June 4, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 4 JUNE 1942

ALASKA (11th Air Force): Japanese carrier planes from Junyō attacks Dutch Harbor with eleven Val bombers led by Lt. Zenji Abe, 10 A6M2 Zeros led by Lt. Yoshio Shiga and eight B5N Kates attacking in several waves. Just before noon, two P-40s intercept four bombers over Umnak Pass and claim 3 shot down. During the afternoon P-40s intercept 9 fighters; a dogfight claims 1 enemy aircraft and 1 P-40, the Eleventh Air Force's first combat casualty. AA fire claims another Japanese bomber. In all, four Vals and a Zero were lost, and two P-40s. A6M2 Zero 4593 force landed on Akutan Island. During the afternoon 2 B-17s and 5 B-26s attack the carrier force, and three more B-26s strike the cruiser Takao; no hits are scored, returning B-26 40-1408 is lost; 1 B-24 and 1 B-25 fail to return. 36th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 28th Composite Group, based at Fort Greeley, Kodiak with B-17Es and LB-30s, sends detachments to operate from various bases in the Aleutians.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS (10th Air Force): Two heavy bombers bomb Rangoon but are attacked by 10 fighters; 1 heavy bomber is shot down and the other badly damaged. This raid ends two months of harassing strikes against Rangoon; soon all heavy bombers are grounded by the monsoons. 11th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), is established at Kunming with B-25s.

USN: The Battle of Midway begins at 5:32am when a PBY Catalina spots the Japanese Fleet northwest of Midway. PBYs attack Occupation Force northwest of Midway. A PBY Catlina from VP 24 torpedoes fleet tanker Akebono Maru. When the Japanese fleet was spotted, land based aircraft from Midway Airfield scramble with bombers striking the warships while the fighters including 18 Buffaloes and 6 Wildcats remain behind to defend Midway.

All available American aircraft are employed during the Battle of Midway. TBF Grumman Avengers from the shore based element of Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) begin their combat career with attacks on the Japanese Fleet.

Defending Zeros and anti-aircraft fire annihilates U.S. Navy TBFs from VT-8 detachment, and USAAF B-26s armed with torpedoes are sent out to attack the Japanese carriers. USAAF B-17s bomb the Japanese carrier force without success.

TBDs (VT-8, VT-6, VT-3) from USS Hornet (CV-8), USS Enterprise (CV-6), and USS Yorktown (CV-5) attack the enemy carriers. Although mauled by the defending combat air patrol (only VT-3 has fighter cover) and anti-aircraft fire, they draw off the former and leave the skies open for SBDs from USS Enterprise and USS Yorktown to conduct dive bombing attacks. SBDs from Enterprise (VB 6, VS 6) bomb and sink carrier Kaga (30°20'N, 179°17'W) and bomb Akagi (Vice Admiral Nagumo's flagship); SBDs from Yorktown (VB 3) bomb and sink carrier Sōryū at Lat 30°38'N, Long 179°13'W). Submarine USS Nautilus (SS-168) fires a spread of torpedoes at carrier Kaga one hits but is a dud. Meanwhile, Hiryū, the only carrier that was undamaged launched her D3A Vals that bomb and temporarily disable USS Yorktown, forcing Rear Admiral Fletcher to transfer his flag to heavy cruiser USS Astoria (CA-34) and turn over tactical command to Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. Before SBDs from USS Enterprise (VS 6, joined by VB 3 which is unable to operate from the immobilized USS Yorktown) can inflict mortal damage upon Hiryū, though, the Japanese carrier launches torpedo planes that strike USS Yorktown a second time and force her abandonment. Ultimately, destruction of his carrier force compels Admiral Yamamoto to abandon Midway invasion plans, and the remaining Japanese Fleet retires westward. Japanese destroyers rescue U.S. naval aviators: Arashi picks up a TBD pilot (VT 3); Makigumo picks up an SBD crew (VS 6). After interrogation, all three Americans are subsequently murdered. One TBD pilot (VT 8), however, escapes detection and recovery by the enemy. He is rescued subsequently by a PBY.

