Saturday, 15 November 1941
-22 Days
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SUNDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 1942
Fifth Air Force: In New Guinea, A-20s strafe targets near Gona while B-25s and B-26s pound AA positions at Buna and Soputa as US and Australian ground forces prepare to move against the Buna-Gona beachhead. B-17s hit shipping at Rabaul, New Britain Island.
Ninth Air Force: In Libya, B-24s from 2 groups are se
nt to bomb Tripoli, but unfavorable weather prevents them from reaching the target; 1 group bombs a motor convoy, as well as an airfield and crowded roads in the Bengasi area; P-40s fly sweeps and fighter-bomber missions against the retreating enemy W of Martuba; Martuba Airfields are captured by British 10 Corps and are soon occupied by the 57th Fighter Group.
Twelfth Air Force: In Algeria, C-47s fly an airborne operation from Algiers to Youks-le-Bains; escort is provided at intervals by Royal Air Force (RAF) Spitfires and Hurricanes.
USN: Navy SBDs (VS 10) and TBFs (VT 10), USMC SBDs (VMSB 132), Marine and Army coast artillery, and gunfire from destroyer Meade (DD-602) sink four Japanese merchant transport/cargo ships off the northern coast of Guadalcanal: Kinugasa Maru, Hirokawa Maru, Yamazuki Maru, and Yamura Maru. Meade also rescues survivors from sunken destroyers Walke (DD-416) and Preston (DD-379).
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MONDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 1943
Fifth Air Force: In New Guinea, 30+ B-24's pound Alexishafen; 88 B-25's heading for Wewak and Boram with an escort of 16 P-40's are intercepted by Japanese fighters that are escorting bombers attacking Gusap; the resulting battle causes the B-25's to abort the attack; the US airplanes claim 20 of the enemy shot down; 2 P-40's are lost; P-47's claim 5 more aircraft destroyed over Wewak.
Seventh Air Force: 20+ B-24's from Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands and Nanumea Island in the Ellice Islands bomb Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands, Mille Atoll in the Caroline Islands, and Makin Island in the Gilbert Islands.
Twelfth Air Force: XII Air Support Command B-25's bomb Kalamaki airfield in Greece, and its fighters patrol the battle area. Other NATAF fighters hit road traffic S of Ancona, Italy.
Thirteenth Air Force: In the Solomon Islands, 20 B-24's strike the airfield on Buka Island. On Bougainville Island, 18 B-24's bomb Kahili; fighter patrols destroy or damage several barges along the coast and destroy 2 fuel dumps at Tonolai.
Fourteenth Air Force: In China, 20 B-24's are dispatched against the Hong Kong-Kowloon area. Bad weather prevents 15 bombers from bombing the targets; 5 bomb the docks at Kowloon.
Fifteenth Air Force: B-24's bomb Eleusis airfield in Greece; P-38's provide escort.
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WEDNESDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 1944
Seventh Air Force: Guam Island-based B-24s on a shipping strike to the Bonin Islands, attack vessels at Haha Jima Island and near Chichi Jima Island. 1 Saipan Island-based B-24, during the night of 15/16 Nov snooper mission, bombs Iwo Jima Island after failing to find shipping targets in the Bonin Islands.
Eighth Air Force: Mission 714: 6 B-17s and 6 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, France and Germany during the night.
Tenth Air Force: In Burma, 12 B-25s attack the airfield at Kawlin; 42 P-47s hit supplies, troop and vehicle concentrations, and targets of opportunity at Mansak, Gyogon, Banmauk, Namtao, and Wuntho; 20 support ground forces in the Pinwe area while 16 attack bypass bridges at Kawnghka and Namhkai, knocking out the latter; 8 P-47s bomb Kyaikthin rail sidings and junction, 8 strafe Anisakan Airfield, and 12 hit targets of opportunity during N Burma road sweeps. 280 transport sorties are flown.
Eleventh Air Force: 8 B-25s weather-abort an armed photo reconnaissance over Paramushiru Island.
Twelfth Air Force: Bad weather cancels all operations except for reconnaissance by 4 P-47s and attack by 2 on railroad bridge and rolling stock in the Po Valley.
Fourteenth Air Force: 19 B-25s and 16 P-51s and P-40s over SW China, W Burma, and N Indochina hit railroad targets, villages, town areas, and general targets of opportunity at or near man Pwe and Wanling, Burma; Mangshih and Tingka, China; Quang Yen, Nam Dinh, and Thanh Hoa, French Indochina.
Fifteenth Air Force: In Austria, 80 B-17s and B-24s attack a benzol plant at Linz, marshalling yard at Innsbruck, and troop concentration at Novi Pazar, Yugoslavia (all primary targets), and make single bomber attacks on Wolfsburg, Salzburg, Hieflau, the Kapfenberg steel works, Schwaz, Ybbs, and airfields near Linz, and Passau, and Traunstein, Germany; fighters escort the Novi Pazar, Yugoslavia raid.
Far East Air Force: B-25s and fighter- bombers support allied amphibious landings in Mapia Islands off the NW coast of New Guinea. In NE Celebes B-24s bomb Tanamon, Celebes Island while other B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers hit scattered targets of opportunity on Celebes and Halmahera Islands. In the Philippine Islands, B-24s, with P-38 support, bomb La Carlota Airfield on Negros Island while B-25s hit Lahug on Cebu Island; B-25s and fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity on Cebu Island and shipping off the W coast of Leyte Island; on Mindanao Island B-24s hit 3 airfields while P-38s hit shipping and other targets of opportunity
USN: PB4Y completes destruction of Japanese ship Celebes Maru, aground since 10 November 1944 off Bondoc Point, Luzon.
USN: Navy land-based aircraft sink Japanese ship Harufuji Maru off Borneo.
RAF: Liberators bomb Japanese shipping at Mergui, sinking No.3 Tanshin Maru and communications boat Kasumi.
