May 4, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology
THURSDAY, 4 MAY 1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, a single B-24 bombs Akyab; 12 B-25s
damage a bridge at Kalemyo and bomb Tiddim; Twenty-four B-24s bomb Mandalay marshalling
yard and barracks and the general area at Maymyo; 2 P-51s knock out a bypass
bridge near Shweli.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, eight P-40s hit gun positions at Pailochi;
two B-25s strafe twelve sampans between Hong Kong and the Luichow Peninsula, killing
many soldiers on board.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): Twelve B-25s, based at Makin pound Jaluit and Wotje, using Majuro as a shuttle base for rearming
between the strikes. 39 B-24s from Kwajalein and Eniwetok hit Ponape. Lost is B-24J "Heaven Can Wait" 42-73496.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): Twenty-four
B-25s bomb the Talili Bay area; 43 fighter-bombers hit Vunakanau Airfield; Allied
fighter sweeps over the Bismarck Archipelago continue. 38 P-39s, flying 18 missions,
hit several targets on Bougainville, including buildings at Sovele, Tinputs,
the Reboine Bay area, Monoitu and in the area N of Taki; targets of opportunity
in the Koromira area are also attacked.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 26 B-24s of the
Thirteenth Air Task Force bomb Mokmer
Airfield; 60+ B-24s, B-25s, A-20s and
P-47s pound airfields, road, bridges, shipping, barges and other targets in
the Wewak area; A-20s attack bridges over the Awar
River and targets of opportunity
in the Hansa Bay area while fighter-bombers hit targets of opportunity in the
Ramu River Valley and Hansa Bay. Force landed is B-17E "Harry the Horse" 41-24548 (crew survived).
RAAF: Force landed are P-40N A29-448 (survived) and P-40N A-29-528 (survived).
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