SATURDAY, 19 FEBRUARY 1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): 60+ A-36s and P-51s and a few B-25s hit a variety
of targets in Burma; targets including fuel and supply dumps at Manywet and in
the Shaduzup area, the Tonkin-Kansi road and a junction west of Manywet, the Mu
River bridge at Ye-u, railroad cars and tracks, locomotives, and river traffic
between Monywa and Natyekan and between Alon and Segyi; rail and road traffic
in the Bhamo and Hukawng Valley-Kamaing areas is also hit.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): B-24s, B-25s, and P-40s fly sea sweeps over wide-spread
coastal areas from the Formosa Straits to French Indochina, claiming 3 ships
sunk and others damaged; railroad bridges, trains, and other targets of opportunity
near coastal areas are also attacked.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Tarawa and Makin pound Ponape and Kusaie; B-25s from Tarawa hit Wotje while Makin based P-40s bomb and strafe Mille. US forces land on Eniwetok Island.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 12 B-25s attack shipping southwest
of New Ireland, claiming a small freighter and a patrol boat sunk and
other vessels damaged. Seven A-20s hit shipping at Kavieng.
Single B-24s and B-25s carry out armed reconnaissance over wide areas of the
Bismarck Sea. 26th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron,
6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, from Dobodura to Finschhafen with F-5s
(detachment
is at Port Moresby); 35th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, from Finschhafen to Cape Gloucester with P-40s. Crashed is C-47A Dakota 42-24398 (2 KIA, 2 WIA rescued).
USMC: Aircraft, Solomons strike Rabaul including PBJ Mitchells from Marine Bombing Squadron 413 (VMB-413).
Four F4Us Corsairs from VMF-222 led by Major Donald H. Sapp took off fat 5:10am rom Torokina Airfield on a patrol over Nissan Island (Green) without results and landed safely at 9:10am.
At 8:15am eight F4Us led by Major John P. Newlands took off from Torokina Airfield as medium cover escorting TBF Avengers on a bombing mission with SBD Dauntless against shipping in Simpson Harbor off Rabaul. Inbound, two F4Us abort due to mechanical issues. Anti-aircraft fire was meager and inaccurate from heavy and medium guns. The six F4Us spotted at least twenty enemy fighters and engaged in a dog fight. Lost is F4U Corsair 17460 pilot 1st Lt. Robert A. Schaeffer (survived) rescued by PBY Catalina the next day. The other five returned safely at 11:40am. At 11:15am four F4Us took off from Torokina Airfield led by Captain Winfred O. Reid on a patrol over Nissan Island (Green) without results and landed safely at 2:55pm.
Three F4U Corsairs from VMF-216 piloted by Mahoney, Patton and McGowan took off at 6:15am on a medium altitude patrol mission over Nissan (Green) with McGowan aborting early due to an oil leak and returned to land at 8:00am. The other two complete the patrol and land safely at 9:15am. At 9:00am eleven Corsairs
in three divisions took off on a mission to escort B-24 Liberators over Lakunai Airfield near Rabaul. Over the target at 10:55am, the bombers switched to their secondary target Vunakanau Airfield where roughly 20-30 planes were spotted lined up on the runway. The weather was clear and visibility unlimited. Anti-aircraft fire was inaccurate of moderate intensity from both heavy and medium guns in the vicinity of Tobera, Rapopo and southeast Keravat and Vunakanau. A total of 12-15 Zekes were spotted in groups of 2-3 at various altitudes. Two reported as "Tojos" [sic Zekes] were reportedly painted all black. One contact was made after the bombing run, a single Zeke attacked the last plane in Lt. Taylor's 2nd division at 19,000'. Spotted, Lt. Taylor pulled up to engage and fired a short burst followed by two more short bursts and saw it hit, pour smoke and rolled over in a dive but did not see it crash. All planes returned safely landing at 12:10pm. Four F4U Corsairs took off at 12:2pm on a patrol over Nissan (Green) without result and landed safely at 3:00pm.
Lost is
SBD-4 Dauntless 10350 pilot 1st Lt. Hobart Kemp (KIA) shot down by U.S. Army anti-aircraft fire while returning to land.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 20
P-40s and 40+ USN fighters escort about 70 USN dive bombers in an attack on Lakunai Airfield. Escorts estimate they were intercepted by fifty Zeros and claim 21 Zekes and an unidentified aircraft shot down. Immediately afterwards, six more B-24s
bomb Lakunai Airfield. 14 B-24s, with P-38 and USN fighter
escort, strike Tobera Airfield. Thirty-five escorting Corsairs and Lightnings spotted about fifteen Zekes and two Tojos [sic] and claim two shot down. 12th Fighter Squadron, 18th Fighter Group, based
on Guadalcanal with P-38s, begins operating from Stirling. 69th
Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 42d Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from the Renard Field to Stirling with
B-25s.
IJN: At Rabaul, 36 Zeros scramble to intercept the U.S. air raid and claim 31 shot down with five Zeros lost. During the day, more Japanese planes depart Rabaul bound for Truk including 21 Vals and Kates.
References
South Pacific Air War (2024) pages 534 (February 19, 1944)
