December 8, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology
FRIDAY, 8 DECEMBER 1944
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, four B-25s hit the Nan Tan area,
killing many horses; 14 P-51s hit Nanking Airfield and other targets at Nanking, claiming 24 airplanes, a freighter, and 2 locomotives destroyed; 15
P-40s blast railroad targets and buildings from Nan Tan area to Liuchow; 25
P-51s hit Hochih and troops, warehouses, trucks and ammunition dump in the
area; 20+ other fighter-bombers on armed reconnaissance hit various targets
of opportunity around Lipo, Shihhweiyao, Tuhshan, Santon, Paoching, Hengyang,
Taiyuan and Linfen.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 30+ P-47s support ground forces
in the Bhamo area; 28 hit supply areas at Kyingyi, Loi-lun, and Hke-hkun; 12
bomb troop concentrations at Namti and 4 hit village on the Nawnghkem River;
16 fighter-bombers attack a Shwebo motor pool and radio station while 6 others
hit the Namun ferry landing; 7 aircraft knock out a bypass bridge at Namhkai
and 8 fighter-bombers hit railroad targets of opportunity between Sedaw and
Nawnghkio. Large-scale transport operations continue.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 89 B-24s from Guam and Saipan join B-29s and naval vessels in bombarding Iwo Jima airfields; 28 P-38s escort the B-29s; the strikes are aimed at reducing the raids against US bases in the Marianas.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 11: 82 B-29s from the Mariana join Seventh AF P-38s, B-24s and Navy cruisers in a strike against airfields on Iwo Jima from which Japanese strikes against US airfields in the Mariana Islands are being launched; 61 B-29s bomb the airfields and 4 bomb other targets without loss; [Japanese aircraft strike the airfields in the Marianas on November 2, November 7, and November 27 Nov, 7 and December 25 (the largest attack 25 aircraft), and from Dec 25 44 to January 2 1945 in minor degrees; altogether about 80 Japanese aircraft attack, and nearly 40 are downed; 11 B-29s are destroyed and 43 damaged on the ground as a result of these attacks].
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: 60+ B-25s and fighter-bombers, along with Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft, hit airfield and various other targets on Halmahera. 60+ B-24s bomb Mandurriao Airfield, Lahug Airfield and La Carlota Airfield while fighter-bombers hit the San Isidro area. FEAF aircraft fly armed reconnaissance and light raids over N Borneo, N Celebes, Flores and the Wewak area.
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