This day in the war in the Pacific 65 years ago. (1 Viewer)

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ALASKA: A PBY-5A Catalina of USN Patrol Squadron VP-42 based at NAS Kodiak, Territory of Alaska, and a PBY of VP-43 based in Nazan Bay, Atka Island, catch the Japanese submarine HIJMS RO-61 on the surface 5 miles north of Cape Shaw, Atka Island. The crew of the VP-42 PBY-5A depth charge the sub and heavily damage it. At 1915 hours local, the sub is located by the destroyer USS Reid which sinks it with gunfire about 27 nautical miles NNE of the village of Atka on Atka Island, in position 52.36N, 173.57W. Five survivors are rescued from the frigid waters.
In the air, of two USAAF 11th Air Force B-24 Liberators flying weather, reconnaissance and patrol missions over Tanaga Island, one returns due to weather. Tanaga Island is located about 49 nautical miles west of Adak Island.

BURMA: USAAF B-25 Mitchells of the 10th Air Force's China Air Task Force bomb Myitkyina for the second consecutive day.

EAST CHINA SEA: USN submarine USS Growler sinks a Japanese merchant cargo ship about 77 nautical miles ENE of Taipei, Formosa, in position 25.43N, 122.38E.

NEW GUINEA: Japanese Army General Hyatutke Seikichi, Commander of the 17th Army with HQ at Rabaul on New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago, decides to evacuate the troops that were landed at Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. The evacuation is complete on 7 September. He thinks he must concentrate on the fighting on Guadalcanal.
At Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea, Japanese troops attack the Australians at 0300 hours local attempting to take No. 3 Airstrip. The Japanese attack four times but fail to dislodge the defenders. The Japanese again attack at nightfall but again fail to overcome the Australians. The ground troops are supported by RAAF Kittyhawks of the Allied Air Forces who attack landing barges and strafe gun positions.
In the air, USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses of the Allied Air Forces attack an ammunition dump at Buna; B-26s and A-20s attack Lae Aerodrome, and P-400 Airacobras strafe Japanese at Wairopi.

PACIFIC OCEAN: USN submarine USS Silversides, on its second war patrol, sinks a 300 ton trawler by gunfire about 469 nautical miles east of Tokyo, Japan in position 33-51N, 149.39E.

SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS: A torpedo from the Japanese submarine HIJMS I-26 strikes the USN aircraft carrier USS Saratoga at 0748 hours local when she is about 90 nautical miles west of the Santa Cruz Islands in position 10.34S, 164.18E. The torpedo slams into the blister on her starboard side and floods one fireroom, but the impact causes short circuits which damaged Saratoga's turbo-electric propulsion system and leaves her dead in the water. The heavy cruiser USS Minneapolis takes the carrier under tow while her aircraft fly off to Espiritu Santo and on to Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, to augment the Cactus Air Force. By early afternoon, Saratoga's engineers have improvised a circuit out of the burned wreckage of her main control board and which gives her a speed of 10 knots. (After repairs at Tongatabu in the Tonga Islands from 6 to 12 September, USS Saratoga arrived at Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, on 21 September for permanent repairs.) Among the 12 men injured is Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher who also heads stateside. This marks the end of the fighting commands for Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, Commander Cruisers Pacific Fleet, who has commanded the US carriers since early in 1942. His actions since August 7, have sealed his fate.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: On Guadalcanal, Lieutenant General KAWAGUCHI Kiyotake, Commander of the 35th Brigade, lands from the Japanese destroyer HIJMS Umikaze, with 1200 additional troops loaded on seven destroyers, of the 4th Infantry Regiment, at Taivu Point (east of the Lunga perimeter).
The 124th Infantry, under Colonel OKA, will follow by barge and land west of the Lunga perimeter. General Kawaguchi now commands all of the Japanese troops on Guadalcanal.
Rear-Admiral TANAKA Raizo, Commander of the 2nd Destroyer Squadron, relinquishes command of the Guadalcanal Japanese resupply efforts to Rear Admiral HASHIMOTO Shintaro. Richard Frank says: "But unlike U.S. Admiral Fletcher, this marked an interruption, not an end, to Tanaka's tenure."
The 3rd Marine Defense Battalion establishes an air-search radar station using the SCR-268 radar system near Henderson Field.

U.S.: The Secretary of Agriculture, Claude Wickard, warns of possible meat rationing in the US.

 

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JAPAN: Japanese Foreign Minister TOGO Shigenori, taking the blame for Japan's failure to conclude a quick end to the war, resigns and Prime Minister General TOJO Hideki assumes the post of Foreign Minister. On the 17 September, TANI Masayuka is appointed Foreign Minister.
The Japanese government creates the "Greater East Asia Ministry," to run its empire. Headed by AOKI Kazuo, the function of this ministry is to exploit the labor and resources of the conquered territories as much as possible.

NEW GUINEA: On the Kododa Track in Papua New Guinea, the Japanese continue their assault on Australian troops but the Australians hold their ground. During the day, Australian troops in Milne Bay patrol forward up to a mile east of K.B. Mission.
RAAF Kittyhawks of the Allied Air Forces hit a Japanese headquarters at Wagga Wagga on Milne Bay while USAAF P-400 Airacobras strafe Kokoda and Kokoda Pass in the Owen Stanley Range.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: The 6th Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees) lands on Guadalcanal to maintain Henderson Field. (Jack McKillop) USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb and damage a Japanese flying boat support ship and a destroyer off Buka Island.
Throughout September 1942, Americans on Guadalcanal lack adequate fighter strength, although carrier planes that can be spared are employed at Henderson Field. A trickle of supplies to the garrison increases only slightly.

UNITED STATES: A federal judge in Sacramento, California, upholds the wartime detention of Japanese-Americans as well as Japanese nationals.

ALASKA (11th Air Force): US forces complete the occupation of Adak. During Sep, HQ 343d Fighter Group moves from Elmendorf Field, Anchorage to Ft Glenn, Umnak , Aleutian . The detachment of the 11th Fighter Squadron, XI Fighter Command, operating from Ft Randall, Cold Bay, Alaska with P-40s, returns to base at Ft Glenn.

