Monday, April 29, 2019

Accidental Friendly Fire Day

SAT 29 APR 1944
Pacific
After completing its support of the Hollandia landings TF 58 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher), including five carriers (CV) and seven small carriers (CVL), begins two-day attack on Japanese shipping, oil and ammunition dumps, aircraft facilities, and other installations at Truk. Japanese naval aircraft mount strong counter-attack on the U.S. formations during which destroyer Tingey (DD-539), in TG 58.2. is damaged by friendly fire.

TBF from small carrier Monterey (CVL-26), with destroyers MacDonough (DD-351) and Stephen Potter (DD- 538), sink Japanese submarine I-174 north of Truk, 06°13'N, 151°19'E.

Motor torpedo boats PT-346 and PT-347 are accidentally sunk by F4Us (VMF 215) and F6Fs (VF 34), and SBDs and TBFs off Cape Lambert, Bismarck Archipelago, 04°13'S, 151°27'E. PBY (VP 91) rescues survivors from the two PT-boats.

Submarines Bang (SS-285), Parche (SS-384) and Tinosa (SS-283) attack Japanese convoy off northwest coast of Luzon. Bang sinks army cargo ship Takegawa Maru in South China Sea, 19°20'N, 118°50'E, and damages Yashima Maru (see 30 April).

Submarine Flasher (SS-249) damages Vichy French cargo ship Song Giang Go in South China Sea, five miles off Cape Varella, French Indochina, 13°02'N, 109°28'E (see 30 April).

Submarine Halibut (SS-232) bombards Japanese installations on Kure Jima.

Submarine Pogy (SS-266) sinks Japanese submarine I-183, 30 miles south of Cape Ashizuri, Japan, 32°07'N, 133°03'E.

Japanese transport Kunikawa Maru is sunk by mine laid by RAAF Catalinas (mining operations take place on 20, 24, and 27 April) near Balikpapan, Borneo, 01°17'S, 116°49'E.

British submarine HMS Tantalus sinks coaster Pulo Salanama in Strait of Malacca.

Japanese ship Hasshu Maru is sunk by aircraft southeast of Formosa, 20°00'N, 130°50'E.

Mediterranean
USAAF B-17s and B-24s bomb targets in northern Italy and in southern France; during the raid on Toulon, German submarine U-421 is sunk in harbor.

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