June 25, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 25 JUNE 1942

USA: Admiral King, CominCh, directed CinCPac and ComSoPac to prepare for an offense against the lower Solomon Islands. Santa Cruz Island, Tulagi, and adjacent areas were to be seized and occupied by Marines under CinCPac; U.S. Army troops from Australia would form the permanent occupation garrison. D-Day is tentatively scheduled for August 1, 1942.

ALASKA (11th Air Force): Two B-17s, four B-24s and a single LB-30 fly bombing and weather missions over Kiska, including bombing the northern side of Kiska Harbor.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th Air Force): Brigadier General William E. Lynd becomes Commanding General VII Bomber Command.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): B-25s bomb Salamaua. Lost on a take off accident at 12 Mile Drome is P-39 pilot Rose.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th Air Force): P-40E Warhawks from the 73rd Fighter Squadron (73rd FS) launch from USS Saratoga (CV-3) then land at Midway Airfield. The P-40s begin dawn and dusk patrols until relieved on June 23, 1943.

USMC: Replacement dive bombers for VMSB-241 launch from from USS Saratoga (CV-3) then land at Midway Airfield.

USA: U.S. President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill conclude a conference in Washington DC and reach a decision to combine efforts to develop an atomic bomb.