SOUTH PACIFIC: During Sept, the forward echelon of the 26th Bombardment Squadron, 11th BG, begins operating from Guadalcanal, Solomon with B-17s; the squadron is based on Efate , New Hebrides .

(SWPA, 5th Air Force):Australian ground forces continue a slow retreat over the range but make progress in Milne Bay offensive; and the 89th Bombardment Squadron, 3rd BG, moves from Charters Towers to Port Moresby with A-20s.

 

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ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: The 11th Air Force dispatches six bombers and 12 P-38 Lightnings to fly cover and photo reconnaissance over Nazan and Kuluk Bays on Adak Island, and Amchitka and Semisopochnoi Islands.

MALAYSIA: In Singapore, Japanese troops recapture two Australian and two British POWs who have escaped captivity. Major General FUKUEI Shempei, Commandant of Prisoner of War Camps in Malaya, orders the POWs shot, a violation of the Hague and Geneva Conventions. Further, the shooters will be Indian Sikh POWs. The four were executed in the afternoon.

NEW GUINEA: In Papua New Guinea, the Australians on the Kokoda Track move back to Templetonas Crossing. At Buna, the remaining 1,000 Japanese soldiers of the 41st Battalion land. In Milne Bay, the Australian troops continue to clear the north coast of the bay; during the morning, the Australian destroyer HMAS Arunta escorts the transport Tasman into the bay and both leave later in the day.
- The IJN at Rabaul, New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago, was notified and during the night, two Japanese destroyers sail into the bay to sink the two Australian ships but they were long gone.
- USAAF P-400 Airacobras of the Allied Air Forces bomb and strafe forces in the Kokoda and Alola areas as the Japanese continue to push toward Port Moresby.

PACIFIC OCEAN: The submarine USS Guardfish sinks a Japanese merchant cargo ship 13 miles southeast of Chikyu Mizaki, Hokkaido, Japan, in position 42.08N, 141.15E.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: The IJN sends 18 "Betty" bombers, escorted by 22 "Zero" fighters to bomb Henderson Field on Guadalcanal at 1200 hours local. USMC F4F pilots intercept and shoot down three Bettys and four Zero's. During the day, USN and USMC SBDs and USN TBFs attack an IJN supply convoy en route to Guadalcanal damaging a ship. Meanwhile Royal Australian Air Force Beauforts attack Japanese shipping at Faisi on Bougainville Island.

 

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ALASKA (11th Air Force): In the Aleutian , of 6 bombers and 5 P-38s off to bomb Kiska and flying air cover over Kuluk Bay, Adak , 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 round trip with only 40 US gallons (151 l) of fuel; and the 21st Bombardment Squadron, 30th BG (under control of the 28th Composite Group), arrives at Umnak from the US with B-24s.

AUSTRALIA: Lieutenant General George C. Kenney assumes command of the 5th Air Force in Brisbane, Queensland, where the 5th's HQ was remanned at Townsville, Queensland. The 5th has not functioned as an air force since February 1942 while USAAF units served under the control of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM). After the dissolution
of ABDACOM USAAF units served under U.S. Army Forces in Australia and later the Allied Air Forces. General Kenney retains command of the Allied Air Forces. The new 5th consists of eight groups, five bomber groups, three fighter groups and a photographic reconnaissance squadron.

FRENCH INDOCHINA: USAAF Tenth Air Force's China Air Task Force B-25s dump bombs and pamphlets on Hanoi in the first U.S. raid against that city; munitions, supplies, and several parked aircraft are destroyed or damaged; nine Japanese interceptors pursue the B-25s for about 30 miles but fail to make contact. For the next three weeks, bad weather and inaccurate Chinese weather forecasts severely limit bomber operations.

NEW GUINEA: On the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, the Australians continue their withdrawal to and beyond Templeton's Crossing.
- In the Milne Bay area of Papua New Guinea, the Australians continue their advance against Japanese. During the night, two Japanese destroyers enter the bay and receive a report that there are only about 200 effective Japanese troops left to fight; as the two destroyers depart at about 2400 hours, they shell the shoreline without much effect.
- In the air, USAAF 5th Air Force P-400 Airacobras bomb and strafe the Kokoda Pass area, hitting the airfield at Kokoda, and in the vicinity of Alola, Isurava, and Missima; B-25s Mitchells and A-20 Havocs attack the Mubo-Busama- Salamaua area in Northeast New Guinea.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: USMC SBDs bomb and strafe 34 Japanese landing barges off Santa Isabel Island and a USAAF 5th Air Force B-17s strafes seaplanes at Faisi Island in the Shortland Islands.
On Guadalcanal during the evening, the first USMC R4D Skytrain lands at Henderson Field. Brigadier General Roy S. Geiger, USMC, and a small staff, will establish the advance HQ of the 1st Marine Air Wing which will have operational control of all Allied aircraft. The R4D departs with Marine wounded.

UNITED STATES: The government announces agreements for Reciprocal Lend-Lease Aid to the United States and its Armed Forces by the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and the Free French.

 

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ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Two USAAF 11th Air Force B-24 liberators and a P-38 Lightning bomb and patrol Nazan and Kuluk Bays on Atka Island, but bombing of Japanese-held Kiska Island is cancelled due to weather.

AUSTRALIA: U.S. General Douglas MacArthur Commander of the Southwest Pacific Area, orders "all available naval forces" to cover convoys in the Coral Sea and prevent Japanese reinforcements of Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.

BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: During the night of 4/5 September, a Japanese evacuation force sets sail from Rabaul, New Britain Island to Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. The force consists of a light cruiser, three destroyers and two patrol boats.

EAST CHINA SEA: USN submarine USS Growler sinks a Japanese ammunition ship about 64 nautical miles ENE of Taipei, Formosa, in position 25.43N, 122.38E.

NEW GUINEA: On the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, the Australian forces continue to withdraw southward fighting the Japanese as they go. Under cover of darkness, the Australian 2/16 Battalion reaches Myola.
- In the Milne Bay area of Papua New Guinea, Australian troops move forward and come up against Japanese postions at Goroni. Repeated attacks fail to dislodge the Japanese. During the night of 4/5 September, the Japanese destroyer HIJMS Yayoi, covered by two other destroyers, evacuates 224 wounded Japanese troops.
- RAAF Kittyhawks bomb and strafe forces in the Milne Bay area at Goroni, Wagga Wagga, Ahioma, and north of Lilihoa.
- B-25s search for Japanese ships off Milne Bay. Lost is B-25C "The Queen" 41-12472.

