MONDAY, 24 JANUARY 1944
(CBI) CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, B-25's on sea sweeps claim sinking
of a merchant ship W of Nampang , 2 freighters, a cargo-passenger vessel, and
a coastal cargo boat anchored in Li-Shan Bay, and a cargo-passenger vessel
at Paichuan .
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): Twenty-four A-24s from Makin supported by twelve P-39's and 7 P-40's, hit gun positions, storage
areas, and barracks on Mille. In the late afternoon, 8 B-25's, staging
through Makin bomb Wotje Airfield. During the night of 24/25
Jan, 9 B-25's from Tarawa and 12 B-24's from the Ellice bomb
several targets in Maloelap. A single B-24 bombs Mille.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): A large concentration of
USAAF, USN, USMC, and RNZAF fighters support USN and USMC TBF's dive-bombing
shipping in Simpson Harbor and Keravia Bay; several 300' to 500' vessels are damaged or sunk; U.S. aircraft claim 20+ fighters shot
down.
USMC: Ditched is F4U 02285 (rescued).
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 40+ B-24's
bomb Wewak Airfield and Boram Airfield; 50+ B-25's and P-47's hit Madang and troops
in the vicinity and bomb the Hansa Bay area; 38 other B-25's attack shipping
and harbor installations on Manus. HQ 22d Bombardment Group (Medium) and 19th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) transfer from Dobodura to Nadzab with B-26's. They are transitioning to B-24's and will be redesignated
a Heavy unit on 3 Feb.
