17 February 1944
Enemy convoy bombed in port at Saipan
DEI
Amphibious reinforcements to Babo are proceeding--landing 1 army regiment. Enemy artillery bombardment of the beachhead caused 24 Allied casualties.
Air raids:
Surabaya (night): no damage
Surabaya (airbase): 36 hits
Koepang (ground forces): 6 casualties
China
Air raids:
near Taiyuan (ground forces): 32 casualties
near Chengchow: 17 casualties
Land combat
Allied bombardment attack near Taiyuan -- 20 allied casualties, 0 enemy
Burma and Thailand
Raids:
West road (ground forces):691 casualties
Philippines
Raids:
Iloilo (ground forces): 80 casualties, 1 SBD-5 lost to flak
Our troops attacked at Iloilo. Casualties 323 to 89 favoring us, but we have not yet taken the base.
Marianas
Recon flights confirmed the enemy convoys arrived in Saipan, so I tasked B-24s from Truk to hit them. We got 18 B-24s to target with P-38 escorts, scoring hits on 2 cargo ships with 81 enemy casualties reported.
Reinforcements
CVE Gambier Bay arrives at Portland
SS Manta arrives at Balboa
SS Piranha arrives at Balboa
VMF(CVS)-451 arrives at Mojave
VMF(CVS)-452 arrives at Mojave
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