TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 8 B-25s bomb several points along
the railway from Naba to Hopin; fighter-bombers attack Shwegu, hit bridges
in the Mohnyin area, and support ground forces in the Myitkyina and Taungni
sectors. During August 1944, the 89th Fighter Squadron, 80th Fighter Group, based at Nagaghuli with P-47s, sends a detachment to operate from Dergaon.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): Eight B-25s bomb Wuchang Airfield; 2 others
hit the town of Siangyin; 90+ P-40s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance hit trucks,
troops, supplies, and river shipping in and around Hengyang, Leiyang, Sinshih,
Hengshan, Liling, Changsha, and Siangyin; the airfield and railroad yards at Hengyang are also bombed. During Aug, the 21st Photographic Reconnaissance
Squadron, Fourteenth Air Force, based at Kunming with F-4s and F-5s, sends
a detachment to operate from Kanchow, China.
AAFPOA is activated at Hickam Field with Lieutenant General
Millard Harmon as Commanding General. Harmon is to be responsible to Lieutenant
General Robert C Richardson, Jr, Commanding General US Army Forces, Pacific
Ocean Areas (USAFPOA), for logistics and administration, and to Admiral Chester
W Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPOA), for operations
of AAF air units except those of the Twentieth Air Force. Harmon also is Deputy
Commander of the Twentieth Air Force and is responsible directly to General
Henry H "Hap" Arnold in all matters affecting the Twentieth in the POA.
Seventh Air Force: The Seventh AF comes under control of AAFPOA. B-25s hit Ponape. Organized resistance ends on Tinian; P-47s and P-61s
on Saipan will continue steady daylight and night combat patrols and
strikes almost around the clock to the fall of Guam on August 10; most
of the P-47 flying is devoted to neutralizing Pagan Airfield and Rota and for direct support of Marine and Army forces fighting on Saipan, Guam, and Tinian.
USMC:
Tinian was officially declared secure at a cost of 328 Marines killed and 1,571 wounded. The Japanese lost 5,000 dead.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24's bomb Utagal
Island, Caroline Islands and Namlea Airfield.
In New Guinea, weather cancels scheduled strikes against the Vogelkop Peninsula area, but a few B-25s hit shipping in the islands to the W, sinking luggers
off Kaboe and Salawat Islands and strafing troops on the shores of MacCluer
Gulf; the weather also restricts operations against the Wewak area; a few
P-39s strafe coastal trails. During Aug, HQ 42d Bombardment Group (Medium) moves from Stirling to Hollandia, the 12th Fighter Squadron, 18th Fighter
Group, that has been operating from Stirling Airfield returns to base on Guadalcanal. Lost is B-25H 43-4332 pilot 2nd Lt. John Miller (MIA) and B-25D 41-30372 pilot 1st Lt. Roland F. Myers (MIA).
P-38s from 475th Fighter Group (475th FG) were scheduled to fly a mission over Ceram but canceled due to bad weather. Regardless, Col Charles H. MacDonald, Meryl Smith and Danny Miller invited Charles A. Lindbergh to participate in a fighter sweep over Palau in search of aerial victories. The four P-38s took off at 9:27am from Mokmer Drome on Biak Island flying northward for the 1,200 mile mission mostly over open ocean. Despite some bad weather the flight reached Peleliu roughly 2 hours 30 minutes later at an altitude of 15,000' and flew northward then dove down over Koror and were met by anti-aircraft fire then flew to Babelthuap then turned southward at low level and strafed several small vessels then spotted two A6M2-N Rufes and released their drop tanks to engage. One Rufe was shot down by MacDonald and crashed into the sea. Lindbergh attacked the second Rufe but accidentally fired on Smith's P-38 but missed. Suddenly another Zero was spotted above as Smith shot down the second Rufe. The Zero attempted to line up on Lindbergh but was chased away by MacDonald. Calling to withdraw after thirty minutes over the target area, the four spotted a Val dive bomber and MacDonald shot it down. While withdrawing southward, a Zero in pursuit was spotted by Lindbergh and he attempted to intercept it but the Zero got on his tail and opened fire but missed. In defense he made a hard right turn and the Zero was fired on by MacDonald and Miller and left smoking as the four departed. This was likely the most harrowing combat Lindbergh experienced and might have resulted in him being shot down.
Afterwards, MacDonald was grounded by General Paul Wurtsmith with sixty day "punitive leave" and sent to back to the United States as punishment for placing Lindbergh in a dangerous situation. Previously, 5th Fighter Command had stated it was impossible for fighters to escort bombers to Palau due to the distance and weather. The four P-38s fighter sweep revealed it was possible.
