December 5, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SUNDAY, 5 DECEMBER 1943

USA: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt accedes to British wishes that Operation Buccaneer be canceled, the plan for the recapture of the Andaman Islands. The Combined Chief of Staff (CCS) ask Admiral Mountbatten to suggest action to be taken in the event he loses most of his landing craft.

JAAF: Japanese planes bomb Calcutta (Kolkata) in India. They target the harbor and dock area, damaging rail roads, wharehouses and buidlings and cause panic on the ground. A total of 500 civilians were killed. U.S. freighter SS William Whipple is straddled by bombs and holed with fragments. There are no casualties among the 42-man merchant crew, but one man of the 28 man Armed Guard is injured.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): During the night of December 5-6, B-24s mine waters in the Moulmein area while five others lay mines in the Rangoon River.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 16 P-40's over the Changte area damage several large supply sampans near Ansiang and strafe various targets of opportunity in the Tehshan and Hsutu Lake areas; 20+ P-40's on patrols over the Changte area attack numerous boats and other targets throughout the nearby lake region.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): Twenty-three B-25's and 20+ USN dive bombers hit the Monoitu, Aitara Mission, and Mosigetta area; fighter patrols hit several areas on Bougainville and on Shortland, including Chabai, Numa Numa, Mosigetta, Monoitu, and Faisi.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): 40 B-24's bomb Cape Gloucester; A-20's destroy small craft off New Britain. In New Guinea, A-20's hit enemy forces in the Finschhafen area; B-25's, B-26's, and P-40's attack targets along the Bogadjim Road. The 110th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter), 71st Reconnaissance Group, arrives at Brisbane from the US with P-39Qs. The 531st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 380th Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfers from Manbulloo to Long Strip with B-24s, attached to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Force landed is F-4 Lightning 41-2122 pilot F/O Roy L. Kross (WIA, died).

USN: Destroyers bombard the Choiseul Bay area at the northwestern tip of Choiseul Island.

USS Narwhal (SS-167) sinks Japanese cargo ship Himeno Maru (ex-U.S. Dos Hermanos) off Camiquin Island, 09°09'N, 124°29'E.