December 5, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 5 DECEMBER 1944

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Six B-24s off for a strike on Kakumabetsu abort due to weather and B-25s cancel a shipping sweep.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Seven B-24s on sweep the Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea, and Formosa Strait bomb Ft Bayard, China and Kowloon Docks in Hong Kong and damage a freighter. Six B-25s pound targets of opportunity from Liuchow to Liuchenghsien, China; 61 P-40s, P-51s, and P-38s on armed reconnaissance hit river, road, and rail traffic and other targets of opportunity at scattered points mainly in S China.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 31 fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Bhamo area; 25 fighter-bombers hit Hay-ti, Meza, and 3 other road bridges; 20+ fighter-bombers attack town areas, troop concentrations and storage facilities in or near Kawngwai, Kunmong, Settawagon, and Thitpoklwin; 8 attack targets of opportunity along the Shwebo-Wuntho rail line; transports complete 285 sorties carrying troops to forward bases and dropping supplies to frontline forces; 10 B-25s bomb a communications center, supplies, and personnel concentration at Mogok; on this date Tenth AF aircraft begin Operation GRUBWORM, flying the Chinese 14th and 22d Divisions from Burma to China in preparation for the Yunnan campaign to counter a probable Japanese drive toward Kunming; the 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, moves from Barrackpore to Myitkyina with B-25s and F-5s (a detachment is operating from Chittagong); the 317th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, moves from Bikram, India to Myitkyina with C-47s.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): P-47s from Saipan strafe the runway on Pagan Airfield.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Halmahera, B-24s strike Hate Tabako Airfield, Galela Airfield, and Djailolo Airfield while B-25s and A-20s lightly raid Miti and Kaoe Airfields. B-25s hit Langoan while B-24s flying in pairs hit targets of opportunity nearby and in north Borneo. Fighter-bombers over the central Philippines area hit Japanese positions, barges, and communications targets.

USMC: Lost due to an aerial collision over New Britain is FG-1A 14417 (POW).