January 4, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY, 4 JANUARY 1943

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) Six B-24s, three B-25s, three B-26s and ten P-40s en route to Kiska, are forced back near Segula by snow squalls and low ceiling. The weather aircraft flies unsuccessful reconnaissance over Kiska and photographic reconnaissance is flown over Amchitka. An OA-10 investigates flares reported near Kagalaska Strait.

CBI (Tenth Air Force) Heavy bombers from Gaya and Pandaveswar pound the marshaling yard at Mandalay, halting the northbound flow of supplies. Tracks and cars in the southern half of the marshaling yard are heavily bombed, causing fires visible for 70 miles. Heavy bombers also damage a 15,000-ton transport at the mouth of the river at Rangoon. Meanwhile, a single B-25 and nine P-40s hit rail targets at Naba.

USN: Admiral Chester W. Nimitz replaces Admiral Theobald with Admiral Kinkaid as commander, Task Force 8 (TF 8). Rear Adm Charles H. McMorris relieves Adm W. W. Smith as commander of strike group. During the night of January 4-5, 1943 TG 67.2 cruiser-destroyer force under the command of Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth bombards Munda Airfield and Munda.

IJA: Japanese Imperial HQ issued an order authorizing "Operation Ke" to evacuate the remaining Japanese forces on Guadalcanal to New Georgia.

U.S. Army: On Guadalcanal, final echelon of 25th Div (RCT 161) arrives. 2d Mar Div hq and 6th Marines, reinf, also land, bringing 2d Mar Div nearly up to full strength. 132d Inf completes semicircle around the east of The Gifu between Hill 31 and Hill 27 with patrol contact between 1st and 3d Bns; halts and prepares defenses while awaiting relief. In 22 days of fighting on Mt Austen, 132d Inf has killed 400-500 Japanese and suffered 383 casualties.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC (Fifth Air Force) B-26s pound the Sanananda Point area as preparations for the Allied offensive in that sector underway. A-20s and B-25s hit the airfield and AA positions and buildings at Lae. B-24s on single plane flights, bomb the Lae Airfield and attack schooners off Gasmata and Cape Kwoi.

IJA: Japanese overrun outpost near Tarakena forcing patrol there to swim for Siwori village. With Tarakena spit in their possession, Japanese are able to rescue some of the survivors of Buna garrison.

U.S. Army: In New Guinea, General Herring confers with commanding officers on plan for reduction of enemy west of the Girua River.