Thursday, 4 June 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Battle of Midway opens as PBYs attack Occupation Force northwest of Midway; one PBY (VP 24) torpedoes fleet tanker Akebono Maru.

            Carrier bombers and attack planes, supported by fighters, from Japanese carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu bomb Midway Island installations. Although defending USMC F2As and F4Fs (VMF 221) suffer disastrous losses, damage to facilities on Midway is comparatively slight. Motor torpedo boat PT-25 is damaged by strafing, Midway lagoon.

            Japanese carrier fighters and antiaircraft fire annihilates the USMC SBDs and SB2Us (VMSB 241), Navy TBFs (VT 8 detachment), and USAAF torpedo-carrying B-26s sent out to attack the Japanese carriers. USAAF B-17s likewise bomb the Japanese carrier force without success.

            TBDs (VT 8, VT 6, VT 3) from American carrier striking force (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, officer in tactical command) from Hornet (CV-8), Enterprise (CV-6), and Yorktown (CV-5) attack the enemy carriers. Although mauled by the defending combat air patrol (only VT 3 has fighter cover) and antiaircraft fire, they draw off the former and leave the skies open for SBDs from Enterprise and Yorktown. SBDs from Enterprise (VB 6, VS 6) bomb and sink carrier Kaga (30°20'N, 179°17'W) and bomb Akagi (Vice Admiral Nagumo's flagship); SBDs from Yorktown (VB 3) bomb and sink carrier Soryu (30°38'N, 179°13'W). Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) torpedoes carrier Kaga but her "fish” do not explode. The one carrier that escapes destruction that morning, Hiryu, launches dive bombers that bomb and temporarily disable Yorktown, forcing Rear Admiral Fletcher to transfer his flag to heavy cruiser Astoria (CA-34) and turn over tactical command to Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. Before SBDs from Enterprise (VS 6, joined by VB 3 which is unable to operate from the immobilized Yorktown) can inflict mortal damage upon Hiryu, though, the Japanese carrier launches torpedo planes that stop Yorktown a second time and force her abandonment. Ultimately, destruction of his carrier force compels Admiral Yamamoto to abandon Midway invasion plans, and the Japanese Fleet retires westward. Japanese destroyers rescue U.S. naval aviators: Arashi picks up a TBD pilot (VT 3); Makigumo picks up an SBD crew (VS 6). After interrogation, all three Americans are subsequently murdered. One TBD pilot (VT 8), however, escapes detection and recovery by the enemy. He is rescued subsequently by a PBY.

            British submarine HMS Trusty sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Toyohashi Maru in Strait of Malacca, 07°14'N,98°06'E.

ATLANTIC—Swiss steamship Saentis rescues 18 survivors from U.S. freighter West Notus, attacked by German submarine U-404on 1 June.

            Destroyer Tarbell (DD-142) rescues 30 survivors of U.S. tanker M.F. Elliott, sunk by German submarine U-502 on 3June (see 8 June).

CARIBBEAN—U.S. freighter Velma Lykes is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-158 south of the Yucatan Channel,21°21'N, 86°36'W; the rapidity with which the ship sinks prevents lifeboats from being launched. Of the ship's 28 man merchant complement, 15 perish; the four man Armed Guard survives intact (see 6 and 10 June).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

ARMY AIR FORCES—Schedule, with tables of composition and strength, indicating total of 3,649 airplanes, is set up for AAF-in UK.

TENTH AF—2 Heavy Bombers bomb Rangoon, but are attacked by 10 fighters. 1 Heavy Bomber is shot down and the other badly damaged. This raid ends 2 months of harassing strikes against Rangoon; soon all Heavy Bombers are grounded by monsoon.

SEVENTH AF—Battle of Midway. 4 B‑26’s, in conjunction with Navy torpedo bombers, attack carrier; 2 of the Medium Bombers are shot down. In further morning action 14 B‑17’s attack a TF approaching Midway at a distance of 145 mi; they claim several hits on carriers and 2 Zeros shot down. In late afternoon 2 B‑17’s attack carrier force at 31-40N 179-10W, claiming hits on a battleship and a carrier and 3 airplanes shot down. 4 other B‑17’s claim a hit on heavy cruiser 185 mi from Midway. 6 B‑17’s, en route to Midway from Hawaii, bomb ships 170 miles from Midway, claiming hits on a burning carrier, the Hiryu, hit earlier in the battle, and a destroyer, which is claimed sunk.

