November 27, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 27 NOVEMBER 1943

CBI: At meeting of SEAC delegation to Cairo Conference, Gen Stilwell reveals that the Generalissimo is unwilling to fulfill commitments agreed to at Cairo and wants Stilwell to hold out for airborne assault on Mandalay (Toreador) and 10,000 tons a month over the Hump.

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force): Eight B-24's from Canton and Nukufetau bomb Mille Atoll.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): Second escorted raid against Rangoon. B-24's, with P-38 escort, and B-25's, covered by P-51's strike Insein, Burma; Japanese interceptors attack fiercely, shooting down 6 fighters and 3 B-24's. Losses include: ; US airplanes claim 19 Japanese fighters downed.

November 27, 1943 was second escorted raid against the Rangoon area. Lost were three B-24s: (one 7th BG, two 308th BG): B-24J "Maxwell House II" 42-73245 pilot 1st Lt. Richard M. Meredith (POW/MIA/KIA), B-24J Liberator 42-73312 pilot 2nd Lt. Newton J. Kellam (POW) and B-24 308th BG. Also lost were two P-38s, two P-51As. Additional losses in an escorted B-25 raid the same day. Intercepted by Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) fighters including Ki-43-II Oscars from the 64th Sentai, 3rd Chutai and Type 2 fighters Ki-45 Nick armed with 37mm cannon from the 21st Flying Unit.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): Four B-25's on sea sweeps attack docks and warehouses at the port of Swatow and hit a convoy of nine vessels heading south toward Amoy; the B-25's claim one destroyer sunk and a destroyer and freighter damaged by direct hits.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): Five B-25's with fighter escort, bomb Queen Carola Harbor; Nineteen B-24's bomb Bonis Airfield; a few B-25's and RNZAF Venturas attack the areas at the mouth of the Mobiai River and Mutupina Point. Twenty plus B-24's, with fighter support attack Buka Airfield.

USMC: Force landed is SBD 38035 at Nukufetau at Nanumea Airfield. 2d Bn, 6th Marines, clears enemy from Buariki. Small islet of Naa, at northern tip, remains to be explored.

On Bougainville, General Geiger issued Operation Order No. 5, which directed the 1st Parachute Battalion to conduct such a raid in the southern part of Empress Augusta Bay on Bougainville to disrupting communications, destroying the enemy, installations and supplies and gather information. For this operation Company M, 3d Raider Battalion, a communication detachment of IMAC Signal Battalion, two forward observer parties of the Artillery Group, and native guides, were attached to Major Fagan's force.

USN: USS Bowfin (SS-287) sinks Vichy French cargo ship Van Vollenhoven off coast of French Indochina, 13°13'N, 109°27'E.

USS Seahorse (SS-304) sinks Japanese fleet tanker San Ramon Maru in East China Sea, 33°36'N, 128°57'E.

USAAF B-24s sink Japanese army hospital ship Buenos Aires Maru in Steffen Strait, 02°40'S, 149°20'E.

USAAF B-25s attack Japanese convoy, sinking transport Hakone Maru and damaging torpedo boat Tomodzuru, 25°20'N, 120°00'E.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): B-25 Mitchells strike Wewak at low level. B-25s from 38th Bomb Group (38th BG) target Wewak Town and Wewak Harbor. B-25s from 345th Bomb Group (345th BG) target Boram Airfield, Wewak Town and Wewak Harbor. The bombers claim 15 airplanes and 12 barges destroyed. Lost are B-25D "Impatient Virgin" 41-30046 pilot Captain William L. "Kizzy" Kizzire (POW / MIA), B-25G 42-64889 pilot 1st Lt. John M. Wieland (MIA) and P-38H 42-66869 (survived). Medium bombers also bomb the town of Finschhafen. HQ 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group transfers from Sydney to Brisbane.

References
Warpath Across The Pacific (2008) pages 93-96 (November 27, 1943)