Saturday, 4 July 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine Triton (SS-201) torpedoes Japanese destroyer Nenohi off Cape Sabak, off southeast tip of Agattu, Aleutians, 52°15'N, 173°51'E.

ARCTIC—North Russia-bound convoy PQ 17 is ordered to scatter as fears of German surface ship sortie from Norwegian waters prompts the detachment of major escort vessels to deal with the threat that does not materialize. German torpedo-carrying HE 111s attack PQ 17, 200 miles northeast of Bear Island: U.S. freighter William Hooper is torpedoed (75°57'N, 27°14'E) and abandoned; three crewmen lose their lives. The survivors (36 merchant seamen and the 15 man Armed Guard) are picked up by British rescue ships Rathlin and Zamalek. Attempted scuttling by British escort vessel fails; German submarine U-334 torpedoes and sinks William Hooper later the same day. As the convoy disperses, freighter Christopher Newport is torpedoed by HE 115 (75°49'N, 22°15'E); three crewmen are killed. Christopher Newport is abandoned, with the 36 merchant seamen and 11 man Armed Guard picked up by rescue ship Zamalek. British escort vessel's attempt to scuttle the damaged freighter fails (see 5 July). Freighter Washington is damaged by near-misses, but there are no casualties among her crew or Armed Guard.

ATLANTIC—Destroyer Corry (DD-463) rescues four survivors of U.S. freighter Ruth, sunk by German submarine U-153 on 28 June.

           Twenty-nine survivors from U.S. freighter Thomas McKean, sunk by German submarine U-505 on 29 June, reach St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (see 12 and 14 July).

           Fourteen survivors from U.S. freighter Norlandia, sunk by German submarine U-575 the previous day, reaches Samana, Dominican Republic (see 5 July).

EUROPE—First USAAF raid on Western Europe: USAAF aircrew flying American-built Bostons participate in low-level RAF raid on German airfields in the Netherlands.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—First AAF air operation over W Europe. 15th Bomb Squadron, flying 6 American-built Bostons belonging to RAF, join RAF low-level attack on 4 airfields in the Netherlands. Aircraft flown by Capt Charles C Kegelman, squadron CO, is severely damaged, but Kegelman succeeds in bringing it back to base at Swanton Morley. VIII AF Composite Command is activated in US. Second B‑17 arrives in UK via N Atlantic ferry route.

US ARMY MIDDLE EAST AIR FORCE—B‑24’s attack convoy in Mediterranean during 4/5 Jul, setting 1 tanker aflame.

TENTH AF—CATF is activated under command of General Chennault. This new command is successor to Chennault’s AVG, which had attained 300 confirmed victories over Japanese airplanes at a cost of less than 50 aircraft and only 9 pilots. Only 5 pilots and a few ground personnel of AVG choose to join the AAF, although 20 other pilots agree to stay until replacements arrive in Kunming. Combat elements of CATF are 23d Fighter Group, 16th Fighter Squadron, and 11th Bomb Squadron. Col Robert L Scott is to command the fighters and Col Caleb V Haynes the bombers. In air action in China, 5 B‑25’s, with fighter escort, heavily damage buildings, runways, and parked aircraft at Tien Ho airfield. P‑40’s over Kweilin intercept a formation of Fighter Bombers, claiming 13 destroyed. The Japanese fail to bomb target.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s, B‑26’s, and B‑25’s bomb airfields at Lae and Salamaua.

ZONE OF THE INTERIOR—Air Transport Command, which was established on 30 Apr 42, is redesignated I Troop Carrier Command and made responsible for training and preparing units and personnel for Troop Carrier (airborne) operations. Ferrying Command, which was established on 29 May 41, is redesignated Air Transport Command and made responsible for air transport and ferrying operations.

US ARMY

CHINA BURMA INDIA—AVG is inducted into Tenth Air Force as its contract with China terminates.

EGYPT—30 Corps, British Eighth Army, is strengthened by arrival of Australian 9th Division, which is concentrating in vicinity of El ‘Alamein fortress. 13 Corps continues to attack on S flank, making slow progress.

WESTERN EUROPE—U.S. air operations against Europe are initiated. 6 U.S. aircraft manned by U.S. crews participate in RAF attack on airdromes in Holland.

US MARINE CORPS

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