December 26, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology
TUESDAY, 26 DECEMBER 1944
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Six B-25s bomb Wan Lai-Kam, Burma and in China, 5 B-25s hit targets of opportunity in the Formosa Strait, in the Siang-Chiang Valley, and at Ikiawan and Changsha and 12 P-51s attack the Tsinan Airfield. 46 P-51s, P-38s, and P-40s hit railroad targets, shipping, storage and other targets of opportunity at or near Kinkiang, Anking, and Ka-chun, China; Lampang, Thailand; and the Mong Long Valley, and Man Pong, Burma.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 8 B-25s knock out and damage
bridges at Taunggon, Padan, and Kyaukhlebein; 34 P-47s hit troop concentrations at Panghai, Mongyu, Na-hsang, Man Om, and Hpa-lin; 8 others
hit stores area and a distributing point at Hsenwi, 11 attack supplies at Pangpao, and 2 bomb rafts, boats, and landing points at the Myitson ferry;
4 B-25s fly offensive night reconnaissance against communications lines; HQ
33d Fighter Group moves from Nagaghuli to Sahmaw. 275 transport sorties
are flown to forward areas. In India, HQ 4th Combat Cargo Group and the 16th
Combat Cargo Squadron move from Sylhet to Agartala with C-46s.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 13 B-24s from Guam hit Iwo Jima.
Three B-24s from Saipan fly armed reconnaissance and bomb Marcus. Two B-24s
from the Mariana Islands strike Iwo Jima during the night of 26/27 Dec.
RAN: Australian destroyer HMAS Quickmatch (G92) rescues the 40 merchant sailors, one passenger and the 26-man Armed Guard of freighter Robert J. Walker torpedoed and sunk in the Tasman Sea by U-862 the day before.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb Clark
Field. On Mindanao,
B-25s hit Matina
Airfield, shipping in the Davao River,
and bomb nearby Samal Island; and B-24s hit Libby Airfield; the 418th Night
Fighter Squadron, 310th Bombardment Wing (Medium), moves from Morotai to San
Jose, Mindoro with P-61s. On Halmahera, B-25s, B-24s, and
fighter-bombers hit Galela, Lolobata,
and Hate
Tabako. Miscellaneous attacks by other FEAF aircraft are flown against
targets in N Borneo, NE Celebes, and Halmahera. The 36th Photographic
Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, moves from
Hollandia to Biak with F-5s (first mission is March 25, 1945). Lost is B-25D "Montana Maid" 42-87296 pilot 1st Lt. Burwell M. Vowell (MIA). B-24 sinks Japanese cargo vessel No.104 Nany Maru off south coast of Boeroe Island at roughly Lat 03°49'S, Long 126°51'E.
USN: USS Fanning (DD-385) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No. 7 Kyo Maru off Okinomisaki, Bonins.
USS Swordfish (SS-193) departs Midway on her thirteenth war patrol and makes contact on January 3, 1945 then is never seen again.
IJN: A Japanese warships "Operation Rei-Go" under the command of Rear Admiral Kimura Masanori consisting of heavy cruiser Ashigara, light cruiser Oyodo, three destroyers Asashimo, Kiyoshimo, and Kasumi plus destroyer escorts Kaya, Kashi, and Sugi conduct a shore bombardment of the U.S. beachhead on western Mindoro.
USN: As the Japanese "Intrusion Force" approaches, SS James H. Breasted is ordered to seek safety in Ilin Strait; anchoring there, she comes under fire and is damaged by shell fragments during the Japanese bombardment. The ship is later bombed by what is likely a U.S. plane, touching off her cargo of gasoline and is abandoned (only one of the 33-man merchant complement requires treatment for injuries; there are no casualties to the 27-man Armed Guard) but the survivors come under friendly fire that causes no further casualties. U.S. motor torpedo boats tow the three boatsful of survivors toward shore; the freighter is later written off as a total loss. PB4Ys and PBMs with USAAF planes successively attack the Japanese warships in the Mindoro Strait west of Mindoro.
FEAF: B-25s, P-38s, P-40s, and P-47s and Navy PB4Ys and PBMs successively attack the Japanese Naval warships in the Mindoro Strait west of Mindoro. These damage heavy cruiser Ashigara with near-miss bombs. Kiyoshimo is damaged by two hits from bombs dropped by B-25 Mitchells and sunk by a torpedo fired by PT-223. The force carries out its bombardment mission, then encounters PT Boats that engage overnight. PT-77 is damaged, probably accidentally bombed by friendly aircraft. Lost is P-38L 44-25352 pilot 1st Lt. John J. Grillet (MIA) and B-25D "The Mad Mizurian" 42-87297 pilot 2nd Lt William N. Hatcher (MIA).
References
Rocky Boyer's War (2017) by Allen D. Boyer
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