December 29, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 29 DECEMBER 1944

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Three B-25s on a fighter decoy mission abort due to weather; two of them are missing on the return flight. A B-24 bombs Katoaka on Shimushu Island in the Kuriles.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 4 B-25s attack targets of opportunity from Dong Hoa to Lang Son, French Indochina; 37 P-51s and P-40s on armed reconnaissance attack Gia Lam Airfield in French Indochina and hit various targets of opportunity E of Man Pong and N of Mongyu, Burma; and at Shanhsien and Hei-Shih Kuan and E of Tsingsinghsien, China.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, nine B-25s bomb troops and supplies at Panma; 15 P-47s hit the supply area at Twinnge and troop concentration at Wetwun; 4 B-25s continue armed night reconnaissance over communications facilities. Transports fly 289 sorties to forward bases and frontline areas. A detachment of the 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, begins operating from Arakan, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s (squadron is based at Asansol).

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 26 B-24s from Guam pound Iwo Jima which is bombed again for a 6-hour period during the night of 29/30 Dec, by 9 B-24s, flying at varying intervals.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb Sasa Airfield on Mindanao Island while B-25s and fighter-bombers hit Namlea. Fighter-bombers hit NE Celebes airfields while B-24s bomb Limboeng. FEAF aircraft fly small strikes against a wide range of targets in N Borneo, the C Philippine Islands, S Luzon Island, and on Timor Island. The air echelon of the 82d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group, begins operating from San Jose with F-6s and P-40s (squadron is based on Morotai).

USN: Lost on a target towing mission is JM-1 Marauder 66617 (MIA, one resceud).