| | During February the 10th kept up it's attacks on transportation targets, but also began to add other targets to the list. The Arkan tea sheds on the Rangoon river were bombed on the 1st; on the 2nd fighters strafed antiaircraft positions and targets of opportunity at Kentung. The Myitnge bridge south of Mandalay was bombed on the 4th, 5th, 6th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 23rd, with the railroad shops at Myitnge also being hit on the 4th. Railroad targets in Rangoon and Meza were bombed on the 5th, as were targets of opportunity in the Kentung area. On the 6th fighter aircraft following the Mali River to Hpunkizup destroyed trucks loaded with bridge repair equipment and decimated the village of Hpunkizup. The marshaling yards at Rangoon and airfield at Mingaladon were the targets on the 8th, railroad rolling stock in Maymyo was bombed on the 10th, and the marshaling area and railroad station at Rangoon were bombed again on the 12th. The Feb. 12 attack on the Myitnge bridge marked the first use of 2,000 lb 'blockbusters' in the CBI Theater, though the attack did little real damage to the bridge. The marshaling yards at both Rangoon and Paukkan were bombed on the 13th, as was the rail line from Shwebo to Sagaing, on the 14th P-40s hit Maingkwan and the barracks to the southwest. Targets of opportunity in the Nsopzup and Hpunkizup areas came under attack by P-40s on the 16th, and on the 19th P-40s hit a Japanese HQ at Hpunkizup, as well as a rail defile south of Meza; That same day B-25s bombed the rail terminal at Sagaing. A Factory, oil tanks, and railroad tracks at Sahmaw, as well as the Gokteik Viaduct were bombed on the 20th. Mining operations in the Gulf of Martaban and the Rangoon river began on the night of Feb. 22/23 with B24s and RAF Liberators flying a diversionary strike against Rangoon and Mingaladon Airfield. P-40s knocked out the railroad bridge at Myitkyina on the 23rd; on that same date 46 Japanese bombers were intercepted by P40s over Chabua Airfield, the P-40s claimed at least 14 enemy planes shot down during a running air battle. On the 24th P-40s knocked out the southern span of the railroad bridge northeast of Pinbaw, the next day fighters destroyed one span and damaged a second on a bridge 10 miles west of Myitkyina; also on the 25th 40 Japanese aircraft attack the airfield at Dinjan, India, the P-40s which intercepted them claim 14 destroyed and 15 probably destroyed. On the 26th P-40s from Dinjan destroy one span of a bridge northeast of Pinbaw, and on the 27th a warehouse, fuel and ammunition dump at Waingmaw were bombed and strafed by P-40s. The 10th ended the month by knocking out another bridge near Kazu, bombing Nsopzup, hitting the Thazi railroad junction, and bombing a storage area a Mangshih on the 28th.
The 9th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron sent a detachment of their Kunming detachment to Kweilin on Feb. 1.
The 1st Troop Carrier Squadron arrived at Chabua on the 2nd.
The 9th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron was redesignated the 9th Photographic Squadron (Light) on the 6th.
The 2d Troop Carrier Squadron arrived at Yangkai, China from the U.S. on the 17th.
The 436th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) transferred from Gaya, India to Bishnupur, India on the 25th.
The 492d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) transferred from Gaya, India to Bishnupur, India on the 26th.
|
