August, 1944

Wednesday, 2 August, 1944
B-24s bomb the airfield at Yap Island, Caroline Islands; B-24s and B-25s carry out wide sweeps over the Moluccas and Lesser Sunda Islands, hitting airfields at Maumere, Amahai, and Liang, and shipping off Ceram and Amboina Islands; on Timor Island, B-24s hit Cape Chater and Lautem while B-25s bomb a camp near Poeloeti; and fighter-bombers hit coastal vessels and shore targets at Talaud, Sunda Islands. In New Guinea, A-20s bomb Nabire Airfield while in the Wewak area bombers and fighters hit a bridge and airfield at Boram and bridges, communications lines, troop concentrations, and other targets along the coastline, especially between But and Cape Karawop; and fighter-bombers hit Mapia Island

Thursday, 3 August, 1944
B-24s bomb Yap Island and islands in the Woleai Atoll group; an ammunition dump and oil derrick at Boela, Ceram Island, Moluccas Islands, are also destroyed. In New Guinea, bad weather cancels scheduled strikes over the Vogelkop Peninsula area; however, B-25s hit troop concentrations at Bira and other points on MacCluer Gulf, bomb Urarom, and support Allied ground forces on Biak Island by hitting troops in the Korim Bay area; supply dumps, communications targets, and bridges are hit as fighter-bombers and A-20s continue to blast areas around But, Dagua, and Wewak.

Friday, 4 August, 1944
B-24s bomb thesupply area on Utagal Island, the airfield at Yap Island and oil installations at Boela, Ceram Island. In New Guinea, B-24s attack Fann; B-25s and A-20s hit oilfields at Klamono and at Kasim Island and bomb Nabire Airfield; P-39s strafe Pegun Island; A-20s and fighter-bombers in support of Allied forces pound enemy concentrations, supplies, and barges East of the Driniumor River, at Abau, South of Torricelli Range, at Boram, and just West of Wewak; and HQ 86th Fighter Wing moves from Finschhafen to Toem.

Saturday, 5 August, 1944
B-24s bomb personnel and supply areas on Yap Island; other B-24s bomb oil facilities at Boela, Ceram Island and a few bomb Sasa Airfield, Philippine Islands while B-25s hit villages and small boats near Seleman Bay, Celebes Islands and afterwards bomb Besar Island, Sunda Islands. In New Guinea, B-24s attack a seaplane anchorage at Kokas while P-39s strafe barges in the West Geelvink Bay area; despite bad weather, P-39s manage to hit Luain gun positions and ammunition dump; and HQ 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group and 26th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron move from Nadzab and Hollandia respectively to Biak Island with F-5s.

Sunday, 6 August, 1944
The Yap Island supply area is bombed by B-24s; heavy frontal weather activities over the Vogelkop Peninsula and the Moluccas Islands cancels strikes in that area. In New Guinea, B-25s and fighters, though restricted by the weather, support ground operations near Sarmi, hit gun positions at Dagua, and strafe fuel dumps and targets of opportunity at Cape Djeruen; the 100th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), Thirteenth Air Force [attached to 42d Bombardment Group (Medium)] based on Stirling Island with B-25s, begins operating fromHollandia.

Monday, 7 August, 1944
B-24s bomb power plant, AA positions, and barracks area on Yap Island, phosphate plant on Fais Island, Caroline Islands, and airfields at Galela and Lolobata on Halmahera Island, Moluccas Islands, where 35-50 aircraft are destroyed or damaged. In New Guinea, the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron, 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, based at Nadzab begins operating from Biak Island with F-7s; the 39th Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Group, moves from Nadzab to Noemfoor Island with P-47s; and the 390th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 42d Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from the Russell Islands, Solomon Islands to Hollandia with B-25s.

Tuesday, 8 August, 1944
B-24s bomb Yap Island and Gagil-Tomil Island, Caroline Islands, concentrating on airstrips, and airfields at Galela and Lolobata on Halmahera Island. In New Guinea, B-24s hit Babo Airfield and the towns of Urarom and Manokwari; A-20s bomb a radio station near Hollandia and hit troop concentrations in the Musu area; fighter-bombers bomb bridges and buildings at Boram, troops at But, and guns at Dagua; and HQ 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group moves from Nadzab to Biak Island.

