December 14, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 14 DECEMBER 1943

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force): Sixteen B-24's bomb Maloelap.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, thirteen B-25's, with fighter escort, bomb Shasi; two P-40's strafe supply trucks S of Tengchung. Six P-40's on armed reconnaissance strafe Gia Lam Airfield and railroad yard.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): Eighteen B-24's with fighter support, bomb positions on Sohano. Eighteen B-25's and eight fighters hit Manob village east of Buka Passage. Other 13th Air Force fighters hit gun positions, communications targets, and other targets of opportunity at scattered points in the Bougainville-Shortland areas and cover US Navy (USN) dive bomber strikes against AA positions in Chabai area.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): In the heaviest raid to date in the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA), 228 B-24's, B-25's, and A-20's strike Arawe in an almost continuous attack from 6:45am until 3:48pm. Damaged is B-24D "Career Girl" 42-41234 pilot Bratton when the left landing gear collapsed and was written off. P-39s strafe barges along the Huon Peninsula. Gasmata is hit by B-25's and B-26's. B-24's on armed reconnaissance hit Saidor, Gasmata and Unea.

RAAF: Lost is C-47 Dakota A65-3 pilot F/Lt John Donellan Balfe (crew survived) on a flight from Cooktown to Horn Island. Lost is Beaufort A9-211 pilot F/Sgt John Eardley Kenny (MIA).

U.S. Army: Final plans for operation against Cape Gloucester, New Britain, are made. It is decided not to use airborne troops as planned.

USN: Admiral Nimitz, CinCPOA, issued a revision of Operation Plan 16-43; the target date for the Marshalls operations was rescheduled to January 17, 1944.

Faulty fuel pump ignites gasoline dump that in turn explodes an ammunition dump causing a fire that destroys PT-239 at Lambu Lambu Cove, Vella Lavella, Solomons, 07°42'S, 156°47'E.

USS Herring (SS-233) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Hakozaki Maru, 33°01'N, 124°01'E.

PBY Catalina commanded by Lt(jg) F. A. Tanner from VP-14 lands off Alu Island (Pirumeri) to rescue Lt George A. Davis. During the ten minute rescue, the flying boat is fired on by 140mm Naval Guns on Poporang Island.