May 26, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 26 MAY 1942

USAAF: Boeing delivers B-17E Flying Fortress 41-9234 and B-17E Flying Fortress 41-9235 to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF).

Japan: Radio Tokyo announces that "America and Britain... have now been exterminated.. the British and American fleets cannot appear on the oceans." as a result of claimed Japanese victories during the Battle of the Coral Sea and prior engagements.

ALASKA (11th Air Force): 11th Fighter Squadron, 28th Composite Group based at Elmendorf Field sends a detachment to Umnak with P-40's.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): P-39 Airacobras took off on a patrol over Port Moresby and 1st Lt. Thomas J. Lynch claims an aerial victory, his third aerial victory claim. Lost is P-39F 41-7221 (MIA).

U.S. Navy: Task Force 16 (TF 16) under Rear Adm Raymond A. Spruance including aircraft carriers USS Enterprise and USS Hornet arrive at Pearl Harbor from the South Pacific. USS Kitty Hawk (AKV-1) delivers personnel, cargo and aircraft to reinforce Midway.

IJN: Prisoner Of War (POW) Sgt David Stuart Brown was executed on Matupi Island and his body placed into a mass grave.

After sunset, Japanese submarine I-19 surfaces and prepares to launch her reconnaissance floatplane off the northern side of Bogoslof Island but spots what she identifies as a U.S. destroyer and submerges quickly and damages the floatplane.

Free France: A corvette from New Caledonia arrives as Wallis Island (Uvea) and deposed the pro-Vichy administrators.

Australian Army: "Kanga Force" is strengthened by arrival of Aus 5th Independent Company by air.