April 16, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 16 APRIL 1943

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eleventh Air Force) Kiska is bombed and strafed 13 times. A total of 13 B-24's, 12 B-25's, 32 P-40's, 29 P-38's, and 2 F-5A's cover targets which include installations in the Holtz Bay area and gun positions on North Head at Kiska.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force) In Burma, P-40s bomb a railroad bridge near Mogaung, score a direct hit on the target and blow up both approaches, leaving the bridge temporarily unserviceable. Later in the day the bridge near Pinbaw is demolished by direct hits. Eight B-24's hit the Rangoon Marshaling Yard, nine B-25's bomb the Thazi rail junction, while 9 more, weathered out of Maymyo, hit rail targets in Mandalay.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) In China, P-40's strafe a group of buildings east of Tenchung.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) B-17's bomb Kahili Airfield.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-24's bomb Kaimana, Wewak, Madang, and Lae. B-17s pound shipping at Wewak, leaving 3 vessels sunk or in sinking condition. B-25s bomb Vila Salazar on East Timor. Lost on a test flight is B-25C "Chatterbox " 41-13088 (survived). Lost is B-24D 41-24077 (MIA) crashed in the Eastern Highlands.

IJN: Operation I-GO: On April 16, 1943 another air raid against Milne Bay was planned but was canceled due to bad weather. This officially ended Operation A / Attack Plan Y-2. During Operation I-GO the Japanese flew a total of 80 medium bomber sorties, 115 carrier bomber sorties and 487 fighter sorties. The Japanese reported 49 planes lost or heavily damaged in entire operation (8 Bettys, 5 seriously damaged) plus 17 carrier bombers lost and two Zeros lost and two seriously damaged. The Japanese claimed 134 planes shot down and 39 uncertain claims. References: Operation A by Richard Dunn.