February 11, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 1944

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 77th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 28th Bombardment Group (Composite), moves from Amchitka to Attu with B-25s.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 10 A-36s and P-51s hit the supply area at Sawnghka; 12 A-36s and P-51s and a single B-25 bomb a supply and bivouac area at Pyindaw; 8 P-51s hit a road junction near Mogaung and nearby supply area; Eight P-51s and P-40s on armed reconnaissance strafe a large river steamer and a launch in the Mandalay-Shwebo area.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 12 P-38s knock out 1 bridge and damage another at Sheklung; Six B-25s, escorted by twenty US and Chinese P-40s, bomb the storage area at Kai Tek Airfield; the P-40s claim 5 Japanese fighters shot down; Japanese aircraft bomb and strafe Namyung putting the field out of use for several days.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): P-40s and P-39s dive bomb and strafe hangar at Mille Airfield plus installations and gun positions on Mille.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): First daylight strike by about 50 B-24s bombing Kavieng Airfield. On the ground, six land attack bombers were burned or heavily damaged with three more sustaining minor damaged. Five carrier attack planes used for training were also damaged and important facilities were destroyed or damaged. Two B-24s bomb Garove Island. Seven B-24s bomb Kendari Airfield and Dili. P-40s and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft pound Japanese forces in the Saidor area. Fighter sweeps and armed reconnaissance continue over wide areas of the SWPA. 25th Liaison Squadron, 512th Photographic Wing (Provisional), arrives Lae from Brisbane with L-5s.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): P-40s join USMC Corsiars covering a USN and USMC SBDs on a strike against Vunapope; 22 B-25s, escorted by USN fighters, pound Vunakanau Airfield; Tobera Airfield is bombed by 15 B-24s with P-38 and USN fighter escort. Lost is a B-25 Mitchell with the crew rescued.

USMC: SBDs from VMSB-244 and VMSB-2441 fly a dive bombing mission against Vunapope. The SBDs conducted their dive bombing runs and caused two large fires on the docks. Thirty-six F4U Corsairs from VMF-212 escort with three aborting. Returning, intercepted by 10-15 Zeros. Lost is F4U Corsair 55908 pilot 1st Lt. Allan S. Harrison, III (MIA).

USN: SBDs from VB-98 join USMC SBDs and escorting fighters on a strike against Vunapope.

RNZAF: Lost is SBD NZ5037 (MIA) on a training flight on Espiritu Santo.

IJN: Over Rabaul, Zeros intercept the Allied air raid and claim one fighter shot down. Bombing damaged renders the runway at Lakunai Airfield unservicable from the morning until the the late afternoon.

References
NARA "VMF-212 War Diary February 1944" pages 6-7
NARA "VMF-212 Aircraft Action Report - February 11, 1944 Report No. 16" pages 23-25
South Pacific Air War (2024) pages 532 (February 11, 1944) footnote 46