February 10, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 1944

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): 9 B-24s bomb the Ban Mah arsenal at Bangkok and Don Maung Airfield immediately to the N. In Burma, 3 B-24s bomb Prome and Akyab, 9 B-25s pound Chiradan and Godusara, and 16 P-51s hit barracks and a road at Chishidu.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 8 P-40s bomb Wanling and vicinity while 3 others fly top cover; the target area, a supply staging and training center, is heavily damaged; 5 B-24s during the night of 9/10 Feb mine the mouth of the Yangtze River; B-25s on sea sweeps claim two freighters sunk near Hainan and southwest of Hong Kong; Twelve P-51s and P-38s strafe boats and parked aircraft in the Chiuchiang area; Twelve P-40s strafe power boats and sampans along the Yangtze River from Puchi to Yoyang.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s from Tarawa hit Wotje and Maloelap; nine B-24s from Abemama sent to bomb a weather and radio station on Rongelap Island, abort due to a fuel leak in the lead B-24; an attempt to bomb Jaluit during the return flight is unsuccessful.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): P-40s, USMC and USN fighters cover a USN dive-bomber attack on Vunakanau Airfield; B-25s with fighter escort bomb the same target later in the day; Tobera is pounded by 21 B-24s supported by P-38s and USN fighters; the Allied aircraft claim 30+ aircraft downed in the New Britain area. P-39s hit buildings at Bonis and barges in Matchin Bay and near Green Island.

USMC: Lost are F4U Corsair 02566 (rescued) and TBF Avenger 25303 (KIA).

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 50+ B-24s bomb Boram Airfield and Wewak Harbor. 6 B-25s and a B-24 hit Momote Airfield and jetties at Manus. P-39s strafe targets of opportunity during a sweep over wide areas of New Britain. The junction of Allied forces from Arawe and Cape Gloucester marks the completion of the campaign for the W end of New Britain; occasional missions will still be flown in the area, but most will be restricted to barge sweeps and patrols. Lost is C-47 Dakota 42-92051 (1 MIA, 3 survived).

RAAF: P-40K Kittyhawk A29-183 force lands at Vivigani Airfield.


IJN: Combined Fleet warships Musashi (lasy IJN battleship at Truk) with Oyodo escorted by destroyers Hatsuharu, Michishio, Shiratsuyu and Tamanami depart Truk bound for Yokosuka after being spotted by two PB4Y-1 Liberators on February 4, 1944 during a photographic reconassiance mission. The Musashi is the last IJN battleship to depart Truk.