February 17, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 17 FEBRUARY 1944

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 38 A-36s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance hit troops and supplies from Lonkin to Kamaing; Six P-51s hit supply areas along roads around Lonton and Manywet; 2 others hit a road junction near Maingkwan; 2 B-25s and 6 P-51s strike a road bridge, railroad station, and rail cars in the Pyingaing area; 2 B-25s and 6 P-51s attack but fail to damage a bridge near Ye-u.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): Four B-25s on a sweep of the Gulf of Tonkin score 2 direct hits on a freighter at Vinh, damage a bridge approach and locomotive at Yen Xuon Station, and destroy a locomotive at Yen Ly Station.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Tarawa and Abemama hit Ponape, Kusaie and Jaluit. P-40s strafe floatplanes off Emidj.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): Forty B-24s bomb Panapai Airfield and Talasea. 16 B-25s claim two surface vessels and a submarine sunk off New Hanover. 16 P-47's strafe targets of opportunity in the Alexishafen area. HQ 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group moves from Port Moresby to Nadzab.

USN: The Battle of Karavia Bay during the night Task Group 38.4 (TG 38.4) composed of the destroyers USS Farenholt (DD-491), USS Buchanan (DD-484), USS Lansdowne (DD-486), USS Lardner (DD-487) and USS Woodworth (DD-460) approach East New Britain near Rabaul for a shore bombardment of targets in the early hours of February 18, 1944.

"Operation Hailstone" Task Force 58 (TF-58) under the command of Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher carrier aircraft aircraft attack Truk Lagoon. 400 tons of bombs and torpedo rained down on the base. After the attacks, forty ships and thousands of men went to the bottom. Sunk are: Gosei Maru, Fujiyama Maru, Hoki Maru, Fujikawa Maru, Hoyo Maru, Tachikaze, Aikoku Maru, Nagano Maru (partial list). Lost is TBM-1C Avenger 25270 (MIA).

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 20 P-40s join 40+ USN fighters in covering an attack by 70 USN dive bombers strike shipping in Keravia Bay; eight Japanese aircraft are claimed shot down; two USN F4U Corsairs from V-17 were lost, one due to AA fire and an SBD and several planes damaged by anti-aircraft fire. Fighters hit Queen Carola Harbor, Kessa Plantation and a bridge north of Kahili. Escorts reported shooting down eight Zeros.

IJN: At Rabaul, roughly forty Zeros scrambled including 28 Zeros from 253 Kokutai and 2nd Carrier Division Zeros to intercept the Allied air raid but did not intercept the bombers over Keravia Bay but make energetic attacks against others and claim dozen Corsairs and an Avenger shot down. Lost were two Zeros from 253 Ku plus four damaged, one heavily.

Meanwhile, G4M1 Betty departs Rabaul with six Allied POWs aboard flying via Truk and then onward to Japan.


References
Siege of Rabaul (1996) page 24
Imperial Japanese Navy Aces (1998) page 33
South Pacific Air War (2024) pages 533-534 (February 17, 1944)