Wednesday, 9 August, 1944
B-24s blast AA positions in 3 different areas of Yap Island; other B-24s bomb airfields at Boela, Ceram Island and at Liang, Ambon Island, Moluccas Islands. In New Guinea, A-20s hit shipping facilities at Asap Island and bomb Nabire Airfield; fighters strafe the villages South of Manokwari; B-25s bomb forces on the North coast of Waigeo Island; A-20s and fighter-bombers hit troops at Dagua and near Haur and bomb stores at Cape Moem and machine-guns at Cape Wom. HQ 380th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 530th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) move from Fenton to Darwin, Australia with B-24s.

Thursday, 10 August, 1944
B-24s attack Yap Island, concentrating on AA positions, airfields and the town of Yap; others hit airfields at Galela and Lolobata, Halmahera Island and Namlea, Buru Island. In New Guinea, B-25s bomb Langgoer Airfield; fighter-bombers attack Sorong, Manokwari, and villages along the West coast of Geelvink Bay; fighter-bombers continue to pound forces between Aitape and Wewak; large-scale troop carrier missions are flown to forward bases, especially on Schouten Islands; HQ Fifth Air Force moves from Nadzab to Owi, Schouten Islands; HQ 91st Photographic Wing (Reconnaissance) moves from Nadzab to Biak Island; HQ 308th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) moves from Owi, Schouten Islands to Hollandia; and HQ 90th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 319th and 320th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) move from Nadzab to Biak Island with B-24s.

Friday, 11 August, 1944
In New Guinea, A-20s hit shipping off Urarom and in Wandammen Bay and barges and a radar station along the coast of Geelvink Bay; A-20s pound Japanese HQ and bivouac areas South of Sawar, A-20s and B-25s bomb forces at Haur village while P-39s hit the Kairiru Island barge terminal, coastal guns at several points, and troops, supplies, and buildings from But to Rocky Point; the 2d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 22d Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Nadzab to Owi, Schouten Islands with B-24s; and the 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, based at Nadzab, begins operating from Biak Island with F-5s.

Saturday, 12 August, 1944
In New Guinea, long-range reconnaissance is greatly increased thanks to the strategic position of newly acquired Schouten Islands bases; B-24s pound the airfield at Babo while B-25s and P-39s hit Nabire Airfield; other P-39s attack defenses at Mansinam Island and shore concentrations along W Geelvink Bay; P-47s support ground operations in the area of Sansapor Point by bombing Dore; A-20s and P-47s hit forces and targets of opportunity in the Sarmi area and along the Metimedan River; A-20s and P-39s attack troops at Haur, coastal targets in cooperation with motor torpedo (PT) boats, and fuel dumps at Boram; and the 321st and 400th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 90th Bombardment Group (Heavy), move from Nadzab to Biak Island with B-24s.

Sunday, 13 August, 1944
Bad weather in the Southwest Pacific Arena curtails operations. In New Guinea, B-24s bomb bivouacs and supply dumps at Manokwari; bombers hit a Cape Wom storage area while P-39s cooperate with PT boats to hit Dagua personnel areas and Suain coastal positions; P-47s and P-39s hit Cape Wom, troops at Ulban, Matapau, and Suain, and support ground forces at Sarmi; and C-47s complete nearly 90 missions to Owi Island and other forward bases.

Monday, 14 August, 1944
B-25s and B-24s attack Ternate Island, Moluccas Islands, AA positions, oil dumps, barracks, supply areas, and other targets throughout the Halmahera Islands. In New Guinea, B-24s pound the airfield at Babo while A-20s and fighter-bombers, along with Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft, blasting bivouac, and troops at Terabu, Kaiten, and Wewak Point; and the 33d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 22d Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Nadzab to Owi, Schouten Islands with B-24s.

Tuesday, 15 August, 1944
B-24s bomb Lolobata Airfield on Halmahera Island and B-25s attack shipping in the Ternate Island area, setting a 1,200-ton vessel afire and damaging several luggers and barges; aircraft on armed reconnaissance hit targets of opportunity in the Ceram Island area and Tanimbar Island. In New Guinea, P-39s dive-bomb AA positions at Wewak Point; HQ V Bomber Command moves from Nadzab to Owi, Schouten Islands; HQ XIII Fighter Command moves from Guadalcanal Island to Sansapor; HQ 347th Fighter Group and 339th Fighter Squadron move from Stirling Island, Treasury Islands to Sansapor with P-38s; and the 67th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group moves from the Russell Islands to Middleburg Island with P-38s.