PACIFIC OCEAN: USN submarine USS Guardfish, operating off the northeast coast of Honshu, Japan, sinks two merchant cargo ships and a passenger cargo ship off Kuji Bay, Iwate Prefecture and USS Pompano a guardboat northeast of Honshu, Japan.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: The Marine 1st Raider Battalion lands on Savo Island and finds it free of Japanese troops. During the day, F4F Wildcats, SBD Dauntlesses and P-400 Airacobras bomb and strafe Japanese landing barges attempting to cross open water between Santa Isabl and Guadalcanal Islands.

SOLOMONS SEA: During the day, two RAAF Hudsons attack two Japanese destroyers northeast of Normanby Isalnd, D'Entrecasteaux Islands. They drop eight 250-pound (113 kilogram) bombs; two just missed the stern of one of the ships.

 

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ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Three U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) 11th Air Force B-24 Liberators abort the bombing of Japanese-held Kiska Island due to an overcast.

NEW GUINEA: In Papua New Guinea, the Australians continue their fighting withdrawal on the Kokoda Track and set up defensive positions at Efogi. In Milne Bay, the Australian 2/9th Battalion attacks behind an artillery barrage and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Kittyhawk fighters strafing. The Japanese are forced to retreat and the Australians capture the Wagga Wagga supply dump, the main Japanese supply base. During the evening, the Japanese evacuation force consisting of a light cruiser, three destroyers and two patrol boats enters Milne Bay and picks up 1,318 men. Only 100 or these are fit for action and 311 are wounded. The ships sail just before 2400 hours leaving behind 625 dead or wounded.
- After the Japanese evacuation force has been sighted near Kitava Island, Trobrriand Islands, located north of the east end of New Guinea, six Beaufort Mk. Vs of the RAAF's No. 100 Squadron arrive at Gurney Airfield (No. 1 Strip) at Milne Bay.
In the air, USAAF 5th Air Force P-400 Airacobras strafe Kokoda, Kaile, Isurava, Alola, Buna, Sanananda, and Buna-Kokoda trail; and the airfield at Buna is strafed and bombed by P-400s and A-20 Havocs.

PACIFIC OCEAN: In the South China Sea, USN submarine USS Seal sinks a Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship about 76 nautical miles south of Nha Trang, Vietnam, French Indochina, in position 11.00N, 109.32E.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Japanese forces on Guadalcanal, are again reinforced last night. Japanese light cruiser HIJMS Sendai and 11 destroyers bring 1000 men of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment and remaining troops from Colonel Ichiki's 28th Regiment to Taivu Point. The destroyers HIJMS Yadachi, Hatsuyuki and Murakumo are detailed to bombard Henderson Field but they sight USN high speed transports, USS Gregory and Little, and sink them about 5 nautical miles NNW of Henderson Field in position 09.20S, 160.01E. The two APDs are spotted due to light from flares dropped by a PBY Catalina crew attempting to assist Marine gunners on Guadalcanal. Both USS Little and Gregory attempt gunnery, but with three 4 inch guns apiece they are no match for the more modern Imperial Japanese Navy destroyers. Both sink within minutes.
A separate barge convoy in scheduled to arrive on Guadalcanal at 0500 hours bearing another 1000 troops under Colonel Oka. Only 150 reach Guadalcanal today after interception by USAAF P-400 Airacobras. Another 400-500 will be found in various places during the next several weeks but these late comers will not be available for the next Japanese offensive.

UNITED STATES: The Office of Price Administration (OPA) imposes rent controls to prevent price-gouging.

 

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AUSTRALIA: U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander Southwest Pacific Area, sends a message to General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff U.S. Army, stating that the Australians have proven themselves unable to match the enemy in jungle fighting. Aggressive leadership is lacking.

NEW GUINEA: On the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, the Australian 2/14th and 2/16th Battalions withdraw 15 miles (24 kilometers) to Efogi Spur beyond Gap Mountain, where defensive positions are already established. Despite this retreat, the Japanese are suffering, savaged by Australian fire-discipline and Bren guns and by tropical diseases. Allied troops enjoy a medical superiority in sulfa drugs that the Japanese do not have.
- In Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, the Australians skirmish with Japanese troops who have not been evacuated last night. Three Australian ships, the destroyer HMAS Arunta (I 30), the transport ship SS Anshun and the hospital ship HMAHS Manunda enter the bay during the day. The destroyer departs at 1500 hours local. During the evening, the Japanese light cruiser HIJMS Tenryu and destroyer HIJMS Arashi arrive to pick up any stragglers who may be waiting to be evacuated. Just after 2200
hours local, the Japanese ships spot and open fire on SS Anshun from a range of 3 500 meters (2.2 miles) and sink her. The Japanese ships then turn their lights on the hospital ship but do not open fire. At 0200 hours, 7 September, the Japanese ships leave the harbor.
In the air, USAAF 5th Air Force P-400 Airacobras, A-20 Havocs, and B-17 Flying Fortressess strafe and bomb positions, troops, and shipping at Myola, Mubo, Kokoda, Myola Lake, Eora Creek, and Milne Bay.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Eleven USN SBD Dauntlesses attack Japanese installations on Gizo Island. Meanwhile, 12 SBDs of the VS-3 in USS Saratoga arrive at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal for duty with the Cactus Air Force.

TONGA ISLANDS: The U. S. Navy suffers a serious setback when the fast, new battleship USS South Dakota strikes an uncharted corral pinnacle in Lahai Passage, Tongatabu Island, and suffers extensive damage to her hull. (The Tonga Islands is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand, in position 20.00S, 175.00W.) USS South Dakota is one of only three modern battleships in the Pacific Fleet and its temporary loss is keenly felt. She will return to Pearl Harbor for repairs on 12 September and will not return to the fleet until 12 October

ALASKA (11th Air Force): A B-24 flying patrol and armed reconnaissance over Tanaga , Aleutian , sinks a mine layer and strafes a tender as well as nearby tents and buildings.

