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Events
January
- January 30 - Canadian Pacific Air Lines formed by the acquisition and merger of Arrow Airways and Canadian Airways, along with all the various subsidiaries of the latter.
April
- April 18 - Col James Doolittle leads the first US attack on the Japanese mainland, leading a force of sixteen B-25 Mitchells flying from the USS Hornet against Tokyo in what comes to be known as the "Doolittle Raid".
- April 22 - the USAAF forms China Ferry Command to support the Allied war effort in the China Burma India Theater.
May
- May 4-8 - the Battle of the Coral Sea is fought between US Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carriers. Japanese light carrier Shōhō is sunk and Shōkaku is badly damaged, and the USS Lexington is sunk.
June
- June 4-7 - the Battle of Midway is fought, the turning point in the Pacific War. Japan loses four carriers, the Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, and Hiryū. The US loses the USS Yorktown
July
- July 18 - a Messerschmitt Me 262 prototype makes its first flight under jet power, test-piloted by Fritz Wendel. Previous flights had been driven by a propeller.
August
- August 17 - first raid by heavy bombers of U.S. Eighth Air Force against occupied France.
September
- September 30 - German ace Hans-Joachim Marseille is killed when his plane catches fire. He had 158 victories at the time.
October
- October 3 - the first A4 rocket, later dubbed the V-2 flies from Peenemünde, covering 190 km (119 miles) in 296 seconds at five times the speed of sound, reaching an altitude of 84.5 km (53 miles).
November
- November 28 - Australian pilot F/Sgt Ron Middleton earns a posthumous VC for valour in bringing his crew and crippled bomber home after a raid on Turin, Italy.
December
- December 4 - USAAF bombers make their first raid on Italy.
First flights
January
February
March
- Focke-Achgelis Fa 330 rotor kite
- March 20 - Mitsubishi J2M
April
- April 24 - Miles Martinet prototype LR241
- April 26 - XB-28 Dragon
May
June
July
- July 3 - Martin XPB2M-1 Mars prototype BuNo 1520
- July 5 - Avro York
- July 10 - A-26 Invader
September
November
December
Entered service
January
- Grumman TBF Avenger with Squadron VT-8 USN
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