairs. Her escort on the journey was by the light Cruiser HMS Emerald, three destroyers and a tug. There was much apprehension about the journey due to the extensive damage she had taken, from the Japanese midget submarine attack, and worry about the gaping hole in her side. She arrives at Durban late today having been escorted for the latter part of her journey by HMS Jasmine and HMS Fritillary.
She will leave for Cape Town and the UK on the 6th August 1942 arriving back at Plymouth on the 8th September for further repairs at the Devonport Dockyard. She will be out of service for nearly a year.

ALASKA (11th Air Force): Patrols are flown but encounter no aircraft.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th Air Force): Brigadier General Howard C Davidson, Commanding General VII Fighter Command, also becomes Commanding General 7th Air Force.

 

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ALASKA: Completely ignoring the debacle at Midway, Radio Tokyo announces the "great victory" of the occupation of Attu and Kiska Islands in the Aleutian Islands.
Local patrol is flown at Umnak .
Patrol planes of Pat Wing 4 discovered the presence of the enemy on Kiska and Attu--the first news of Japanese landings that had taken place on the 7th.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): B-17s bomb aircraft and buildings at Rabaul. HQ 38th BG (Medium) moves from Amberley to Eagle Farms.

 

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PACIFIC: USS Wasp, with battleship North Carolina and escorting destroyers pass through the Panama Canal on their way to the Pacific.

PACIFIC: The USN aircraft carrier USS Saratoga, in Task Force 11, rendezvoused with Task Force 16, consisting of the aircraft carriers USS Enterprise and USS Hornet, yesterday to transfer aircraft to replace the planes lost in the Battle of Midway. However, the weather was poor and the transfer could not take place until today. The losses suffered by the Torpedo Squadrons were especially heavy so the Saratoga Air Group transfers TBD Devastators of VT-5 to the Enterprise Air Group, TBF Avengers of VT-8 to the Hornet Air Group and SBD Dauntlesses to both air groups.

ALASKA: The 11th Air Force and the USN's Patrol Wing Four strike at Kiska Island in the Aleutian Islands for the first time. Five B-24's and five B-17's from Cold Bay load bombs at Umnak Island and along with PBY Catalinas, attack Kiska harbor installations and shipping targets. Low-altitude runs score near misses on two cruisers and a destroyer. AA downs a B-24; the other B-24s are pursued by four fighters back to Unmak where US fighters drive them off.
Aircraft discover Japanese landing at Attu . PBY Catalinas, operating from the seaplane tender Gillis in Nazan Bay, Atka , hit ships and enemy positions on Kiska in an intense 48-hour attack which exhausted the gasoline and bomb supply aboard the Gillis but was not successful in driving the Japanese from the .

USA: Aircraft and crews of the 97th Bombardment Group deployed temporarily to the W coast, are ordered back to New England for movement to the UK.

 

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ALASKA: The USAAF's 11th Air Force dispatches six B-17 Flying Fortresses and a B-24 Liberator to bomb shipping in the harbor at Kiska Island in the
Aleutian Islands. A near miss damages a Japanese destroyer.

CHINA: In China, the American Volunteer Group's 1st Squadron shoots down four Ki-27 "Nate's" and five unidentified twin-engine aircraft over Kweilin at 0605 hours local.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): B-17s bomb the building area and Vunakanau and Lakunai.

 

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ALASKA: In the Aleutians, despite bad weather, the USAAF's 11th Air Force and the USN's Patrol Wing Four dispatch an LB-30 Liberator to fly a weather mission, and for the third straight day, shipping in the harbor at Kiska Island is bombed by five B-17 Flying Fortresses, three
B-24 Liberators and PBY Catalinas.

USA: Long Range Navigation (LORAN) equipment is given its first airborne test by the USN. The receiver is mounted in the nonrigid airship K-2 and, in a flight from NAS Lakehurst, New Jersey, accurately determines position when the airship was over various identifiable objects. The test culminated with the first LORAN homing from a distance 50 to 75 miles (80.5 to 120.7 km) offshore during which the LORAN operator gave instructions to the airship's pilot which brought them over the shoreline near Lakehurst on a course that caused the pilot to remark, "We weren't just heading for the hanger. We were headed for the middle of the hanger." The success of these tests lead to immediate action to obtain operational LORAN equipment.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): B-17s hit the Lakunai Airfield.

US ARMY - First issue of "Yank" is published

 

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PACIFIC: The first echelon of the U.S. 1st Marine Division arrives at Wellington, New Zealand.

ALASKA: In the Aleutians, the USAAF's 11th Air Force dispatches four B-17 Fortresses and three B-24 Liberators to bomb shipping in the harbor of Kiska Island from an altitude of 700-feet (213.4 m), the lowest altitude yet.
The crews claim two cruisers are hit and one scout seaplane is shot down; two B-17s are heavily damaged but return to base.
A USN PBY Catalina bombs Japanese ships sailing SW of Kiska just missing the light cruiser HIJMS Tama.
The Japanese light cruiser HIJMS Abukuma and four destroyers arrive at Amchitka Island from Attu Island to reconnoiter and search for suitable airfield sites but none are found. The force is spotted by a B-17 and is shadowed. Japanese bombers attack targets in the Nazan Bay area of Atka Island.

 

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ALASKA: In the Aleutians, a bombing mission to Kiska Island by three B-17 Flying Fortresses and two B-24 Liberators of the USAAF's 11th Air Force is aborted due to weather.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): 63d Bombardment Squadron, 43d BG, moves from Sydney to Charleville with B-17s.

 

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SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): FEAF was planning a joint strike against Lae and Salamaua similar to the operation of June 9. The morning schedule was interrupted by a fighter sweep of A6M2 Zeros of the Tainan Kokutai over the Port Moresby area. 32 P-39 and P-400 Airacobra of the 39th and 40th Fighter Squadron were scrambled. They were hit hard and four were shot down and two heavily damaged. Tainan piliots claim 17 shot down and 2 probables and lost no aircraft damaged or shot down. Lost is P-39F 41-7204, P-39F 41-7136, P-39F 41-7222 and P-39 piloted by Lynch. Three of the pilots shot down returned while one went MIA.

In the afternoon, 22nd BG B-26s and 19th BG B-17s hit Lae and 3rd BG B-25s hit Salamaua hitting runways and buildings and starting several fires. They meet their Airacobra escort on the return flight, shot down is P-39 piloted by Magre.