 

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USA - First flight of the Consolidated XB-32 prototype, the B-32 was the alternate design in case there was a problem with the Boeing B-29 production.

ALASKA (11th Air Force): 3 B-24s patrol and bomb Kiska Harbor and camp area and also patrol Tanaga ; they are attacked by 3 sea fighters of which at least 1 is downed.

USN - Air Transport Squadron 2, based at Alameda, established a detachment at Pearl Harbor and began a survey flight to the South Pacific as a preliminary to establishing routes between San Francisco and Brisbane, Australia.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): 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 Royal Australian Air Force (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, with the last Japanese bombardment of Milne Bay.
Milne Bay was a Japanese debacle and an Australian triumph. The victory had a tonic effect on Allied forces far beyond New Guinea. For the first time in the Pacific war a Japanese amphibious invading force had been turned back after it had established a beachhead. In the broad canvas of the Pacific war it was not a major victory. But it was significant. It was an example too of Australians working together as a team.
The AIF and the Militia fought side by side with the support of RAAF pilots whose dedicated efforts the soldiers greatly admired. Australian Militia, who were the first to engage the enemy at Milne Bay had proved themselves in a vital test, as had the 39th Battalion on the Kokoda track.

GUADALCANAL: The 1st Marine Raider Battalion, Col. Merrit "Red Edson", lands at Tiavu Point on Guadalcanal. This unit was transported by APDs from Tulagi arrived on Guadalcanal two days ago. They are following up information about the landing of Japanese reinforcements that have landed here the past several nights. The bulk of the Japanese troops have left, heading through the jungle towards the south of the Marine perimeter. They will attack there, in about 1 week. The Raiders, numbering about 600, find and destroy supply dumps and rearguard units. The supplies and guard units are destroyed. The Marines will return after 2 days. They carry with the the dress uniform of General Kawaguchi.
He brought this to wear at the surrender ceremony, when he planned to accept the surrender from General Vandegrift.

PACIFIC: USN submarine USS Growler sinks a Japanese merchant cargo ship 20 miles NW of Keelung, Formosa.

U.S.: The Navy and the Maritime Commission celebrate Labor Day by launching 174 ships at 60 shipyards.

 

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ALASKA (11th Air Force): In the Aleutian , 1 B-24 and 1 B-26 fly photo reconnaissance over Attu, and Kiska ; the detachment of the 42d Fighter Squadron, 54th FG, operating from Kodiak with P-39s begins a movement to Adak (the squadron is based at Harding Field, Louisiana).

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): 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 .

NEW GUINEA: On the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, the Japanese 18th Army attacks Australian positions on Mission Ridge at Efogi starting before dawn and continuing through the morning. The Japanese surround two battalions which lose six Bren guns in the attack and use up 1,200 hand grenades and thousands of rounds of ammunition before managing to extricate their men. The Australians decide to make their last stand at Menari, using the fresh 25 Infantry Brigade, in new jungle greens, on the Imita. Ridge. 25 Brigade is told, "There won't be any withdrawal from the Imit. position. You'll die there if necessary. You understand?" The Japanese are now within 40 miles of their objective, Port Moresby.
At Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, the Australian 2/9th Battalion completes its withdrawal to Gilli Gilli destroying Japanese equipment and supplies.
In the air, USAAF 5th Air Force P-400 Airacobras bomb and strafe the Efogi area where Australian forces are hard pressed by the Japanese.

PACIFIC OCEAN: USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses and Royal Australian Air Force Hudsons attack Japanese cruisers and a destroyer north of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands which lay off the southeast coast of New Guinea.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: On Guadalcanal, a provisional battalion composed of the depleted Marine 1st Raider Battalion and the 1st Parachute Battalion moves east from Lunga Point by sea to destroy a Japanese force at Tasimboko, near Taivu Point. Debarking east of Tasimboko, the battalion moves west, clashing with outposts of strong Japanese force that landed recently near Taivu Point. The Japanese holding force is driven from their positions.
USMC F4Fs and USAAF P-400s provide support for Marine ground units during the attack described above. A number of aircraft are written off during the day and by day's end, the Cactus Air Force has eight serviceable USMC F4Fs and USAAF P-400 Airacobras.

 

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ALASKA (11th Air Force): 1 B-26 patrols Tanaga and Adak .

WESTERN DEFENSE COMMAND (4th Air Force): 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 (10th Air Force): HQ 7th BG moves from Dum-Dum to Karachi, India.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): P-40s strafe the Galaiwa Bay area on Goodenough. In New Guinea, A-20s, in support of encircled Australian ground forces, strafe and bomb troops in the Efogi Spur area; and the 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, V Bomber Command, moves from Townsville, Australia to Port Moresby 14 Mile Drome with F-4s.

NEW GUINEA: On the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, the Australians continue their delaying withdrawal southward and reach Menari about noon.
The Australian 25th Brigade lands at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. This unit will be rushed northward to reinforce the troops fighting on the Kokoda Track.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Japanese Lieutenant General HYAKUTAKE Seikichi, commander of the 17th Army, lands at Tassafaronga, Guadalcanal. Elements of the 2nd Division are also landed. Hyakutake's presence on the island indicates some importance now attached to the battle for this island and Henderson Field. His previous HQ was at Rabaul, New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago, and he controlled operations in New Guinea.
The IJN sends 26 "Betty" bombers and an unknown number of "Zeke" fighters to attack Guadalcanal at noon. USMC F4F Wildcats intercept and shoot down seven "Bettys" and three "Zekes;" the Marines lose four F4Fs. On Guadalcanal, Fighter-1, the grass-surfaced auxiliary fighter airfield, is declared operational.

 

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ALASKA (11th Air Force): Weather, photo reconnaissance, and patrol missions are flown during the morning over Nazan Bay, Tanaga, Adak and Amchitka ; poor weather is encountered at Kiska, Attu, and AgAttu ; a detachment of the 42d Fighter Squadron, 54th Fighter Group arrives at Adak with P-39s (the squadron is based at Harding Field, Louisiana).

