February 3, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 3 FEBRUARY 1944

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 16 P-38s attack bridges, encampments, and buildings along the Prome-Taungup road; 1 bridge is knocked out and another damaged; a tugboat is sunk at Akyab; 14 A-36s and a B-25 attack troops and camp area at Kumnyen and Lalawng Ga, and hit a motor pool and repair depot at Shingban; 16 P-51s hit an encampment at Sawnghka.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): P-40s from Makin bomb and strafe Mille.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): P-40s and US Navy fighters cover a USN dive-bomber strike on Tobera; 15 B-24s with P-38 and USN fighter escort bomb Lakunai Airfield; Allied aircraft claim 13 Japanese interceptors downed during the 2 strikes.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): Nearly 100 B-24s and B-25s, supported by P-38s, P-40s and P-47s, pound airfields in the Wewak area; about 80 aircraft are destroyed on the ground and in the air; A-20s attack Alexishafen and the Hansa Bay areas; P-39s and B-25s on armed reconnaissance hit trucks at Erima, barges on the New Britain coast, shipping in the northern Bismarck Sea, and Momote and Hyane Harbor. Transfers in New Guinea: HQ 3d Bombardment Group from Dobodura to Nadzab; 25th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, from Brisbane to Lae with F-5s, first mission on 5 Feb; 673d Bombardment Squadron, 417th Bombardment Group moves from Cape Sudest to Dobodura with A-20s, first mission on March 25, 1944.

USMC: Lost is F4U Corsair 56039 (MIA) and PV-1 33254. During the night of February 3-4, 1944 two PB4Y-1 Liberators from VMD-254 piloted by Major Christensen and Capitan Yawn took off from Stirling Airfield on a photographic reconnaissance of Truk on a 12 hour flight and arrive at dawn on February 4, 1944.

References
History of the Marine Corps Aviation in World War II page 205-206