February 26, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 1944

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): XI Bomber Command (Air Striking Group Task Group 90.1) is directed to conduct armed photographic reconnaissance missions over the Kuriles day or night as weather permits. HQ 28th Bombardment Group (Composite) moves from Adak to Shemya.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 15 B-25s and P-51s demolish warehouses in Naba and Hopin, attack bridges at Yeu, Bawgyo and Tantabin, and strafe railroad cars and tracks at Tangon, Namyao, and Pyintha; the Tantabin bridge is rendered unusable while approaches of the Ye-u and Bawgyo bridges are damaged.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): Eleven B-25s from Nanning attack targets at Tourane, destroying 5 warehouses and a hangar at Tourang Airfield and a locomotive and four buildings at the railroad yard.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s from Tarawa and Abemama attack Wotje and Jaluit; P-40s from Makin bomb and strafe targets on Mille. 27th and 38th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 30th Bombardment Group (Heavy), based on Nanumea begin operating from Abemama and Makin respectively with B-24s.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): P-40s join USN fighters in covering a USN dive bomber strike on Vunapope supply and shipping facilities; 22 B-25s with fighter support, follow up with the day's second strike on Vunapope; shortly afterwards, seventeen P-38s strike the same target; twelve P-39s bomb and strafe Monoitu, Ruisei, Makapeko and Mawareka.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-24s bomb Wewak and Momote; B-25s, along with P-39s, hit the Madang-Alexishafen area and A-20s hit Angorum. B-24 flies a reconnassiance mission over Waigeo Island.

USN: Launched is USS Bennington (CV-20) at New York Naval Shipyard in Brooklyn, NY named for Bennington, Vermont the site of the Battle of Bennington during the Revolutionary War sponsored by the wife of Congressman Melvin Maas of Minnesota