Chronology of World War II

June 1942

Wednesday, June 3


Air Operations, CBI

6 11th Medium Bomb Group B-25s leave Dinjan, India for Kunming, China. On the way the airfield at Lashio, Burma is bombed. 3 of the 6 crash in the mountains, 1 other runs out of fuel, but its crew parachutes safely. Only 2 of the B-25s reach their new base.

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Air Operations, Europe

There is a night raid on Poole, England by the Luftwaffe.

BOMBER COMMAND
  • 12 Bostons are sent to attack the Cherbourg docks and the power station at Le Havre. The results are poor at Cherbourg but good at Le Havre.
  • In the first large raid on Bremen since October 1941, 170 aircraft are sent to attack. Crews report only indifferent bomb results, but reports from Bremen indicate the raid was highly successful. Housing areas are heavily hit with 6 streets being affected by serious fires. There is little damage to the U-boat construction yards or the Focke-Wulf factory, but the harbor area is hit with damage to piers, warehouses and the destroyer Z-25. 83 people are killed and 258 injured. 11 aircraft including 4 Wellingtons, 2 Halifaxes, 2 Lancasters, 2 Stirlings and 1 Manchester are lost.
  • In minor operations, 4 Wellingtons raid Dieppe, 9 Blenheim Intruders to airfields, 7 aircraft lay mines in the Gironde River and off St Nazaire and 5 planes make leaflet flights to France. There are no losses.
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Air Operations, Mediterranean

British air raids hit Cagliari and Sant' Antioco island in Sardinia.

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Air Operations, New Guinea

5th Air Force B-17 based in the Bismarcks hit the dock area and a military camp at Rabaul.

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Battle of the Atlantic

  • The US tanker M. F. Elliott (6940t) is torpedoed and sunk by U-502 off the Florida Keys losing 13 of her 38-man complement.
  • The unarmed fishing boats Ben and Josephine (102t) and Aeolus (41t) are abandoned, then shelled and sunk by U-432 as they were en route to Sea Island, Nova Scotia.
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East Africa

Half a brigade of British troops embarks for Madagascar to relieve the troops garrisoning the island.

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France

British Commandos raid the Boulogne-La Touquet area on the coast of France.

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Malta

Another batch of 31 Spitfires is flown from HMS Eagle to Malta; 27 arrive safely. The Axis air raids on the island continue with emphasis on Micabba airfield.

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North Africa

Ignoring Operation LIMERICK, British 8th Army Commander Ritchie plans and assault on 'The Cauldron' in Operation ABERDEEN.[MORE]

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Pacific

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The Midway Invasion Group and their heavy supports, 4 heavy cruisers, 2 destroyers, and transports carrying 5,000 men, under Vice-Adm Nobutake Kondo are found by air reconnaissance about 600 miles from Midway and are unsuccessfully attacked by a group of Flying Fortresses from the island.

Unknown to the Japanese, American code breakers have provided Nimitz with the true Japanese operational objective--Midway.

In an effort to divert attention away from Midway Japanese carrier planes raid Dutch Harbor and Fort Mears in the Aleutian Islands.

Buildings burning after the first enemy attack on Dutch Harbor, 3 June 1942.

Aftermath of Enemy Attack on Dutch Harbor


Aftermath of Enemy Attack
US Marines observing the battle from trench positions, 3 June 1942

US Marines Observing the Battle


US Marines Observing the Battle
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[June 2nd - June 4th]