August 20, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST 1943

CBI: Army Air Forces, India-Burma Sector, China-Burma-India Theater is activated at New Delhi. Lieutenant General George E Stratemeyer assumes command. Components include the Tenth Air Force, China-Burma-India Air Service Command (Provisional),  China-Burma-India Training Unit (Provisional) and several lesser units.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): X Air Force Service Command (AFSC) personnel and organizations are absorbed by CBI ASC (Prov), see above.  Brigadier General Robert C Oliver, Commanding General X AFSC, becomes  Commanding General CBI ASC (Prov).

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): Six B-25's, with fighter escort,  bomb Tien Ho Airfield, they claim five interceptors shot down. 15 P-40's intercept 21 fighters over Kweilin; 2 P-40's and 2 Zekes are shot down.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): HQ XIII Bomber Command transfers from Espiritu Santo to Guadalcanal.

USN: Admiral Nimitz, CinCPOA, submitted on outline plan for the Marshalls operation which assumed the success or continued progress of operations in the Gilberts and in the New Guinea and New Britain area.

USMC: 155mm gun batteries of the 9th Defense Battalion support the U.S. Army offensive on Baanga.

U.S. Army: 43d Div troops complete the offensive on Baanga, sealing off the southern peninsula. Action on Baanga has cost 52 killed and 110 wounded. A search of rest of island and of islands leading northward to Diamond Narrows is uneventful. Baanga was secured by elements of the 43d Division supported by artillery at Munda. The remaining Japanese withdraw from southern Baanga to other islands. In New Guinea, General Blamey takes command of New Guinea Force, releasing Gen Herring, who proceeds to Dobodura to command Aus I Corps.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): 24 B-24's, escorted by 46 P-38's, hit Boram Airfield in the late morning; P-38's claim 19 fighters shot down. Damaged and force landed is B-24D "Joltin Janie II" 42-40233. A-20's bomb Lae and hit the Salamaua area where enemy forces have abandoned positions on Mount Tambu and Komiatum Ridge and are manning last-ditch defensive position at Salamaua. B-25's strafe barges near Cape Gloucester. Lost is P-38G 43-2201 pilot 2nd Lt. Earl W. Smith (MIA), P-38H pilot Camp (KIA, BR) and B-24D "Miss Carriage" 41-24207 (MIA / POW).