ALASKA (11th AF): The XI Bomber Command (Provisional) comprising the 28th Composite Group and its assigned squadrons is activated, Colonel William O Eareckson in command. A B-17 flies weather reconnaissance over Kiska, Aleutian and lands early due to weather.
WESTERN US DEFENSE (4th AF): 4th, 7th, 18th and 391st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 34th Bombardment Group (Heavy), move from Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona to Geiger Field, Washington and continue flying ASW patrols with B-24s.
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th AF): In China, 4 B-25s from Hengyang, escorted by P-40s, bomb docks at Hankow; bad weather handicaps the bombardiers, and the effects of the raid are inconsequential.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): B-26's bomb Salamaua. Other medium and heavy bomber strikes abort due to bad weather.
ALASKA (11th AF): In the Aleutian , 7 B-24s and 1 B-17 fly photo and bombing missions to Attu , which appears deserted, and to Kiska and Agattu; near misses are scored on a transport and a destroyer at Agattu.
WESTERN DEFENSE COMMAND (4th AF): 48th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 41st Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Minter Field to NAS Alameda, California and continues flying ASW patrols with A-29s and B-18s.
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th AF): B-25s and P-40s hit the Hankow dock area for the second consecutive day. This raid, more successful than the first, causes considerable damage. The Japanese retaliate during the night by attacking Hengyang but fail to hit the airfield.
ALASKA (11th AF): In the Aleutian , 7 B-24s and 2 B-17s bomb Kiska and Near , encountering neither fighter opposition nor AA; results are not observed.
WESTERN DEFENSE COMMAND: 46th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 41st Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from NAS Alameda to Hammer Field, California with A-29s and B-18s and continues flying ASW patrols.
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th AF): In China, 10th AF aircraft bomb and strafe the airfield at Nanchang, the probable base of the preceding night's raiders on Hengyang; several parked aircraft are destroyed; during the night Japanese aircraft again strike at Hengyang and once more fail to hit the airfield.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): B-17s attack the barracks area at Koepang, Timor and airfield at Lae. 1 A-24 (SBD?) bombs Tulagi (?)
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th AF): CHINA AIR TASK FORCE (CATF): CATF is activated under command of Brigadier General Clare L Chennault. This new command is the successor to Chennault's American Volunteer Group (AVG) which had attained 300 confirmed victories over Japanese aircraft at a cost of less than 50 aircraft and only 9 pilots. Only 5 pilots and a few ground personnel of the AVG choose to join the USAAF, although 20 other pilots agree to stay until replacements arrive in Kunming, China. Combat elements of CATF are: 1. HQ 23d Fighter Group at Kunming with Colonel Robert L Scott, Jr in command and 74th and 76th Fighter Squadrons at Kunming with P-40s and 75th Fighter Squadron at Hengyang with P-40s; all units were activated today. 2. 16th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group attached to 23d Fighter Group, at Kunming with P-40s. 3. 11th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), at Kunming and a detachment at Kweilin, Hengyang and Nanning with B-25s; Colonel Caleb V Haynes is in command. In air action in China, 5 B-25s, with fighter escort, heavily damage buildings, runways and parked aircraft at Tien Ho Airfield. P-40s over Kweilin intercept a formation of fighter-bombers, claiming 13 destroyed; the Japanese fail to bomb the target.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): B-17s, B-26s and B-25s bomb airfields at Lae and Salamaua. 19th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 22d Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Townsville to Woodstock with B-26s. Lost during an interception over Port Moresby is P-400 AP 378.
ALASKA (11th AF): A B-17 flies a weather mission.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): B-17s and 22nd BG B-26's attack Lae and Salamaua. HQ 22d Bombardment Group (Medium) moves from Townsville to Woodstock.
ALASKA (11th AF): 4 B-24s and 1 LB-30 fly bombing and weather missions to Kiska ; results are not observed. CARIBBEAN (6th AF): German submarine, U-153, is damaged in an attack by A-20s of the 59th Bombardment Squadron , VI Bomber Command, off Panama at 12-50N, 72-21W; the submarine is sunk a week later by the destroyer USS Landsdowne (DD-486).
CHINA AIR TASK FORCE (CATF): B-25s bomb the waterfront at Canton, China, marking their initial action against coastal facilities of Japanese-held Chinese ports.
ALASKA (11th AF): 1 B-17 and 7 B-24s fly weather, bombing and photo missions to Kiska, Attu and Agattu ; all bombs are returned to base due to weather; 1 seaplane is shot down.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): Major General Millard F Harmon, USAAF, is designated Commanding General of US Army Forces in the South Pacific (COMGENSOPAC).
