December 11, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 11 DECEMBER 1943

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 14 B-25's and 10 P-40's attack Shihshow and Ansiang; 3 B-24's bomb Hankow Airfield; 9 P-40's intercept about 30 Japanese airplanes over Nanchang shortly after the enemy force bombs Suichwan; the P-40's claim 10 aircraft shot down.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): On Bougainville, 16 B-25's, in two waves, attack Kahili; several other B-25's hit Arigua Plantation; 20+ B-24's bomb the village and wharf area at Tsirogei; 8 P-39's bomb Tonolai; several aircraft on armed reconnaissance, operating individually or in small flights, attack targets of opportunity scattered throughout Bougainville and the Shortland area; Allied night fighters carry out a strike on a Japanese bivouac along the Jaba River; others hit Buka and Bonis. A detachment of the 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 4th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), based on Guadalcanal begins operating from Torokina Airfield on Bougainville with F-5's.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): B-25's bomb and strafe the Borgen Bay area. B-25's and B-26's hit bivouacs and other installations near Fortification Point and in the Finschhafen area. B-24's bomb Makassar and Balikpapan. The 65th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfers from 7-Mile Drome to Dobodura with B-24's. The 80th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group transfers from Port Moresby to Dobodura with P-38's.

USN: USS Bonefish (SS-223) damages small Japanese cargo vessel Toyohime Maru, 04°03'N, 118°22'E.

IJN: Due to heavy losses, 702 Kōkūtai (702 Air Group) is disbanded at Rabaul with the remaining planes and pesonnel absorbed by 751 Kōkūtai (751 Air Group).