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

TUESDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 1944

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Six bombers fly a negative shipping sweep over Shimushu; three bombers attack Suribachi Airfield and offshore shipping targets; one B-24 flies negative reconnaissance.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): Four B-25s pound buildings in the Katha area; Twenty-five B-24s haul fuel to Kunming; 8 P-47s sweep a river from Bhamo to Katha, 3 strafe official buildings at Bhamo, and 16 hit targets of opportunity on the Burma Road from Lungling, China to Wanling to Namhkam and blast gun positions N of Loiwing Airfield.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 10 B-25s and 6 P-40s pound Lungling; 14 B-25s hit the town area and destroy 2 bridges and damage another at Sungpai; 22 others bomb Kaochishih, Tunghsiangchiao, and the area E of Kiyang; 27 P-51s and P-40s on armed reconnaissance over Hunan and other areas of inland SE China attack road and river traffic and general targets of opportunity around Lingling, Hengyang, Kiyang, Yangtien, and Patpo; and 15 P-40s hit coastal and river shipping in south China and in Indochina on the South China Sea, in Chikhom Bay, and along the Red River; the flight of the 21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Fourteenth Air Force, operating from Kweilin with F-5s since Jul 43, returns to base at Kunming; and the 74th Fighter Squadron, 23d Fighter Group, moves from Kweilin and Liuchow to Luliang with P-40s and P-51s.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): P-47s from Saipan hit AA positions on Pagan with a rocket and bombing attack. A lone B-24 on armed reconnaissance bombs the building area on Marcus. B-25s bomb Nauru.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s pound three airfields in the Menado area on Celebes. B-24s and B-25s bomb Kaoe Airfield and Galela Airfields on Halmahera and radar facilities on Morotai. B-24s hit Lautem. P-38s dive-bomb Namlea Airfield while P-47s hit Boela. A-20s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers hit airfields, AA guns, and other targets at Babo, Mongosah, Manokwari, Sagan, Moemi, and Samate; and the 39th Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Group, moves from Noemfoor to Owi with P-47s.

RAAF: Force landed is DB-7B "J is For Jessica" A28-8 pilot FLGOFF Harry Rowell at Vivigani Airfield on Goodenough Island. Ditched is DB-7B "Spirit of Sport" A28-15 pilot F/L Harry Blinman Dawkins (POW/MIA).

IJN: Sunk is Rakyo Maru.

USN: The Third Fleet began a probing operation in the Philippines with strikes against the central Philippines (12 September) revealing weak Japanese resistance.