ELEVENTH AF—A carrier-borne force strikes again as 11 bombers, 10 fighters, and 8 torpedo bombers attack Dutch Harbor in several waves. 2 P‑40’s intercept 4 bombers just before noon over Umnak Pass and shoot down 3. During the afternoon P‑40’s intercept 9 fighters. A dogfight claims one enemy aircraft and one P‑40, the Eleventh’s first combat casualty. AA fire claims another Japanese bomber. During the afternoon 2 B‑17’s and 5 B‑26’s attack the carrier force, and 3 more B‑26’s strike the cruiser Takao. No hits are scored. 1 B‑24 and 1 B‑25 fail to return.

US ARMY

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS—Japanese planes from carriers again attack Dutch Harbor, Unalaska Island., damaging fuel installations and a station ship. Attempts of PBY’s, B–17’s, and B–26’s to locate and attack the carriers are largely ineffective because of poor visibility, and Japanese retire southward with light losses confined to aircraft. Subsequent efforts to find the enemy TF are futile.

MIDWAY—Japanese are decisively defeated in main Battle of Midway. Enemy carrier planes (about 80 bombers and 50 fighters) strike in force, damaging installations but leaving runways intact. Midway-based planes oppose the attack and take heavy toll of enemy planes, then, together with aircraft from the 3 U.S. carriers in the vicinity, attack enemy shipping. Japanese carriers Kaga, Akagi, and Soryu are hit. Kaga sinks at once; the damaged Soryu later; Japanese scuttle the Akagi. Japanese carrier Hiryu scores damaging hits on USS Yorktown, which is abandoned and taken under tow. The Hiryu is in turn badly damaged by planes from Enterprise and Hornet and is scuttled at dawn of 5th. Plane losses are heavy on both sides.

LIBYA—British Eighth Army opens counterattack with infantry after nightfall in effort to reduce enemy salient in center of line.

US MARINE CORPS

Japanese are decisively defeated in main Battle of Midway.

Wednesday, 3 June 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—In the preliminaries for the Battle of Midway, Midway-based aircraft locate and attack Japanese transports in the Second Fleet Escort Force about 600 miles west of Midway Island. USAAF B-17s inflict no damage. Four PBYs set out to attack the approaching Occupation Force. Japanese forces bearing down on Midway are under the personal direction of Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, Commander in Chief Combined Fleet, who wears his flag in battleship Yamato.

            As part of the overall Midway plan, Japanese Second Strike Force (Rear Admiral Kakuta Kikuji) bombs Dutch Harbor, Alaska; planes from carriers Ryujo and Junyo carry out the attack. In an event whose importance only becomes clear later, one Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 0 carrier fighter from Ryujo's air group, most likely damaged by antiaircraft fire over Dutch Harbor, makes an emergency landing on Akutan Island. The pilot, however, is fooled by the flat surface upon which he is landing; it turns out to be a bog and the Zero flips over, killing the pilot (see 10 July).

            Coastal minesweeper Bunting (AMc-7) is sunk in collision with submarine chaser PC-569, San Francisco Bay, California.

ATLANTIC—U.S. tanker M.F. Elliott is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-502 off the Florida Keys, 11°58'N, 63°33'W;13 of the 38 man civilian complement perish. Navy PBY keeps in contact with the survivors (25 merchant seamen and the 7 man Armed Guard) into the following day (see 4 June). U-502 takes two survivors on board for interrogation before a Navy patrol plane compels the submarine to submerge in a hurry with the Americans still on board. The Germans release the U.S. sailors soon thereafter, providing them with a life raft and provisions (see 8 June).

            Unarmed U.S. fishing boats Ben and Josephine and Aeolus, en route from Gloucester, Massachusetts to Sea Island, Nova Scotia, are abandoned and shelled and sunk by German submarine U-432 at 43°07'N, 66°51'W (see 5 June).

            Greek steamship Constantinos H rescues 18 survivors from U.S. freighter West Notus, attacked by German submarineU-404 on 1 June 1942 (see 4 June).

CARIBBEAN—Survivors of U.S. freighter Knoxville City, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-158 on 1 June, reach La Calina, Cuba, aided by Cuban gunboat Donativo.

