THURSDAY, 12 OCTOBER 1944
AMERICAN ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): B-24s hit Matsuwa Airfield and shipping targets
in the Matsuwa-Onnekotan area.
(CBI) BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 18 P-47s bomb railroad targets
in the Naba-Mawlu rail corridor damaging a bridge approach, and strike troops
and stores near Nayakaung; 12 other P-47s hit various targets at Pintha and
Nyaunggon; 4 B-25s knock out a bridge just N of Lashio and 3 others knock out
a bridge at Kawlin and damage tracks near the Man Pwe bridge.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 3 B-25s and 12 P-40s hit the Chefang
storage area and a bridge and general targets of opportunity in the Mangshih
area; 40+ P-40s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance covering wide areas of S China
and extending into W Burma attack troop concentrations, river traffic, storage
areas, and buildings in areas around Taochuan, Kweiping, Hsinganhsien, Yuncheng,
Tanchuk, and Hsenwi.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Twentieth Air Force): The following B-29 units are inactivated
in India: HQ 58th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) and the 795th Bombardment Squadron
(Very Heavy), 468th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) at Kharagpur; the 679th
Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy), 444th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) at Dudhkundi;
the 771st Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy), 462d Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) at Piardoba.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Saipan bomb
the harbor and shipping at Chichi Jima and shipping S of Haha Jima, AA positions on Marcus, and the Pagan Airfield area on Pagan. P-47s hit the Pagan
Airfield area with bombs and rockets. B-24s from Kwajalein bomb Wake during
the night of 12/13. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): The first B-29 "Joltin' Josie, The Pacific Pioneer" arrives on Saipan piloted by Brigadier General
Haywood S Hansell, Jr, Commanding General XXI Bomber Command, for whom temporary
HQ are set up on Saipan; also the regular air echelon of HQ 73d Bombardment
Wing (Very Heavy) arrives on Saipan on this date, followed during Oct 44 and
the first week in Nov 44 by 4 bombardment groups and 4 air service groups; HQ
313th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) will be established in the theater in Dec
44, HQ 314th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) in Jan 45, HQ 58th Bombardment Wing
(Very Heavy) in Mar 45, and HQ 315th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) in Apr 45.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s
bomb Ambesia Airfield, Langoan Airfield, Mapanget Airfield, and Sidate Airfield. B-25s, A-20s, and P-47s
again pound airfields at Liang Airfield and Laha Airfield on Ambon, Namlea on Buru, Kairatoe
Airfield and Haroekoe Airfield and the town of Boela. P-38s
hit numerous targets of opportunity on Halmahera. Fighter-bombers
hit Manokwari and Urarom and A-20s bomb pillboxes in the Sarmi area. Ditched are four P-38 Lightnings, pilots rescued three days later. Lost is C-47A Dakota 42-23704 and P-38L pilot Everhart (MIA).
USN: SB2C-3 Helldiver 19422 (MIA).