May 19, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 19 MAY 1944

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): A B-24 flies armed reconnaissance over Shimushu and Ketoi.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, A-36s, P-40s, P-51s and a few B-25s fly 140+ attack sorties against various targets in the Mogaung Valley, concentrating on gun positions in the Myitkyina area; 8 B-25s damage railroad tracks in the Myingatha-Saye area and 16 P-38s hit the airfield at Nawnghkio.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 31 fighters support ground forces in the Salween area at Chiangtso, Watien, and Mamien Pass; 4 P-40s knock out a bridge at Shweli, Burma, 13 P-40s bomb and strafe the Puchi area and 16 P-40s and P-38s damage a bridge at Tayeh and hit military installations and other buildings at Yangsin; 11 P-51s bomb a village near Anking, causing large explosions and fires; two B-24s on a sea sweep seriously damage two freighters south of Hong Kong; 16 CACW P-40s pound trucks, tanks and troops in the Ichang-Tangyang-Loyang area and attack river traffic at Itu on the Yangtze River. B-24s on antishipping sweep of the South China Sea bomb Japanese convoy no.87, but only succeed in inflicting minor damage upon cargo ship Yamadori Maru.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s based on Engebi hit Ponape and B-25s from Makin hit Nanru.

USN: Third Raid on Marcus carrier aircraft from a three-carrier task force under the command of Rear Admiral A. E. Montgomery hit Marcus with a predawn fighter sweep then strafed and bombed Marcus for two consecutive days.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 40+ P-39s, P-38s and P-40s hit Makada Island. Sixteen B-25s bomb gun positions and supply area at Talili Bay. On Bougainville, 20 AAF fighters and a few USN aircraft bomb huts and bridges at Monoitu, Porton, Toborei, Moisuru and Tsimba.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-24s, A-20s and P-38s hit airfields and shipping in the Manokwari-Noemfoor Island area; other B-24s pound beach defenses at Bosnik on Biak and hit the area between Bosnik and Mokmer; 270+ A-20s, P-47s, P-38s and B-25s continue to blast Wewak knocking out radar and radio stations and attack targets of opportunity from Wewak to the Hansa Bay area.

U.S. Navy: James V. Forrestal Under Secretary of the Navy since 1940 becomes Secretary of the Navy.

Aircraft from TG 58.6 under Rear Admiral Alfred E. Montgomery bomb Marcus Island the first of two days of attacks.

Japanese radio traffic intercepted by U.S. Navy intelligence allows deductions to be made as to where the new submarine cordon established to intercept American carriers will be; Destroyer escort USS England (DE-635) sinks Japanese submarine I-16 140 miles northeast of Cape Alexander, Solomon Islands, 05°10'S, 158°10'E. I-16 is the first of five Japanese submarines that England will sink in a week's time as U.S. antisubmarine forces work their way down the NA line.

Submarine Skate (SS-305) sinks Japanese guardboat Meisho Maru off Ogasawara-Gunto, 28°56'N, 141°38'E.