NEW GUINEA: On the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, some Australian troops move north on the track.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: A second airstrip, Fighter One, becomes operational on Guadalcanal. Fighter One is a grassy field that will be used by USMC and USN F4F Wildcats and USAAF P-400 Airacobras.
In the air, the IJN dispatches 27 "Betty" bombers and 15 "Zero" fighters to bomb Guadalcanal. They are met by five USMC F4F Wildcats which shoot down five "Bettys" with the loss of a Wildcat. The Americans now have only 12 serviceable fighters on Guadalcanal.

UNITED STATES: The Baruch Commission, tasked with investigating the availability of rubber, warns of military and civilian collapse due to a shortage of rubber in the U.S. As a result, the government mandates gasoline rationing in the U.S. to limit the amount of driving thus saving rubber required for tires.

 

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ALASKA (11th Air Force): A weather, photo, and patrol aircraft draws AA fire over Chichagof Harbor, Attu and also covers Tanaga, Amchitka, and Semichi. HQ 343d Fighter Group is actived at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage.
- The completion of the runway at Davis Army Airfield on Adak Island permits a stepped up air offensive against Japanese-held Kiska Island located 219 nautical miles (405 kilometers) west of Adak.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): combat control groups are authorized for New Caledonia and Fiji; 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 combat team. Lost after an escort mission against Guadalcanal is A6M2 piloted by Murakami.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): 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 ; a B-17 scores a direct hit on the stern of the destroyer Yayoi, which later sinks.

AUSTRALIA: General Douglas MacArthur, Commander in Chief Southwest West Pacific Area, submits a plan to Australian General Sir Thomas Blamey, Commander in Chief Allied Land Forces Southwest Pacific Area and Commander in Chief Australian Military Force, for accelerating operations in New Guinea. While Australians, upon receiving reinforcements, are to attack to drive the Japanese back on the Kokoda Track, a regimental combat team of the U.S. 34th Infantry Division is to execute a wide flanking
movement to the east to get behind the Japanese at Wairopi and thus hasten their expulsion from New Guinea.

NEW GUINEA: In Papua New Guinea, the Australian 2/14th and 2/16th Battalions surrounded four days previously fights its way out of the Japanese encirclement and fall back to Nauro. But the Australians are
forced to pull back from Nauro again and take up positions on a ridge north of Ioribaiwa. The Japanese 18th Army is only 32 miles (51 kilometers) from Port Moresby and number about 5,000 fighting men.
- In the air, USAAF 5th Air Force A-20 Havocs and B-26 Marauders hit Efogi and Menari in the Owen Stanley Range and Buna Airfield in Northeast New Guinea; B-17 Flying Fortresses, along with Royal
Australian Air Force Hudsons, attack the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) destroyers HIJMS Isokaze and Yayoi 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Normanby Island; a B-17 Flying Fortress scores a direct hit on the stern of the destroyer HIJMS Yayoi, which later sinks. These destroyers are on their way to Goodenough Island to rescue Japanese troops.

PACIFIC OCEAN: USN submarine USS Saury sinks a Japanese aircraft transport about 127 nautical miles NW of Makassar, Celebes Islands, Netherlands East Indies, in position 03.15S, 118.27E.
Somewhere under the surface of the western Pacific, the submarine USS Seadragon, while en route from Australia to French Indochina, is quietly waiting while Seaman Darrell Dean Rector, age 19, undergoes an emergency operation. Pharmacist's Mate First Class Wheeler B. Lipes and others with no surgical training are removing his appendix. Their actions save his life. Franz Hoskins, who will be come a Doctor after the war, administers the ether. George Weller of the Chicago Tribune will win a Pulitzer Prize for his report on this, in the category of Battlefront Writing. In the late 1950's it will be adapted for television.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: On Guadalcanal, Colonel Oka, in command of Japanese forces west of the Lunga perimeter, issues his attack plan for the attack on the west side of the Perimeter. This morning he reaches the naval ground forces under Captain Monzen near the mouth of the Matanikau River. He also has the 3rd Battalion, 4th Regiment which landed last night. Accompanying them is Colonel Matsumoto, advance man for Japanese Army HQ.
Major General Alexander Vandegrift, Commanding General 1st Marine Division, Colonel Merritt Edson, Commander of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion, and Colonel Gerald Thomas, Chief of Staff of the 1st Marine Division, know the Japanese will attack soon. Edson picks a ridge one mile south of Henderson Field and his 1st Marine Raider Battalion digs in.
Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner, Commander of Amphibious Force, South Pacific Force, arrives on Guadalcanal. He has discussed Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley's pessimistic view of the situation.
(Ghormley is Commander South Pacific Area and South Pacific Force.) Turner also wants to bring the 7th Marine Regiment to Guadalcanal. He proposes sprinkling them in small groups around the island but Major General Alexander Vandegrift, Commanding General 1st Marine Division opposes this plan.
Admiral Turner visits with war correspondents and is quoted: "...Marines will be on the island for a long time and things will get worse before they get better."
Lieutenant General Kawaguchi Kiyotake, Commanding Officer of the 35th Brigade, has issued his attack plan on 7 September which calls for his forces to split into three groups. One would attack the east side of the Perimeter, the other two would surprise the Marines by attacking from the south. This main attack would cross a ridge, known to the Japanese as "The Centipede." This ridge will become known to history as "Edson's" or "Bloody" Ridge. The forces are almost in place for battle tomorrow night.
Twelve USMC F4Fs intercept 26 IJN Japanese Navy "Betty" bombers and eight "Zeke" fighters at about 1200 hours. The Marines shoot down six Betty's and a Zeke's but lost an F4F.
After being damaged by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine on 31 August, the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga goes to Tongatabu Island in the Tonga Islands, for temporary repairs. To aid the Cactus Air Force on Guadalcanal, 24 F4F-4s of the USN's VF-5, which is part of the Saratoga Air Group, land at Henderson Field in the afternoon to augment the defenses.

 

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ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: A U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) 11th Air Force weather and patrol reconnaissance aircraft finds overcast at Japanese-held Kiska Island but takes photos over Tanaga and Kanaga Islands, and Japanese-held Attu Island. The runway at Adak Island is completed.

