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  Home > History > The 5th Air Force in WWII > January 1942



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.