ARCTIC—U.S. freighter Steel Worker is mined at Kola Inlet, Murmansk; there are no casualties among the 36 merchant seamen or two Navy signalmen.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

TENTH AF—A flight of 6 B‑25’s of 11th Bomb Squadron earmarked for CATF, take off from Dinjan for China. They bomb Lashio en route to Kunming, but afterward 3 crash into an overcast-hidden mountain at 10,000 ft and another is abandoned when it runs out of fuel near Chan-i. The remaining 2 B‑25’s reach Kunming, 1 with its radio operator killed by a fighter.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s hit wharf, warehouse area, and military camp at Rabaul.

SEVENTH AF—Preliminary action begins in Battle of Midway. 9 B‑17’s, flying out of Midway, attack 5 large warships 570 mi off Midway, claiming 5 hits and several near misses. 7 other B‑17’s leave Oahu and fly to Midway.

ELEVENTH AF—Japanese carrierbased bombers and fighters bomb and strafe Ft Mears and Dutch Harbor in several waves inflicting little damage and killing 52 US personnel. P‑40’s from Cold Bay trying to intercept them arrive 10 min after the last attack wave departs. Other P‑40’s at Umnak are notified too late due to communication failure. 9 P‑40’s and 6 B‑26’s fly patrol but cannot find the fleet—180 mi S of Dutch Harbor—but 2 of the P‑40’s engage 4 carrier-based aircraft, shoot down one and damage another.

US ARMY

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS—Japanese carrier-based aircraft bomb and strafe Fort Mears and Dutch Harbor, Unalaska Island., in several waves.

MIDWAY—Battle of Midway opens when planes based there locate and attack elements of Japanese invasion force as it approaches.

MIDDLE EAST—22d Infantry Brigade Group of British East Africa Command sails for Madagascar to relieve British forces.

US MARINE CORPS

Japanese bomb Dutch Harbor; land on Kiska and Attu, Western Aleutians.

 

Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society Convention 2026

At the annual society convention, I presented “What’s it take to move a Division”.  In that presentation, I said that copies of the slides and several references would be posted on my blog.  

Here are the links.

A link to a PDF version of the slides is here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UP-19H9G7_zTnDAnU2gTetkNzBn0hqrh/view?usp=sharing

 

An Excell spread sheet with the details of the 86^th Infantry Division move from Camp Livingston, LA to Camp Cook, CA in September 1944 is here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g8V_vGiJ41DS51yzjNGCjdDvyidZtobn/view?usp=drive_link

 

A PDF copy of the original movement memo from the National Archives is here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wy0SBlWHBP7yZsYHh3AAJWHJGqqZ17zH/view?usp=drive_link

 

The Santa Fe 1944 Railroad Map can be downloaded here (Large file 84.7 MB JPG):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zMyedt4-_J16O8d3iwzbtjeZAmyM2s5g/view?usp=drive_link

 

Technical Manual 55-205, Transportation in the Zone of the Interior, 1944 edition is available in PDF form as a free download from the Internet Archive at:

https://archive.org/details/TM55-205

 

I hope that you learned a bit about how the gears fitted together during WWII to move Army troops around the United States in cooperation with the railroads.  

 

John Barry

Phoenix, AZ

6 June 2026

5 June 1942, Friday

US NAVY

EUROPE—U.S. declares war on Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania.

PACIFIC—Battle of Midway continues as TF 16 (Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance) pursues Japanese fleet, now without its central core of carriers, westward, while efforts proceed to try and salvage the crippled carrier Yorktown (CV-5). Motor torpedo boats from Midway fail to locate "burning Japanese carrier" located by Midway-based planes.

            Japanese carrier Akagi, damaged on 4 June, is scuttled by destroyers Nowaki, Arashi, and Hagikaze, 30°30'N,179°08'W; carrier Hiryu, likewise damaged on 4 June, is scuttled by destroyers Kazegumo and Yugumo, 31°38'N,178°51'W. Heavy cruisers Mogami and Mikuma are damaged in collision while turning to avoid shadowing submarine Tambor (SS-198), while retiring from Midway (see 6 June).

            Planes from Japanese carriers Ryujo and Junyo reprise their attack on installations at Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

            Japanese Attu Occupation Force (Rear Admiral Omori Sentaro) occupies Attu, Aleutians, without opposition.

CARIBBEAN—U.S. tanker L.J. Drake is sunk with all hands (35 merchant seamen and a six man Armed Guard) by German submarine U-68 at 17°30'N, 68°20'W, one day's steaming from Aruba, N.W.I.

