SprueStack Zero Hour: WW2 day by day

2 September 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

New Guinea

Australians continue to clear N coast of Milne Bay but are unable to stem Japanese drive toward Port Moresby. About 1,000 Japanese reinforcements from Rabaul land at Basabua, night 2-3.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Samoa

7th Marines and part of 5th Defense Bn embark for New Hebrides.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Attempts by the IRA to destabilise Northern Ireland between 1942 and 1944.

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

THOR mission records show at least 16 Allied sorties (2 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1942-09-02, flown by RAF. Targets included BURMA.

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 14 Allied sorties (1 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1942-09-02, flown by USAAF 9th Air Force. 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 24 Allied sorties (4 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1942-09-02, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force, RAAF. Targets included NEW GUINEA.

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.

2 September in other years 1939 1940 1941 1943 1944 1945

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2 September 1942

Entries

Australians continue to clear N coast of Milne Bay but are unable to stem Japanese drive toward Port Moresby. About 1,000 Japanese reinforcements from Rabaul land at Basabua, night 2-3.

7th Marines and part of 5th Defense Bn embark for New Hebrides.

Attempts by the IRA to destabilise Northern Ireland between 1942 and 1944.

THOR mission records show at least 16 Allied sorties (2 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1942-09-02, flown by RAF. Targets included BURMA.

THOR mission records show at least 14 Allied sorties (1 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1942-09-02, flown by USAAF 9th Air Force. Targets included LIBYA.

THOR mission records show at least 24 Allied sorties (4 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1942-09-02, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force, RAAF. Targets included NEW GUINEA.

Talk about it