SprueStack Zero Hour: WW2 day by day

5 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.

8 of 11 sourced entries for this date, chosen by the editor.

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Entries

Egypt

Enemy opposition to 13 Corps, Br Eighth Army, as it continues battle to close gap in mine field is unabated.

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

Japanese continue evacuation of Milne Bay under cover of darkness. About 1,300 of original force of some 1,900 are withdrawn by sea. Australians, following withdrawal closely, capture supply dump at Waga Waga.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
SWPA

U.S. 32d and 41st Divs are assigned to Gen Eichelberger, CG U.S. I Corps.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Australian and U.S. forces defeat Japanese forces at Milne Bay, Papua, the first outright defeat for Japanese land forces in the Pacific War. Their evacuation and the failure to establish an airbase eases the threat to Australia.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
Japanese high command orders withdrawal at Milne Bay, the first major Japanese defeat in land warfare during the Pacific War.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
First Battle of Eora Creek - Templeton's Crossing.

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

THOR mission records show at least 11 Allied sorties (1 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1942-09-05, 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.
European Theater

THOR mission records show at least 0 Allied sorties (3 recorded unit missions) in the European Theater on 1942-09-05, flown by unidentified Allied air units. Targets included FRANCE.

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.

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

5 September in other years 1939 1940 1941 1943 1944

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5 September 1942

Entries

Enemy opposition to 13 Corps, Br Eighth Army, as it continues battle to close gap in mine field is unabated.

Japanese continue evacuation of Milne Bay under cover of darkness. About 1,300 of original force of some 1,900 are withdrawn by sea. Australians, following withdrawal closely, capture supply dump at Waga Waga.

U.S. 32d and 41st Divs are assigned to Gen Eichelberger, CG U.S. I Corps.

Australian and U.S. forces defeat Japanese forces at Milne Bay, Papua, the first outright defeat for Japanese land forces in the Pacific War. Their evacuation and the failure to establish an airbase eases the threat to Australia.

Japanese high command orders withdrawal at Milne Bay, the first major Japanese defeat in land warfare during the Pacific War.

First Battle of Eora Creek - Templeton's Crossing.

THOR mission records show at least 11 Allied sorties (1 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1942-09-05, flown by RAF. Targets included BURMA.

THOR mission records show at least 0 Allied sorties (3 recorded unit missions) in the European Theater on 1942-09-05, flown by unidentified Allied air units. Targets included FRANCE.

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