EUROPE: Britain launches its first 1000-plane bomber raid – the target: Cologne, Germany. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA: Myitkyina, Burma is again hit by B-17’s. Again no activity is observed and the attacks are discontinued. HQ 7th Bombardment Group transfers from Karachi to Dum-Dum, India. ALASKA: 77th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 28th Composite Group, based at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, Territory…
Pacific Theater: ALASKA (11th Air Force): A B-17 flies the first armed reconnaissance from the secretly constructed airfield at Unmak , Aleutian over the Aleutian Chain, but finds no sign of the enemy. XI Fighter Command elements are not deployed at Unmak (P-40’s and P-38’s), Cold Bay (P-40’s), Kodiak (P-39’s), and Elmendorf Field [P-38’s and…
“The Inland Sea of Japan was still veiled in darkness when the anchorage at Hashirajima began to awaken. On board the aircraft carrier Akagi, white-clad crewmen, ghostly in the deep twilight on the forecastle, began raising the ship’s anchors. The clatter of the capstan was overlain with the bright sound of spraying water as the…
Air date: Sunday, 27 May 2007 @ 2130 on your local PBS station “Air Group 16: We Came To Remember” tells the story of the last reunion of Air Group 16 — the pilots, radiomen and gunners who served on the aircraft carrier USS Lexington in the Pacific in World War II. The film follows…
Timeline: SUNDAY, 24 MAY 1942USN – Carriers Hornet and Enterprise move towards Pearl Harbor, where they will quickly be refitted and sent to Midway. The Japanese preparing to attack Midway mistakenly believe these carriers are in the Solomons. Geography: Midway Atoll is part of a chain of volcanic islands, atolls, and sea mounts extending from…
Events of 8 May 1942 Before dawn on 8 May, both the Japanese and the American carriers sent out scouts to locate their opponents. These made contact a few hours later, by which time the Japanese already had their strike planes in the air. The U.S. carriers launched theirs’ soon after 9AM,…
First, go over to EagleSpeak and read this very excellent account of how the US came to be involved in the Pacific to begin with. Then come back for the Battle of the Coral Sea. – SJS Battle of the Coral Sea, 7-8 May 1942 –The Events of 7 May 1942 …
Received this example of correspondence between a couple of warriors from a friend the other day and thought it might bring a smile. Somehow, one supposes the chance of similar contemporary correspondence making the rounds 40+ years from today would be doubtful…
Pinch passes word that Robin Olds is in the hospital and in poor shape (see his post over at Black5) and offers a link to pass along your best wishes. Back in YHS’ halcyon youth, Olds was well remembered for his exploits in the F-4 over SEA. As CO of the of the 8th Tactical…
