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syscom3
Pacific Historian
(CBI) BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 22 A-36's and P-51's hit warehouses and dump area at Sahmaw; 19 B-25's, along with 16 P-38's, bomb a pumping station at Yenangyaung, setting oil tanks afire; 10 B-24's follow with a strike on the same target, causing explosions and leaving the target in flames.
BURMA: To hasten the clearing of the Tanai River line, U.S. Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell, Commanding General US China-Burma-India Theater of Operations, Chief of Staff to Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, Commander in Chief Northern Area Combat Command, and Deputy Commander in Chief South-East Asia Command, promises the commander of the Chinese 38th Infantry Division the use of the Chinese 3d Battalion, 112th Regiment, from reserve, provided he takes Taihpa Ga in two days.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 28 B-24's attack the railroad yards at Lampang; 5 fighter-bombers attack the town of Pingkai.
MARSHALL ISLANDS: Twenty four USAAF Seventh Air Force A-24s from Makin Island, Gilbert Islands, dive-bomb antiaircraft positions and radar and radio facilities on Mili Atoll. Twenty supporting P-39s strafe runways and oil storage.
Aerial minelaying operations in the Marshalls continue: seven USN PB4Y-1s of VB-108 and VB-109, flying from Apemama, Gilbert Islands, mine the waters northwest of Enijun Island, off west side of Taroa, and outside lagoon off Kumaru Island, and strafe shipping anchored off Taroa. Four PV-1s of VB-137, flying from Tarawa, mine the southeast pass of Jaluit Atoll.
GILBERT ISLANDS: Japanese planes again bomb Abemama Airfield on Abemama Island but inflict neither casualties nor serious damage to installations.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 30+ Allied fighters again sweep the Rabaul area, New Britain , claiming 6 Zekes shot down. 6 B-24's bomb Kavieng and several others abort due to bad weather. 6 B-25's bomb Moisuru a bivouac area near Kahili, on Bougainville and 15 more hit supply areas near the Buka Passage. 23d Bombardment Squadron, 5th BG (Heavy), begins movement from Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides to Munda, New Georgia with B-24's.
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: On New Britain Island, aviation engineers begin work on Cape Gloucester airdrome. The Japanese attack Target Hill in the early morning and are beaten back. The attack of the ADC Group (7th Marine Regiment, reinforced by the 3d Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment, and supporting units) halts at small stream, dubbed Suicide Creek, northwest of Target Hill. Efforts to bridge the creek so that tanks can cross are unsuccessful.
Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington commanded 46 fighters, including 8 F4Us from VMF-214, 12 F4Us from VMF-211 and 16 F6F from VF-33 flying from Ondonga. Several planes aborted due to mechanical failures (three from VMF-214). The fighters reached Rabaul for a fighter sweep, flying from 20,000 - 24,000 feet, spotting Zeros below, they dove to intercept (probably 29 Zeros of the 253rd Kokutai). Also, 27 Zeros of the 204th Kokutai already in the air, joined the fight. Boyington's F4U 17915 and his wingman F4U 02723 are both shot down and listed as missing in action. Boyington survives the war as a POW.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 50+ B-24's and B-25's bomb the Alexishafen area. 20+ A-20's hit positions at Borgen Bay. 388th Bombardment Squadron, 312th Bombardment Group , transfers from Port Moresby to Gusap with P-40's; first mission is 13 Jan; they will transition to A-20's in Feb.
NEW GUINEA: The airlift of the Australian 18th Brigade, 7th Division, to Dumpu is completed and the brigade takes up positions on Shaggy Ridge.
BURMA: To hasten the clearing of the Tanai River line, U.S. Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell, Commanding General US China-Burma-India Theater of Operations, Chief of Staff to Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, Commander in Chief Northern Area Combat Command, and Deputy Commander in Chief South-East Asia Command, promises the commander of the Chinese 38th Infantry Division the use of the Chinese 3d Battalion, 112th Regiment, from reserve, provided he takes Taihpa Ga in two days.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 28 B-24's attack the railroad yards at Lampang; 5 fighter-bombers attack the town of Pingkai.
MARSHALL ISLANDS: Twenty four USAAF Seventh Air Force A-24s from Makin Island, Gilbert Islands, dive-bomb antiaircraft positions and radar and radio facilities on Mili Atoll. Twenty supporting P-39s strafe runways and oil storage.
Aerial minelaying operations in the Marshalls continue: seven USN PB4Y-1s of VB-108 and VB-109, flying from Apemama, Gilbert Islands, mine the waters northwest of Enijun Island, off west side of Taroa, and outside lagoon off Kumaru Island, and strafe shipping anchored off Taroa. Four PV-1s of VB-137, flying from Tarawa, mine the southeast pass of Jaluit Atoll.
GILBERT ISLANDS: Japanese planes again bomb Abemama Airfield on Abemama Island but inflict neither casualties nor serious damage to installations.
SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 30+ Allied fighters again sweep the Rabaul area, New Britain , claiming 6 Zekes shot down. 6 B-24's bomb Kavieng and several others abort due to bad weather. 6 B-25's bomb Moisuru a bivouac area near Kahili, on Bougainville and 15 more hit supply areas near the Buka Passage. 23d Bombardment Squadron, 5th BG (Heavy), begins movement from Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides to Munda, New Georgia with B-24's.
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: On New Britain Island, aviation engineers begin work on Cape Gloucester airdrome. The Japanese attack Target Hill in the early morning and are beaten back. The attack of the ADC Group (7th Marine Regiment, reinforced by the 3d Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment, and supporting units) halts at small stream, dubbed Suicide Creek, northwest of Target Hill. Efforts to bridge the creek so that tanks can cross are unsuccessful.
Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington commanded 46 fighters, including 8 F4Us from VMF-214, 12 F4Us from VMF-211 and 16 F6F from VF-33 flying from Ondonga. Several planes aborted due to mechanical failures (three from VMF-214). The fighters reached Rabaul for a fighter sweep, flying from 20,000 - 24,000 feet, spotting Zeros below, they dove to intercept (probably 29 Zeros of the 253rd Kokutai). Also, 27 Zeros of the 204th Kokutai already in the air, joined the fight. Boyington's F4U 17915 and his wingman F4U 02723 are both shot down and listed as missing in action. Boyington survives the war as a POW.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 50+ B-24's and B-25's bomb the Alexishafen area. 20+ A-20's hit positions at Borgen Bay. 388th Bombardment Squadron, 312th Bombardment Group , transfers from Port Moresby to Gusap with P-40's; first mission is 13 Jan; they will transition to A-20's in Feb.
NEW GUINEA: The airlift of the Australian 18th Brigade, 7th Division, to Dumpu is completed and the brigade takes up positions on Shaggy Ridge.
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