ATLANTIC—Unarmed U.S. freighter Delfina is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-172 at 22°22'N, 67°08'W; four crewmen perish. Submarine chaser PC-67 rescues 12 survivors from two rafts; the remainder (15 men in a lifeboat) reach the port of Montecristi, Dominican Republic.

            Eight survivors from U.S. fishing boat Ben and Josephine and six from Aeolus, their craft sunk by German submarineU-432 on 3 June, reach Mt. Desert Coast Guard Light Station.

EUROPE—Operation HARPOON, the resupply of Malta, commences as convoy WS 19Z (Force X) sails from the Clyde; two of the five freighters, U.S. motorship Chant and Dutch Tanimbar, have Navy Armed Guard crews on board (see 12 June).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—VIII AF Bomber Command, activated in US on 28 Jan 42, is redesignated VIII AFSC. Col Harold A McGinnis assumes command.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s hit wharves, warehouse, and coal jetty at Rabaul.

SEVENTH AF—Battle of Midway continues with Japanese fleet retiring westward. In the morning 8 B‑17’s hit force 130 mi from Midway, claiming hits on 2 large warships. During afternoon 6 B‑17’s claim hits on heavy cruiser 300 mi from Midway. The last strike by Seventh AF aircraft in the Battle of Midway is by 5 B‑ 17’s which bomb a heavy cruiser 425 miles from Midway. 1 B‑17 is shot down and another lost due to fuel shortage. The battle ends with Midway’s installations heavily damaged by bombs but still in US hands and with landing strips still intact. During the fighting (3-5 Jun) Seventh AF aircraft carried out 16 B‑17 attacks (55 sorties) and 1 torpedo attack by 4 B‑26’s, claiming 22 hits on ships and 10 fighters shot down. 2 B‑17’s and 2 B‑26’s were lost. One of the decisive battles of naval history, Midway will cost Japan the initiative and will be a turning point in the Pacific war.

ELEVENTH AF—18 B‑26’s, 10 B‑17’s and 2 LB-30’s search and attack sorties are flown against the carrier force, the B‑ 26’s splitting into 3 missions, the B‑17’s into 2. No contact is made. The B‑17’s using radar bomb targets which look like ships, but later turn out to be the Pribilof Islands. The 54th Fighter Squadron begins moving into Umnak.

ZONE OF THE INTERIOR—Aircraft and pilots of 1st Pursuit Squadron, then at Dow Field for movement to UK, fly to Morris Field, en route to W coast for defense against attack.

US ARMY

UNITED STATES—Declares war on Bulgaria, Hungary, and Rumania.

MIDWAY—Despite poor visibility, U.S. planes pursue enemy force retreating from Midway and score damaging hits.

LIBYA—British Eighth Army counterattack ends in failure. 13 Corps’ 69th Brigade (50th Division), supported by 32d Army Tank Brigade, attacks enemy salient from N while 30 Corps, employing 9th and 10th Brigades (Indian 5th Division) and 22d Armored Brigade 1st Armored Division), makes main effort from E toward Sidi Muftah but is halted short of objective. British lose 2 brigades of infantry and 4 regiments of artillery.

US MARINE CORPS

—

Tuesday, 2 June 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—TF 17 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher) and TF 16 (Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance) rendezvous about 350 miles northeast of Midway; Rear Admiral Fletcher is officer in tactical command of a force that consists of three carriers, seven heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, 16 destroyers, and two oilers. After fueling, the task force will detach the oilers and prepare for battle. As part of the pre-battle disposition, 25 fleet submarines (Rear Admiral Robert H. English) are deployed around Midway.

INDIAN OCEAN—Japanese merchant cargo ship Kofuku Maru is sunk by mine off Rangoon, Burma.

ATLANTIC—German submarine U-404 sinks U.S. freighter West Notus (which she had shelled the day before) with explosive charge off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (see 3 and 4 June).

            U.S. freighter Domino is machine-gunned by unidentified submarine off Nuevitas, Cuba; the ship suffers no casualties.

            Unarmed U.S. freighter City of Alma is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-159 about 400 miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, 23°00'N, 62°30'W; district patrol craft YP-67 rescues the 10 survivors from the 36 man merchant complement.

CARIBBEAN—U.S. merchantman Thomas Nelson rescues nine survivors from U.S. freighter Alcoa Pilgrim, sunk by German submarine U-502 on 27 May.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s bomb dock and military camp area at Rabaul.

