November 4, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 4 NOVEMBER 1993

US: War Department Operations Division recommends that current commitments to China be fulfilled; that limited bomber offensive from China be mounted; and that only 30 Ch divs be trained and equipped, plus equipment for three additional divisions in order to start training of Zebra Force.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): The Chinese-American Composite Wing enters combat on this date. It's B-25's hit Amoy and Swatom successfully bombing and strafing ground troops, supply facilities, and shipping. The B-25's claim four cargo ships badly damaged and possibly sunk.

Burma: 112th Regt, Ch 38th Div, digs in in current positions in northern Burma, since all efforts to advance have been futile and costly. 2d Bn is still short of Sharaw Ga. By this time, 1st Bn, directed against Yupbang Ga, is isolated by enemy roadblock and must be supplied by air; 3d Bn is pinned down at Ngajatzup, 30 miles SW of Ningbyen.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): Twenty-three B-24s strike Buka Airfield, dropping a total of 184 1,000 pound bombs from 19,000' escorted by eight F4U Corsairs. They meet no enemy fighter opposition.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): P-40s bomb Palmalmal (Malmal). B-24's on armed reconnaissance claim 1 vessel sunk north of New Britain.

USN: The U.S. beachhead around Torokina on western Bougainville is threatened as Japanese force, including heavy cruisers deploy from Truk to Rabaul. Task Force 38 (TF 38) with land-based air cover is ordered to strike Rabaul.

USS Seawolf (SS-197) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Kaifuku Maru 90 miles south-southwest of Hong Kong, 21°22'N, 113°20'E.

USS Silversides (SS-236) lays minefield off New Ireland; Japanese surveying ship Tsukushi and transport Ryosan Maru are sunk; light cruiser Isuzu and destroyer Isokaze, damaged.

USS Tautog (SS-199) unsuccessfully attacks Japanese convoy, 07°45'N, 134°09'E.

Navy fighter aircraft damage Japanese cargo vessel Giyu Maru, Matchin Bay, Bougainville, 05°28'S, 154°45'E.

USAAF B-25s sink Japanese cargo ship Chinko Maru, Swatow harbor, China, 23°20'N, 116°50'E; Chinko Maru carries down with her 100,000,000 Yuan in Central Reserve Bank notes.

USAAF B-24s damage Japanese cargo vessel Nissho Maru, in company with destroyer Amatsukaze, 00°20'N, 150°40'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 30 is sunk by aircraft off Palau Islands, 06°10'S, 155°35'E.

USMC: Three Landing Craft Infantry (LCI) withdraw the 2nd Parachute Battalion from Voza on Choiseul.

PBY Catalina commanded by Lt(jg) E. E. Perkey from VP-71 rescues four survivors of B-24D "Big George" 42-41155 from the sea north of Bougainville.