USN - An agreement was reached between the Army and Navy, which provided that the Army would deliver to the Navy a specified number of B-24 Liberators, B-25 Mitchells, and B-34 Venturas to meet the Navy's requirement for long range landplanes. Also, the Navy would relinquish its production cognizance of the Boeing Renton plant to the Army for expanded B-29 production and limit its orders for PBY's to avoid interference with B-24 production.
ALASKA (11th AF): 404th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 44th Bombardment Group arrives in the Alaskan Theater with B-24s, originally destined for N Africa; first mission is 18 Jul. In the Aleutian , 1 B-24 flies 2 photo missions over the S shore of Kiska and over Little Kiska ; the bombing mission is cancelled due to weather.
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th AF): A single B-25 piloted by Colonel Caleb V Haynes, bombs Japanese HQ at Tengchung, China near the Burma border. Bad weather, pilot fatigue, and maintenance halt major operations for several days.
AMERICAN ALASKA (11th AF): 5 B-24s fly photo, weather, and bombing missions to Kiska but return with the bombs due to weather.
ALASKA (11th AF): 1 B-24 aborts a reconnaissance mission to Kiska due to weather. ZONE OF INTERIOR: USAAF planners for the Operation BOLERO build-up estimate 137 USAAF groups in the UK by 31 Dec 43.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th AF): Ground echelon of the 11th Bombardment Group leaves Hawaii for the S Pacific aboard USS Argonne (AS-10).
ALASKA (11th AF): 4 B-24s taking off for weather, bombing and photo missions to Kiska are attack by seaplane fighters; no losses. A cruiser is bombed with unobserved results.
Lost to Japanese fighters over 30 Mile Drome near Port Moresby is P-400 BW-117.
ALASKA (11th AF): 3 B-24s dispatched on weather, photo and bombing mission
to Kiska abort due to weather.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): Lost off Horn Island is B-17E 41-2636.
WEDNESDAY, 15 JULY 1942
ALASKA (11th AF): 3 B-24s on a bombing mission to Kiska turn back
due to weather.
WESTERN DEFENSE COMMAND (4th AF): 392d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 30th Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Hammer Field to March Field, California and continues flying ASW patrols with LB-30s.
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th AF): India-China Ferrying Command is activated to replace the Assam-Burma-China Command.
CHINA AIR TASK FORCE (CATF): In China, 4 B-25s from Kweilin, with P-40 escort, bomb a storage area at Hankow, starting a fire that is later reported to have burned 3 days. The B-25s land at Hengyang during the return flight to refuel, but are attacked by Japanese aircraft and have to take off immediately. Amidst the confusion a P-40 pilot mistakes a B-25 for a Japanese aircraft and shoots it down, the first bomber lost since the CATF began operations in China; the crew is saved.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th AF): B-17s of the 11th Bombardment Group begin leaving Hickam Field, Hawaii for the S Pacific.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): 1 B-17 bombs Salamaua. Lost on a landing at Horn Island is B-17E 41-2421.
FRIDAY, 17 JULY 1942
ALASKA (11th AF): 3 B-17s and 7 B-24s fly weather, bombing and photo
missions; shipping is bombed and North and South Heads of Kiska are photographed;
fighters down 1 B-17.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): B-17s bomb Simpson Harbor .
ALASKA (11th AF): A B-17 flying weather and photo reconnaissance over Kiska crashes on Umnak , Aleutian .
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th AF): CHINA AIR TASK FORCE (CATF): In China, 3 B-25s from Kweilin bomb Tien Ho Airfield.
USN - Amphibious Force, South Pacific Area, is established under command of RAdm Turner
ALASKA (11th AF): Search missions are flown over Attu and Agattu . EASTERN DEFENSE COMMAND (1st AF): 39th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 13th Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Westover Field, Massachusetts to Dover AAB, Delaware with B-25s to continue flying ASW patrols.
USN - The seaplane tender Casco established an advanced base in Nazan Bay, Atka, to support seaplane operations against Kiska, which included antishipping search, bombing of enemy positions, and cover for surface force bombardments.
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th AF):CHINA AIR TASK FORCE (CATF): In response to a Chinese request, 2 B-25s strike in support of Chinese ground forces at Linchwan, a Japanese held city undersiege for some time. The Chinese commanding officer later reports that the raid broke the stalemate and the city was entered the next day.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th AF): 26th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 11th Bombardment Group (Heavy), departs Wheeler Field, Hawaii for the S Pacific with B-17s.
ALASKA (11th AF): Brigadier General William O Butler moves advance HQ to Umnak . 3 B-17s bomb Kiska (especially the barracks) with incendiaries and demolition charges. 4 P-38s try to intercept 4 fighters reported by US Navy (USN) aircraft but no contact is made.
