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 mi 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 Light Bomber-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 Loth Brigs (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 brigs of infantry and 4 regiments of artillery.

US MARINE CORPS

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