January 27, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 27 JANUARY 1944

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): Six B-25's from Tarawa hit Nauru, and nine staging through Makin hit Wotje; 23 A-24s, supported by ten P-39's, pound Mille; and 7 B-24's, staging through Makin bomb Taroa in a dusk attack.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 19 B-25's, with and escort of 60+ AAF and USN fighters, pound Lakunai Airfield; 6 US fighters are lost; US aircraft claim 20+ Japanese fighters shot down. On Bougainville P-39s ranging over a wide area, strafe targets of opportunity at Motupena, Gazelle Harbor, and Buka. Two squadrons of B-24's blast concentrations at Sulphur Creek in the Rabaul area. 72d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy) at Munda ceases operating from Guadalcanal with B-24's.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): Forty-one B-24s bomb Lorengau. Almost 70 B-25's, A-20's, and P-39's, along with several RAAF aircraft attack the Madang and Bogia areas. B-24s hit a freighter and the town area at Dili and shipping at Sorong and MacCluer Gulf. 39th Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Group, transfers from Nadzab to Gusap with P-47's.

RAAF: Lost on a strafing mission in an aerial collision are P-40N A29-523 (MIA) and P-40N "Ishkabibble" A29-530 (KIA).

U.S. Army: Lost is L-4B Grasshopper 43-1251 pilot 2nd Lt. Charles W. Cross (MIA) on a flight bound for Kameli Airfield on Bougainville.