March 13, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
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FRIDAY, 13 MARCH 1942

ZONE OF INTERIOR (3d Air Force): HQ XII Bomber Command is activated at MacDill Field.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS (10th Air Force): 26th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 51st Pursuit Group (Interceptor) arrives Karachi from the US with P-40s, their first mission is October 15, 1942. The first detachment of U.S. Army Air Force personnel diverted from Java arrive at Karachi. They are the first American personnel to arrive in the CBI.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): 36th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) and 80th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 8th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) transfers from Brisbane to Lowood Airfield with P-39's.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): B-17s and B-26s hit shipping and the airfield at Rabaul. 30th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 19th Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfers from Cloncurry to Longreach with B-17's.

U.S. Navy: General Douglas MacArthur and Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell, with their respective staffs, reach Cagayan on northern Mindanao after a 560-mile voyage in heavy to moderate seas aboard Motor Torpedo Boats (MTB) PT-32, PT-34, PT-35, and PT-41. During the voyage, PT-32 became disabled and is scuttled by gunfire of submarine USS Permit (SS-178) one mile southwest of Taguayan Island at roughly Lat 10°58'N, Long 121°12'E.

Submarine USS Gar (SS-206) torpedoes and sinks Japanese victualling stores ship Chichibu Maru between six and ten miles southwest of Mikura Jima, south of Tokyo Bay, Japan, 33°53'N, 139°29.5'E.

Japanese minesweeper No. 2 Tama Maru sinks as the result of damage inflicted by U.S. Navy carrier planes on March 10, 1942 during the Lae-Salamaua Raid.

IJN: Japanese Navy forces reinforce Lae and Salamaua.

Five A6M2 Zeros from 4th Kokutai (4th Air Group) took off from Lae Airfield on a sweep over Port Moresby and at 8:36am conduct a low level strafing run over against 7 Mile Drome and destroy parked Ford Trimotor A45-2. On finals to land, B-17E 41-2435 and a Lockheed Hudson and were attacked, but both escaped without any apparent damage. The B-17 claimed one of the Zeros shot down about 15 miles north of Port Moresby. At 9.26am, four of the Zeros attacked Kairuku (Yule Island) while returning to Lae Airfield.

During the night, Japanese submarine I-25 launches E14Y "Glen" floatplane piloted by W/O Fujita Nobuo overflies Auckland and returns safely.