December 18, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 18 DECEMBER 1943

CBI: Chiang Kai-shek gives Gen Stilwell full command of Ch troops in India and in the Hukawng Valley of Burma.

China: Japanese planes strike Kunming in preparation for offensive against India.

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force): Fourteen B-24's bomb Mille Atoll. Returning, B-24D "The Gremlin / Sexy Sue II Mother of Ten" 41-23952 crash lands at Makin Airfield. The 46th and 72d Fighter Squadrons, 15th Fighter Group, transfer from Canton and Wheeler Field respectively to Makin with P-39's. The 531st Fighter-Bomber Squadron, Seventh Air Force, transfers from Canton to Makin with A-24s.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 27 B-24's, supported by 28 P-40's, pound the airfield at Namsang; some of the P-40's strafe Laihka Airfield; Two B-25's on a sea sweep claim damaging hits on a freighter and a tanker in the Hainan Straits; 5 B-25's bomb the southwestern part of Nanhsien.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): Ten B-24's bomb the Kahili supply area. Five B-24smore hit the Bonis supply area, and 19 others hit targets in the Chabai-Porton area; 5 B-25's carry out low-level strike on troop concentrations at Poroporo and 11 bomb Korovo; B-24's, operating individually and in small flights, on armed reconnaissance attack Kahili, Kieta, and Poporang; fighters strafe targets of opportunity at Numa Numa, Cape Pui Pui, and the east coast of Buka.

USN: Lost is SBD Dauntless 35961 (MIA).

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): Preinvasion air operations against Cape Gloucester area are intensified. 70+ B-24's, B-25's, and B-26's bomb Cape Gloucester; 20+ B-25's bomb the Borgen Bay area; and nearly 40 B-24's hit Hoskins Airfield. 33 A-20's bomb and strafe dumps and bivouacs north of Finschhafen.

JAAF: Four Ki-43 Oscars of the 248th Sentai joined with Ki-43 Oscars of the 59th Sentai and flew a fighter sweep to Arawe along with Ki-61 Tonys. The U.S. Army Air Force reference history described the combat: “[E]nemy pilots displayed considerable skill and aggressiveness. This was especially true on 18 December when 16 P-38s of the 475th FG, 433rd FS jumped by 10 to 15 ZEKES (sic), OSCARS, and TONYS at midday. The P-38s dove through the enemy fighters and were in turn jumped by about 15 fighters, which had been hiding in cumulous clouds. Definitely on the defensive and outmaneuvered, the P-38s destroyed only three of the enemy while losing two P-38s…” The 248th Sentai claimed one P-38 shot down and no losses. The Japanese lost a single Ki-61 Tony fighter. Lost in an aerial collision is P-38H "Regina Coeli" 42-66856 (survived).

USN: USS Aspro (SS-309) attacks Japanese convoy, damaging fleet tankers Sarawak Maru and Tenei Maru at about 24°10'N, 124°40'E, and escapes counterattacks by destroyer Shiokaze.

USS Cabrilla (SS-288) lays mines off Saracen Bay, Cambodia, French Indochina.

USS Grayback (SS-208) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Gyokurei Maru east-northeast of Naha, Okinawa, 26°30'N, 128°19'E, and escapes counterattacks by destroyer Numakaze.

USMC: The occupation of the hill mass dominating the area between the Piva and Torokina Rivers, begun on 27 November, was completed when the 1st and 3d Battalions, 21st Marines, captured Hallzapoppin Ridge.

IJA: A Japanese unit landed at Omoi and march overland toward U.S. Army's perimeter at Arawe.