October 20, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology
FRIDAY, 20 OCTOBER 1944
(CBI) BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, nine P-47s hit encampments and
stores near Naha; 5 others knock out a road bridge near Wanling and hit a supply
dump in the area, while 4 more attack troops and supplies in the Nansiaung area.
Transports fly 200+ sorties in the CBI. In India, the 490th Bombardment Squadron, 341st Bombardment Group, moves from Dergaon to Moran with
B-25s.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 18 B-25s bomb docks and storage area at Samshui
and the town of Kweiping; 28 P-51s and P-40s join the attack on the Samshui
area; 77 P-40s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance pound road, river, and rail
traffic, town and village areas and other targets of opportunity around Kweiping,
Menghsu, Shawan, Kaotienhsu, Pingnam, Hsenwi, Wuchou, Dosing, Tanchuk, and coastal
areas of French Indochina including Hongay.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Six P-47s from Saipan bomb and strafe Pagan. Later in the day 4 B-24s hit the . During the night
of 20/21 Oct a B-24 on a snooper mission bombs Iwo Jima. In Hawaii, HQ VII
Fighter Command moves from Ft Shafter to Hickam Field; the 549th Night Fighter
Squadron, 7th Fighter Wing, arrives at Kipapa Field from the US with P-61s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb Davao. B-25s hit Ambon Town. Lost is B-25G Mitchell 42-64946 pilot 1st Lt. Harold F. Watts (MIA). 2d Photographic
Charting Squadron, 311th Photographic Wing, arrives at Hollandia from the US
to New Guinea with F-7s; the 6th Troop Carrier Squadron, 374th Troop Carrier Group, moves
from Nadzab to Biak with C-47s; the ground echelon of the 8th Photographic Reconnaissance
Squadron, 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, begins a movement from Biak to Leyte (air echelon continues operating from Biak with F-5s);
the 67th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Group moves from Hollandia
to Biak with C-47s.
US Army: The liberation of the Philippines begins with landings on Leyte. X Corps landings at Tacloban by the 1st Cavalry Division and 24th Infantry Division. XXIV Corps 96th Division and 7th Division land at Dulag. Six Army, 6th Ranger Battalion lands at Dinagat Island, Homonhon Island and Suluan Island. After the landing, General Douglas MacArthur lands at Red Beach at Palo and is photographed wading ashore by Major Gaetano Faillace in an iconic photograph making good on his promise "I shall return".
USN: Lost is PV-1 Ventura 34799 pilot Lt(jg) William B. Taylor (MIA).
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