Oct 20th 1944
(CBI) BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 9 P-47s hit encampments and stores near Naha; 5 others knock out a road bridge near Wanling and hit a supply dump in the area, while 4 more attack troops and supplies in the Nansiaung area. Transports fly 200+ sorties in the CBI. In India, the 490th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st BG (Medium), moves from Dergaon to Moran with B-25s.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 18 B-25s bomb docks and storage area at Samshui and the town of Kweiping; 28 P-51s and P-40s join the attack on the Samshui area; 77 P-40s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance pound road, river, and rail traffic, town and village areas and other targets of opportunity around Kweiping, Menghsu, Shawan, Kaotienhsu, Pingnam, Hsenwi, Wuchou, Dosing, Tanchuk, and coastal areas of French Indochina including Hongay.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 6 Saipan based P-47s bomb and strafe Pagan ; later in the day 4 B-24s hit the . During the night of 20/21 Oct a B-24 on a snooper mission bombs Iwo Jima. In Hawaii, HQ VII Fighter Command moves from Ft Shafter to Hickam Field; the 549th Night Fighter Squadron, 7th Fighter Wing, arrives at Kipapa Field from the US with P-61s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb Davao. B-25s hit Amboina town on Ambon, lost is B-25G 42-64946. In New Guinea, the 2d Photographic Charting Squadron, 311th Photographic Wing, arrives at Hollandia from the US with F-7s; the 6th Troop Carrier Squadron, 374th Troop Carrier Group, moves from Nadzab to Biak with C-47s; the ground echelon of the 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, begins a movement from Biak to Leyte , Philippine (air echelon continues operating from Biak with F-5s); the 67th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Squadron, moves from Hollandia to Biak with C-47s.
CAROLINE ISLANDS: In the Palau Islands, Major General Paul Mueller, Commanding General 81st Infantry Division, takes responsibility for ground operations in the Palaus from the III Amphibious Corps. Elements of 81st seize Pulo Anna Island in the Sosoral Group, between the Palau Islands and Morotai.
JAPAN: The Japanese Navy institutes Operation SHO-GO. To counter the U.S. landings on Leyte in the southern Philippines, a Japanese naval force consisting of four aircraft carriers, two battleships, three light cruisers, eight destroyers and only 116 combat aircraft, sorties from the Inland Sea for the Philippine Islands. This force, under Vice Admiral Ozawa, Tokusaburo, Commander-in-Chief Third Fleet and commander of the Northern Force, will act as a decoy to draw off the USN battleships and fast carriers so that other surface units can sink the American Seventh Fleet ships off Leyte.
PACIFIC OCEAN: USN submarine USS Hammerhead finds a six-ship Japanese convoy and sinks a transport and an army cargo ship of the west coast of Borneo about 176 nautical miles WSW of Jesselton, British North Borneo, in position 04.46N, 113.23E.
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: The U.S. Sixth Army invades Leyte Island, landing on the east coast in the vicinity of Tacloban, the capital, and Dulag at approximately 1000 hours. Two firm beachheads are established, but at the end of day they are nearly 10 miles apart. In a preliminary operation, the 21st Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division lands well to the south in the vicinity of Panaon Strait at 0930 hours and secures the strait without opposition. Before landings naval guns of the USN Seventh Fleet pound the assault zone, beginning at 0600 hours, and lifting for a time at 0850 hours for an air strike on the Dulag area. Aircraft provide close support throughout the day.
The X Corps lands 2 divisions abreast in the north in the vicinity of Tacloban. On the northern flank, the 1st Cavalry Division, with the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the 2d Cavalry Brigade and the 12th and 5th Cavalry Regiments of the 1st Cavalry Brigade, lands and clears San Jose, Tacloban airstrip, and the Cataisan Peninsula.
The 24th Infantry Division, with the 34th Infantry Regiment on the north and 19th on south, meets heavy fire after initial waves have landed; against strong opposition they seize Hill 522, the key terrain feature north of Palo commanding the northern entrance to Leyte Valley, and secure a bridgehead averaging 1 mile in depth. The XXIV Corps lands near Dulag with the 96th Infantry Division on the north and the 7th Infantry Division on the south.
The 96th is slowed by harassing fire and difficult terrain but takes San Jose, positions astride Labiranan River, and Hill 120; they push inland about 2,500 yards on the N and 1,300 yards on the south.
