SprueStack Zero Hour: WW2 day by day

8 May 1942

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

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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 8 sourced entries for this date, chosen by the editor.

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Entries

Battle Of Coral Sea

Main action occurs as Adm Fletcher’s naval force encounters enemy force of 2 carriers, 4 CA’s, and several DD’s, main support force of a Port Moresby invasion group.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Burma

Japanese occupy Myitkyina.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
P.I.

Gen Wainwright dispatches messages to key officers in the Philippines, urging them to surrender their forces. On Mindanao, Japanese renew attack in evening and continue it throughout night 8-9. Defeated 62d Inf is pursued toward Dalirig.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
The Battle of the Coral Sea comes to an end with Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attacking and sinking the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
Mediterranean Theater

THOR mission records show at least 0 Allied sorties (1 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1942-05-08, flown by RAF. Targets included LIBYA.

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 5 Allied sorties (3 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1942-05-08, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force. Targets included an unrecorded target country.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.
In the Coral Sea, each side finally locates the other's main carrier groups, consisting of Japanese carriers Shōkaku and Zuikaku, and American carriers Lexington and Yorktown. Several attacks follow.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)

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8 May in other years 1940 1941 1943 1944 1945

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8 May 1942

Entries

Main action occurs as Adm Fletcher’s naval force encounters enemy force of 2 carriers, 4 CA’s, and several DD’s, main support force of a Port Moresby invasion group.

Japanese occupy Myitkyina.

Gen Wainwright dispatches messages to key officers in the Philippines, urging them to surrender their forces. On Mindanao, Japanese renew attack in evening and continue it throughout night 8-9. Defeated 62d Inf is pursued toward Dalirig.

The Battle of the Coral Sea comes to an end with Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attacking and sinking the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington.

THOR mission records show at least 0 Allied sorties (1 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1942-05-08, flown by RAF. Targets included LIBYA.

THOR mission records show at least 5 Allied sorties (3 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1942-05-08, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force. Targets included an unrecorded target country.

In the Coral Sea, each side finally locates the other's main carrier groups, consisting of Japanese carriers Shōkaku and Zuikaku, and American carriers Lexington and Yorktown. Several attacks follow.

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