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SprueStack Zero Hour: WW2 day by day

24 August 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

  1. Battle Of Eastern Solomons

    American naval TF’s, centering about CV’s Enterprise and Saratoga, intercept Japanese fleet units (3 carriers, 8 BB’s, 4 CA’s, 2 CL’s .and 21 DD’s, plus the 4 transports with reinforcements for Guadalcanal) well E of Guadalcanal.

    Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)

  2. New Guinea

    Gen Horii orders general offensive. Japanese amphibious forces leave for Milne Bay, those from New Ireland in a transports and the force from Buna in 7 large landing barges. Barges are detected by coastwatcher in afternoon.

    Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)

  5. The Battle of the Eastern Solomons. Japanese aircraft carrier Ryūjō is sunk, with the loss of seven officers and 113 crewmen. The US carrier USS Enterprise is heavily damaged.

    Source Wikipedia (opens external site)

  6. Mediterranean Theater

    THOR mission records show at least 13 Allied sorties (2 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1942-08-24, flown by USAAF 9th Air Force, RAF. Targets included LIBYA.

    Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

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

Sources listed with each entry. Spotted an error? Tell us.

24 August in other years 19401941194319441945

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