January 22, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 22 JANUARY 1944

AMERICAN ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): HQ 343d Fighter Group transfers from Amchitka to Attu.

(CBI) BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 16 B-24's bomb an encampment at Prome; 16 A-36's and P-51's and a single B-25 attack communications and supply dumps between Kumnyen and Ngamaw Ga; 12 A-36's and P-51's support ground forces in the Sumprabum area; 11 P-40's severely damage the Namkwin railroad bridge. 492d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfers from Panagarh to Madhaiganj with B-24's.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 11 P-40's and 5 P-51's strafe the newly opened Nanchang Airfield, killing about 20 troops and destroying an airplane and a truck; 12 P-38's knock out bridges at Shektan and Sheklung.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): Eighteen B-24's, flying from Tarawa hit targets on Kwajalein, Jaluit and Mille; 10 B-25's from Abemama hit Maloelap; 9 others, flying out of Tarawa, bomb shipping and shore installations at Wotje; 3 B-25's are lost during the day's missions including B-25G 42-64948 (MIA) and B-25G 42-64949 (MIA). The bombers claim ten Japanese aircraft are claimed shot down.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force) / USMC: 27 B-25's, escorted by 90+ fighters including 16 Corsairs from VMF-321 (11 F4U Corsairs and 5 FG Corsairs) plus P-38s, P-40s and F6Fs and RNZAF P-40s attack Lakunai Airfield, doing considerable damage to runway and revetment areas; they claim 18 Japanese aircraft; 1 B-25 and 4 fighters are lost including B-25D 41-30658 pilot F/O William A. Snyder (MIA), P-38 pilot Studley (rescued), FG Corsair 13270 pilot 1st Lt. Lelen T. Wardle (MIA) and FG Corsair 14212 pilot 1st Lt. Eugene V. Smith (rescued). Also, 6 B-25's and 30+ B-24's pound the town of Rabaul.

RNZAF: Twelve P-40s from 15 Squadron escorted USAAF B-25s over Rabaul. Lost was P-40N NZ3186 (MIA).

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-25's strafe villages, bridges, and barges from Cape Gourdon to Cape Croisilles and hit shipping at Papitalai, Los Negros sinking a small vessel and a barge and severely damaging a jetty. A-20's, P-40's and RAAF aircraft hit numerous scattered targets of opportunity on New Britain. Lost on a test flight is P-38G 42-12711 (KIA).