WEDNESDAY, 27 DECEMBER 1944
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, six B-25s bomb the area W of
Kengtung; two B-25s and eight P-40s hit the Ishan area; 29 P-40s and P-51s attack
the area S of Puchi; 17 P-51s over White Cloud Airfield, Whampoa, and Tien Ho Airfield, claim 10 airplanes destroyed; 2 P-51s are lost. 40+ P-40s and P-51s
hit targets of opportunity at or near Kweiyi, China; Vinh, Yen, and Mong Khong,
French Indochina; and Lungan, Mong Long, and Namtao, Burma.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 8 B-25s attack bridges at
Kin and Kyaukhlebein, damaging the former; 28 P-47s hit troop and supply areas
at Se-hai, Man Hkam, Mong Yok, and Mong Nge. American B-24's score direct
hits on a railway bridge in Burma using guided bombs. 285 transport sorties
are flown to forward areas. 4 B-25s continue offensive reconnaissance against
communications lines during the night of 27/28 Dec. The 9th Combat Cargo Squadron,
3d Combat Cargo Group, moves from Moran, India to Warazup, Burma with C-47s.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Thirteen B-24s from Saipan hit Iwo Jima while twenty-one B-24s bomb Chichi Jima; 35 B-24s from Guam also pound Iwo Jima while P-38s strafe the island on which 2 B-24s also make snooper strikes during the night of 27/28 Dec.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 16: 72 B-29s from the Marianas bomb Nakajima and Musashino aircraft plants in Tokyo; 39 hit the primary targets and 13 attack alternates and targets of opportunity; enemy fighters are active, flying 250+ individual attacks on the B-29s; B-29s claim 21-10-7 fighters; 3 B-29s are lost, 1 to fighters and 2 to mechanical difficulties. B-29s and crews of the 313th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy), commanded by Colonel John H Davies, begin to arrive on Tinian, joining the the 73d Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) as the XXI Bomber Command's second operational wing.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb San
Jose and Talisay Airfields on Negros and Matina Airfield on Mindanao.
Small miscellaneous strikes are carried out over Borneo, Celebes Islands, and
the Lesser Sunda Islands. HQ 345th Bombardment Group (Medium) and the 498th Bombardment Squadron (Medium),
499th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 500th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) and 501st Bombardment Squadron (Medium) move from Dulag to Tacloban with B-25s.
RAAF: Crashed on take off is Auster A11-16 (crew unhurt).
USN: As the Japanese "Intrusion Force" departs Mindoro after their bombardment mission, they encounters PT Boats. PT-223 under the command of Lt(jg) Harry E. Griffen fires two torpedoes, one hits Kiyoshimo sinking the damaged destroyer. USS Baya (SS-318) locates Japanese heavy cruiser Ashigara, light cruiser Oyodo, and destroyers Asashimo and Kasumi, part of the "Intrusion Force" as its return to Cam Ranh Bay and attacks unsuccessful at Lat 12°51'N, Long 113°27'E.
IJN: Japanese planes bomb shore positions and auxiliary shipping at Mindoro; attacks are repeated on December 28, December 29 and December 30
TG 94.9 under the command of Rear Admiral Allan E. Smith follows up USAAF 7th Air Force bombing of Iwo Jima with cruiser and destroyer bombardment of Japanese installations and shipping. Destroyer Dunlap (DD-384) is damaged by shore battery, but not before she teams with Fanning (DD-385) and Cummings (DD-365) to sink fast transport T.7 and landing ship T.132 at Lat 24°47'N, Long 141°20'E.
Submarine Barbero (SS-317) is damaged by aerial bomb, Lombok Strait, 08°20'S, 115°55'E, and returns to base on starboard shaft only.
Japanese cargo ship Daicho Maru is sunk by accidental bomb explosion, Batavia, Java, 06°06'S, 106°53'E.
