November 15, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 1944

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Eight B-25s weather-abort an armed photo reconnaissance over Paramushiru.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 19 B-25s and 16 P-51s and P-40s over SW China, W Burma, and N Indochina hit railroad targets, villages, town areas, and general targets of opportunity at or near man Pwe and Wanling, Burma; Mangshih and Tingka, China; Quang Yen, Nam Dinh, and Thanh Hoa, French Indochina.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 12 B-25s attack the airfield at Kawlin; 42 P-47s hit supplies, troop and vehicle concentrations, and targets of opportunity at Mansak, Gyogon, Banmauk, Namtao, and Wuntho; 20 support ground forces in the Pinwe area while 16 attack bypass bridges at Kawnghka and Namhkai, knocking out the latter; 8 P-47s bomb Kyaikthin rail sidings and junction, 8 strafe Anisakan Airfield, and 12 hit targets of opportunity during N Burma road sweeps. 280 transport sorties are flown.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Guam attack vessels off Haha Jima and Chichi Jima. During the night of 15/16, one B-24 from Saipan on a snooper mission, bombs Iwo Jima after failing to find shipping targets.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-25s and fighter-bombers support allied amphibious landings in Mapia Islands. In NE Celebes B-24s bomb Tanamon, Celebes while other B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers hit scattered targets of opportunity on Celebes and Halmahera. In the Philippine Islands, B-24s, with P-38 support, bomb La Carlota Airfield while B-25s hit Lahug; B-25s and fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity on Cebu and shipping off the W coast of Leyte Island; on Mindanao Island B-24s hit 3 airfields while P-38s hit shipping and other targets of opportunity; HQ 22d and 43d Bombardment Groups move from Owi to Leyte; the 8th Bombardment Squadron, 3d Bombardment Group, moves from Hollandia to Dulag; the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron, 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, moves from Biak to Dulag (air echelon continues operating from Biak with F-7s; the 80th Fighter Squadron moves from Morotai to Dulag but continues to operate from Morotai with P-38s. 68th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Group moves from Nadzab to Biak (detachment remains at Biak) with C-47s. Lost is P-61A "Skippy / Nocturnal Nemesis" 42-5502 destroyed by a Japanese air raid against Tacloban Airfield.