MONDAY, 1 MAY 1944
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): A single weather sortie is flown.
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 18 P-38s and Royal Air Force (RAF)
Vengeances hit troop positions and supply dumps; seven P-40s over the Mogaung Valley
hit Kamaing and attack positions north of Nanyaseik; 30+ B-24s bomb Maymyo, Mandalay marshalling yard, and oil facilities at Yenangyaung. Moves in India: 20th Tactical
Reconnaissance Squadron, Tenth Air Force attached to 5320th Air Defense Wing
(Provisional), based at Kisselbari with P-40s, sends a detachment to Dinjan;
89th Fighter Squadron, 80th Fighter Group, based at Nagaghuli with P-40s, sends
a detachment to Mokelbaria during May.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 92 P-40s hit targets over wide areas of S China, Burma and French Indochina; in Burma, the fighter-bombers knock out a bridge at Wan Lai-Kam and pound a motor pool at Wan Pa-Hsa; in China, they strafe the railroad station and airfield at Yuncheng; in French Indochina, they damage 3 bridges and hit numerous boxcars at Bac Le, Dinh Ca, and Dong Mo, bomb carbide mines at Loc Binh and strafe railroad yards at Dong Dang and Na Cham. In China, 7 B-25s and 8 P-40s bomb Tangyang Airfield and nearby cavalry post; two B-25s over Amoy claim a small freighter sunk. During May, 16th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, based at Chengkung with P-40s, sends a detachment to Yunnani; the 26th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, based at Kunming with P-40s, sends a detachment to Liangshan.
JAAF: Fifteen aircraft bomb Ankang Airfield and Hengyang Airfield.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Twentieth Air Force): By this date all four B-29 airfields in
the Chengtu area are open for B-29 traffic.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): Shore-based Air Force Forward
Area (Task Force 59) is activated to control all USAAF, US Navy (USN), and
US Marine Corps (USMC) shore based aircraft in the C Pacific forward area;
the command is headed by Major General Willis H Hale, former Commanding General
of the Seventh Air Force. B-25s from Makin bomb Jaluit.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 24 B-24s over the Borpop area attack coastal guns; 40+ fighter-bombers
and 30 USN dive bombers pound Vunakambi Plantation. 38 P-39s, flying 18 different
missions, hit a variety of targets on SW Bougainville including missions at Tinputs, Koromira and Tsimba, Hongorai River crossing, Numa Numa bridge and huts at Aravia and Kunagaupau.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 180+ B-25s, A-20s,
and fighters pound the Wewak and Hansa Bay areas throughout the day. Numerous
coastline targets are hit, including airfields, vehicles, communications, villages,
AA positions, bivouacs, supplies, barges and offshore islands. HQ 86th Fighter
Wing arrives at Finschhafen from the US; and during May, HQ 310th Bombardment
Wing (Medium) moves from Gusap to Hollandia. B-24s of the Thirteenth Air Task
Force hit Woleai and Eauriprik Atoll. Damaged is A-20G 43-9092 in a landing accident and written off.
RAAF: Lost is Boomerang A46-71 (MIA).