May 12, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 12 MAY 1944

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): One B-24 reconnoiters and bombs installations on Matsuwa concentrating on Matsuwa Airfield on Tagan Cape.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 4 B-25s strike the Tiddim road NNW of Tonzang; 50+ B-25s and fighter-bombers knock out a railroad bridge at Pinbaw, pound gun positions and supply area at Myitkyina and hit defensive positions near Kazu-Tiangsup; 4 B-25s damage Myothit bridge while 8 P-38s bomb Kyaukye; 21 P-51s hit Meiktila Airfield and Heho Airfield, claiming 8 Japanese aircraft downed; 4 B-25s knock out a bridge at Daga while 2 others bomb a camp at Taungbaw.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 16 P-40s and 11 B-25s hit several targets in S China and in French Indochina. In China, military installations, artillery positions and tank concentrations are pounded in the Yoyang area, a bridge and several trucks are damaged at Sienning, a naval vessel is attacked at Hong Kong and in French Indochina, a radio station on Cat Ba Island is bombed and railroad yards, supply dump, and river junks are blasted in the Phu Langi Thuong area; and HQ 81st Fighter Group moves from Karachi to Kwanghan.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): Twelve Makin based B-25s bomb Nauru. A single B-24 from Kwajalein bombs Jaluit.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 12 B-25s and 20+ P-40s and P-38s pound Tobera Airfield and nearby personnel areas; some of the B-25s returning from Tobera bomb Sohano; 12 P-39s and about 70 USN SBDs and TBFs sink numerous barges throughout the Rabaul area, especially at Simpson Harbor and Keravia Bay; gun positions in the Matupi area are also attacked.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-24s bomb Mokmer Airfield and attack targets on Ceram Island Ambon Island, and Timor Island. In New Guinea, A-20s, B-25s and fighter-bombers blast villages, coastal bridges and roads, vehicles, Boram Airfield and other targets throughout the Wewak-Hansa Bay region; HQ 3d Bombardment Group moves from Nadzab to Hollandia; 66th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Group at Nadzab begins operating from Tadji with C-47s; 418th Night Fighter Squadron, 310th Bombardment Wing (Medium), moves from Finschhafen to Hollandia with B-25Hs, P-38s and P-70s.