July 9, 1942: US submarine USS Thresher narrowly escapes being sunk near Kwajalein atoll July 10, 1942: US Joint Chiefs of Staff approve South Pacific plan of attack, targeting Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the Solomons as well as Santa Cruz Island July 11, 1942: Severe fighting between Chinese and Japanese troops near Min River delta…
July 2, 1942: US General Joseph Stilwell is named commander-in-chief of Chinese forces in India July 3, 1942: Australian 7th Brigade is moved from North Africa to Milne Bay, shifting the address the more immediate Japanese threat July 4, 1942: The legendary Flying Tigers, consisting of American volunteer pilots in China, see image above, are…
June 25, 1942: US military introduces sulfanilamide, an antibacterial drug which is used in powdered form on the battlefield and will reduce infection rates significantly for the remainder of the war, saving countless lives June 26, 1942: First flight of Grumman F6F Hellcat June 27, 1942: Filipino guerrillas led by US Lieutenant Alejandro Baldarian attack…
June 18, 1942: Japanese transport ship Nissan Maru is burning off island of Kiska, Aleutians, after American air raid June 19, 1942: US Admiral Robert Ghormley takes command of South Pacific Area June 20, 1942: Japan transfers numbers of British and Commonwealth prisoners from Singapore to Thailand to work on what will later be know…
In 1936, when Sino-German ties were still friendly, the Chinese government signed a contract with the Berlin-based company HAPRO for the delivery of eight 150mm coastal defense guns. As the bilateral relationship deteriorated the following year after the outbreak of full-scale hostilities between China and Japan, the contract was canceled. As a result, only four…
June 11, 1942: Japanese Army enters into Chinese city of Nancheng, unleashing a reign of terror in retaliation of Doolittle Raid earlier in the year. The photo above is from a different incident during Japan’s long war in China June 12, 1942: Allies decide to build airstrip at Milne Bay, New Guinea June 13, 1942:…
June 4, 1942: American victory at battle of Midway June 5, 1942: Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu is scuttled after battle of Midway June 6, 1942: Japanese heavy cruiser Mikuma it sunk at tail end of Midway battle June 7, 1942: Japanese forces complete occupation of Aleutian Islands of Kiska and Attu June 8, 1942: Japanese…
May 28, 1942: Japanese Army pushes Chinese forces out of Jinhua, Zhejiang province May 29, 1942: Thai Army, assisted by Japan, invades neighboring Kengtung state May 30, 1942: British battleship HMS Ramillies is torpedoed by Japanese midget submarines while anchored off Madagascar May 31, 1942: Three Japanese midget submarines enter Sydney Harbor June 1, 1942:…
May 21, 1942: Japanese control of Philippines nearly complete, except for scattered pockets of resistance May 22, 1942: Kanga Force, Australia’s weak garrison in the isolated outpost of Wau, New Guinea, receives first reinforcements May 23, 1942: American fighter planes land on new air base on Umnak island, Aleutians May 24, 1942: Chinese 38th Division…
May 14, 1942: Fifth Air Force bombers raid Japanese positions in Lae and Rabaul May 15, 1942: General Joseph Stilwell, the top US commander in mainland Southeast Asia, see photo above, arrives in India after trekking through Burmese jungle, withdrawing ahead of Japanese invasion force May 16, 1942: US Tenth Air Force completes transfer to…
