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.

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.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): In the early morning, pairs of TBFs dropped 100 pound bombs on Lakunai Airfield, Rapopo Airfield and Tobera Airfield. During the day, P-40s, USMC and USN fighters escort 60 SBDs and 24 TBFs striking Vunakanau Airfield and are intercepted by Zeros. Escorts claim ten shot down plus one by a TBF. Lost are F4U Corsair 02566 pilot 2nd Lt. Jack G. Morris (rescued) shot down by a Zero. TBF Avenger 25303 pilot 1st Lt. Francis K. Gundlach (KIA) hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed on the north shore of the Warangoi River.

A second strike by P-38s and USN fighters escort 21 B-24s bomb Tobera Airfield. Intercepting Zeros release aerial bombs above the formation that cause only minor damage and press dozens of firing passes. Several B-24s were hit, including one that returned with twenty-three 20 mm hits, a knocked-out nosewheel, and a wounded co-pilot. Gunners claim 9 Zeros and 4 probables. Escorting P-38s claim ten Zeros. Later in the day a second strike by, B-25s with fighter escort bomb Vunakanau Airfield. In total, Allied aircraft claim 30+ aircraft shot down in the New Britain area. P-39s hit buildings at Bonis and barges in Matchin Bay and near Green Island.

IJN: At Rabaul, Zeros are scrambled to intercept the U.S. air raids 43 Zeros against the first and 42 against the second. They claim 36 shot down for the loss of four Zeros with 8 Zeros damaged in combat and 3 parked Zeros.

At Truk, after being spotted by two PB4Y-1 Liberators on February 4, 1944 during a photographic reconassiance mission Musashi, the last battleship at Truk with Oyodo escorted by destroyers Hatsuharu, Michishio, Shiratsuyu and Tamanami depart Truk bound for Yokosuka.

References
South Pacific Air War (2024) pages 532 (February 10, 1944)