May 15, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 15 MAY 1942

AVG: During the night of May 15-16 U.S. Transport Command C-47 Skytrain piloted by Lt. William Grube with co-pilot Lieutenant Jack Krofoed, and accompanied by Lieutenant Dick Peret, AVG engineering officer, and Sergeant Roy Hoffman on an unauthorized bombing mission against Hanoi. At roughly 4:00am the plane arrives over Hanoi and drops a variety of ordnance including Chinese incendiary bombs, a few French 50 and 100 pounders and some Russian 250 lb bombs - all stolen from the Chinese armory at Kunming. The bombs had to be armed individually prior to being thrown or rolled out of the cabin door, as the aircraft circled over Hanoi at 11,000' Running low on fuel as he struggled to find Kunming on the return flight, Grube was forced to feather one engine to save fuel before spotting Kunming Airfield at 08:30am and landed safely.

India: British Army General Harold R. L. G. Alexander moves his headquarters from Burma to the Imphal area in India. General Joseph Stilwell arrives in India.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-25's, B-26's and and B-17's hit Lae Airfield and storehouses at Lae and Deboyne Seaplane Base. The 64th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy) transfers from Sydney to Daly Waters with B-17's. Lost on a passenger flight is B-26 "Lil Deicer " 40-1390 pilot 2nd Lt. Robert "Bud" M. Rye.

Australian Army: 14th Brig Gp and 700 attached AA troops depart for Port Moresby to bolster defenses.

USN: The design of the U.S. star insignia is revised eliminating the red disc in the center of the star, and use of horizontal red and white rudder striping was discontinued.

Submarine USS Tuna (SS-203) sinks Japanese transport Toyoharu Maru 65 miles off Sohuksando, Korea, 33°34'N, 125°09'E.