Wednesday, 16 August, 1944
In the Molucca Islands, B-24s and B-25s bomb Miti and Lolobata Airfields on Halmahera Island, warehouses and shipping facilities on Ternate Island, shipping in Wasile and Veda Bays, and Japanese positions on Tanimbar Is; and off Alor Island, Sunda Islands, B-25s sink small vessel. In New Guinea, bombers hit installations at Ajoe; A-20s support ground forces in the Maffin Bay area while P-39s hit troops and positions from Manokwari to Windissi and bomb the airfield at Ransiki, Moemi, and Waren. The 13th Troop Carrier Squadron, 403d Troop Carrier Group, based at Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands begins operating from Los Negros Island, Admiralty Islands with C-47s.

Thursday, 17 August, 1944
B-24s pound airfields on Ambon and Ceram Islands and Boeroe Island in the Sunda Islands. B-25s strafe installations at Dili on Timor Island, on Moloe Island and Kai Islands in the Molucca Islands; and B-25s sink a transport vessel off Halmahera Island. In New Guinea, A-20s bomb Klamono oil fields while fighter-bombers hit gun positions, storage areas, and other targets at Ransiki and Manokwari and troop concentrations along the North shore of MacCluer Gulf; on Biak Island P-40s, supporting ground forces landing at Wardo, pound shore positions and troops inland as the enemy remnants on Biak Island break up into small groups; P-39s strafe troops from Cape Wom to the the Dandriwad River and near But, and hit gun positions at Marubian; HQ 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy) moves from Los Negros Island to Wakde Island; HQ 22d Bombardment Group (Heavy) moves from Nadzab to Owi, Schouten Islands; and the 68th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group, moves from Bougainville Island, Solomon Islands to Middleburg Island with P-38s.

Friday, 18 August, 1944
Armed reconnaissance missions continue over wide stretches of the SWPA including Ambon-Ceram, Palau Islands, and Halmahera Islands; several targets of opportunity are attacked. In New Guinea, fighter-bombers and A-20s pound troops and a storage area at Suain and hit defensive lines near Sarmi. The detachment of the 419th Night Fighter Squadron, 18th Fighter Group, operating from Los Negros Island with P-61s, returns to base on Guadalcanal Island.

Saturday, 19 August, 1944
Weather restricts operations. In New Guinea, P-40s bomb the port of Napido; P-39s bomb and strafe coastal positions along the W shore of Geelvink Bay; A-20s operating in force in support of ground troops pound targets in the Sawar-Sarmi sector; P-39s support ground forces in Wewak area; HQ 86th Fighter Wing moves from Toem to Sansapor; and the 72d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Momote Airfield, Los Negros Island to Wakde Island with B-24s.

Sunday, 20 August, 1944
B-24s bomb the town and airfield at Namlea, Buru Island and others pound personnel areas and warehouses at Tobelo, Halmahara Island. In New Guinea, B-25s bomb Langgoer Airfield; P-39s hit Windissi and enemy shipping off Manokwari while P-40s pound gun positions, buildings and stores at Manokwari; other P-40s support ground forces by hitting troop concentrations at Napido; A-20s and fighter-bombers hit a personnel center near Marubian, supplies at Wom, and numerous targets during coastal sweeps in the Wewak general area; and the 23d and 31st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy), move from Momote Airfield, Los Negros Island to Wakde Island with B-24s. The 528th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 380th Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Fenton to Darwin, Australia with B-24s.

Monday, 21 August, 1944
In the Molucca Islands, B-24s blast supply dumps and AA guns on the Wasile Bay coast; B-25s hit Kaoe Airfield and town on Halmahera Island and villages and supply areas on Karakelong Island. In New Guinea, fighter-bombers blast warehouses and other targets in the Manokwari area; A-20s and fighter-bombers hit supply dumps in the Sawar-Sarmi sector and attack troops along the coast, particularly from Babiang to Luain. The 419th Night Fighter Squadron, 18th Fighter Group, moves from Guadalcanal Island to Middelburg Island with P-61s (a detachment is operating from Noemfoor Island).

Tuesday, 22 August, 1944
In New Guinea, fighter-bombers continue to blast supply and personnel targets in Manokwari and the surrounding areas; fighter-bombers again hit North coastal areas, including shipping facilities at Wewak, barge terminal on Mushu Island, and trains and troop positions at various coastal points; and the 370th, 371st, 372d and 424th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 307th Bombardment Group (Heavy), move from Los Negros Island to Wakde Island with B-24s.

