Eighty Years Ago: Asia Pacific, Feb 19 – 25, 1942

Feb 19, 1942: Japanese carrier-based planes raid the port city of Darwin in the first attack on the Australian mainland

Feb 20, 1942: Edward Henry (“Butch”) O’Hare, pilot on board aircraft carrier Lexington, becomes the US Navy’s first official fighter ace after he shoots down five Japanese bombers in one day over the South Pacific

Feb 21, 1942: Japanese Army unleashes reign of terror in occupied Singapore, especially targeting ethnic Chinese

Feb 22, 1942: In rush to reach Burmese capital of Rangoon, Japanese troops seek to secure strategic Sittang bridge

Feb 23, 1942: Japanese submarine I-17 shells oil field near Santa Barbara, California. The shock attack causes minimal damage but triggers security scare along the US West Coast

Feb 24, 1942: US Navy aircraft raid Japanese-held island of Wake

Feb 25, 1942: In what is quickly known as Battle of Los Angeles, the city’s anti-aircraft defenses open up on unidentified aircraft, believing it to be Japanese. Japan does not have airplanes deployed over the US West Coast. The mystery is never solved

Categories: War

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