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th AF): CHINA AIR TASK FORCE (CATF): 3 B-25s bomb docks and warehouses at Chinkiang, China on the Yangtze River; 4 escorting P-40s strafe junks on the river. This is the last CATF bombing raid of Jul. In China, detachments of 11th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), operating from Kweilin, Hengyang and Nanning with B-25s return to base at Kunming.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): Unit moves in Australia: 33d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 22d Bombardment Group (Medium), from Antil Plains to Woodstock with B-26s; 80th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, from Petric to Port Moresby, New Guinea with P-39s and P-400s (first mission is 22 Jul).
ALASKA (11th AF): 4 B-24s fly search and bomb missions over Kiska but make no contact because of weather. ZONE OF INTERIOR: President Franklin D Roosevelt calls Admiral William D Leahy, Ambassador to France and former Chief of Naval Operations, to serve as Chief of Staff to the Commanders-in-Chief of the US Army and Navy.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): Air echelon of 98th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 11th Bombardment Group (Heavy), begins operating from Plaines des Gaiacs and Espiritu Santo with B-17s (first mission is 31 Jul); the ground echelon is enroute from Hawaii.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): B-26s attack a convoy off Salamaua as an invasion force heads for Buna, where it begins landings during the night of 21/22 Jul. This move by the enemy forestalls Allied operations which were to have secured the same general area.
NEW GUINEA - Japanese troops land at Buna and Gona.
ALASKA (11th AF): Of 8 B-24s and 2 B-17s dispatched to Kiska , only 8 reach the target and due to fog drop only 7 bombs with unobserved results; 1 B-24 is missing on the return flight.
SOUTHERN DEFENSE COMMAND (3d AF): 66th, 67th and 68th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy), cease flying ASW patrols from Barksdale Field, Louisiana with B-24s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): (5th AF) 16 P-39 from the 80th FS, 39th FS, 40thFS, 41st FS were sent to shoot up the Japanese unloading barges 8 P-39's stayed up top in case some Zeros showed from Lae and 8 went down to shoot up the barges. 39th FS pilot Bob Faurot put his P-39 down so low that his would nearly hit the water. 80th FS pilot Pinky Hunter made his pass and his aircraft was hit by AA fire he opened the door on his P-39 and bailed out, his door blew off his aircraft and almost hit Danny Roberts 'P-39 Hunter' body was never found but his rings were found on a dead Japanese soldier on the Kakoda Trail months later. Japanese forces continue to land in NE New Guinea with the ultimate aim of pushing across the Owen Stanley Range to the Allied base at Port Moresby. HQ 35th Fighter Group moves from Sydney, Australia to Port Moresby. Sunk is Ayutosen Maru.
RAAF - Lost on a mission over Buna is Hudson A16-201.
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th AF): 22d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrives at Karachi, India from the US with B-25s; first mission is 14 Dec.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th AF): 3 B-17s, staging through Canton carry out photo reconnaissance of Makin.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): 11th Bombardment Group B-17s on New Caledonia begin photo reconnaissance of the Guadalcanal-Tulagi-Gavutu area.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): B-17s, 22nd BG B-26s, A-24s and fighters pound shipping, landing barges, storage dumps, AA positions, and troop concentrations at Buna and Gona as the enemy pushes inland along the Kokoda trail; fighters also hit the harbor at Salamaua. Lost is P-39D "Papuan Panic" 41-38353. 93d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 19th Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Longreach to Mareeba with B-17s, B-24s and LB-30s.
ZONE OF INTERIOR: Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) issue a statement that heavy and medium bomber groups will he shifted from Operation BOLERO assignments to Africa for Operations TORCH. BOLERO resources are further depleted by a decision to send 15 combat groups to the Pacific theater.
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th AF): 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Tenth AF, arrives at Karachi, India from the US with F-4s; first mission is 1 Dec 42.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th AF): 394th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Bellows Field to Hickam Field, Hawaii with B-17s and continues flying patrols over the Pacific.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): 431st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 11th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrives at Viti Levu, Fiji with B-17s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): B-26s, A-24s, and fighters continue to pound AA positions and enemy troops at Gona as the Japanese continue to push inland toward Kokoda. HQ 19th Bombardment Group and 28th and 30th Bombardment Squadrons move from Longreach to Mareeba with B-17s.
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th AF): CHINA AIR TASK FORCE (CATF): 76th Fighter Squadron, 23d Fighter Group, moves from Kunming to Kweilin, China with P-40s.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): Daily search missions over the S Solomons are begun from New Caledonia . 26th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 11th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrives at Efate , New Hebrides from Hawaii with B-17s; first mission is 30 Jul.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): In New Guinea, B-25s, and P-39s pound barges and concentrations at Gona and troops on the Gona and Kokoda trails; Japanese forces push to Oivi, within 6 miles (10 km) of Kokoda.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): A B-25 strike against Gasmata is repulsed by fighter interception over Buna area. Two B-25 were shot down: B-25C 41-12470 and B-25C "Arora" 41-12792.