IJN: In the early morning, the Japanese fleet launches patrol aircraft to search for American vessels without results. Between 6:20am to 6:50am Japanese carrier planes strike Midway Atoll with Sōryū B5N1 Kates followed by Akagi D3A Vals bomb Midway Airfield and Eastern Island hitting the powerplant, command post and gas tanks but only cause minor damage to the runways. Meanwhile, Hiryū B5N1 Kates followed by Kaga D3A Vals bomb Sand Island that hit oil tanks and damage water lines and destroy a seaplane hangar. Although defending USMC F2As and F4Fs VMF-221 suffer disastrous losses, damage to facilities on Midway is comparatively slight. Motor torpedo boat PT-25 is damaged by strafing in Midway lagoon. At 7:25pm heavily damaged aircraft carrier Kaga is scuttled by two torpedoes fired by Hagikaze.

In Alaska, Japanese carrier planes again strike Dutch Harbor damaging fuel installations and a station ship. Attempts of PBY's, B-17's, and B-26's to locate and attack the carriers are ineffective because of poor visibility, and Japanese retire southward with only aircraft losses.

USMC: SBD Dauntless dive bombers and SB2U Vindicators from VMSB-241 attack the Japanese fleet aircraft carriers including sixteen SBD 2129 led by Major Lofton R. Henderson. Flying faster than the Vindicators, the Dauntless formation climbed to 9,000' and sighted the Japanese fleet at 7:55am including at least two enemy carriers. Henderson's formation circled to 8,500' in preparation for initiating a glide bombing attack from 4,000'. At roughly 8,000' the formation was intercepted by Japanese A6M2 Zeros. As lead aircraft, Henderson's SBD 2129 was one of the first targeted by Zeros and hit by gunfire causing his left wing burst into flames from enemy anti-aircraft fire, but he continued his attack until his plane crashed. After Henderson was shot down, Captain Glidden took command of the rest of the formation and attacked despite heavy anti-aircraft fire and Zeros. Although the Marines claimed one of the carriers was burning and smoking heavily, they claimed three direct hits and two near misses. From the Japanese side, three SBDs from VMSB-241 likely scored near misses against Kaga at 8:30 and four near misses against Hiryū at 8:50am. Possibly, one of the SBDs (misidentified as a fighter by the Japanese) strafed Hiryū and killed four crew. Nagumo erroneously noted that Akagi and Soryu sustained bomb hits but this seems to have been reported in error as the damage caused to both carriers were likely caused by U.S. Navy SBD Dauntless dive bombers later in the morning. In total, eight VMSB-241 dive bombers were lost including SBD 2129 (MIA) and SBD 2148 (pilot survived, gunner MIA). Also, eleven SB2U-3 led by Major Benjamin W. Norris. Lost is F4F Wildcat 3989 pilot 2nd Lt. Walter W. Swansberger (MIA).

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th Air Force): Four B-26s in conjunction with US Navy (USN) torpedo bombers, attack a carrier; two are shot down B-26B 41-17570 and B-26 "Satan's Playmate" 40-1424 and B-26B 41-17570. After releasing its torpedo aimed at Akagi but missed, B-26 "Suzy-Q" 40-1391 flys down its flight deck then force lands at Midway Airfield with heavy damage. In further morning action 14 B-17s attack a task force approaching Midway at a distance of 145 miles (232 km); they claim several hits on carriers and 2 Zekes shot down.

In the late afternoon, two B-17s bomb a carrier force at Lat 31°  40N Long 179°  10W, claiming hits on a battleship and a carrier and 9 aircraft shot down; four other B-17s claim a hit on heavy cruiser 185 miles off Midway. Six B-17s, en route from Hickham Field to Midway Airfield bomb ships 170 miles from Midway, claiming hits on a burning Hiryu plus a destroyer, which is claimed as sunk but remains afloat until early the next morning.

Royal Navy: British submarine HMS Trusty sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Toyohashi Maru in Strait of Malacca at roughly Lat 7°14'N, Long 98°06'E.