May 1942

5/1/42 Tenth AF
X ASC is activated under cmd of Gen Adler, who arrived in India on 26 Apr.

5/1/42 Eighth AF
Gen Spaatz is designated Eighth AF cmdr.

5/4/42 Fifth AF
B-26’s bomb Vunakanau A/F at Rabaul. P-39’s and B-17’s hit A/F at Lae.

5/4/42 SOPAC
Battle of the Coral Sea begins with US carrier-based air attack on Tulagi.

5/5/42 Eighth AF
Gen Spaatz assumes cmd at Bolling Field.

5/5/42 Tenth AF
On a raid against Mingaladon A/F during 4/5 May, 4 B-17’s bomb a hangar and parked aircraft. The crews claim 40 airplanes destroyed but searchlights make accurate observation impossible.

5/6/42 Phil Is
Corregidor surrenders. All US organized resistance to Japanese in Phil Is ends.

5/6/42 Tenth AF
Mingaladon A/F is hit for second consecutive night. 3 B-17’s score direct hits on fuel dump at the field.

5/6/42 Fifth AF
B-17’s unsuccessfully attack shipping in Bougainville area.

5/7/42 Fifth AF
Battle of the Coral Sea, which began on 4 May, approaches its climax as Allied naval forces intercept Japanese naval forces near Misima I. Navy divebmrs sink the carrier Shoho. Allied forces lose an oiler and a destroyer. Allied AF bmrs join the battle but their effect is limited. Several bmrs attack Allied vessels
by mistake.

5/8/42 Fifth AF
Main action of Battle of the Coral Sea occurs as Allied and Japanese carrier forces clash. Allied bmrs join Navy airplanes in attacking enemy’s main spt force which has swept around S of San Cristobal. The carrier Shokaku is severely damaged by aircraft from carriers Lexington and Yorktown. The Lexington is damaged so severely that it later is sunk by US naval fire. The Yorktown also suffers damage from aircraft. Both sides lose heavily in aircraft, US losses totaling 66 and the Japanese considerably more. The Allies turn back the sea assault against Port Moresby, a key base in New Guinea and of great importance to the security of Australia. The battle is the first major naval engagement in history in which the opposing warships do not exchange a shot. The Coral Sea battle marks the end of the period in which the Allied forces in SWPA are only on the defensive and paves the way for offensive operations. The rcn work of the AAF proves of greater importance than its bombardment operations, which have no real effects on the battle. Lack of Navy-AAF coordination is apparent from the Coral Sea action, and this eventually leads to better interservice communication.

5/9/42 Tenth AF
During 8/9 May, 6 B-docks at Rangoon.

5/9/42 Fifth AF
8 B-26’s and a single B-17 attack shipping and seaplanes at Deboyne I.

5/10/42 Fifth AF
B-25’s bomb seaplane base at Deboyne I.

5/11/42 Eighth AF
The transport Andes 17’s bomb Mingaladon and attack the docks in UK, carrying about 1,800 personnel for various Eighth AF units. This is first large shipment of AAF troops to UK.

5/11/42 Fifth AF
B-17’s attack shipping at Kessa in N Solomons while B-26’s hit seaplane base at Deboyne I.

5/12/42 Eighth AF
39 officers and 348 enlisted men of HQ and the bmr, ftr, and serv cmds arrive at High Wycombe, UK,
where VIII IC sets up HQ.

5/12/42 Tenth AF
HBs fly their first mission in direct def of air cargo line to China when 4 B-17’s from Dum Dum A/F heavily damage runways and set fire to several parked aircraft at Myitkyina. Myitkyina, which fell to the Japanese on 8 May, poses serious ftr threat to Allied base at Dinjan.

5/13/42 Eighth AF
Flying personnel of 15th Bomb Sq, the first US bomb unit sent to UK, arrive at Newport, UK, without aircraft.

5/13/42 Fifth AF
B-17’s and B-26’s hit shipping and A/F at Rabaul.

5/14/42 Eighth AF
Gen Eaker designated cmdr of Det HQ Eighth AF in addition to his duties as CG VIII BC. Gen Hunter assumes cmd of VIII IC.

5/14/42 Tenth AF
HBs pound Myitkyina for second time, scoring direct hits on runways and several buildings.

5/14/42 Fifth AF
B-17’s, B-26’s, and B-25’s attack Rabaul and Lae.

5/15/42 AAF
Interceptor and pur organizations of AAF are redesignated ‘fighter’.

5/16/42 Tenth AF
HQ completes its move from US to New Delhi. HBs again strike A/F at Myitkyina, pounding runways and buildings. Subsequent rcn indicates that the runways are unusable.

5/16/42 Fifth AF
B-25’s, B-26’s and B-17’s hit A/F and storehouses at Lae and seaplane base at Deboyne I.