In New Guinea, B-26s attack a destroyer off Gona but fail to score hits; Australian troops flown into Kokoda fail to halt the Japanese advance and Kokoda is evacuated. 39th Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Group, moves from Port Moresby, New Guinea to Townsville, Australia with P-39s.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): Major General Millard F Harmon arrives at Noumea, New Caledonia , to assume command of US Army Forces in South Pacific Area (USAFISPA) with responsibility for training all army (air and ground) personnel. Air units in the theater are under operational control of Commander Aircraft South Pacific Forces (COMAIRSOPAC).
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): B-26s and A-24s hit Gona and targets along the Buna trail, suffer no losses, but cause no damage. 35th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, moves from Woodstock to Townsville with P-39s and P-400s. Written off after sustaining damage on the ground is B-17E "Tojo's Physic" 41-2640.
ALASKA (11th AF): An air coverage survey for Army ground operations to Adak and Tanaga is flown. Weather cancels a bombing mission to Kiska .
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): 1 B-26 bombs installations at Gona, New Guinea. Lieutenant General George C Kenney, commander-designate of Allied AFs, arrives in Australia.
ALASKA (11th AF): 4 B-24s and 5 B-17s bomb vessels and installations in the Kiska Harbor area with unobserved results due to clouds.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): Eight 3rd BG A-24's that took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby. Escorted by 35th FG 41st FS P-39 flying top cover, and 8th FG, 80th FS flying close escort. One A-24 aborted the mission, and seven proceeded to bomb Japanese transports 20 miles north of Gona, 1 1/4 miles form shore. The convoy was being protected by A6M2 Zeros of the Tainan Kokutai which attack the A-24 as they start their dives. The A-24s dive-bomb in two waves. The first wave: A-24 41-15797 (shot down), A-24 piloted by Hill (damaged and gunner badly wounded) and A-24 piloted by Raymond Wilkins (the only aircraft to return to 7-Mile). The second wave: A-24 41-15819, A-24 41-15766, A-24 piloted by Cassels and A-24 piloted by Parker all four were shot down. The Kotoku Maru, was hit once at the No. 5 hatch by the second wave, forcing its troops to unload and leave its cargo undelivered. The Japanese ships all return to Lae.
HQ 8th Fighter Group moves from Brisbane to Townsville, Australia.
New Guinea - Japanese recapture Kokoda, which they temporarily lost the previous day.
ALASKA (11th AF): In the Aleutian , 1 LB-30, 9 B-17s and 3 B-24s fly photo reconnaissance and bombing missions to Tanaga and Kiska; the missions are unsuccessful due to weather.
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th AF): CHINA AIR TASK FORCE (CATF): The Japanese send about 120 aircraft against the base at Hengyang from which CATF is harassing the Yangtze Valley; the attacks last about 36 hours; fierce opposition by US P-40s prevents major damage to the base; 17 Japanese aircraft are shot down, 4 of them at night; 3 P-40s are lost.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): B-17s of the 11th Bombardment Group begin arriving at Espiritu Santo where they are to constitute a reconnaissance and strike force over the Guadalcanal-Tulagi-Gavutu area in preparation for the amphibious assault by US Marines on 7 Aug.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): B-17s attack shipping in the Solomon Sea E of the Huon Gulf and S of New Britain .
General MacArthur wires General George Marshall his opposition to the awarding of the Medal of Honor to General Johnathan Wainwright. MacArthur was angry over Wainwright's surrender of Manila and blamed him for the loss of the Philippines.
ALASKA (11th AF): 1 B-24 and 1 LB-30 fly weather and photo reconnaissance; weather cancels a combat mission to Kiska.
USN - Lost off Kiska is USS Grunion SS-216.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th AF): : 1 B-17 from Midway , flies photo reconnaissance of Wake. The B-17 is Intercepted by 6 fighters; in the ensuing fight US gunners claim 4 fighters destroyed.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): Colonel LaVerne G Saunders leads 9 B-17s of his 11th Bombardment Group from Efate on a strike against Guadalcanal , bombing the landing strip and area about Lunga Point. From this date until 7 Aug, the 11th Bombardment Group flies 56 strike and 22 search sorties in support of the invasion of Guadalcanal.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th AF): B-17s hit Gona and a nearby transport which had been previously damaged, and bomb Kukum Beach and Lunga landing strip on the N coast of Guadalcanal as the US invasion forces leave the Fiji for the Solomon Islands.