SEVENTH AF—6 of 16 B‑17’s that have been on detached service at Midway return to Oahu.

ZONE OF THE INTERIOR—Aircraft and crews of 97th Bomb Group, then in New England for movement to UK, are ordered to W coast as defensive measure again attack on US.

US ARMY

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA—Naval TF’s of Adms Fletcher and Spruance rendezvous 350 miles NE of Midway. The combined force (3 carriers, 7 CA’s, 1 CL, 13 DD’s, and 25 submarines), under command of Admiral Fletcher, moves to point about 200 miles N of Midway. Reconnoitering from the Aleutians, PBY discovers 2 enemy carriers about 400 miles S of Kiska.

USSR—German 11th Army of Army Group South begins 5-day artillery preparation for assault on Sevastopol in the Crimea.

US MARINE CORPS

—

Monday, 1 June 1942

US NAVY

INDIAN OCEAN—Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-10 reconnoiters Diego Suarez.

ATLANTIC—U.S. freighter West Notus is shelled by German submarine U-404 off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 34°10'N,68°20'W; four of the 35 man merchant complement are killed in the attack. The 36 survivors (31 merchant seamen and the five man Armed Guard) are divided among two lifeboats (see 2, 3, and 4 June).

            U.S. freighter Illinois is torpedoed by German submarine U-172 at 24°00'N, 60°00'W; only six of the 38 man crew survives the loss of the ship (see 7 June).

            Norwegian merchantman Margrethe Bakke rescues the 25 survivors from U.S. freighter Alcoa Shipper, sunk by German submarine U-404 on 30 May.

GULF OF MEXICO—Unarmed U.S. freighter Hampton Roads is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-106 in the Yucatan Channel at 23°00'N, 85°42'W; five men perish. The 23 survivors are rescued by freighter Alcoa Pathfinder.

CARIBBEAN—U.S. freighter Knoxville City is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-158 south of the Yucatan Channel at21°15'N, 83°50'W; two men perish. The survivors (35 merchant seamen, 14 man Armed Guard and four passengers) abandon ship into two lifeboats (see 3 June).

            Destroyer Biddle (DD-151) rescues 15 survivors (including two Armed Guard sailors) of U.S. tanker New Jersey, sunk on 28 May by German submarine U-103.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

TENTH AF—5 Heavy Bombers attack Rangoon dock and harbor area, claiming 1 tanker sunk and another left listing.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s attack Lae, Salamaua, and Rabaul.

ZONE OF THE INTERIOR—Fear of attack on W coast causes suspension of movement of aircraft and crews from US to UK.

US ARMY

AUSTRALIA—Japanese midget submarines enter Sydney harbor and sink an Australian boat.

LIBYA—Continuing attack on Sidi Muftah, enemy wipes out 150th Brigade of 50th Division and much of 1st Army Tank Brigade assisting it. Lull ensues as British Eighth Army prepares for general counterattack and enemy strengthens his salient.

US MARINE CORPS

—

Sunday, 31 May 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Japanese midget submarines from submarines I-22, I-24, and I-27 penetrate the defenses of Sydney, Australia. Their torpedoes near-miss U.S. heavy cruiser Chicago (CA-29) but sink RAN accommodation ship Kuttabul and damage Dutch submarine K IX beyond economical repair. Three Japanese midget submarines are lost in the attack.

            Submarine Pollack (SS-180) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.5 Shunsei Maru off Murotosan, 31°38'N,133°45'E.

INDIAN OCEAN—Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-10 reconnoiters Diego Suarez.

CARIBBEAN—Submarine Grunion (SS-216) rescues survivors of U.S. Army-chartered freighter Jack, sunk by German submarine U-155 about 100 miles southwest of Port Saluit, Haiti, 17°36'N, 74°42'W. Three of the 9 man Armed Guard are lost.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s attack Lae and Salamaua.

SEVENTH AF—B‑17’s on detached service at Midway begin search operations.

ELEVENTH AF—54th Fighter Squadron (P‑38’s) arrives at Elmendorf.

US ARMY

LIBYA—Axis forces begin assault on Sidi Muftah, detached strongpoint of 13 Corps, British Eighth Army, and are engaged by 150th Brigade of 50th Division, to whom armored assistance is rushed. Later, 13 Corps begins preliminary phase of general counterattack but makes little headway.

US MARINE CORPS

—