AUSTRALIA: The Australian corvette HMAS Kalgoorlie (J 192) departs Darwin, Northern Territory, for Portugese Timor with 14 soldiers and 15 tons of supplies for the "Sparrow Force." The Sparrow Force
consists of the 2/2 Independent Company Australian Imperial Force, and survivors from the 2/40th Battalion, 22nd Brigade, 8th Division Australian Imperial Force, who did not surrender to the Japanese, plus local East Timorese guerillas.

NEW GUINEA: On the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, orders are issued to the Australian troops that Ioribaiwa is to be held until relief arrives. The Japanese attack late in the day but the Australians hold
their ground. Meanwhile, the 2/25th Battalion of the 25th Brigade starts up the track from Port Moresby.
- USAAF 5th Air Force P-400 Airacobras, B-26 Maruaders, A-20 Havocs, and B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb the Buna Airfield and strafe barges at Buna town, Northeast New Guinea.
- D'ENTRECASTEAUX ISLANDS, USAAF 5th Air Force P-40s strafe Gadaibai on Goodenough Island which is off the eastern extremity of Papua New Guinea.

NEW HEBRIDES ISLANDS: The U.S. 7th Marine Regiment and elements of the 5th Marine Defense Battalion arrive at Espiritu Santo Island.

PACIFIC OCEAN: A USAAF 5th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress strafes a vessel in the Bismarck Sea south of Kavieng, New Ireland Island, Bismarck Archipelago.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) sends 42 "Betty" bombers and an unknown number of "Zeke" fighters to attack Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. The Japanese are intercepted by 11 USMC and 21 USN F4F Wildcats; the Americans shoot down 14 Bettys and a Zeke at the cost of one F4F.
- At 2130 hours, bombardment of the Marine perimeter begins, by the IJN light cruiser HIJMS Sendai, and destroyers HIJMS Shikinami, Fubuki and Suzukaze which are offshore. Three Marine SBD Dauntless pilots are killed. After the bombardment, the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) attack against the ridge, later known as Bloody or Edson's Ridge, begins.
Colonel Merritt Edson, Commander of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion, has a combined 840 man between his Raider Battalion and the attached Marine Parachute Battalion. Lieutenant General Kawaguchi Kiyotake, Commander of the 35th Brigade, has three battalions with 2,506 men but the jungle has slowed the arrival of two battalions and his attack is very disjointed. The Japanese also get bogged down between the ridge and the Lunga River. Finally about one hour before daybreak the Japanese commanders begin to gain control of their units. They regroup to attack the next night.

 

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ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: The U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) 11th Air Force dispatches an LB-30 Liberator and two P-38 Lightnings to fly a photo reconnaissance, antisubmarine coverage and strafing mission over Japanese-held Kiska Island lakes and harbor; a tender in the harbor is slightly damaged, one Japanese float fighter is downed; a P-38 is hit by antiaircraft fire and fighters damage the LB-30.
- 14 B-24s of the 21st and 404th Bombardment Squadrons move up to Adak .

CHINA: U.S. Lieutenant General Joseph W. Stillwell, Commander-in- Chief U.S. China-Burma- India (CBI) Theater of Operations and Chief of Staff to Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, present a proposed plan of operations to Chiang Kai-Shek for the USAAF Tenth Air Force's China Air Task Force, calling for the defense of ferry routes from India to China as its primary mission.

ENTRECASTEAUX ISLANDS: USAAF 5th Air Force P-40s strafe P-40s strafe buildings on Goodenough Island which is off the eastern extremity of Papua New Guinea.

NEW GUINEA: On the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, the Japanese fire mortars and artillery at the Australian defenders at Ioribaiwa but the night is uneventful.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): B-26s pound the airfield at Lae. B-17s unsuccessfully attack a cruiser SE of Rabaul. P-40s strafe buildings on Goodenough.

PACIFIC OCEAN: In the Solomons Sea, USAAF 5th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses unsuccessfully attack a Japanese cruiser southeast of Rabaul, New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley, Commander South Pacific Area and South Pacific Force, orders the 7th Marine Regiment, now on Espiritu Santo Island in the New Hebrides Islands, to reinforce the Guadalcanal garrison. Staff officers of the Imperial Japanese Army's 17th Army at Rabaul, New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago, scout Guadalcanal aboard an "Irving" reconnaissance aircraft.
Despite interception by 28 F4F Wildcat fighters from Henderson Field, they report the airstrip held by the Japanese. Colonel OKA Akinosuke, commander of the 124th Infantry Regiment, again radios Lieutenant General Kawaguchi Kiyotake, Commanding Officer 35th Brigade, to ask for a delay in his attack against the west flank of the Lunga Perimeter. The answer is No!
Colonel Merritt Edson, Commander of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion, regroups his units on the Bloody Ridge after the fighting last night. He pulls back 200 yards (183 meters) to stronger positions that will be unfamiliar to the Japanese. His line consists of small combat groups of approximately platoon strength at 100 yard (91 meter) intervals. He cannot man a continuous line. Colonel Merrill B. Twining, Assistant Operations Officer of the 1st Marine Division, visits the line and recommends immediate replacement of these troops. The division Reserve, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment moves up, but are not into place by nightfall.
At 1830 hours the Japanese attack again. By 2130 hours Marine 75 mm artillery is dropping 200 yards (183 meters) in from of the line. By 2200 hours, the 105 mm guns are also involved. Division Command Post (near Henderson Field) is under sniper fire. Major Kenneth Bailey, a company commander in the 1st Marine Raider Battalion, brings forward a resupply of grenades and ammunition at 0300 hours. Reserves are fed into the line around 0400 hours. The Japanese 7th Company, 4th Regiment, breaks though a gap in the U.S. lines and reaches the Fighter 2 (Kukum Strip) about 0530 hours and are stopped by Headquarters Company and Company D. Daylight brings the attacks to a near stop. General Kawaguchi finds that the 1 Battalion did not find the front line, but its commanding and executive officers are dead; Colonel Oka has not attacked despite orders; the attack against the eastern perimeter did not take place either. Colonel Matsumoto, from the 17th Army, radios back to Rabaul on New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago, on 14 September that the major attack will occur tonight due to the heavy jungle. The Battle of Edson's (Bloody) Ridge has already happened.
During the day, aerial reinforcements arrive:
(1) pilots from USS Hornet ferry 18 F4F Wildcats to the island;
(2) in the afternoon, 12 SBDs of the USN's VS-3 and six TBFs of VT-8, both assigned to the USS Saratoga, are flown to Henderson Field while the Saratoga returns to Hawaii fro repairs. Four of the 18 new F4Fs are lost in air battles during the day. There have been a total of 60 new planes join the Cactus Air Force during the last three days.

