April 12, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY, 12 APRIL 1943

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) 3 B-25's, 24 P-40's, and 13 P-38's fly seven missions to Kiska. The fighters also strafe Little Kiska. AA fire damages 1 P-40 and 1 P-38. The P-38 force-lands safely.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force) In Burma, 9 B-25's hit the airfield at Magwe. P-40's bomb and strafe the ammunition and supply dump at Walawbum.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) In Burma, P-40's strafe more than 20 vehicles 25 miles east of Loiwing.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) Single B-24's continue snooper strikes, hitting Kahili Airfield twice during the evening. The 68th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group with P-40's and some P- 39's transfers from Guadalcanal to Nadi but continues to operate from Guadalcanal until Dec 43.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-24's and B-17's pound the airfields at Rabaul and Gasmata, shipping in the Saint George Channel, and targets of opportunity in the Ubili and Talasea areas. B-24's and B-17s hit shipping in Hansa Bay and sink Sydney Maru and hit Lae Airfield and Nubia Airfield and Bogia Harbor. B-24's, operating individually, attack several targets, scoring hits on the Madang dock area and at Toeal. Lost are B-17E "Blue In The Night" 41-9209 (KIA), P-38G 42-12857 (survived), P-38G 43-2382 (survived).

(IJN) Operation I-GO Imperial Japanese Navy planes including forty Bettys escorted by over a hundred Zeros attack the Port Moresby area. Convoy "Hansa No. 28" departs Palau bound for Hansa Bay including Subchaer CH-26, Subchaer CH-34 destroyers Tanikaze and Amatsukaze escort transports: Teiryu Maru, India Maru, Toho Maru, Sydney Maru, Taisei Maru and Taiyu Maru.