February 13, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SUNDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 1944

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 6 P-51s and a B-25 damage a road bridge and 2 warehouses in the Wuntho area; 32 P-51s and A-36s hit the supply area and radio installations south of Kamaing and blast bivouacs S of Walawbum; 18 P-51s hit the road and railroad junction north of Sahmaw, a bivouac north of Kamaing and a camp between Tsumhpawng Ga and Walawbum; during the night, Sixteen B-24s bomb Heho Airfield.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 23 B-24s pound railroad shops at Vinh; 4 B-25s hit a convoy E of Foochow, China claiming 3 freighters and a transport sunk; four other B-25s damage two vessels off southwest Hainan and bomb dock, railroad, and oil dump at Bakli; Six P-40s bomb and strafe barracks and hangars at Phu Tho and strafe freight cars at Yen Bay and Suo Ha. Lost is B-25G 41-13188.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): During the night of 13/14 Feb, B-24s from Tarawa operating individually at intervals, bomb Wotje, Mille and Taroa.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 24 A-20s from the 3rd BG hit Aitape and Tadji Airfield. 70+ B-25s pound Momote Airfield and 35 B-24s bomb Kavieng Airfield.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 20 B-25s bomb Tobera Airfield and 23 B-24s of the 5th BG bomb Lakunai Airfield; both forces are escorted by fighters; P-40s and USN fighters escort USN SBDs and TBFs dive-bombing runway and AA positions at Vunakanau Airfield and resulted in six parked bombers destroyed or damaged. Escorting Corsairs claimed seven Zeros shot down.

RNZAF: P-40s from No. 18 Squadron and No. 14 Squadron escort TBFs and SBDs on a strike against Vunakanau Airfield. The Kittyhawks claimed two Zeros shot down. Lost is P-40N Kittyhawk NZ3137 pilot F/O Harold H. Souter (MIA) and lost in an aerial collison is P-40N Kittyhawk NZ3165 (MIA).

IJN: Over Rabaul, forty Zeros intercepted the Allied air raid and made aggressive attacks, claiming sixteen shot down for the loss of two Zeros.

References
South Pacific Air War (2024) pages 532 (February 13, 1944)