July 6, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 6 JULY 1944

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, twelve P-40s attack a bridge near Myitkyina while 40+ others support ground forces in the area; several other P-40s attack Maingna, barracks at Sahmaw, a train at Taungni, and troops at Sakangyi; 6 B-25s bomb Maingna and 2 hit Mohnyin; and HQ 311th Fighter Group moves from Dinjan to Tingkawk Sakan.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, B-25s, P-40s, and P-51s continue to pound river shipping, bridges, troop concentrations, road traffic, and general targets of opportunity throughout a wide area around Tungting Lake and along the Yangtze River; hit particularly hard are the town area and supply depot at Sinshih; B-25s near the Burma border cause considerable damage at Tengehung and drop supplies to Chinese ground forces on the Salween front, and during the night of 6/7 Jul bomb Tien Ho Airfield.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Twentieth Air Force): Brigadier General LaVern G. Saunders becomes Commanding General XX Bomber Command with his headquarters at Kharagpur.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): P-47s bomb and strafe forces on Saipan, Rota, and Tinian. B-24s staging through Eniwetok pound Truk during the night of 5/6 July and follow with another raid during the day. B-25s, based at Makin hit Nauru. The 333d Fighter Squadron, 318th Fighter Group, moves from Bellow Field to Saipan with P-47s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers continue to pound the Wewak area, concentrating on troops south of Matapau. Lost is P-39N 42-18813 pilot 1st Lt. Gabriel J. Eggud (MIA). B-25s and fighter-bombers sweep the north coast of the Vogelkop Peninsula and offshore islands, hitting targets of opportunity; other fighter-bombers hit the Manokwari area and buildings at Ransiki, Moari, and Oransbari; gun positions, communication targets, and supply dumps in the area around Babo and Babo Airfield are hit by B-24s, A-26s, A-20s, and P-38s. B-24s bomb the town and warehouse area of Yap and a few hit Woleai Airfield.