April 30, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SUNDAY, 30 APRIL 1944

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 31 B-25s blast a tank concentration, bridges, supply dumps and general vicinity at Kalewa; 4 B-25s damage 2 bridges N of Yamethin. 5th Liaison Squadron, AAF, India-Burma Sector, moves from Ledo to Shaduzup, Burma with L-1s and L-5s; first mission is 1 May.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): P-40s from Yungning, China knock out a bridge near Dong Mo, French Indochina and strafe railroad targets of opportunity in the area. The detachment of the 74th Fighter Squadron, 23d Fighter Group, operating from Liuchow returns to base at Kweilin with P-40s.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): 41 Kwajalein based B-24s bomb various targets at Wake. 11 Makin based B-25s bomb Jaluit while eight B-25s from Engebi bomb Ponape.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): Ten P-39s bomb Porton Plantation; 20+ other P-39s, in eleven sweeps, attack a variety of targets of opportunity on Bougainville, including Ivituri Mission, the Kieta area and the Mamagata supply area. 30+ P-40s and P-38s bomb Vunakanau Airfield and 23 B-25s bomb Vunakambi Plantation.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, 80+ P-39s and P-47s make almost continuous attacks throughout the day against troops and supplies along Hansa Bay; 40+ A-20s and B-25s bomb Wewak and nearby plantation; B-24s hit Noemfoor with a light raid; B-24 reconnaissance flights over the Manokwari area and Geelvink Bay result in claims of six Japanese interceptors shot down. P-70s hit targets of opportunity on the west shore of Hansa Bay. 23 B-24s of the Thirteenth Air Task Force bomb Woleai Atoll. Lost is F-5 42-67383 (pilot survived) and P-38H 42-66846 (pilot survived).

USN: Second Carrier Strike against Truk by Task Force 58 (TF-58) under the command of Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher. Strike 1-D USS Enterprise CV-6 F6F Hellcats attack a small town on Tol and claim one bomb hit. References: WWII Wrecks of the Truk Lagoon pages 233-235.