April 13, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 13 APRIL 1944

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Three B-24s fly armed reconnaissance and bombing runs over Matsuwa Airfield and installations on Onnekotan.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 90+ P-40s, P-51s and A-36s and a few B-25s carry out ground support missions near Kamaing and hit assorted targets throughout the Mogaung Valley; 12 B-25s and 11 P-51s support ground forces at Mawlu.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 28 fighters attempt to intercept but fail to make contact with 13 Japanese airplanes which bomb Namyung, China.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (XX Bomber Command): Units arriving in India with B-29s from the US: HQ 468th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and 792d, 793d, 794th and 795th Bombardment Squadrons (Very Heavy) at Kharagpur; 677th and 679th Bombardment Squadrons (Very Heavy), 444th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), at Charra; first mission for all units is 5 Jun 44.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s out of Eniwetok strike Truk; B-25s from Abemama hit Ponape; B-25s from Tarawa bomb Jaluit, rearm at Majuro and hit Maloelap.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 24 B-25s blast Talili Bay, Ratawul supply areas and Rabaul town; 40+ fighter-bombers strike the Malaguna area SW of Rabaul; seventeen fighter-bombers hit personnel and supply areas at Mosigetta, Mawareka, Meive, and Maririei. During the early morning 23 B-24s bomb Truk. 394th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Carney Field to Momote Airfield.

USN: Avengers from VT-305 bomb the runway at Lakunai Airfield.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 80+ B-24s and A-20s pound Dagua Airfield and But Airfield on the north coast of New Guinea; 33 A-20s hit Aitape; P-39s, B-25s, and B-24s fly light strikes against a variety of targets including Hansa Bay, Wakde, at Uligan, and several other points along the coast.

Australian Army: During the Battle of Bogadjim, the Australian Army 57th Infantry Battalion and 60th Infantry Battalion defeated the Japanese in the area of Stephansort and Bogadjim.