THURSDAY, 21 OCTOBER 1943
CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force): The 72d Fighter Squadron, 318th Fighter Group, transfers from Hilo Field to Wheeler Field with P-39's.
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): The 530th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 311th Fighter-Bomber Group, based at Dinjan with A-36's sends a detachment to operate from Kurmitola.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): Six B-24's bomb Nawlang, Burma; the barracks area is blasted by at least 3 direct hits. 6 P-40's pound the barracks area at Kunlong, China.
SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): 12 B-25's, with an escort of 36 fighters, attack Kara Airfield. The runway and several buildings suffer direct hits. The 23d Bombardment
Squadron, 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy) based on Bomber 1 with B-24s begins operating from Guadalcanal. The 75th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 42d Bombardment Group (Medium) transfers
from Henderson Field to Renard Field with B-25's.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): 50+ B-24's bomb positions at Sattelberg; 19 B-25's follow with a low-level strike: other B-25's carry out a sweep along the Bogadjim road. In the Bismarck Archipelago, P-40's bomb Gasmata and attack 2 light cruisers off New Ireland, damaging 1 of them.
Five veteran
B-17s are flown across the Pacific back to the United States including B-17F "Lak-A-Nookie" 41-24401.
RAAF: nine aircraft from 8 Squadron were detailed to carry out a torpedo attack on enemy naval units off the east coast of New Ireland. Lost is Beaufort A9-244 (crew POW).
NEIAF: Lost is B-25D Mitchell N5-156 (pilot KIA) in the Northern Territory.
RAAF: Beaufort damages Japanese light cruiser Kiso 53 miles from Cape St. George, 04°23'S, 153°11'E.
U.S. Army: Sixth Army "Alamo Force" Headquarters moves from Milne Bay to Goodenough Island.
USN: USS Steelhead (SS-280) damages Japanese aircraft transport Goshu Maru southeast of Ulithi, Carolines, 08°16'N, 141°53'E.
Japanese cargo ship No.11 Chofoku Maru is sunk by mine while en route from Surabaya to Penang.
Japanese cargo ship Rakuto Maru is damaged by mine off Padamarang Island.
