FRIDAY, 27 OCTOBER 1944
AMERICAN ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Seven B-24s weather-abort an attempt to fly
cover for a naval task force.
Burma: In NCAC area, U.S. 124th Cav arrives in training area.
China: Japanese renew offensive to take U.S. air bases in eastern China (ICHIGO) toward Kweilin and Liuchow.
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, fighters bomb and strafe the
town of Mengmao and nearby hill positions, river traffic, troops, and horses
from Tanchuk to Tengyun, bridges NE of Hsinganhsien, the town of Kaotienhsu,
troops in the Kweilin area, rail traffic W of Puchi, and airfields at Siangtan
and Changsha.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): HQ Tenth AF is reassigned from AAF,
India-Burma Sector to AAF, India-Burma Theater.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Two B-24s from Saipan on armed reconnaissance
bomb Yap. During the night of 27/28 Oct a B-24 on a snooper mission hits Iwo Jima.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: 40+ fighter-bombers operating in three waves, hit shipping off Cebu and west of Mactan. B-24s attack Malili and Palopo on Celebes. P-38s and P-47s sink Japanese motor sink sail ship Senshin Maru off Mactan Island.
U.S. Army: On Leyte, in X Corps area, 1st Bn of 34th Inf, 24th Div, advances through 2d Bn to Mudburon River without opposition. After night-long shelling of Pastrana, 3d Bn of 19th Inf enters the town and with assistance of 1st Bn mops up. In XXIV Corps area, 382d Inf of 96th Div again attacks Tabontabon. 1st and 3d Bns push through NW part of the town to positions about a mile to NW, but 2d Bn is held up in the town and establishes night perimeter in center of it. 383d Inf patrols in vicinity of San Vicente and San Vicente Hill in effort to locate enemy positions. Sixth Army releases 381st Inf from reserve to corps. 32d Inf, 7th Div, against surprisingly light resistance, clears Buri Airfield by 1130. 17th Inf, reinf by platoon of engineers to repair bridges, continues drive on Dagami, reaching positions some 2,200 yards south of the town.
USN: USS LST-821 is launched at Mission Valley Bridge and Iron Company in Evansville, IN sponsored by Mrs. Hugh Robertson.
TG 38.3 under Rear Admiral Frederick C. Sherman and TG 38.4 under Rear Admiral Ralph E. Davison attack Japanese ships and installations in the Visayas and northern Luzon area. Navy carrier-based planes sink destroyer Fujinami 80 miles north of Iloilo, Panay, 12°00'N, 122°30'E; TF 77 planes sink destroyer Shiranui 80 miles north of Iloilo, Panay, 12°00'N, 122°30'E.
Off Leyte, battleship California (BB-44) is damaged by strafing off Leyte, 16°57'N, 125°02'E; submarine chaser (rescue) PCER-848 is damaged by horizontal bomber, 11°11'N, 125°05'E; and motor torpedo boat PT-523 is damaged by dive bomber. 11°15'N, 124°59'E.
U.S. freighter Benjamin Ide Wheeler is damaged by kamikaze that crashes the ship, killing one merchant sailor and one of the 27-man Armed Guard (whose heavy gunfire damages the inbound suicider) and sets fire to the gasoline cargo; salvage ship Cable (ARS-19) comes alongside and extinguishes the blaze while some of the ship's complement and passengers are transferred temporarily to nearby amphibious command ship Wasatch (AGC-9).
Damaged heavy cruiser Canberra (CA-70) and light cruiser Houston (CL-81) (see 13-16 October 1944) reach Ulithi with their supporting ships, their Odyssey over.
Submarine Bergall (SS-320) attacks Japanese convoy and sinks oiler Nichiho Maru and fleet tanker Itsukushima Maru to the west of Balabac Strait, 07°09'N, 116°40'E.
Submarine Cero (SS-225) drives Japanese guardboat No.3 Kyoei Maru ashore, Luzon, 17°00'N, 119°00'E.
Submarine Kingfish (SS-234) sinks Japanese landing ship T.138 and army cargo vessel No.4 Tokai Maru 30 miles north-northeast of Iwo Jima, 25°22'N, 141°31'E.
USS Nautilus (SS-168) lands men and supplies on east coast off Luzon.
U.S. motor torpedo boats sink Japanese motor sail ship Kyuei Maru off Ormoc Bay.
