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: Headquarters (HQ), 468th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and 792d Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy), 793d Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy), 794th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) and 795th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) at Kharagpur; 677th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) and 679th Bombardment Squadrons (Very Heavy), 444th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) at Charra; first mission for all units is June 5, 1944.

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.