November 24, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology
FRIDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 1944
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Twenty-one B-24s bomb the warehouse area and
docks at Hankow. Three B-24 hit the Haiphong area. Twenty-two
B-25s bomb a storage area near Lashio, targets of opportunity in the Hankow area, and the towns of Wanling and Wan Lai-Kam, Burma, and Siangtan,
and Wuchang. 120+ P-40s, P-38s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance attack
many targets of opportunity in E Burma and SW and SE China, concentrating on
river and rail traffic and supplies at Chefang, Hengshan, and the Sinshih-Changsha,
China area.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 32 P-47s fly close support
strikes in the Pinwe and Bhamo sectors; 50 P-47s attack troops and supply areas
at Panma, Hpa-Hpen, Nawng-Sang, Kawlin, Wahkyet, Kawngai, and in the Pintha
area, 8 damage bridges at Meza, Namhkai, and Hsenwi while ten others hit Lashio
Airfield; Six B-25s pound the storage and ferry area at Meza and 4 damage approaches
to the Namhkai and Hsenwi road bridges. 323 transport sorties are flown to
forward areas.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Two B-24s from Saipan on a shipping reconnaissance
attack vessels at Haha Jima and Chichi Jima. Three B-24s from Guam on armed reconnaissance bomb Marcus. 14 P-47s from Saipan strafe
landing ground on Pagan.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): The XXI Bomber Command flies its first mission
against Japan; the objective is Tokyo; the 111 B-29s are led by 73d Bombardment
Wing (Very Heavy) Commanding General, Brigadier General Emmett O'Donnell Jr
piloting B-29 "Dauntless Dotty" with co-pilot Major Robert K. Morgan (formerly, pilot
of B-17F "Memphis Belle" 41-24485 that completed 25 bombing missions over Europe); 35 B-29s bomb the primary target, the Musashino
aircraft plant; 50 bomb the secondary target of urban area and docks; 17
abort enroute; the remainder are unable to bomb due to mechanical difficulties;
1 B-29 crashes off Honshu when a fighter rams the bomber, shearing off
the elevator and right horizontal stabilizer, becoming the first XXI Bomber
Command B-29 lost to Japanese action; 1 other ditches after running out of
fuel; B-29 gunners claim 7 aircraft downed.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In the Philippine
Islands, B-24s bomb AA positions and targets of opportunity at Camp Downes
and Panalisan Point and US fighters attack and destroy several aircraft over
Carigara Bay and Leyte area; B-24s hit AA positions and other targets
at Matina Airfield on Mindanao;
units arriving on Leyte Island: 25th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron,
6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, at Dulag from Biak with F-5s; 65th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 43d Bombardment Group
(Heavy), at Tacloban from Owi with B-24s. Lost is C-46 42-101046 (MIA).
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