Wednesday, 23 August, 1944
B-24s pound the Galela, Halmahera Island area; in New Guinea, B-24s hit Langgoer Airfield and Saumlakki; fighter-bombers hit the airfield at Nabire, Moemi, and Urarom, the village of Moari, and town of Manokwari; B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers continue to attack barge hideouts, troops, villages, and general targets of opportunity around Wewak; HQ 18th Fighter Group and it's 12th and 70 Fighter Squadrons move from Guadalcanal Island and New Georgia Island, Solomon Islands (70th FS) to Sansapor with P-38s; and the 69th and 390th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 42d Bombardment Group (Medium), move from Stirling Island to Hollandia with B-25s.

Thursday, 24 August, 1944
Shipping in Lembeh Strait, Celebes Island is attacked by B-25s, while B-24s bomb Lolobata Airfield on Halmahera Island. In New Guinea, HQ 307th Bombardment Group (Heavy) moves from Los Negros Island to Wakde Island; the 100th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), Thirteenth Air Force [attached to 42d Bombardment Group (Medium)], moves from Stirling Island to Sansapor but continues operating from Hollandia with B-25; and the 340th and 341st Fighter Squadrons, 348th Fighter Group, move from Wakde Island to Noemfoor Island with P-47s.

Friday, 25 August, 1944
B-24s strike Koror and Malakal Islands, Palau Islands, Caroline Islands; B-24s pound Lolobata on Halmahera Island; B-25s on a shipping sweep over Lembeh Strait, Celebes Island claim a merchant ship sunk and hit several small vessels. In the Lesser Sunda Islands a few B-25s on a shipping sweep attack several small vessels. In New Guinea, A-20s and fighter-bombers hit Babo Airfield, Sagan, and Otawiri; P-39s strafe troops near But; the 394th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Momote Airfield, Los Negros Island to Wakde Island; and the 822d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 38th Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Nadzab to Biak Island with B-25s.

Saturday, 26 August, 1944
In the Palau Islands, B-24s bomb Koror and Peleliu Airfields. Other B-24s bomb Haroekoe and Liang Airfields on Ambon Island. In New Guinea, A-20s in close ground support hit troop concentrations in the Sarmi sector; fighter-bombers hit targets of opportunity in the Wewak and Suain areas; P-39s maintain patrols over the West shore of Geelvink Bay; HQ 348th Fighter Group moves from Wakde Island to Noemfoor Island; the 6th and 21st Troop Carrier Squadrons, 374th Troop Carrier Group, move from Garbutt Field and Archerfield, Australia respectively to Nadzab with C-47s; and the 823d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 38th Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Nadzab to Biak Island with B-25s.

Sunday, 27 August, 1944
In New Guinea, fighter-bombers hit Miti and airfields at Babo, Ransiki, Sagan, and Manokwari; fighter-bombers hit bivouacs near Boram, troops between Abau and Boikin, and a fuel dump and barges at Kairiru Island; and the 75th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 42d Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Stirling Island to Hollandia with B-25s.

Monday, 28 August, 1944
In the Palau Islands, B-24s hit the airfield on Koror Island, and the seaplane base on Arakabesan Island. A-20s and fighter-bombers attack small vessels along the East coast of Ceram Island. In New Guinea, fighter-bombers hit Kokas, vessels off Point Karakra, barracks at Nabire, storage facilities at Moemi and Manokwari and Boram fuel dumps.

Tuesday, 29 August, 1944
In the Palau Islands, B-24s bomb Koror, and Malakal Islands, a seaplane base on Arakabesan Island, and supply area North of Ingesebus Airfield. B-24s bomb barracks at Amboina on Ambon Island and P-38s hit a seaplane base at Halong on the Celebes Island. In New Guinea, the 22d Troop Carrier Squadron, 374th Troop Carrier Group, moves from Garbutt Field, Australia to Finschhafen with C-47s; and the 868th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), Thirteenth Air Force, moves from Los Negros Island to Noemfoor Island with B-24s (the squadron uses airborne radar for low-level attacks at night and PFF operations).

Wednesday, 30 August, 1944
Koror and Malakal Islands are pounded by B-24s. B-24s hit Wasile Bay storage and personnel areas in the Moluccas Islands while B-25s make a low-level attack on Kaoe town on Halmahera Island. P-38s bomb oil tanks, barracks, and AA positions at Boela, Ceram Island. In New Guinea, P-47s hit Urarom runway and Manokwari storage area, P-38s bomb airfields at Babo and Ransiki, and P-39s hit targets of opportunity along the W coast of Geelvink Bay; HQ 58th Fighter Group moves from Saidor to Noemfoor Island; and HQ 403d Troop Carrier Group moves from Espiritu Santo Island to Los Negros Island.

Back