 

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ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: In the first combined heavy mission over Japanese-held Kiska Island, the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) 11th Air Force dispatches 13 B-24 Liberators, a B-17 Flying Fortress, 14 P-38
Lightnings, and 14 P-39 Airacobras to fly low-altitude and photographic reconnaissance runs; the P-39s strafe and damage two submarines in the harbor; the other aircraft bomb and strafe many installations including antiaircraft guns and the submarine base; a single aircraft also strafes Segula Island located about 26 nautical miles (48 kilometers) east-northeast of Kiska Island.
Japanese losses are five float planes shot down and a flying boat destroyed on the water; an ammunition ship is sunk and another vessel slightly damaged; while a large cargo vessel and several small barges and vessels sustain hits; two P-38s are lost, colliding head-on while after a fighter.

NEW GUINEA: In Papua New Guinea, the Japanese edge to within 32 miles (51 kilometers) of Port Moresby but run into advance elements of the Australian 25th Brigade of the Australian 7th Division at Imita Ridge on the Kokoda Trail. It is the last advance the Japanese will make on the island and the high water mark of their conquests. Henceforth, all their moves will be retreats.
In Papua New Guinea, a single USAAF 5th Air Force A-20 Havoc bombs ground forces and installations at Myola located about 42 mile (68 kilometers) northeast of Port Moresby.

NEW HEBRIDES ISLANDS: At 0515 hours, Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner, Commander, Amphibious Force South Pacific (Task Force 62), sails in a six-transport convoy from Espiritu Santo Island with the 7th Marine Regiment bound for Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands. The convoy is escorted Task Force 18 built around the battleship USS North Carolina, aircraft carriers USS Hornet and Wasp and ten other ships.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) troops attempting to retake Henderson Field on Guadalcanal are driven back, with the loss of 600 men, for the second day in a row. USAAF P-400 Airacobras attack the Japanese troops retreating south of the Lunga Perimeter.
At about 1300 hours, 28 Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) "Betty" bombers escorted by an unknown number of "Zeke" fighters bomb Henderson Field; USMC F4F Wildcat pilots shoot down two "Bettys" and two "Zekes".

UNITED STATES: The 18-minute color documentary film "The Battle of Midway" is released. Directed, produced and filmed by John Ford, narration is provided by Donald Crisp, Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell with James Roosevelt, the President's son, appearing as an Army major. Ford is on Midway Island with a crew of Navy photographers during the epic battle in June 1942.

 

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ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: The USAAF 11th Air Force dispatches a B-17s and a B-24 to fly armed reconnaissance over Japanese-held Kiska Island, and bomb buildings in the Constantine Harbor area of Amchitka Island; American fighters strafe Kiska Island Camp area and shoot down four intercepting Japanese aircraft.

BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: In the air, USAAF 5th Air Force B-17s bomb the harbor and airfields at Rabaul on New Britain Island.

EAST INDIES: The Australian corvette HMAS Kalgoorlie arrives in Betano Bay, Portugese Timor with 14 soldiers and 15 tons of supplies for the "Sparrow Force." The "Sparrow Force" consists of the 2/2 Independent Company Australian Imperial Force, and survivors from the 2/40th Battalion, 22nd Brigade, 8th Division Australian Imperial Force, who did not surrender to the Japanese, plus local East Timorese guerillas.

NEW GUINEA: On the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, a Japanese patrol penetrates between two Australian units at 1400 hours local. Meanwhile, Company E and attachments of the U.S. Army's 126th Infantry Regiment, 32d Infantry Division, is airlifted from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, to Port Moresby by USAAF transport aircraft. These is the first U.S. infantry unit in New Guinea.
In the air over Papua New Guinea, USAAF 5th Air Force B-25 Mitchells and B-26 Marauders attack Buna and Sanananda and hit Japanese camps at Efogi and Myola on the Kokoda Track.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th Air Force): HQ 341st BGroup (Medium) and the 490th and 491st Bombardment Squadrons are activated at Karachi, India with B-25s; also assigned are the 11th and 22d Bombardment Squadrons at Kunming, China and Karachi respectively with B-25s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force):B-17s bomb the harbor and airfield at Rabaul. B-17E "Frank Buck" 41-2659, force lands, but it is later repaired and returns to service. The 19th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 22d Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Woodstock to Iron Range, Australia with B-26s.

PACIFIC OCEAN: The USN's Task Force 18, which is escorting the six-ship convoy transporting the 7th Marine Regiment to Guadalcanal, is located about 300 nautical miles SE of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal when it is sighted by the Japanese submarine HIJMS I-19. The submarine fires a spread of four torpedoes at the Wasp task group. Two of the torpedoes strike the aircraft carrier USS Wasp at 1445 hours GMT; the two other torpedoes miss the aircraft carrier hit the battleship USS North Carolina at 1452 hours GMT and the destroyer USS O'Brien at 1454 hours (GMT). The aircraft carrier USS Wasp is the most severely damaged. Fires break out almost simultaneously in the hangar and below decks and the heat of the intense gasoline fires detonates the ready ammunition at the forward antiaircraft guns on the starboard side, and fragments shower the forward part of the ship. The number two 1.1-inch (27.9 mm) mount is blown overboard. Water mains in the forward part of the ship prove useless, since they had been broken by the force of the explosions. There is no water available to fight the conflagration forward and the fires continue to set off ammunition, bombs, and gasoline. As the ship lists to starboard between 10 and 15 degrees, oil and gasoline, released from the tanks by the torpedo hit, catch fire on the water. A serious gasoline fire breaks out in the forward portion of the hanger, within 24 minutes of the initial attack, three additional major gasoline vapor explosions occur. Unable to control the fires, the "abandon ship" order is given at 1520 hours.
The abandoned ship drifts and the fires travel aft; four more violent explosions occur as night begins to fall. The destroyer USS Lansdowne drew the duty of destruction, and she fires five torpedoes into the dying ship's fire-gutted hull. Three hit, but Wasp remains afloat.
By now, the orange flames had enveloped the stern. The carrier literally floats in a burning pool of gasoline and oil. She sank at 2100 by the bow leaving five aircraft carriers in commission. The battleship USS North Carolina takes a torpedo portside, 20 feet below her waterline, and six of her crewmen are killed but skillful damage control by her crew prevent disaster; a 5.6 degree list is righted in as many minutes, and she maintains her station in a formation at 26
knots.
The destroyer USS O'Brien is struck on the port bow but the explosion did little local damage, but set up severe structural stresses through the ship but she is able to proceed under her own power.

