By the time the U.S. entered WW2, war had been going on for almost two years in Europe,
four years in China, and almost five years in Africa. The following is a summary of
some of the actives in the Pacific in the First Year of World War Two.
1941 Japanese Advance
Dec 15. Japs invade north Borneo.
Dec 19. Japs invade Mindanao
Dec 22. Main Jap invasion force on Luzon, Philippines.
Dec 23. Japs bomb Rangoon, Burma: 2,000 killed.
Dec 23. Wake Island falls.
Dec 25. Hong Kong surrenders.
1942 - The First Year ( See some details in the
Pre-War Years, 1932-1941 )
- German continues advance in USSR and North Africa throughout most of 1942.
- Japanese reach peak expansion in Spring-Summer. Expansion is stopped at Coral Sea and
the Japanese are bloodied at Midway, Guadalcanal, New Guinea in Summer-Fall.
Daily : Jan , Feb , Mar ,
Apr , May , Jun ,
Jul , Aug , Sep ,
Oct , Nov , Dec.
- Jan 2 . Manila taken
- Jan 11. Japs invade Dutch Borneo
- Jan 16. Invade Burma from Thailand to sever Burma Road, China's only remaining supply route.
- Jan 24. Japs attack Rabaul and Celebes. U.S. Marines reinforce Samoa.
- Jan 24. Japanese troopships sunk at Balikpapan by destroyers, submarine and air attack.
- Feb 1 . U.S. raids Marshall and Gilbert Islands
- Feb 4 . Makassar Strait - Allied fleet attacked by air.
- Feb 9 . Japs attack Lea, New Guinea.
- Feb 15. Singapore falls.
- Feb 18. Battle of Badoeng/Lombok Straits - Dutch CLs attack troop ships.
- Feb 19. Jap planes attack Darwin, Australia.
- Feb 20. Invasion of Timor.
- Feb 21. US grants billion dollar loan to USSR.
- Feb 22. MacArthur ordered to leave Philippines, appointed CinC Allied forces in Australia.
- Feb 25. Dissolution of ABDA command.
- Feb 27. Allies fleet defeated in Battle of Java Sea - Dutch CLs de Ruyter, Java, 5DD sunk, Exeter damaged, later sunk.
- Feb 28. Japs invade Java, most prized objective.
- Mar 1 . Battle of Sunda Strait (Bantam Bay) last of allied fleet destroyed: CA USS Houston, CL HMAS Perth, and DD HNLMS Evertsen.
- Mar 4 . Enterprise bombs Marcus Island.
- Mar 8 . Take Salamaua, New Guinea.
- Mar 9 . Dutch surrender East Indies.
- Mar 12. MacAuthur leaves Corregidor.
- Mar 30. Japs occupy Christmas Island (Australian).
- Mar 31. Japs take Bougainville in northern Solomons.
- Apr 5 . Jap planes raid Ceylon - sink carrier Hermes, heavy cruisers Dorsetshire and Cornwall, and 2 DD and 28 merchant ships.
- Apr 9 . Bataan surrenders.
- Apr 21. Doolittle Raid on Tokyo
- Apr 25. British abandon Burma
- May 5 . Battle of Coral Sea: first stop to Jap expansion, at New Guinea.
- May 6 . Corregidor surrender, 11,500 captured.
- May 7 . Mindanao falls.
- May 8 . All Philippines surrendered.
- May 8 . Lexington lost in Coral Sea.
- May 10. RAF attacks Germany.
- May 20. Japanese complete conquest of Burma,
- May 27. Marine air base operational at Efate, New Hebrides
- May 31. First 1000 bomber raid, target Cologne.
- June 3 . Dutch Harbor (Alaska) attacked - prelude to Midway.
- June 4 . Battle of Midway - 4:1 losses in favor of US in carriers. Japan loses Soryu, Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu
- June 7 . Yorktown lost to submarine after damaged at Midway.
- Jun 11. Kiska (Aleutian Islands) bombed.
- Jun 14. British retreat from Libya into Egypt.
- Jun 19. Argonaut Conference discusses African front, A-bomb.
- Jun 21. Tobruk falls - 25,000 captured
- Jun 26. First US troops arrive in North Ireland.
- July 2 . Rommel's advance stopped at El Alamein.
- Aug 7 . U.S Marines land at Guadalcanal and Tuluga in Solomon Islands.
- Aug 8 . U.S. loses screening force in Battle of Savo Island in 32 minutes.
- Aug 19. Dieppe Raid - practice landing on fortified coast; disaster.
- Aug 24. Battle of Eastern Solomon Sea, air
battle. US outnumbered 7:2; Jap fleet withdraws.
- Aug 27. Battle of El Alamein.
- Aug 28. Japanese troops halted at Milne Bay, New Guinea.
- Aug 30. Bases established on Adak (Aleutians) by US Army and seaplane tender.
- Sep 6 . Start of Battle of Stalingrad - lasts 5 months,
1,100,000 soldiers to die
- Sep 15. Wasp sunk escorting Marines to Guadalcanal.
- Oct 11. Battle of Cape Esperance, US wins cruiser fight
- Oct 23. El Alamein offensive begins
- Oct 25. Battle of Santa Cruz, both air arms weakened. Hornet lost.
- Nov 4 . British push Rommel out of Egypt.
- Nov 7 . Allies and U.S. invade North Africa. French resistance.
- Nov 11. Germany occupies the rest of France.
- Nov 12. Navy battles bombardment force off Guadalcanal: U.S. cruisers vs Jap battleships.
- Nov 14. Naval Battle of Guadalcanal part II, US battleship victory.
- Nov 17. French scuttle fleet at Toulon
- Nov 19. Red Army opens winter offensive, liberates hugh areas of Russia..
- Nov 30. Battle of Tassafaronga, US cruisers out fought by Jap destroyers.
- Dec. . Daily fights with Jap reinforcement of Guadalcanal.
- Dec 9 . Army relieves Marines on Guadalcanal.
- Dec 25. USAAF heavy bombers begin attacks on Rabaul.
1943 - The "Roll-backs" started at El
Alamein, Stalingrad, Guadalcanal and New Guinea continues.
Jun 1. Movie star Leiesly Howard is on a civilian flight from Portugal to England shot down.
1944 - "The whirlwind" is reaped on the Axis.
1945 - Victory! Germany surrenders, VE Day, May 15. Japan
surrenders, VJ Day, Aug 15.
Return to home page. See these other pages:
- WW2 menu - the Early Years
- Attacks and Threats on the U.S. in WW2 ,
Pre-War , Countdown , Pearl Harbor , Dec'41 , Bigger Overview of 1942
- Chronology: Dec 1941--Aug 1945
- Daily 1942 :
Jan , Feb , March ,
April , May , June ,
July , Aug , Sep ,
Oct , Nov , Dec .
About this Page: 1942.html An outline of the first year of
World War II in the Pacific, 1942.
Last updated on September 23, 2000
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URL: http://www.ww2pacific.com/1942.html
