TUESDAY, 3 OCTOBER 1944
AMERICAN ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Two B-24s flying offshore
reconnaissance over Onnekotan, Harumukotan and Shasukotan also strafe several
small vessels.
(CBI) BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force):
Troop carriers fly 240+ sorties, delivering men and supplies to various points
in the CBI. In Burma, the 5th Liaison Squadron, Tenth Air Force [attached to
1st Liaison Group (Provisional)], moves from Shaduzup to Myitkyina with L-1s
and L-5s.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): Twenty-three B-25s attack Pingnam, trucks
and rivercraft in the Wuchou, Samshui, and Canton areas, and bomb Tien Ho Airfield and White Cloud Airfield; 100 P-51s and P-40s continue armed reconnaissance
over wide expanses of China south of the Yangtze River, attack rivercraft, road
traffic, troops, town areas, and other targets of opportunity; the Hsinganhsien,
Pingnam, and Chuanhsien areas are covered exceptionally well.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Saipan hit shipping in the Bonins while P-47s pound gun positions, buildings,
and a wharf on Pagan. B-24s on special reconnaissance
missions bomb the airfield on Iwo Jima.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: For the second time
B-24s from 5th BG and 307th BG bomb oil refineries in the Balikpapan area bombing the Pandansari refinery with seven bombers lost. B-25s hit shipping
and bomb Sanana on Sanana Island in the Moluccas; Twelve B-24s from 90th BG including three bombers from each squadron escorted by P-47s bomb Laha Airfield despite heavy anti-aircraft fire. On Halmahera, B-25s
smash Kaoe Airfield runway and bomb Galela; B-25s and B-24s over Ceram to Ambon hit barge and coastal targets of opportunity and pound Taka Airfield
in the Moluccas, while fighter-bombers attack Halong Seaplane Base and Namlea Airfield and Haroekoe Airfield. On Vogelkop Peninsula, fighter-bombers again
hit Fak Fak and Otawiri.
USN: Destroyer escort Shelton (DE-407) is sunk by Japanese submarine RO-41 off Morotai, 02°33'N, 129°18'E. During the ensuing antisubmarine operations, destroyer escort Richard M. Rowell (DE-403), unaware of the proximity of friendly submarines, accidentally sinks Seawolf (SS-197), which is transporting U.S. Army personnel to the east coast of Samar, 02°32'N, 129°18'E.
Destroyer escort Samuel S. Miles (DE-183) sinks Japanese submarine I-177, 60 miles north-northeast of Angaur, Palaus, 07°48'N, 133°28'E.
Submarine Thresher (SS-200) sinks Japanese guardboat No.28 Nanshin Maru north-northwest of Marcus Island, 30°49'N, 153°26'E.
Tank landing craft LCT-1052 is sunk by tropical storm at Ulithi.
TBF Avenger accidentally bombs USS Stingray (SS-186) without damage to the sumbarine.
USAAF aircraft sinks Japanese merchant tanker No.14 Nanshin Maru off Zamboanga, 06°54'N, 122°04'E
References
Legacy of the 90th Bombardment Group "The Jolly Rogers" (1994) pages 138 (October 3, 1944)
Ken’s Men Against The Empire: The Illustrated History of the 43rd Bombardment Group During World War II Volume II: October 1943 to 1945 B-24 Era page 163 (October 3, 1944)
