This Day in History: SEAC, CBI & Pacific Theatres

This from Australia @ War thanks to Peter Dunn.
https://www.facebook.com/Ozatwar
https://www.facebook.com/Ozatwar/posts/10205583869865869

20th Jan 1942, BISMARCKS 90 IJN carrier aircraft & land-based bombers attack & inflict serious damage to defenses at Rabaul.

Does anyone have better references than these?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Rabaul_(1942)
http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/R/a/Rabaul.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rabaul_(1942)

 

I highly recommend Bruce Gamble's Rabaul trilogy of books
https://www.goodreads.com/series/156609-rabaul-trilogy

Mr. Gamble's WW2 History Round Table presentation touch's on the carrier raid(around the 20 minute mark). His presentation is followed by a two American veterans, a Black Cat crewmember and an Aviation Mechanic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo1FIySpcuE

Lark Force nominal roll:
http://australian-pow-ww2.com/lark_force_28.html

 

20 Jan 1942

Japanese advance in Burma, 20 January-19 March 1942


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Date (year) mistake... From source : http://www.aircrewremembered.com/USAAFCombatOperations/Jan.42.html
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Far East Air Force):
Major General George H Brett, Commanding General US Army Forces in Australia (USAFIA), halts ferrying of aircraft from India to the Netherlands East Indies.
The USAAF has been sending heavy bombers to Java by way of Africa and India, but the Japanese are able to inflict
prohibitive losses on USAAF aircraft on the last stops of the route by interception from newly acquired airfields near Java.

Any good links to this?

 

20 Jan 1943

The 48th Evac. Hospital, activated as a unit from the Rhode Island Hospital left for India on January 20, 1943,
aboard the USS Monticello with the 20th General Hospital of Philadephia and the 76th Evac. Hospital of
Los Angeles General Hospital. Arrived at Bombay on March 4 and all three hospital units were sent to Ledo.

Hospital Units in CBI: http://www.cbi-theater.com/hospitals/_cbi_hospitals.html

SOLOMON ISLANDS: USAAF XIII Bomber Command B-26s attack an IJN destroyer off southern Bougainville.

From: http://www.aircrewremembered.com/USAAFCombatOperations/Jan.43.html

In the Solomons, B-26s claim a hit on a destroyer off southern Bougainville Island.
B-17s with fighter escort attack ships near Shortland Island without scoring hits.
They are met by Zekes and float biplanes; eight are shot down with the loss of one US fighter.
The advance grund echelon of the 18th Photographic Mapping Squadron, 4th Photographic Group arrives at Dumbea, New Caledonia from the US.
The bulk of the air echelon is still in the US. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) In New Guinea,
B-25s bomb supply dumps at Lae and targets on Aroe Island; B-24s, operating singly, attack Madang and Finschhafen.
In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-24s, operating singly, attack Cape Gloucester, New Britain Island and Gasmata Island.
The 64th and 65th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy) with B-17s transfers from Mareeba, Queensland, Australia to Port Moresby, New Guinea.

Any good informational links to this operation?

 

THURSDAY, 20 JANUARY 1944
From: http://www.aircrewremembered.com/USAAFCombatOperations/Jan.44.html

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force):

In N Burma, 40+ A-36's and P-51's hit storage dumps along the railway in the Mogaung area and billets and warehouse area at Mohnyin.
In S Burma, 16 P-38's and 6 B-25's knock out a railroad bridge, pipeline, and railroad tracks in the Nattalin area.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 2 B-24's on sweep from Hong Kong to Swatow, China, attack a freighter and a tanker, which are reported sinking.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force):
In the Marshall Islands, 13 B-24's, staging through Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, hit Wotje Atoll during the night of 19/20 Jan; 8 B-25's from
Abemama Island, Gilbert Islands, bomb Rakaaru Island; other B-25's sent from Tarawa Atoll against shipping at Ailinglapalap Atoll, abort because of
bad weather; 9 P-40's from the Gilbert Islands strafe a corvette and a schooner at Jaluit Atoll, mortally damaging both vessels; 4 other P-40's bomb Mille Atoll.

