November 18, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 1944

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Four B-24s strike Suribachi shore batteries, including one on Takikawa Cape. A shipping sweep by six B-25s is cancelled due to weather.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Ten B-25s blast stores at Hengshan and hit populated areas from Ishan to Liuchow; 130+ P-51s, P-40s, and P-38s pound targets of opportunity scattered over vast areas of S China; troops, shipping, supplies, trucks, and railroad targets are hit particularly hard north of Lingling, from Liuchow to Ishan, from Hengshan to Hengyang, from Kweilin to Liuchou, from Siangtan to Paoching, and at Chuanhsien, Hwaiyuanchen, Chingmen, Chuchiang, and Shihkiachwang.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 27 fighter-bombers support ground forces south of Pinwe and in the Bhamo area; 16 attack troops and supply area at Panglong and Nga-pwegyi while 7 hit the ferry area at Meza; 20 hit targets of opportunity along the Kanbalu-Wuntho railroad and at Maymyo and Wetwin; 9 B-25s pound Man Pwe rail yards, destroying warehouses and other buildings and causing much general damage. Transports continue large-scale operations to forward areas. In India, the detachment of the 317th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, operating from Tulihal with C-47s returns to base at Sylhet.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Saipan and Guam hit shipping at Chichi Jima and Haha Jima. P-38s and B-24s from Saipan escort photo planes over Iwo Jima.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In the Mindanao-NE Celebes area B-24s, B-25s and A-20s again hit airfields and targets of opportunity. Fighter-bombers, A-20s, and B-25s over several locations in the Philippine Islands pound shipping, supply and personnel areas, harbors, barges, airstrips, and communications targets. In Borneo, B-24s, with P-38s and P-47s supporting, launch a major strike against oil installations at Tarakan; other B-24s and B-25s hit shipping off Tarakan and Brunei Bay. In the Makassar and Kendari area B-24s bomb Polewali shipyards; B-24s pound airfields in the Ceram-Ambon area while P-38s strafe shipping. B-25s continue to support ground forces on Mapia. HQ 58th Fighter Group and the 310th and 311th Fighter Squadrons move from Noemfoor to San Pablo with P-47s. 66th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Group moves from Nadzab to Biak with C-47s.