February 27, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology
SATURDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 1943
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) Six B-24s, six B-25s and four P-38s bomb and
strafe the Main Camp area on Kiska. On the return trip, a weather aircraft flies reconnaissance and makes a bombing
and strafing run on Attu and
nearby barges with negative results.
CBI (Tenth Air Force) In Burma, 24 P-40s
bomb and strafe Waingmaw. Direct hits are scored on a warehouse and fuel and
ammunition dump. B-24s sink Japanese cargo vessel Asakasan Maru 95 miles southeast of Rangoon at 15°53'N, 97°40'E.
SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) P-40s and P-38s
join Navy aircraft in an attack on small vessels off Vella
Lavella with hits claimed on two vessels, damaging Kirikawa Maru. Lost is P-40F pilot Lewis and P-38G pilot Fred S. Brown (MIA).
IJN: Kirikawa Maru is damaged by U.S. planes then scuttled by her escorts.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) In New Guinea, B-25s
hit Japanese-occupied villages in the Labu area. B-17s, operating individually,
strafe a schooner off Matiu Point and bomb Finschhafen
Airfield. F-4 Lightning from 17th PRS makes a photographic
run from 32,500' over Ballale.
U.S. Army: 162d Inf, U.S. 41st Div arrives Milne Bay.
USMC: Lost is F4U-1 Corsair
02171 pilot 1st Lt. Walter A. Franklin, Jr. (KIA).
USN: SBDs and F4Us, escorted by USAAF P-38s and P-40s, attack Japanese convoy off northeast coast of Vella Lavella, damaging transport Kirikawa Maru despite efforts of escorting minesweeper W-22 and submarine chaser CH-26, one of which scuttles the burning ship.
USS Grampus (SS-207) possibly damages Japanese minesweeper W-22 off Kolombangara.
USS Plunger (SS-179) torpedoes Japanese oiler Iro 130 miles west of Jaluit at 06°09'N, 167°18'E Afterwards, Katori Maru tows the crippled ship to Kwajalein for repairs.
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