October 13, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 13 OCTOBER 1943

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Eleven P-40's unsuccessfully intercept eight Japanese medium bombers attacking Massacre Bay and Attu Airfield.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): Japanese fighters appear in strength over Sumprabum, Burma to attack over-the-Hump flights. The enemy evades US patrols and shoots down 3 transports. A fighter-bomber offensive against airfields in Burma from which fighters might operate against Hump transports opens with an attack by P-40's on Myitkyina.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): Three B-25's on a sea sweep off SE China hit shipping in Amoy Harbor, claiming one freighter sunk and another damaged.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): A detachment of the 17th Photographic Squadron, 4th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group, based on Guadalcanal with F-5s begins operating from Munda Airfield. The air echelons of "C" and "D" Flights are still in the US.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): 100+ B-24's and B-25's bomb Rabaul; bad weather forces the bombers to turn back, but 40+ B-24's hit targets including Hoskins, Lindenhafen, Cape Gloucester and Gasmata. Lost are B-24D 42-40934 pilot Captain Hughie R. Bonner (MIA), P-38G 42-12856 pilot 1st Lt. Frank G. Wunder, Jr. (MIA), P-38G 42-12698 pilot 1st Lt. Ralph L. Hays (MIA), P-38H "Charlcie Jeann" 42-66516 pilot 1st Lt. Theron D. Price (MIA) and P-38H 42-66919 pilot Jones (rescued)