The 7th Infantry Division gets forward elements on the north across Highway 1 and on the south takes Dulag and reaches the edge of the airstrip, where counterattacks are repelled during the night of 20/21 October.
Several hours after the initial landings on Leyte, General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander, Southwest Pacific Area, lands. He broadcasts to the Philippine people announcing: "I have returned," thus redeeming his promise of 1942 upon arriving in Australia from Corregidor.
Forty six USAAF Fifth Air Force B-24s bomb a Japanese Army headquarters at Davao on Mindanao Island while 12 B-25s attack Dumaguete Airfield on Negros Island. Twelve P-38s and 16 P-47s attack numerous targets on Mindanao and Negros.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: Special Task Air Group (STAG 1) operations continue from Stirling Island in the Treasury Islands. Three Interstate TDR-1 target drones controlled from converted TBM-1C Avengers are launched against Japanese gun positions west of Ballale Island located south of Bougainville: one is lost, one makes a hit with its bomb but crashes before it can be directed into its ultimate target (the beached Japanese freighter serving as an antiaircraft gun site off the Kahili Airfield on southern Bougainville and christened the "Kahili Maru"), the last achieves a bomb hit and crashes into "Kahili Maru" as planned.
CINCPAC COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 161, OCTOBER 20, 1944
Hellcat and Corsair fighters, Avenger torpedo planes and Helldiver bombers of the fast carrier task force, in support of the invasion of the Philippine Islands, attacked targets at Leyte, Cebu, and Negros Islands on October 19 (West Longitude Date). Ground installations were bombed and rocketed. The San Pablo and Dulag Airfields on Leyte were attacked, and direct hits were obtained on revetments and other installations. The town of Dagami was heavily pounded, and a bridge was knocked out. At Cebu Airfield five enemy aircraft on the ground were strafed. An afternoon fighter sweep over airfields at Negros Island found little enemy activity. There was no airborne enemy opposition during these raids. One of our fighters was shot down by antiaircraft fire. A single engine enemy torpedo plane was shot down in the vicinity of our surface ships.
Additional reports have been received regarding strikes by carrier aircraft which occurred on October 17 and 18 in the vicinity of Manila and in the northern part of Luzon. On October 17 a large cargo ship and a patrol vessel were sunk at Laoag Bay on Luzon's northwest coast. A landing ship, a coastal cargo ship, and two luggers were probably sunk at Aparri. An escort vessel, two medium cargo ships, three small cargo ships, 16 coastal cargo ships, and 28 small craft found along the Luzon coasts were damaged by bombing, strafing, and rocket fire. Three enemy aircraft were destroyed on the ground, and extensive damage was done to ground installations. At Laoag several barracks and fuel dumps were destroyed.
On the same day, in the vicinity of Manila, Clark, Tarlac and Mabalacat Airfields were attacked. Several intercepting fighters were shot down, 19 twin engine enemy aircraft were destroyed on the ground at Mabalacat, 10 twin engine aircraft were destroyed on the ground at Tarlac, and one at Legaspi. Aviation installations at Clark and Mabalacat Fields were bombed and rocketed. We lost two fighters in this attack.
On October 18 our attacks in the Manila area continued, and Clark, Nielson, Pasig, and Nichols Airfields were further reduced. Seven enemy aircraft were destroyed on the ground at Nielson Field, 10 at Clark Field, four at Pasig Field, and one at Angeles. An additional 26 enemy aircraft were damaged on the ground at the several fields. Only slight airborne enemy opposition was encountered in these attacks. During the day a medium cargo ship found at San Fernando, a seaport on Lingayen Gulf, was attacked and damaged. Two barracks were destroyed at Clark Field, three hangars were blown up at Nielson Field, and two fuel dumps at Nielson Field were hit and destroyed. Extensive damage was done to dispersal areas and airport facilities in these strikes. Four of our aircraft were lost in these attacks, but the crew of one plane was rescued.
Corsairs of the Second Marine Aircraft Wing attacked Yap Island on October 17, and left two enemy planes on the ground afire. Gun positions south of Yap Town were bombed by a single Navy Ventura search plane the same day. Liberators of the Seventh Army Air Force on the following day dropped bombs on bridges and in the town area of Yap.
On October 18, in a night attack, the Second Marine Aircraft Wing's Hellcats shot up runways on Rota Island.
On October 19 Corsair fighters and Dauntless dive bombers of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing continued neutralization raids in the Marshall Islands.