SprueStack Zero Hour: WW2 day by day

12 June 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.

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

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Entries

Rumania

U.S. air combat from Africa begins with attack on Ploesti oil fields at dawn. Heavy bomber TF (coded HALPRO), under Col Harry A. Halverson and temporarily based in Egypt, makes the attack.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Libya

Indecisive tank battles occur in vicinity of El Adem and Knightsbridge.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
SWPA

GHQ authorizes construction of air bases at head of Milne Bay, New Guinea.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Heavy fighting in Sevastopol with serious losses of life on both sides.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
Excerpt from the London Gazette, Issue 35594, page 2598, published 1942-06-12: "st and upon the north by the first-mentioned,isolated portion of the said New Parish of All Saints,.

Source The London Gazette (opens external site)
East Africa Theater

THOR mission records show at least 0 Allied sorties (1 recorded unit missions) in the East Africa Theater on 1942-06-12, flown by RAF. 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.
Mediterranean Theater

THOR mission records show at least 13 Allied sorties (1 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1942-06-12, flown by USAAF 9th Air Force. Targets included ROMANIA.

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 4 Allied sorties (2 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1942-06-12, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force, RAAF. 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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12 June in other years 1940 1941 1943 1944 1945

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12 June 1942

Entries

U.S. air combat from Africa begins with attack on Ploesti oil fields at dawn. Heavy bomber TF (coded HALPRO), under Col Harry A. Halverson and temporarily based in Egypt, makes the attack.

Indecisive tank battles occur in vicinity of El Adem and Knightsbridge.

GHQ authorizes construction of air bases at head of Milne Bay, New Guinea.

Heavy fighting in Sevastopol with serious losses of life on both sides.

Excerpt from the London Gazette, Issue 35594, page 2598, published 1942-06-12: "st and upon the north by the first-mentioned,isolated portion of the said New Parish of All Saints,.

THOR mission records show at least 0 Allied sorties (1 recorded unit missions) in the East Africa Theater on 1942-06-12, flown by RAF. Targets included an unrecorded target country.

THOR mission records show at least 13 Allied sorties (1 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1942-06-12, flown by USAAF 9th Air Force. Targets included ROMANIA.

THOR mission records show at least 4 Allied sorties (2 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1942-06-12, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force, RAAF. Targets included BISMARK ARCHIPELAGO, NEW GUINEA.

Talk about it