5/17/42 Eighth AF
Det, Eighth AF, with help of III BC staff, issues a directive defining its mission, which is the organization, trg and supplying of units of ADVONs of Eighth AF to prepare for immediate operations upon arrival of tac elements of the Eighth. 50 US intelligence officers arrive in UK for trg by RAF BC.

5/18/42 International
US and Panama sign agreement concerning use of Panama def areas by US forces.

5/18/42 Fifth AF
B-17’s bomb shipping in Koepang Bay.

5/18/42 Seventh AF
Seventh AF is placed on alert in anticipation of a possible attack on Midway. For next 10 days the old B-18’s on hand For are used on search to supplement the B-17’s. VII BC receives influx of B-17’s during this period, and the 72d Bomb Sq is converted from B-18’s to B-17’s.

5/19/42 Eighth AF
Det, HQ Eighth AF, under Gen Eaker, assumes control of all AAF organizations in British Isles.

5/20/42 Fifth AF
B-17’s attack A/F and AA guns at Koepang on Timor I.

5/20/42 SOPAC
Adm McCain, aboard USS Tangier at Noumea, assumes cmd as COMAIRSOPAC.

5/21/42 Fifth AF
B-26’s bomb aircraft at Lae.

5/22/42 Fifth AF
B-17’s pound A/F and shipping at Rabaul while B-26’s hit A/F at Lae and attack shipping in the harbor.

5/23/42 Eighth AF
Agreement is reached on plan to transfer repair depot at Burtonwood to US forces following period of joint control to begin at end of Jun. Burtonwood later becomes greatest AAF depot overseas.

5/23/42 Fifth AF
B-25’s strike A/F and buildings at Lae.

5/24/42 Eighth AF
VIII AFBC, under overall logistical control of SOS, is given primary responsibility for all supply and maintenance peculiar to AAF, thus leaving much logistical autonomy to AAFIB.

5/24/42 Fifth AF
B-26’s attack Lae A/F but heavy AA and at least 15 intercepting Zeros prevent accurate bombing. Several of the MBs are shot down or badly damaged and forced to crash-land.

5/24/42 ZI
Deployment of air units from eastern US is begun as a result of threat of a naval attack on the W coast. 12th Bomb Gp begins movement from La to Calif.

5/25/42 Tenth AF
4 B-17’s bomb Rangoon during 24/25 May.

5/25/42 Fifth AF
B-17’s bomb Vunakanau A/F at Rabaul.

5/26/42 International
Gen Arnold, Adm Towers, and ACM Portal attend Anglo-American air conference in London. Topics of discussion include allocation of aircraft and establishment of US air forces in UK. Meeting begins at 10 Downing Street with Churchill.

5/26/42 ZI
Gulf TF, I BC is established and placed under operational control of Cmdr, Gulf Sea Frontier, for anti-sub operations in Gulf of Mexico.

5/27/42 Fifth AF
B-17’s bomb base at Rabaul.

5/27/42 ZI
54th Ftr Gp begins deployment from La to strengthen def of W coast.

5/28/42 Fifth AF
B-26’s attack A/F at Lae.

5/28/42 Eleventh AF
A B-17 flies the first armed rcn mission from the secretly constructed A/F at Umnak over the Aleutian Chain, but finds no sign of the enemy. XI FC elements are now deployed at Umnak (P-40’s, P-38’s), Cold Bay (P-40’s), Kodiak (P-39’s), and Ft Richardson (P-38’s, RCAF Kittyhawks).

5/28/42 ZI
2 ftr sqs (58th and 59th) of 33d Ftr Gp begin deployment from E coast for def of W coast. Some HB units in W are redeployed for better def against Japanese Navy.

5/29/42 International
Molotov, who has been in London since 20 May for talks with Churchill, flies to Washington for conference with Roosevelt and US JCS. These talks, which end 2 Jun, deal mainly with the signing of a 20yr Anglo-Soviet treaty for collaboration, shipments of material to USSR, and a second front in 1942.

5/29/42 Tenth AF
4 HBs hit Myitkyina A/F in high-altitude strike. No activity is seen.

5/30/42 International
During conferences with ACM Portal, Gen Arnold presents ‘Programme of Arrival of US Army Air Forces in the United Kingdom’ providing for 66 combat gps, exclusive of obs sqs, by Mar 43.

5/30/42 Tenth AF
Myitkyina is again hit by HBs. Again no activity is observed and the attacks are discontinued.

5/30/42 Seventh AF
Seventh AF begins flying B-17’s from Oahu to Midway in face of expected attack on that island.

5/31/42 Fifth AF
B-17’s attack Lae and Salamaua.

5/31/42 Seventh AF
B-17’s on DS at Midway begin search operations.

5/31/42 Eleventh AF
54th Ftr Sq (P-38’s) arrives at Elmendorf.

May 1942

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