January 1944 (2)

Pappy Boyington, famed rebel leader of the Black Sheep Squadron

3 January – Greg “Pappy” Boyington commanded 46 fighters, flying from Ondonga, to Rabaul.  Several needed to abort due to mechanical failure.  From 20-24,000′ they dove to intercept 27 Zeros of the 253 Kokutai, while they were already confronted with 27 Zeros of the 204 Kokutai.  Boyington’s F4U 17915 and his wingman F4U 02723 were shot down and both men were listed as missing.

New Britain

4 January – the ‘Snooper Squadron’ of the 13th Air Force flew their first mission. Fifteen B-24’s, escorted by 70 or more P-38’s and US Navy F6F’s bombed Lakunai Airfield, near Rabaul, on New Britain.  The enemy sent 80-90 fighters to intercept.  The US claimed 20 enemy aircraft downed and lost one B-24 and 2 damaged.  Twelve other aircraft supported ground troops on Bougainville.

Marines on Cape Gloucester

6-9 January – Australian troops at Cape Gloucester in northern New Britain experienced heavy fighting on these 3 days as they advanced to the Aogiri River.  By the 9th, they had taken the Aogiri Ridge.

11 January – US B-24 Liberators made a Low-level attack on Japanese shipping around Kwajalein Atoll.  They sank 2 vessels and damaged 4 others.  The carrier aircraft would continue bombing in preparation for Operation Flintlock for the Marshall Islands.  This area comprises 32 island groups, the largest being Kwajalein that consists of some 100 islets that form a lagoon 66 miles long and 20 miles wide.

Gen. Adachi at Buna, New Guinea

On New Guinea, 9 days after the US landed at Saidor, Gen. Adachi was back in Madang, but the 14,000 troops he sent ahead on foot, would not reach him until 1 March.  More than 4,000 men of the Japanese 20th and 51st divisions had died enroute.  Between the terrain, shortage of supplies and American strafing, they were ill-equipped to fight for the town.

Japanese Sgt. Eiji Lizuka, 51st Div., survived the journey: “We passed many dead and dying soldiers.  As we had no fresh uniforms or shoes we would strip the dead and take theirs.  Sometimes we took clothes and boots from men who were still alive, but could no longer move, and we said to them, ‘You don’t need such fine shoes any more.’  They would watch us with dull eyes and let us do anything.  We even took water canteens from them.  That was the worst, to hear a soldier say, ‘Don’t take my canteen away from me, I’m still alive.”‘

In Burma, 36 A-36’s, P-51’s and P-40’s of the 10th Air Force, pounded an encampment of approximately 4,900 enemy troops and a large amount of supplies, causing considerable damage.

Men of the 10th Air Force, 7th Bombardment Group

13 January –  in China, two B-25’s of the 14th Air Force made a sweep from Hong Kong to Hainan attacking 4 large boats, several warehouses, a radio station and a car at Fort Bayard, China.  One of the vessels exploded.
15 January – on New Guinea, the Australian troops took Sio, which put them 50 miles from the American troops at Saidor.  The Japanese on the Huon became disorganized as the Australians took over the Finiesterre Range in the northern sector of the peninsula.

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Matariki Maori Festivals – 

The Pleiades star cluster.

No Matariki Maori festival can be official with out a Haka.  This particular dance was performed to honor a veteran….

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Military Humor – 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

George Bellamy – Nelson, NZ; RNZ Navy # 4342, WWII, Signalman

Samuel Christie – Atlanta, GA; US Merchant Marine, WWII

Margraten Cemetery, Netherlands

Leonard Irons – Ormeau, AUS; RNZ Expeditionary Force # 41691, WWII, 27th Battalion, POW

Henry Logan – Sleepy Hollow, NY; US Air Force, intelligence

Edward McAleer – Chelmsford, MA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 188th/11th Airborne Division

Michael Norin – Los Angeles, CA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, cryptographer

Maurice O’Connor – Auckland, NZ; RNZ Army # 21089, WWII, gunner, Anti-Tank Regiment

Benjamin Prange – Hickman, NE; US Army, Afghanistan, SSgt., 4th Infantry, KIA

Glen Stockton – St. Joseph, MO; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, pilot

Paul Tully – Short Hills, NJ; US Army, WWII

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