 

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ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: The Japanese complete transfer of the Attu garrison to Kiska, begun on 27 August; all defensive positions on Attu are destroyed by the Japanese. A USAAF 11th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress and a B-24 Liberator fly photographic and reconnaissance runs over Adak.

BISMARK ARCHIPELAGO: On New Britain Island, USAAF 5th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb the wharf at Rabaul and Vunakanau and Gasmata (Tsurumi) Airfields.

NEW GUINEA: In Papua New Guinea, the Japanese ground offensive on the Kokoda Track towards Port Moresby comes to a halt at Ioribaiwa; Australian troops are entrenched on Imita Range where they are preparing a counteroffensive. The Japanese are too ill-equipped and their supply lines too extended over forbidding terrain to enable them to reach their objective, Port Moresby.
Also in Papua New Guinea, a lone USAAF 5th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress attacks landing barges in the Sanananda area while a single A-20 Havoc bombs and strafes positions at Nauro and Menari in the Efogi area of the Kokoda Track.

UNITED STATES: A training program for the Women's Auxiliary Flying Squadron (WAFS), under Jacqueline Cochran's direction, is approved as the 319th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment (Women), or more simply Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD), at Howard Hughes Field, Houston, Texas.

 

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AUSTRALIA: U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander South West Pacific Area, accuses Australian troops in New Guinea of a "lack of efficiency"

BISMARK ARCHIPELAGO: On New Britain Island, USAAF 5th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses, carrying out single-bomber attacks, bomb airfields at Rabaul.
- Rear Admiral Ugaki recalled September 16/17, 1942 night air raid:
"The noise of gunfire and small arms was terrible. Anyway it was a night of little sleep. Now, I can see the effectiveness of night raids." He also noted the Japanese anti-aircraft fire was ineffective, 'Outragiously uncontrolled and unskilled'. At his suggestion, officers and crews from battleships Yamato and Mutsu were sent to Rabaul to train gunners.

NEW GUINEA: By 1100 hours local, Australian forces have withdraw to Imita Ridge on the Kokoda Track in Northeast New Guinea. Japanese ground forces, halted within sight of Port Moresby, are unable to attack without reinforcements and supplies, neither of which are available.
In Northeast New Guinea, USAAF 5th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb Lae, and hit a beached cargo vessel at Salamaua; RAAF Beaufighters and USAAF P-39 and P-400 Airacobras and P-40s strafe and bomb a concentration of Japanese landing barges at Buna and Sanananda Point.

UNITED STATES: Army Brigadier General Leslie Groves is put in command of the Manhattan Engineer Project. This project is the cover name for the atomic bomb project and, under his direction, the basic research is carried out, mainly at Columbia University in New York, New York, and the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Due to overstated concern for security and simple chauvinism, he is strongly opposed to sharing any information with the British.

 

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NG: A US Fifth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress bombs Salamaua while a B-25 Mitchell strafes pack trains on the Kokoda trail in the Andemba-Wairopi- Kokoda area.
- General Horii begins pulling his Japanese Army units back from Buna and Gona. He has supply difficulties.
- HQ 8th Fighter Group and the 35th and 36th Fighter Squadrons move from Ross River, Australia to Milne Bay with P-39s and P-400s.

GUADALCANAL: The 7th Marines arrive at the Lunga Perimeter held by the 1st Marine Divison on Guadalcanal. These are the first new unit committed to the Guadalcanal Campaign since the 1st Marine Division (re-inforced) landed on Guadalcanal on August 7. US strength on the island now numbers about 23,000.

U.S.A: The designation of all USAAF Air Forces is changed from a number to a name, e.g., 1st Air Force to First Air Force, 2d Air Force to Second Air Force, etc.

 

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CHINA: B-25 Mitchells of the USAAF Tenth Air Force's China Air Task Force 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 troops and supplies along the Burma Road toward the Salween front.

NEW GUINEA: On the Kododa Track in Papua New Guinea, an Australian patrol attacks the Japanese post spotted yesterday and destroys it. The troops then set up an ambush and wait for the night.
USAAF Fifth Air Force A-20 Havocs and B-26 Marauders strafe and bomb the airfield at Lae, Northeast New Guinea.
- the 7th Fighter Squadron, 49th FG, moves from Batchelor, Australia to Port Moresby with P-40s.

PACIFIC OCEAN: USAAF Fifth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses attack cargo vessels in the Bismarck Sea near Umboi (Rooke) Island which lies between New Guinea and New Britain Island. In the Solomon Sea, USAAF Fifth Air Force fighters strafe a whaling vessel off Goodenough Island.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: On Guadalcanal, Major General Alexander Vandegrift, Commanding General 1st Marine Division, establishes continuous defense lines and divides the Lunga area into ten sectors.

USN - Commander Patrol Wing 1 departed Kaneohe, Hawaii, for the South Pacific to direct the operations of patrol squadrons already in the area. Headquarters were first established at Noumea, New Caledonia, and subsequently at Espiritu Santo, Guadalcanal, and Munda.

UNITED STATES: The auxiliary aircraft carrier USS Chenango is commissioned. She is the tenth ACV in commission.