SprueStack Zero Hour: WW2 day by day

4 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.

7 of 9 sourced entries for this date, chosen by the editor.

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Entries

Burma

Br Imperial forces evacuate Akyab, on Bay of Bengal. AVG abandons Loiwing for Kunming, China. Japanese occupy Bhamo and defeat Ch 29th Div at Wanting. Chiang Kai-shek orders Ch 5th Army to Myitkyina.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Madagascar

Br naval and military forces under Rear Adm Syffret and Maj Gen Sturges land on N Madagascar at Courier Bay against little opposition from Vichy French.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
New Britain

Japanese transports leave Rabaul for Port Moresby, New Guinea.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
US Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher's Task Force 17 makes the first carrier strike of the Battle of the Coral Sea, attacking Japanese naval targets near Tulagi.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
The Battle of the Coral Sea begins with an attack by aircraft from the United States aircraft carrier USS Yorktown on Japanese naval forces at Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese forces had invaded Tulagi the day before.

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

THOR mission records show at least 8 Allied sorties (2 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1942-05-04, 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 12 Allied sorties (3 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1942-05-04, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force. Targets included BISMARK ARCHIPELAGO, NEW GUINEA.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

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

The full list for this date is being cleaned and will return soon.

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4 May in other years 1940 1941 1943 1944 1945

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4 May 1942

Entries

Br Imperial forces evacuate Akyab, on Bay of Bengal. AVG abandons Loiwing for Kunming, China. Japanese occupy Bhamo and defeat Ch 29th Div at Wanting. Chiang Kai-shek orders Ch 5th Army to Myitkyina.

Br naval and military forces under Rear Adm Syffret and Maj Gen Sturges land on N Madagascar at Courier Bay against little opposition from Vichy French.

Japanese transports leave Rabaul for Port Moresby, New Guinea.

US Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher's Task Force 17 makes the first carrier strike of the Battle of the Coral Sea, attacking Japanese naval targets near Tulagi.

The Battle of the Coral Sea begins with an attack by aircraft from the United States aircraft carrier USS Yorktown on Japanese naval forces at Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese forces had invaded Tulagi the day before.

THOR mission records show at least 8 Allied sorties (2 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1942-05-04, flown by USAAF 10th Air Force, RAF. Targets included BURMA.

THOR mission records show at least 12 Allied sorties (3 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1942-05-04, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force. Targets included BISMARK ARCHIPELAGO, NEW GUINEA.

Talk about it