February 14, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 1944

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): P-51s and A-36s carry out 70+ sorties against a variety of targets in Burma; targets include the supply area at Shingban, a truck convoy N of Maingkwan, supply dumps and motor transport in the Kamaing area, a bivouac near Mogaung, troop and vehicle concentrations between Mogaung and Kamaing, artillery positions at Laawn Ga, and railroad station and warehouses at Lundaung.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): 40+ B-24s from the 11th and 90th Bombardment Groups (Heavy), flying out of Makin and Tarawa strike Ponape in the first Seventh Air Force raid on the Caroline Islands; two of the B-24s hit the alternate target Emidj.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): A-20s with P-40 support, bomb and strafe Dagua Airfield destroying and damaging 20+ aircraft. Lost are P-40N 42-104986 pilot 1st Lt. Nelson D. Flack, Jr. (rescued) and P-47D 42-22662 pilot 2nd Lt. John H. Hartsfield (MIA). Crashed in an emergency landing attempt is L-5A 42-98066 pilot MSgt Eugene A. Salternik (survived). 80+ plus B-25s pound Momote Airfield. 40+ B-24s bomb the airfields at Kavieng Airfield and Panapai. 20th Combat Mapping Squadron, 6th Photographic Group (6th PRG) moves from Port Moresby to Nadzab with F-7s; first mission is April 5, 1944.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): Over Bougainville the weather clears, permitting the first attacks, by nineteen B-25s on Kara and Kahili, in recent weeks; P-39s attack Puriata River bridges. P-40s and USN fighters escort a USN dive-bomber raid on Tobera gun positions and airfield revetments; 4 B-25s also bomb and strafe Tobera with eighteen parked Zeros in a line were strafed with four damaged. Thirty escorted B-25s pound Vunakanau Airfield while 28 B-24s, also with escort, bomb Rapopo Airfield; B-24s bomb the Rabaul area as a diversionary strike while USMC TBFs lay mines in Simpson Harbor at dark. Americans claim one Zero by a Corsair and one Zero by B-24 gunners.

IJN: Over Rabaul, the Japanese scrambled forty-eight Zeros to intercept the Allied air raid and claimed two victories with one Zero lost. Damaged to airfields forced the Zeros to land at alternate airfields until runway repairs could be made. Meanwhile, Japanese planes spotted the Allied invasion force bound for Green Island. In response, the Japanese at Rabaul launch an air raid by 15 Vals, 10 Kates, 6 Bettys and a seaplanes. Over the Allied invasion force, two Vals scored a direct hit and near misses on USS St. Louis (CL-49) that resulted in 23 killed and 27 wounded. A total of eight Japanese planes were lost in the attack.

USN: The invasion force bound for Green Island consists of nine destroyer transports, twelve LCIs, and seven LSTs, with seventeen escorting destroyers. Two covering forces include two light cruisers and five destroyers each. Lost i PV-1 33361 pilot Lt. John W. Baker (MIA) after take off from Tarawa Airfield.

USMC: At night, TBF Avengers from VMTB-233 drop aerial mines in Simpson Harbor. Six are lost: TBF 47506 pilot 1st Lt. Hugh L. Cornelius (3 POW died in captivity), TBF 06311 pilot 1st Lt. John F. Bartholf, Jr. (3 MIA), TBF 24264 pilot 1st Lt. James W. Boyden (3 MIA), TBF 24340 pilot 1st Lt. Robert W. Sherman (1 POW died in captivity, 2 MIA), TBF 25327 pilot 1st Lt. James L. Fowler (3 MIA), TBF 25316 pilot 1st Lt. Alonzo N. Hathway, Jr. (3 MIA).

References
South Pacific Air War (2024) pages 532-533 (February 14, 1944)
"The fourteenth started with four B-25s carrying out a surprise strafing and bomb attack on Tobera . Eighteen Zeros in a line were strafed . Four were damaged . In subsequent attacks, air claims were limited to one Zeke by a Corsair and one Zeke by a B-24 . The Japanese scrambled forty-eight Zeros, claimed two certain victories with one fighter lost . Airfield attacks were dis- rupting Japanese operations . Fighters were forced to land at alternate airfields, waiting for the runway at their base airfield to be repaired . Aircraft maintenance and pilot rest were deferred . Damage was inflicted by Fifth Air Force light and medium bombers on Kavieng, which was becoming a regular target ."