July 29, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 29 JULY 1943

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) A B-17 scouts Kiska and bombs the Main Camp area.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force) In Burma, 2 flights of B-25's blast the previously bombed Mu River bridge between Ywataung and Monywa. The bridge is hit heavily with 1 span left submerged in the river.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) Eighteen B-24's, with fighter escort, bomb shipping and dockyard installations at Hong Kong including Kowloon Docks, Taikoo Docks and the old Royal Navy yards are hit. Four P-40's attack a Japanese force of 23 bombers and 30 fighters attacking Hengyang; one Japanese fighter is downed. Lost is B-24D "Flamingo" 42-40848 pilot Captain William Chenowith (3 KIA, 8 survived).

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-17s, B-24s, and B-25s bomb Kela Point and Kela village and Salamaua town and peninsula area. On New Britain, B-25's, B-26's, and a B-24 attack Army HQ, barges, and villages in the Natamo vicinity, shipping off Cape Gloucester, Borgen Bay, along the coast from Ring Ring Plantation to Roebuck Point and barges off Cape Dampier on New Guinea. P-40's strafe targets of opportunity.

U.S. Army: On New Georgia, XIV Corps continues to advance slowly toward Munda Airfield, methodically destroying enemy pillboxes with assistance of tanks and flame throwers. Maj Gen John R. Hodge takes command of 43d Div, relieving Gen Hester, and commits 1st and 3d Bns, 169th Inf, between 172d and 103d Regts. 2nd Lt Robert S. Scott, earns the Medal of Honor defending a hilltop near Munda.

In 37th Division zone, 145th Inf reaches crest of Horseshoe Hill but pulls back a little to more tenable positions; 161st Inf forces on Bartley Ridge continue to advance cautiously; 148th pulls back to establish contact with 161st and protect supply route, but does not quite succeed in closing the gap and is precariously situated.