4 Sep 1942


- German submarine U-171 sank empty Mexican tanker Amatlan 15 miles off of the coast of Northern Mexico in the Gulf of Mexico at 0430 hours; 10 were killed, 24 survived; 10 torpedoes were expended on this attack. ww2dbase [Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico Campaigns | CPC]
- USS Pompano sank Japanese guardship No. 27 Nanshin Maru off Japan. ww2dbase [Pompano | CPC]
- An unidentified German submarine came across 19 survivors of American freighter California, which was sunk by Italian submarine Reginaldo Giuliani on 13 Aug 1942, in the Atlantic Ocean; the Germans provided them some rations and navigational assistance. ww2dbase [CPC]
- USS Skipjack arrived at Fremantle, Australia, ending her fourth war patrol. ww2dbase [Skipjack | Fremantle, Western Australia | CPC]
- Japanese defenses halted Australian 2/9th Battalion's attack at Goroni on the coast of Milne Bay, Australian Papua. Further inland, Japanese troops penetrated the lines set up by Australian 2/16th and 2/14th Battalions at Myola Ridge on the Kokoda Track. After dark, Japanese ships evacuated the surviving men of the failed 8 Aug 1942 amphibious attack at Milne Bay. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 2 | CPC]
- US Marine Corps 1st Raider Battalion conducted a reconnaissance mission on Savo Island, Solomon Islands, reporting it to be free of Japanese troops. ww2dbase [Guadalcanal Campaign | Savo | CPC]
- Japanese barges attempting to bring artillery and heavy equipment to Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands were sunk off Santa Isabel Island by US aircraft based in Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. ww2dbase [Henderson Field | Guadalcanal Campaign | Santa Isabel | CPC]
- After dark, Japanese destroyers Yudachi, Hatsuyuki, and Murakumo delivered 1,000 Japanese troops at Taivu, Guadalcanal. ww2dbase [Guadalcanal Campaign | Taivu, Guadalcanal | CPC]
- Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | Truk | CPC]
- Repair ship Akashi completed the repair work for seaplane tender Chitose at Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Akashi | Truk | CPC]
- USS Flying Fish attacked a Japanese patrol craft off Truk, Caroline Islands with a torpedo, which missed; she sustained a depth charge attack. ww2dbase [Flying Fish | CPC]
- New Zealand 5th Brigade and British 132nd Brigade harrassed retreating German troops in Egypt. ww2dbase [Battle of Alam el Halfa | CPC]
- 251 British bombers (98 Wellington, 76 Lancaster, 41 Halifax, and 36 Stirling) attacked Bremen, Germany, damaging or destroying 71 industrial buildings and 1,821 houses; 12 bombers were lost on this mission. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | Bremen, Weser-Ems | CPC]
- Libelle arrived in Germany. ww2dbase [F1 | CPC]
- The Bluie West Nine auxiliary station at Cruncher Island (Simiutak), Greenland began operations. It guided incoming aircraft toward Bluie West Eight airfield, and it provided meteorological reports for the US Army Air Forces. ww2dbase [Bluie West Eight | South Greenland | CPC]
- USS Guardfish attacked a Japanese convoy off Kuji, Japan, sinking freighter Kaimei Maru and passenger-cargo ship Tenyu Maru. Guardfish continued to pursue the convoy, sinking freighter Chita Maru with a torpedo inside of Kuji harbor. ww2dbase [Guardfish | Kuji, Iwate | CPC]
- After seeing several comrades die from dysentery without medical attention, the commanding officer of the protesting prisoners of war at Selarang prisoner of war camp in Singapore gave the order to abandon the protest against the Japanese demand that they pledge to not make any attempts to escape their imprisonment. ww2dbase [Changi Prison and Selarang Barracks | Singapore | CPC]



4 Sep 1942 Interactive Map
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
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