29th November 1942
Allied bomber forces give the Japanese across the theatre something to ponder as more and more roll of the assembly lines across the US...
Investment in hours and hours of night bombing training paid off in Burma as Magwe airfield was pounded by several waves of Allied bombers on the night of the 20th November. At the end of the nights work over 30 enemy planes had been reported destroyed for no loss on our side.
The first wave goes in
Night Air attack on Magwe , at 57,47
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
Blenheim IV x 14
Wellington Ic x 6
B-25C Mitchell x 8
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 2 destroyed on ground
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 4 destroyed on ground
Allied aircraft losses
Blenheim IV: 1 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
6 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 30
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x Blenheim IV bombing from 5000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 lb GP Bomb
10 x Blenheim IV bombing from 5000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 lb GP Bomb
6 x Wellington Ic bombing from 5000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
8 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 5000 feet
Airfield Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb
Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes
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Night Air attack on Magwe , at 57,47
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
Wellington Ic x 8
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 1 destroyed on ground
Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 5
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x Wellington Ic bombing from 5000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
Raid spotted at 36 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes
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Night Air attack on Magwe , at 57,47
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
Hudson IIIa x 3
Japanese aircraft losses
No Japanese losses
No Allied losses
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 6
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Hudson IIIa bombing from 2000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 lb GP Bomb
Raid spotted at 46 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes
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Night Air attack on Magwe , at 57,47
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
B-26 Marauder x 7
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 3 destroyed on ground
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 3 destroyed on ground
Japanese ground losses:
27 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 25
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 5000 feet
Airfield Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb
4 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 5000 feet
Airfield Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb
Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
As day broke across the Pacific it was the turn of the USAAF's four engined behemoths based in Australia. The V Bomber Command's B-17's based at Charters Towers struck at well reconnoitored enemy positions around Port Moresby. Once again it was clear that the Japanese have surrendered the air sapce over the base as both teh bombers and sweeping Lightnings met no opposition.
Later on in the day B-24s based at the newly expanded base at Cooktown were able to carry out a surprise raid over Rabaul. No enemy fighters were covering this important staging base and it was apparent that the Japanese had no idea the Allies had a plane capable of dealing damage and destruction to this location. Photographs taken during the raid show several ships, including on light cruiser burning.
Morning Air attack on Rabaul , at 106,125
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid spotted at 29 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 11
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
AV Arabia Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
APD Fuyo, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CL Kiso, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP Koan Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
APD Sanae, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
APD Fumizuki, Bomb hits 1, on fire
Yet it wasn't all about the bombers. RAF Hurricanes based at Kohima were able to ambush a large formation of Ki-51 dive bombers that had been harassing Burma Command in the jungles to the south of the Chindwin River. The saga of Burma Command will be told soon enough but for today a whole squadron of Ki-51s was shot out the sky by the RAF pilots of 17 and 135 Squadrons.
