May 29, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 29 MAY 1942

Long way home: Doolittle Crew #8 from B-25B Mitchell 40-2242 interred in the Soviet Union reach Mashhad (Mashhadi) in Persia (Iran) and then reached the British Consulate in Tehran then were returned to the United States.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): Four B-17's bomb Myitkyina Airfield from high-altitude. No activity is seen.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th Air Force): 19th Transport Squadron, 7th Air Force transfers from Hickam Field to John Rodgers Airport with C-33's and C-53's.

(5th AF): At 9:50am seventeen Airacobras intercept eighteen A6M2 Zeros from Tainan Kokutai southeast of Port Moresby in the vicinity of Hood Bay. Lost is P-39F 41-7116 pilot 1st Lt. Grover D. Gholson (survived). The U.S. claimed three Zeros shot down but were later credited with four victories.

IJN: Eighteen A6M2 Zeros from the Tainan Kokutai are intercepted by Airacobras southeast of Port Moresby in the vicinity of Hood Bay at 9:50am. Lost is A6M2 Zero pilot Komori, that crashed near Iwaia at 10:00am. The pilot was trailed, fired three shots then killed resisting arrest. Pilot was carrying a map showing operations of planes from an island in Truk.

In the early morning, Japanese submarine I-21 surfaces and launched her E14Y Glen piloted by Warrant Flying Officer Ito to reconnoiter Sydney Harbor. Over Cockatoo Island, caught by three searchlights but escapes. At 4:20am circles Sydney Harbor twice near anchored heavy cruiser USS Chicago (CA-29) and was mistaken as an American plane. RAAF fighters were scrambled to intercept, but were unsuccessful and the Glen returns to the submarine. While landing in heavy seas, the floatplane capsizes and is later scuttled. Ito reports spotting a "battleship" and Captain Sasaki orders his force to prepare to attack Sydney Harbor.

U.S. Navy: Seaplane tender (destroyer) Thornton (AVD-11) arrives French Frigate Shoals to relieve light minelayer Preble (DM-20) on patrol station there. Japanese submarine I-123 arrives the same day and finds Americans already there.

Seaplane tender (destroyer) Ballard (AVD-10) arrives at Midway along with the eleven motor torpedo boats from Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One under Lieutenant Clinton McKellar Jr. the latter are assigned to local defense forces of Midway under Captain Cyril T. Simard.

Submarine Swordfish (SS-193) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Tatsufuku Maru at the southwestern entrance to Balabac Strait, 07°33'N, 116°18'E.

PBY Catalinas from VP-71 and RAAF Catalinas bomb Japanese occupied Tulagi.

USMC: 8th Defense Battalion (reinforced) under Colonel Raphael Griffin arrive on Wallis Island and support U.S. Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) "Seabees" Company A & B that began their first major construction work in the Pacific.