THURSDAY, 20 APRIL 1944
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): A B-24 aborts a weather mission to Shasukotan.
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): Eleven B-25s hit a bivouac and supply area northwest of Manywet. 5th Liaison Squadron, AAF, India-Burma Sector, arrives at Ledo from the US with L-5s; first mission is 1 May.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Kwajalein search
the area near Wake for shipping; finding none, the bombers hit Wake and Peale. Tarawa based B-25s, using Majuro as a shuttle base
between strikes, bomb Maloelap and Jaluit. 396th Bombardment Squadron
(Medium), 41st Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Tarawa to Makin with B-25s.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): Major General Field Harris,
USMC, becomes Commander Air Solomons (COMAIRSOLS). With improved weather conditions
bombing of targets in the Bismarck Archipelago resumes; 22 B-25s hit the Matupi supply area and 40+ fighter-bombers blast the airfields
at Lakunai and Keravat. 31st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group
(Heavy), moves from Carney Field to Momote Airfield with B-24s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-24s bomb airfields on Noemfoor. B-25s, A-20s, and fighters hit a variety of targets around Hollandia, Cape Croisilles, in the Bunabun area and along Hansa Bay. B-24s of the Thirteenth Air Task Force again bomb Woleai
Atoll.
USMC: Lost is PBJ Mitchell 35083 pilot 1st Lt. Alden R. Carlson (MIA).