SprueStack Zero Hour: WW2 day by day

3 May 1942

What happened on this day in the Second World War, from 1939 to 1945, with a source for every entry.

About this page

Each day we list events from the Second World War that happened on that date, from 1939 to 1945. Every entry names its source and links to it, so you can read further. Entries are sourced and machine-screened before they go up, a subset is human-reviewed, and we add more over time.

6 sourced entries for this date.

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Entries

P.I.

Japanese amphibious force from Panay goes ashore on Mindanao about 0100 at Cagayan and Tagoloan R mouth, in Macajalar Bay, and presses S along Sayre Highway.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Solomon Is.

Small Japanese force invades Tulagi, which is soon converted into a seaplane base. Learning of this, Rear Adm Frank J. Fletcher, commanding naval force cruising the Coral Sea, heads for Tulagi in carrier Yorktown.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Japanese naval troops invade Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands during the first part of Operation Mo that results in the Battle of the Coral Sea between Japanese forces and forces from the United States and Australia.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
China-Burma-India Theater

THOR mission records show at least 7 Allied sorties (2 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1942-05-03, flown by USAAF 10th Air Force, RAF. Targets included BURMA.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.
Pacific Theater

THOR mission records show at least 2 Allied sorties (1 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1942-05-03, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force. Targets included BISMARK ARCHIPELAGO.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.
In the initial move of the Japanese strategic plan to capture Port Moresby, Japanese forces under Admiral Kiyohide Shima make unopposed landings on Tulagi, opening the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)

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3 May in other years 1940 1941 1943 1944 1945

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3 May 1942

Entries

Japanese amphibious force from Panay goes ashore on Mindanao about 0100 at Cagayan and Tagoloan R mouth, in Macajalar Bay, and presses S along Sayre Highway.

Small Japanese force invades Tulagi, which is soon converted into a seaplane base. Learning of this, Rear Adm Frank J. Fletcher, commanding naval force cruising the Coral Sea, heads for Tulagi in carrier Yorktown.

Japanese naval troops invade Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands during the first part of Operation Mo that results in the Battle of the Coral Sea between Japanese forces and forces from the United States and Australia.

THOR mission records show at least 7 Allied sorties (2 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1942-05-03, flown by USAAF 10th Air Force, RAF. Targets included BURMA.

THOR mission records show at least 2 Allied sorties (1 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1942-05-03, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force. Targets included BISMARK ARCHIPELAGO.

In the initial move of the Japanese strategic plan to capture Port Moresby, Japanese forces under Admiral Kiyohide Shima make unopposed landings on Tulagi, opening the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Talk about it