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

FRIDAY, 5 JUNE 1942

USA: U.S. declares war on Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania.

ALASKA (11th Air Force): 18 B-26s, 10 B-17s and 2 LB-30s search and attack sorties are flown against the carrier force, the B-26s splitting into 3 missions, the B-17s into 2. No contact is made. The B-17s using radar bomb targets which look like ships, but later turn out to be the Pribilof Islands (Northern Fur Seal Islands).

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th Air Force): The Battle of Midway continues with the Japanese fleet retiring westward. In the morning eight B-17s hit a force 130 miles from Midway claiming hits on two large warships. During the afternoon six B-17s claim hits on a heavy cruiser 300 miles (480 km) from Midway. The last strike by Seventh Air Force aircraft during Battle of Midway is by five B-17s which bomb a heavy cruiser 425 miles from Midway. Lost is B-17E 41-9212 (MIA) and B-17E ditched due to fuel shortage and crew rescued. The battle ends with Midway installations heavily damaged by bombs but airfields are intact. During the fighting, Seventh Air Force aircraft carried out sixteen B-17 attacks (55 sorties) and a torpedo attack by four B-26s, claiming 22 hits on ships and 10 fighters shot down. 2 B-17s and 2 B-26s were lost plus one written off. One of the decisive battles of naval history, Midway costs Japan the initiative and will become a turning point in the Pacific War.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): B-17s hit wharves, a warehouse, and coal jetty at Rabaul.

U.S. Navy: The Battle of Midway continues as Task Force 16 (TF 16) under Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance pursues the Japanese fleet, westward, while efforts proceed to try and salvage the crippled USS Yorktown (CV-5). Motor torpedo boats from Midway fail to locate a "burning Japanese carrier" (likely eiter Akagi or Hiryu) spotted by Midway-based planes.

IJN: At 2:55am, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto cancels Operation MI and the remainder of the Japanese fleet withdraws westward disengaging from the Battle of Midway. At 9:12am Heavily damaged Hiryu is scuttled and sinks. Also heavily damaged, Akagi is scuttled by Japanese destroyers Nowaki, Arashi, and Hagikaze at roughly Lat 30°30'N, Long 179°08'W. Damaged carrier Hiryu is scuttled by destroyers Kazegumo and Yugumo at roughly Lat 31°38'N Long 178°51'W. Heavy cruisers Mogami and Mikuma are damaged in collision while turning to avoid submarine USS Tambor (SS-198).

In Alaska, carrier planes from Ryujo and Junyo again strike Dutch Harbor. The Japanese Attu Occupation Force under Rear Admiral Omori Sentaro occupies Attu without opposition.