October 30, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY, 30 OCTOBER 1944

AMERICAN ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Three B-24s fly armed reconnaissance over Matsuwa and Onnekotan.

THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Thirteen B-24s lay mines in Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong. USAAF aircraft sink Japanese ship Chuko Maru off Hong Kong. P-40s bomb installations around Phu Lang Thuong, French Indochina and hit junks at sea. The detachment of the 529th Fighter Squadron, 311th Fighter Group, operating from Hsian with P-51s, returns to base at Pungchacheng.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 10 B-25s knock out bridges at Namhkai, Wuntho, Thegyaung, and Nankan and damage others at Okkyin and Zawchaung; 50+ P-47s knock out the Hpao Nam River bridge and strafe targets of opportunity at several locations; hit several bridges throughout the N Burma rail corridor, damaging or knocking out each target; support ground forces at Naba Station and Pinwe; and hit troop concentrations at Mansi and Manyut.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 8 B-24s on armed reconnaissance missions from Guam bomb Yap. One B-24 snooper from Saipan, during the night of 30/31 bombs Iwo Jima. P-47s from Saipan hit Pagan. B-25s from Makin strike Nauru.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Eight B-29s from the Marianas bomb submarine pens on Dublon, 9 others bomb two miles beyond the target.

USN - The U.S. 5th Air Force and 13th Air Force together with carrier-borne aircraft of the U.S. 3rd and 7th Fleets stage massive attacks against the Phillipines in preparation for landing on Mindoro.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Army Air Force, SWPA issues instruction for air support of the Mindoro operation by Gen Kenney's U.S. Far East Air Force, comprising Fifth and Thirteenth Air Forces. Fifth Air Force is to be the "assault air force" but Thirteenth Air Force, RAAF, carrier-based planes of U.S. Third and Seventh Fleets, and land-based planes of Seventh Fleet are also to assist as are B-29's of U.S. Twentieth Air Force. B-24s pound Bacolod Airfield. B-25s and fighter-bombers hit San Roque Airfield and barges at Zamboanga. P-38s hit Sandakan Airfield. B-24s bomb the wharf area at Makassar, while P-40s, over the NE peninsula, hit various targets of opportunity. P-38s hit Piroe. A-20s and B-25s bomb Urarom Airfield. Force landed is XB-24 "Liberty Belle" 42-40686 (survived). B-25s sink Japanese ship No.5 Uwa Maru off Lomblon Island, 08°25'S, 123°25'E. USAAF P-38s (13th Air Force) damage Japanese submarine chaser Ch 36 near Sibitu Passage, 05°27'N, 119°12'E, and sink merchant tankers Kosho Maru and No.8 Nanshin Maru off Sandakan, Borneo, 05°25'N, 119°20'E.

U.S. Army: U.S. Sixth Army: In X Corps area, 3d Bn of 34th Inf, 24th Div, starts toward Carigara along road from Jaro but is halted almost at once by Japanese. 2d and 1st Bns are given supporting roles as 3d Bn renews efforts to advance up the road without getting beyond outskirts of Jaro. Co K, 19th Inf, makes contact with elements of XXIV Corps at Lopdak. Co C skirmishes with enemy at Rizal. Gen Krueger orders relief of 21st Inf, 24th Div, in the quiet Panaon Strait area by a bn of 32d Inf. In XXIV Corps area, 2d and 3d Bns of 383d Inf, 96th Div, attack San Vicente from Guinarona R and find the barrio and hill of the same name undefended. 17th Inf, 7th Div, completes capture of Dagami in morning and spends rest of day mopping up. Contact is made with X Corps units across Binahaan R north of Dagami by means of message dropped by air and with 96th Div on E by patrols, concluding current mission of 17th Inf. 7th Div, on its beachhead line, is ordered to move elements from Abuyog to Baybay and be prepared to move to W coast.

U.S. Navy: USS Franklin (CV-13) and USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) are damaged by kamikazes, 10°20'N, 126°40'E.

Yacht USS Argus (PY-14) rescues survivors of SS John A. Johnson which had been sunk by Japanese submarine I-12 on October 29, 1944.

Submarine Salmon (SS-182) damages Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.22 southwest of Toizaki, Kyushu, and teams with Trigger (SS-237) to damage merchant tanker Takane Maru, 30°13'N, 132°49'E, but Salmon is damaged by depth charges dropped by the three undamaged escorting coast defense vessels and deep submergence as she evades the escorts, 30°08'N, 132°33'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.