WEDNESDAY, 1 DECEMBER 1943
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): In the Aleutian during the month of Dec 43, the
detachment of the 344th Fighter Squadron, 343d Fighter Group operating from Attu Airfield with P-40's, returns to Shemya.
CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force): Four B-24's, flying
out of Funafuti bomb Mille Atoll.
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, B-24's bomb Insein; the B-24's and
escorting P-38's encounter a large number of Japanese fighters over the targets;
P-51's which failed to make rendezvous with the B-24's before the attack join
the formations on the return trip; US losses are high: six planes are lost including B-24J "Bugs Bunny" 42-73222 (POW / MIA), B-24J 42-73055 (POW / MIA), B-24J "Tough Baba" 42-73159 (MIA), B-24J 42-73183 (MIA), B-24J 42-73196 (MIA) and a P-51A 43-60?0. Five other B-24's are seriously damaged; B-25's hit the
newly repaired bridge at Myitnge rendering it temporarily unserviceable.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 19 B-25's, 24 P-40's, and 10 P-51's
pound Kowloon shipyards; two B-25's hit nearby Taikoo Docks in Hong Kong; Four P-40's
strafe a truck convoy near Lashio, 16 sink about 30 boats in the area
around Changte, and 8 bomb Bac Ninh, French Indochina and vicinity. The air strikes damaging Japanese transport Teiren Maru (ex-Vichy French Gouverneur General A. Varenne). Subsequently, the ship is written off as a total loss.
SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): 18 B-25's and 8
P-38's attack Malai; P-39's strafe Tonolai Harbor and support US Navy dive bombers
in an attack on the Jaba River area near Empress Augusta Bay; other Army Air
Forces (AAF) and USN fighters cover dive bomber strikes on Kara and strafe
targets at Tenekow, Chabai,
and Mutupina Point.
USMC: VMF-214 "Black Sheep" lead by Pierre Carnnagey provide an eight
plane F4U escort for bombers. After discovering their primar target Chabai covered in clouds, the formation of 48 US Navy SBD dive bombers from VMSB-236, and 24 TBFs preform
strikes on Ballale supply areas. They met and observed no fighters at Ballale supply
areas,
only anti-aircraft fire. Two SBDs were lost, SBD 1Dauntless 1002 pilot Major Earl P. Paris (rescued) and SBD Dauntless 35976 pilot 1st Lt. Earle Bunch Whiteley (MIA).
Six B-25's bomb Sarime Plantation. A detachment of the 339th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group, ceases operating from Fighter 2 (Kukum) with P-38's and returns to New Caledonia. During
the month of Dec 43: 1. HQ XIII Fighter Command transfers from Espiritu
Santo, New Hebrides to Guadalcanal. 2. The 68th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group, based on Fiji ceases operating from Guadalcanal with P-39's.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): 40+ B-24's bomb Wewak, the B-24's and P-47 escorts claiming 11 enemy fighters
shot down out of interception force of about 50; 3 B-24's are lost including: B-24D "Ten Knights in a Bar Room" 42-72806 (MIA), B-24D-145-CO "Pistol Packin' Mama II" 42-41209 (MIA) and B-24D "Lobo" 42-40830 (MIA). Sixteen A-20's hit the Cape
Gloucester area.
35 B-25's and B-26's bomb the Borgen Bay area. The 20th Combat
Mapping Squadron, 4th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), begins a movement
from Brisbane to Port Moresby with B-24's
and F-7's. They will fly their first mission on 5 Apr 44. The 387th Bombardment
Squadron (Dive), 312th Bombardment Group (Dive) arrives at Port Moresby from the US with P-40's. The squadron and group will be redesignated
Bombardment Group/Squadron on 6 Dec. During the month of Dec 43: 1.
The 90th Bombardment Group (90th BG) and the 319th Bombardment
Squadron (319th BS), 320th Bombardment
Squadron (320th BS), 321st Bombardment
Squadron (321st BS) and 400th Bombardment
Squadron (400th BS) transfer from Port Moresby to Dobodura with B-24's. The 82d Fighter Squadron (Reconnaissance), 71st Reconnaissance
Group, based at Dobodura with P-39's sends a detachment to Finschhafen. Lost on a local flight is C-47A "The Amazon" 42-23659 pilot 1st Lt. James L. Nollkamper (crew rescued).
USMC: 2d Tank Bn scouts find Maiana Atoll in the Gilbert Islands (Kiribati) free of enemy, concluding their mission.
USN: Naval Air Ferry Command is established.
Lost is F6F Hellcat 26179 (MIA).
Submarine Bonefish (SS-223) sinks Japanese transport Nichiryo Maru in Celebes Sea, 01°02'N, 120°52'E.
Submarine Pargo (SS-264) sinks Japanese transport Shoko Maru north of Ulithi, 14°24'N, 140°40'E.
Submarine Peto (SS-265) sinks Truk-bound Japanese transport Konei Maru, 01°16'N, 146°45'E, and escapes countermeasures by torpedo boat Otori.
