Thursday 1 January 1942
HQ 24th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) transfers from Clark Field to Mariveles,
Luzon, Philippine Islands. The ground echelon of the 14th Bombardment Squadron
(Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfers from Clark Field, Luzon
to Bugo, Mindanao, Island. The air echelon is operating from Singosari, Java
with B-17's. The air echelon of the 93d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 19th
Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfers from Batchelor Field, Darwin, Northern
Territory, Australia to Singosari, Java with B-17's. The ground echelon is
still on Luzon and Mindanao Islands in the Philippines.
Friday 2 January 1942
The Japanese occupy Manila and Cavite naval base.
Saturday 3 January 1942}
President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill announce
the creation of a unified command in the SW Pacific, with General Sir Archibald
P. Wavell as supreme commander of American, British, Dutch, and Australian
(ABDA) forces in that area.
Sunday 4 January 1942
Fighters from Bataan Peninsula, Luzon Island, attempt the interception of
a bombing raid on Corregidor Island in Manila Bay. The fighters, failing
to intercept until the enemy airplanes are over the target, have little effect
on the raid. Several fighters depart for Mindanao Island following the mission.
The 21st Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 35th Pursuit Group (Interceptor),
transfers from Lubao to Bataan Peninsula, Luzon, Philippine Islands with
P-40's.
Monday 5 January 1942
B-17's from Malang, Java stage through Samarinda, Borneo during the night
of 4/5 January and attack shipping in Davao Bay on Mindanao Island, Philippine
Islands. US Forces in Australia (USFIA), which controls FEAF, is redesignated
US Army Forces in Australia (USAFIA), and Major General George H Brett assumes
command. The ground echelons of the 17th and 91st Bombardment Squadrons (Light),
27th Bombardment Group (Light), transfer from Limay to Bataan Peninsula,
Luzon, Philippine Islands. The air echelons are operating from Brisbane,
Queensland, Australia with A-24's.
Friday 9 January 1942
B-17's, flying out of Kendari, Celebes Island, strike shipping in Davao Bay,
Mindanao, Philippine Islands.
Saturday 10 January 1942
In the Philippine Islands, fighter units complete a movement (begun 24 December
41) from various bases on Luzon Island to Bataan Peninsula on Luzon Island.
Sunday 11 January 1942
B-17's, out of Malang, Java, attack Japanese landing forces on Tarakan Island
off Borneo.
Tuesday 13 January 1942
The air echelons of the 9th and 11th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 7th
Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrive at Singosari, Java from the US with B-17's;
the air echelon of the 22d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) arrives at Singosari
from the Territory of Hawaii. The ground echelons are at Brisbane, Queensland,
Australia.
Wednesday 14 January 1942
HQ Far East Air Force and HQ V Bomber Command transfer from Darwin, Northern
Territory, Australia to Java.
Thursday 15 January 1942
B-17's, flying out of Palembang, Sumatra, attack Sungei Patani Airfield,
Malaysia.
Saturday 17 January 1942
On Celebes Island, B-17's from Malang, Java, staging through Kendari, hit
Langoan Airfield and ships in Menado Bay.
Monday 19 January 1942
B-17's, flying out of Malang, Java, attack shipping at Jolo Island in the
Philippine Islands. The air echelon of the 9th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy),
7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfers from Singosari to Jogjakarta, Java
with B-17's. The ground echelon is at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The
air echelons of the 11th and 22d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 7th Bombardment
Group (Heavy), transfer from Singosari to Jogjakarta, Java with B-17's; the
ground echelons transfer from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia to
Jogjakarta.
Tuesday 20 January 1942
Major General George H. Brett, Commanding General US Army Forces in Australia
(USAFIA), halts ferrying of aircraft from India to the Netherlands East Indies.
The USAAF has been sending heavy bombers to Java by way of Africa and India,
but the Japanese are able to inflict prohibitive losses on USAAF aircraft
on the last stops of the route by interception from newly acquired airfields
near Java.
Thursday 22 January 1942
From this date through 3 Feb, B-17's launch at least 15 missions out of Malang,
Java against shipping moving through Makassar Strait between Borneo and Celebes
Island. 4 missions abort due to bad weather, 6 end with negative results,
and the remaining 5 suffer heavy losses but sink 4 ships.
Sunday 25 January 1942
The first USAAF pursuit squadron in Java, the 17th Pursuit Squadron (Provisional)
under Major Charles A. Sprague, arrives with 13 P-40's flown from
Australia.
Monday 26 January 1942
Fighters from Bataan, Luzon Island bomb and strafe Nichols and Nielson Fields
on Luzon Island during the night of 26/27 January, inflicting considerable
damage on aircraft and fuel storage.
Wednesday 28 January 1942
B-17's from Malang, Java and Palembang, Sumatra attack airfields at Kendari
on Celebes Island and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Thursday 29 January 1942
B-17's, striking out of Palembang, Sumatra, hit Kuantan airfield in Malaysia
scoring numerous hits on runways and hangars. |