February 24, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 24 FEBRUARY 1943

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) All except one mission of 4 P-40s, to Kiska are called off. The P-40s make no contacts, however.

USN: Naval Air Facility Amchitka is established at Amchitka.

CBI (Tenth Air Force) In Burma, P-40s knock out the southern span of the railroad bridge northeast of Pinbaw.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) B-24s bomb Kahili and Faisi. Also, eight P-39s and eleven P-38s escort a USMC strike against Munda Airfeld.

USMC: The strike force also includes fourteen SBD Dauntless plus nine TBF Avengers led by Major J. W. Sapp, Jr. from VMSB-143 bomb Munda Airfeld escorted by eight F4F Wildcats, eight P-39s and eleven P-38s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-17s again hit shipping at Rabaul. A-20s continue to attack forces at the Guadagasal Saddle, Waipali, trails from Waipali to the Guadagasal Saddle and Mubo, and mouth of the Waria River. B-25s pound Lae, Angari, Yangla, B-25s bomb Malahang Airfield and smaller villages in the area. B-24s continue single-plane harassing strikes on shipping and airfields in coastal areas of Portugese and northeastern New Guinea and in the Solomon Sea off Cape Saint George. HQ 8th Fighter Group and 35th Fighter Squadron P-39s and P-400s transfer from Milne Bay to Mareeba. Force landed is A-20A "Yellow Fever" 40-3153 (survived).

RAAF: Returning from a mission, Hudson A16-245 ditched into Milne Bay returning from a reconnaissance mission due to bad.

USMC: Major John L. Smith is bestowed the Medal of Honor by U.S. President F. D. Roosevelt at a White House ceremony with Mrs. Louise Outland Smith, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, Maj. Gen. Harry Schmidt (USMC), Maj. Gen. Ralph J. Mitchell (USMC), Rear Adm. John S. McCain and Rear Adm. R. S. Edwards.