May 5, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 5 MAY 1942

Japan: Japanese Imperial General Staff orders the Combined Fleet to assist in Army operations against Midway and the Aleutian Islands.

AVG: Japanese light bombers from 27th Sentai escorted by Ki-27 from 11th Sentai and Ki-43 Oscars from 64th Sentai strike Paoshan. Intercepting at 13:00, 1st and 2nd AVG Squadron P-40 pilots claimed seven shot down and three probables - all misidentified the single-engined, fixed-undercarriage, bombers of the 27th Sentai as ‘I-97s’ (Ki-27s). The Japanese suffered five losses during this raid, comprising three 11th Sentai Ki-27s (Sergeant Major Yoshio Sudo (Sho-2), Sergeant Major Kan-ichi Suzuki (NCO75) and Sergeant Major Nobuo Hiura) and two 27th Sentai bombers. One victory was claimed by the 64th Sentai and two by the 11th, one of them the first for Sergeant Takeo Takahashi (totally at least 13 victories). One of the Ki-43s was badly damaged in a landing accident on return. AVG claims were: 1st Squadron: Flight Leader Matt Kuykendahl one ‘I-97’; 2nd Squadron: Squadron Leader Tex Hill one ‘Zero’; Flight Leader Frank Schiel one fighter; Flight Leader John Bright one ‘I-97’ and one probable; Flight Leader Frank Lawlor two ‘I-97s’; Freeman Ricketts one ‘Zero’ and one ‘I-97’ probable; Ray Hastey one fighter probable. Both Schiel and Hastey failed to return following this engagement, the former having been forced down; after a three-day trek he reached the AVG base at Yunnanyi, which was also the home of a Chinese flight school. Hastey had run out of fuel and baled out 40 miles from the airfield, returning five days later on the back of a mule.

In the morning, a lone P-40E Warhawk piloted by Colonel Scott approached Lashio Airfield. Approaching, he spotted a twin-engined ‘Army 97’' bomber parked in the northwest corner and dived to attack: "My first shots hit the front of the plane. I turned for a second attack. This time I did better. I saw my tracers go into the fuselage and then into the engines. It was on fire."

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): During the night of May 4-5, 1942 four B-17s bomb Mingaladon Airfield hitting a hangar and parked aircraft; the crews claim 40 aircraft destroyed but searchlights make accurate observation impossible.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): 28th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 19th Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfers from Cloncurry to Longreach with B-17's; a detachment is operating from Perth.

USN: Battle of the Coral Sea at 8:16am Fletcher rejoins Fitch and Crace and spent most of the day refueling from USS Neosho (AO-23). Meanwhile, Takagi's Strike Group steams down the Solomons Islands bound for the Coral Sea.

U.S. freighter John Adams is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-21 85 miles from Amadee lighthouse, Nouméa, New Caledonia, 23°11'S, 165°08'E; five of the 11-man Armed Guard drown when the ship is abandoned.

IJA: At 11:30pm 2,0000 Japanese Army soldiers from the 4th Division, 61st Infantry under the command of Col. Gempachi Sato embarked aboard barge from the 1st Sea Operation Unit at Lamao and after dark bound for the north coast of Corregidor Island and planned to land between Infantry Point and Cavalry Point. Due to the tide running eastward off the island and caused the landing craft to drift 1,000 yards to the east before they landed to the west of North Point with boat landing at different times spread over a distance. As a result, the 61st Infantry 1st Battalion and 2nd Battalion landing at the wrong beaches.

U.S. Army: Ashore on Corregidor Island the defenders targeted the landing craft with a pair of 75mm guns and 37mm guns east of North Point with a few remaining search lights spotting. As the moon rose, defensive fire was added by the last 12" mortar at Battery Way plus 12" gunfire from Batttery Craighill at Fort Hughes on Caballo Island. Although the Japanese suffered heavy casualties with only 800 men reaching the shore, they established a beachhead after combat with Company A, 4th Marines near North Point. Meanwhile, Fort Drum gun batteries fired over 100 rounds at the the landing barges and assembly area. When the garrison was informed of the the upcoming surrender, they were willing to continue fighting, but lack enough food and supplies.

Submarine rescue vessel USS Pigeon (ASR-6) is bombed and sunk at roughly Lat 14°23'N, Long 120°36'E. Tug USS Genesee (AT-55) and harbor tug USS Vaga (YT-116) are scuttled off Corregidor at roughly Lat 14°25'N, Long 120°30'E.

British Army: "Operation Ironclad" The British Army 29th Infantry Brigade and No. 5 Commandos at Courrier Bay and Ambararata Bay on Madagascar with reinforcements landed from the 5th Infantry Division and Royal Marines. Until the next day, the Vichy France managed to defended against the landing.