April 16, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SUNDAY, 16 APRIL 1944

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 12 B-25s hit a bridge over the Mogaung River while 9 others, along with 12 P-51s, hit a warehouse and railroad station at Mohnyin; 9 P-38s destroy 3 medium bombers at Zayatkwin near Rangoon while two P-51s hit Anisakan Airfield, destroying two airplanes.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (XX Bomber Command): 768th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy), 462d Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), arrives at Piardoba with B-29s; first mission is 5 June.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s staging through Eniwetok strike Truk; B-25s from Abemama hit Maloelap and Mille, using Majuro as a rearming base between the strikes.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 15 B-24s bomb the runway at Satawan. On New Britain, 24 B-25s hit the Ratawul supply area and alternate target of Raluana. 30+ fighter-bombers attack area inland from Toboi Wharf at Rabaul. 23d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy) moves from Munda to Momote with B-24s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): Meanwhile, P-39s hit a wooded area and communications targets along Hansa Bay and attack villages and supply dumps from Bogia to Uligan Harbor; P-38s hit Madang area; B-24s fly a light strike against Wakde; other aircraft, operating singly or in pairs, attack targets of opportunity on the north coast of New Guinea and southeast coast of New Britain. Other B-25s bomb Koepang.

Royal Navy: The British Eastern Fleet Task Force 69 (TF 69) under the command of Admiral James F. Somerville departs Trincomalee with battleship HMS QUEEN ELISABETH, HMS VALIANT and French Richelieu, cruisers HMS NEWCASTLE, HMS NIGERIA, HMS CEYLON, HMNZS GAMBIA and Dutch Hr.Ms. TROMP and destroyers HMS ROTTERHAM, HMS RACEHORSE, HMS PENN, HMS PETARD, Dutch Hr.Ms. VAN GALEN, HMAS NAPIER, HMAS NEPAL, HMAS NIZAM and HMAS QUIBERON joined by Vice Admiral (later Admiral of the Fleet/Sir) Arthur J. Power's (former CO of ARK ROYAL) British Eastern Fleet Task Force Task Force 70 consisting of carriers HMS Illustrious (87) and USS Saratoga (CV-3), battlecruiser HMS RENOWN, cruisers HMS CEYLON and HMNZS GAMBIA and destroyers HMS QUILLIAM, HMS QUADRANT, HMS QUEENBOROUGH, USS CUMMINGS, USS DUNLAP and USS FANNING.

"Black Sunday"
170+ B-24s, B-25s and A-20s bomb Hollandia town and airfield and numerous other targets in the Hollandia area. Returning from the mission, the aircraft meet a massive weather front of cloud, rain and thunderstorms that causes 46 aircraft to be lost due to bad weather while others managed to land at Saidor Airfield and other forward airfields. Afterwards, the mission was dubbed "Black Sunday" and was the largest operational loss suffered by the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. In total, forty-six planes were lost due to all causes.

1. A-20G 43-86563  pilot Dower force landed Yami Airfield
2. A-20G "Barry's Baby I.N.S." 42-86768  force landed Saidor Airfield damaged striking P-47D "Dirty Old Man" afterwards repaired
3. A-20G "Benny's Baby" 42-86772  pilot Benskin, crew resuced
4. A-20G "Powerful Katrinka" 42-86713  damaged landing at Saidor Airfield, later repaired
5. A-20G 42-86615  force landed Yamai Airfield
6. A-20G "Hell'N Pelican II" 42-86786  pilot Davidson gunner McKenna, crew rescued
7. A-20G "Joy Baby" 43-9039  pilot Sanders gunner force landed, crew rescued
8. A-20G "The Texan" 43-9098  pilot Smart gunner Music (2 MIA)
9. A-20G "Honeybunch" 43-9186  landing gear collapsed at Saidor Airfield, afterwards repaired
10. A-20G 43-9399  pilot Aamodt impacted B-25D landing at Saidor Airfield, later repaired
11. A-20G 43-9401  pilot Crow force landed Saidor Airfield
12. A-20G 43-9488  pilot Jovanovich (1 rescued 2 MIA)
13. A-20G 43-9491  pilot unknown (survived)
14. A-20G "Lady Constance" 43-9628  pilot Gibbons gunner Rhodes, crew rescued
15. A-20G 43-9629  pilot Davidson (survived) force landed Yami Airfield near Saidor
16. A-20G "In The Mood" 43-9669  pilot Gresen gunner ? (survived)
17. B-24D "Here T'is" 42-72946  pilot Cooley (10 MIA) wreckage found 2001, case resolved 2006
18. B-24J 42-109977  22nd BG, 19th BS damaged landing at Saidor Airfield
19. B-24J 42-100225  pilot Paschal (MIA) wreckage found 2002, case resovled 2005
20. B-24J 42-109975  pilot Rayzor crashed near Gusap crew remains recovered
21. B-24J 42-110000 pilot Robert C. Stone crew bailed out 20 miles northeast of Bogadjim some rescued others missing (MIA)
22. F-7A 42-73042  pilot Harms force landed at Saidor Airfield afterwards written off
23. B-25D 41-30337 while landing at Saidor Airfield collided with F-5A 42-67350
24. B-25D "Sweet Jeanne" 41-30189   written off at Saidor Airfield
25. B-25D "Seven Day Leave" 41-30611  written off at Saidor Airfield
26. B-25G "Old War Horse" 42-64867 damaged at Saidor Airfield and written off
27. B-25D "Stingeroo" 41-30020 ditced off Karkar Island, crew rescued
28. B-25D "Tinkie" 41-30315 pilot Waggle (MIA)
29. B-25D "Fer de Lance" 41-30527 pilot 1st Lt. Maturi force landed Yami Airfield, crew rescued
30. F-5A 42-67350 pilot 1st Lt. Donald Christian while landing at Saidor Airfield collided with B-25D 41-30337
31. P-38H 42-66668  pilot 2nd Lt. Robert R. Keown (MIA) remains recovered, case resolved December 13, 2018
32. P-38H 42-66832  pilot 1st Lt. Lawrence Reeves (MIA)
33. P-38H 42-66555  pilot 2nd Lt Walter H. Mikucky (MIA)
34. P-38H 42-66???  pilot 1st Lt. Eugune Zielinski (rescued)
35. P-38J 42-104310  pilot Lt. Stanley Northrup
36. P-38J 42-104352  pilot 2nd Lt. Joe Price crash landed Saidor Airfield
37. P-38J 42-104015  pilot 1st Lt Tomberg bail out returned to duty
38. P-38J 42-104351  pilot 1st Lt. Wire ditched off Yamai
39. P-38J 42-104355  pilot 2nd Lt. MacDonald, POW executed mid April 1944
40. P-38J 42-104381  pilot 1st Lt. Yarbrough (MIA)
41. P-38J 42-104385 pilot 1st Lt. Neely (MIA)
42. P-38J 42-104390 pilot 1st Lt. Longman (MIA) reamins recovered, case resolved
43. P-38J 42-67594 pilot 1st Lt. Hubner (MIA)
44. P-38J 42-67605 pilot 2nd Lt. Luddington (MIA)
45. P-39 Airacobra destroyed while parked at Saidor Airfield
46. P-47D "Dirty Old Man" damaged parked at Saidor Airfield

A total of eight were Killed In Action (KIA) and body recovered. Afterwards, a total of thirty-seven were listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Today, after decades of accounting efforts, a total of fourteen of those remain listed as Missing In Action (MIA).

References
Black Sunday (2000) by Michael Claringbould