JULY 1942
      The State of theSouth Pacific  Report of RAdm Byrd.
      Bora Bora Fueling base.4,500 men
      Palmyra Air strip. 1,413 menDec'41
      Samoa Airfields. 8,000 menMar'42
      Tongatabu staging base.7,900 men
      Fiji Air Fields Infantry Division
      New CaledoniaAir FieldsInfantry Division
      Efate air strips. 5,800 men
      Espiritu Santobuilding airstrip500 menReady for fighters about 28July.
  • July 1 . Wasp (CV-7, TF18, Noyes) departs San Diego for Tonga Islands escorting 5 AP w/5th Marine Reg.
    July 1 . US and Japanese submarines active in the Pacific.
  • July 2 . Joint Chiefs set goal to seize New Britain-New Ireland-New Guinea area.
    July 2 . Set target date to seize Santa Cruz and Tulagi of Aug 1.
  • July 3 . New date for postponed Japanese invasion of Port Moresby - permanently canceled.
    July 3 . 1,200 Japanese troops, 24 fighters, bombers, 6 mini-subs reinforce Kiska, Aleutians, Alaska.
    July 3 . B-24's bomb and damage two Japanese seaplane carriers and a transport off Attu Island.
  • July 4 . Allied reconnaissance reports Japanese building air field on Guadalcanal.
  • July 5 . Japanese destroyers attacked by US submarines off Aleutians -- 2 sunk, 2 damaged.
  • July 7 . Saratoga (CV-3, Fletcher) leaves Pearl for South Pacific.
    July 7 . Army will deliver B-24 Liberators, B-25 Mitchells, and B-34 Venturas to the Navy for long range search. Navy cancels orders to free production for Army B-29.
  • July 8 . Japanese carrier task force withdraws from Alaskan waters.
  • July 10. Joint Chiefs order issued to capture Tulagi and Guadalcanal.
  • July 11. Marine HQ unit arrives New Zealand.
  • July 12. Marines in B-17 survey possible landing beaches.
  • July 15. Enterprise (CV-6) leaves Pearl for South Pacific.
    July 15. Crashed Zero fighter recovered from bog in Alaska.
  • July 16. With 1/3 of Marines still enroute from San Diego, date moved to Aug 7.
  • July 17. Long Island resumes training pilots.
    July 17. B-17 photographs Tulagi.
  • July 18. Wasp arrives Tongatabu.
    July 18. RAdm Turner assumes Amphibious Forces SoPac at Wellington, NZ
          Fletcher promoted to Vice Admiral with Saratoga [flag], Wasp and Enterprise.
  • July 19. Ranger (CV-4) ferries 72 P-40's for Newport to Accra off the Gold Coast of Africa.
  • July 20. Marines sail from New Zealand for rehearsal at Fiji.
    July 20. Tests show submarine torpedoes running 11 feet too deep causing many misses.
  • July 21. Japanese land 33,000 troops at Buna and Gona, New Guinea.
  • July 22. B-17's, B-25's and B-26's attack Japanese shipping off Buna, New Guinea.
    July 22. 1st Marine division, 12 ships, departs New Zealand.
    July 22. Last two troop transports depart Pearl, miss rehearsal.
  • July 24. Oppenhheimer selected to head building the A-bomb
  • July 26. Ships from San Diego and New Zealand rendezvous near Fiji, 75 ships.
  • July 27. Boise (CL-47) departs Pearl Harbor towards Japan to emit radio traffic to create the impression of an approaching American task force.
  • July 28. PBY's bomb Tulagi.
    July 28-31. Marine/Navy landing rehearsal for assault.
    July 28. Espiritu Santo fighter strip ready.
  • July 29. Japanese take Kokoda airfield, New Guinea, on way over mountains to Port Moresby.
  • July 30. Problems of landing craft breakdowns addressed.
    July 30. WAVES (Women naval auxiliary) established.
  • July 31. B-17 begin 7 days of bombardment of Tulagi and Guadalcanal.
    July 31. U.S. invasion force sails from Fijis for Guadalcanal, Solomons.
    July 31. IJN Hiyo commissioned -- Philippine Sea
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