WEDNESDAY, 31 MAY 1944
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): During the morning 2 B-25s and 4 P-38s fly guardship
cover. A bomber flies a weather mission while another reconnoiters and hits
Buroton Bay.
CAF: Japanese river gunboat Kotaka is sunk by Chinese aircraft in the Yangtze River.
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 12 B-25s hit the Tiddim road; 130+
B-25s, A-36s, P-51s, and P-40s hit troops, defensive positions, artillery emplacements,
boats, railroad facilities, and villages in the Myitkyina-Mogaung area, buildings
at Tahona, river boats at Lonkin and Kamaing, docks at Bhamo, railroad cars
at Namti, and positions NW of Mohnyin; 21 other B-25s and fighter-bombers pound
the Bhamo town area and airfield; and 10 B-24s bomb Ye-u, demolishing several
buildings.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 51 P-51s and P-40s pound shipping along the
Yangtze River, claiming direct hits on 5 small ships; 16 P-51s and P-40s bomb
Kweiyi and Yoyang and installations on the river to the south; Ten P-38s bomb the
bridge and warehouse area at Nanchang; 12 P-40s bomb Pingkiang; Four B-25s bomb Hankow
Airfield, Pailochi, and motor convoy at Yoyang; 6 other B-25s knock out the
bridge at Kengluang; 13 B-24s pound the town of Lungling, causing big fires,
while 14 B-24s, supported by P-40s blast the warehouse area at Lashio; 4 P-40s destroy several aircraft during strafing runs on Linfen Airfield and Hohsien
Airfield.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): Twelve
P-38s bomb Vulcan Crater barge hideout; 22 P-39s and 12 P-40s blast supply dumps
near Ratawul; 33 B-25s pound Rabaul truck concentrations, wharf area, and NE
section of Rabaul Town. Five B-25s bomb targets of opportunity along the NW coast of New
Ireland. On Bougainville, P-39s bomb several targets, including Soraken, Arigua, and several barges and vehicles.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-25s and A-20s
hit the Babo area, bomb Ransiki Airfield near the Ransiki River, cover the beachhead
on Biak and attack fishing boats on the shore of Japen; P-47s
and B-25s pound villages, barges, and gun positions in the Wakde-Sarmi battle area; B-24s, P-39s and RAAF aircraft continue to hit the Wewak and Hansa
Bay areas.
RNZAF: Avengers bomb Rabaul. Lost is TBF Avenger NZ2521 pilot Sgt William A. Trolove (MIA).
USN: Operations against the Japanese NA line continue: destroyer escort USS England (DE-635), assisted by USS McCord (DD-534) and USS Hazelwood (DD-531) and destroyer escorts USS George (DE-697), USS Raby (DE-698), and USS Spangler (DE-696), sink submarine RO-105 200 miles north-northwest of Kavieng, 00°47'N, 151°30'E.
USS Barb (SS-220) and USS Herring (SS-233) rendezvous in Sea of Okhotsk about 150 miles west of Matsuwa Island, Kurils, to plan operations against Japanese shipping in the vicinity. Subsequently, Herring attacks convoy NE, sinking escort vessel Ishigaki and army cargo ship Hokuyo Maru west of Matsuwa Island, 48°00'N, 153°00'E' (see 1 June 1944); Barb comes across convoy NE and sinks army cargo ship Madras Maru, 48°21'N, 151°20'E, and transport K_t_ Maru southwest of Paramushiro, 47°55'N, 151°42'E.
