TUESDAY, 11 APRIL 1944
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Three B-24s attempting to fly a photographic and
bombing run over Matsuwa installations, two turn back; the third bombs
the Matsuwa Airfield runway area.
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 17 P-51s and B-25s fly ground support
missions and bomb a road near Maungkan; Mogaung Valley targets are pounded by
50+ fighter-bombers and 2 B-25s; targets include HQ and stores at Sahmaw, HQ
and ammunition dump SW of Mogaung, troops at Myitkyina, and targets of opportunity
to the south, a gun position south of Kamaing, and HQ at Waingmaw.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 3 B-25s hit railroad targets
of opportunity N of Vinh and seriously damage a bridge S of Thanh Hoa.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (XX Bomber Command): Units arriving in India from the
US: HQ 444th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and 676th Bombardment Squadron (Very
Heavy) at Charra with B-29s (first mission is 5 Jun); and 25th Bombardment Squadron
(Very Heavy), 40th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), at Chakulia with B-29s (first
mission is 5 Jun).
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s
hit Ponape, rearm at Majuro, and carry out a shuttle mission against Jaluit and Maloelap.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): Thirteenth Air Task Force
(Provisional) is created by General George C Kenney, Commanding General Allied
Air Force (Southwest Pacific Area), from elements of the Thirteenth Air Force and other units. About 40 fighter-bombers hit
the E section of Rabaul while 12 others strike Talili Bay ammunition dump; 24
B-25s blast supply areas at Ratawul. On Bougainville Island, 20+ fighter-bombers
are dispatched against coastal gun positions but fail to locate their objective;
twelve of the fighter-bombers bomb Aitara while two claim destruction of a bridge
near Mawareka.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 80+ A-20s and
B-25s, supported by 30 P-47s and P-40s, blast AA positions, stores, dumps
and personnel areas at Hollandia; 50+ B-24s bomb barges, AA guns, and other
targets along Hansa Bay which is also hit by 12 B-25s. 12 other B-25s bomb
targets on Karkar Island. Lost are P-47D 42-75291 (MIA), P-47D 42-22953 (MIA) and P-47D 42-75289 (MIA). Later that afternoon, P-47D 42-76059 (MIA) while searching for the three missing P-47s.
