SATURDAY, 27 JANUARY 1945
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 22 P-40s and P-51s attack locomotives,
trucks, and shipping at Sinsiang, Kihsien, and Nanking, from Taiyuan to Puchou,
and E of Yiyang.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): By this date the complete forward detachments
of the forward B-29 groups in the Chengtu area have evacuated their bases
and moved to more permanent bases in India; this move complies with the Joint
Chiefs of Staff (JCS) directive formulated on 15 Dec 44 and received on 18
Dec; the long-existing understanding that the XX Bomber Command might be moved
from the CBI Theater when more convenient bases are available is thus put into
its initial stage when the XX Bomber Command's Commanding General, Major General
Curtis Emerson LeMay, and the JCS agree that on logistical grounds XX Bomber
Command's operating scheme is basically unsound, a situation made more apparent
when in November the Japanese had overrun Luchou and Yungning and threatened Kunming; this development necessitated air tonnage flown over the Hump being
diverted to Chinese ground forces and the Fourteenth AF, resulting in curtailed
supplies to XX Bomber Command and providing the catalyst for beginning a movement
of the command from China. Mission 32: 22 of 25 XX Bomber Command B-29s based
in India hit the navy yard and arsenal at Saigon. One B-29 bombs
a bridge at Bangkok,
without loss; the results are poor.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 30+ fighter-bombers support
ground forces at Mansak, Molo Ywama, the area S of Molo, and the area S of Banwe;
8 others knock out a bypass bridge at Bawgyo; about 100 fighter-bombers hit
troop concentrations, supplies, and targets of opportunity at or near Man Kyan,
Kuinkuiloi, Ho-hkun, Pongkalau, Hsenwi, Kutkai, Hsa-tong, Pinghoi, Ho-mong,
Padon, and Kyaung-hen. Transports fly 527 sorties to advanced bases and over
forward areas, landing men and landing and dropping supplies.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 19 B-24s, based on Saipan bomb Iwo Jima; 10 B-24s
from Saipan and Guam follow up with individua harassment raids against the during
the night of 27/28 Jan. One B-24 from Angaur Airfield bombs Arakabesan.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 24 (Enkindle #3): 76 B-29s of the 73d Bombardment Wing
(Very Heavy) are dispatched from the Mariana against the Musashiho and Nakajima
aircraft plants near Tokyo; clouds and high winds over the target area prevent
bombing of the primary; 56 B-29s bomb the secondary target, the Tokyo urban
area, and 6 others attack alternates and targets of opportunity; fighter opposition
is the heaviest to date and 5 B-29s are downed; 4 others ditch or crashland;
B-29 gunners claim 60-17-39 Japanese aircraft, the highest claim to date. American Losses included B-29 "Haley's Comet" 42-24616 and B-29 "Werewolf" 42-63423, B-29 "Ghastly Goose" 42-63541, B-29 "Shady Lady" 42-24619, B-29 42-24767 (Rammed, crash landed, crew MIA) and B-29 "Rover Boys Express" 42-24769. B-29 "Irish Lassie" 42-65246 was rammed twice, but made it back to base to crash land and was then scrapped. Japanese losses include Ki-45 Nick 4067 (rammed B-29) and Ki-45 Nick ?
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s pound
the Canacao seaplane base, Cavite, and Grande Island at at the mouth of Subic Bay while
B-25s hit Cabcaben and Calingatan Airfield. Other FEAF aircraft continue
small-scale strikes against numerous other airfields, town areas, gun emplacements,
harbors, and communications and transportation targets throughout Luzon. Lost is P-38J Lightning 43-28834. The 19th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 22d Bombardment
Group (Heavy), moves from Angaur Airfield to Guiuan Airfield with B-24s. Units moving to San
Jose,
Mindoro: 320th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 90th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
from Biak with B-24s and 388th and 389th Bombardment Squadrons, 312th
Bombardment Group Light), from Tanauan with A-20s.
U. S. Army: At the end of the Battle of San Manuel during a Japanese counterattack, destroyed by a Japanese suicide sapper using a mine attached to a pole is M7 Priest.
