MONDAY, 5 JUNE 1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 9 B-25s bomb Bhamo and 4 hit the bridge
at Ledan Chaung, while others continue ammunition haul into Imphal; 50
fighter-bombers pound the Myitkyina area and 20+ others hit Loilaw, Tagwin,
Namti, and Mogaung. In India, HQ 3d Combat Cargo Group and 9th, 10th, 11th and
12th Combat Cargo Squadrons are activated at Sylhet with C-47s. With this activation,
the following squadrons, which have been operating from bases in India since
Apr 44, will shortly return to their bases in Italy and Sicily: 4th Troop Carrier
Squadron, 62d Troop Carrier Group, to Gaudo Airfield, Italy and 16th, 17th,
18th and 35th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 64th Troop Carrier Group, to Comiso,
Sicily.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 12 P-40s support ground forces at Watien
and Lameng on the Salween front; 18 B-24s and 12 P-40s bomb Lashio; 7 B-24s
blast the barracks and warehouse area at Namhkam; 8 P-40s hit 15 tanks at Taying;
29 P-40s attack numerous oil barges near Yuankiang, leaving
16 of them burning.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Twentieth Air Force): The Twentieth Air Force flies its
first B-29 combat mission. Of 98 B-29s airborne from India, 77 bomb the primary
target the railroad shops at Bangkok. Five B-29s are lost to non-battle causes.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s from Makin hit Nauru; B-24s from Eniwetok escort photo aircraft over Guam Island, Marianas
Islands, bomb the island, and proceed to Los Negros for rearming. B-25s
from Engebi strike Ponape.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 23
B-25s bomb a truck park at Rabaul; 22 P-39s strike Ratawul; Eleven P-38s hit barges
and buildings in the Vulcan Crater area. On Bougainville, 30+ P-39s hit
vehicles in the Komai-Tobago vicinity, a wooded supply area north of Buka Airfield, and Cape Tanabom and Kangu Hill areas. Lost are P-38J 43-28570 (MIA) and B-25C 42-64705 (MIA).
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): P-39s and RAAF
aircraft attack the Wewak area; B-24s bomb the area north of Sorido Airfield;
during the night of 5/6 Jun an all-night series of harassing raids by Japanese
airplanes destroy six planes and damage 80 on Wakde
Island. Lost is P-38J 42-104359 (POW). 7th Fighter Squadron, 49th
Fighter Group moves from Hollandia to Biak with P-38s; and 110th Tactical
Reconnaissance Squadron, 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group, moves from Gusap to Tadji with P-39s.
RNZAF: Lost on a strike against Rabaul is TBF Avenger NZ2518 (MIA).