HQ 11th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 98th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) transfer from Funafuti and Nukufetau Islands, Ellice Islands respectively to Tarawa Atoll with B-24's.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force):
Several targets on Bougainville Island are bombed by 2 squadrons of B-24's.
18 B-25's, with about 70 escorting fighters, pound the airfield, fuel dump and gun positions, at Vunakanau and Rabaul, New Britain Island.
HQ 42d Bombardment Group (Medium) and 75th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) transfer from the Russell Islands to Sterling Island, Treasury Islands with B-25's.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force):
In New Guinea, 37 B-25's and a B-24 bomb and strafe the Hansa Bay area; 60+ B-25's hit positions on Shaggy Ridge; and P-39's strafe troops at Weber Point.
25 A-20's hit positions between Borgen Bay and Rein Bay, New Britain Island, and hit barge hideouts and enemy held areas on Gasmata Island.
Transfers in New Guinea: HQ 71st Reconnaissance Group from Port Moresby to Nadzab; "A" flight of the 110th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter),
71st Reconnaissance Group, based at Port Moresby, begins operating from Gusap with P-39Q's.

 

SATURDAY, 20 JANUARY 1945

PHILIPPINES: A VMF-222 F4U explodes in a tent camp after a blown tire during takeoff. 14 are killed & 50 + injured.
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From: http://www.aircrewremembered.com/USAAFCombatOperations/Jan.45.html

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force):
4 B-24s bomb the Kataoka area on Shimushu Island, Kurile Islands.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force):
4 B-25s hit a bridge and railroad cars near Hanoi, French Indochina.
In China, 3 B-25s attack targets of opportunity W of Hengshan, 2 hit a troop compound and other targets at Chaling and Anjen,
and 1 damages a small freighter in the E China Sea; 32 P-51s pound airfields in the Shanghai area, claiming 22 aircraft destroyed;
200+ P-40s, P-51s, and P-38s on armed reconnaissance over vast S China and N French Indochina areas attack bridges, town areas,
rail, road and river traffic, and other targets of opportunity at numerous points.
The detachment of the 22d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), operating from Yunnani, China with B-25s, returns to base at Yangkai.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Brigadier General Roger M Ramey officially becomes Commanding General XX Bomber Command.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force):
In Burma, 16 fighter-bombers support ground forces along the Irrawaddy River near Mabein, Shadaw, and Myitson;
8 others hit an ammunition dump at Namhkai and a supply dump at Kutkai; also hit are troop concentrations, supply areas
and targets of opportunity at Kyaunghkam, Panghung, Kawnglom, Namhsan, Loi-kang, and in the Hsenwi area.
482 transport sorties are flown to advanced bases and battle sectors.
HQ 80th Fighter Group moves from Tingkawk Sakan to Myitkyina, Burma.

In India, the 127th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, based at Kalaikunda with UC-64s and L-5s, sends a detachment to operate from Cox's Bazar (first mission is today).

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force):
12 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb airfields on Iwo Jima Island; 5 from Saipan Island hit the town of Okimura on Chichi Jima Island;
during the night of 20/21 Jan, 10 B-24s from Guam fly separate snooper strikes against Iwo Jima airfields.

The 163d Liaison Squadron, AAFPOA (attached to Tenth Army) arrives at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii from the US with L-5s.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Major General Curtis Emerson LeMay takes command of the XXI Bomber Command.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]:
B-24s pound Fabrica Airfield on Negros Island and bomb underground storage area at Bamban on Luzon Island.
On Luzon, A-20s and B-25s hit railroads and trains near the Bicol River and between Calauag and Legaspi; other A-20s and
fighter-bombers hit Aparri-Laoag and Tubang Airfields, hit artillery positions W of Bong Bong and destroy railroad bridge at Aloneros.

HQ 35th Fighter Group moves from Morotai Island to Mangaldan, Luzon.
The 2d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 22d Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Angaur Island to Samar Island with B-24s.
The 82d and 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons, 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group, arrive at
Lingayen, Luzon from Morotai Island and Dulag, Leyte Island respectively with F-6s and P-40s (82d) and P-40s (110th).