Flying Tigers thwart massive air raid on Hengchow! Chinese withdraw from short-lived offensive near Hanoi!

ACTION SUMMARY: The Japanese carrier force that had attempted to bomb Wake Island two days ago has disappeared into the expanse of the central Pacific. The danger of an offensive in the Bolo Theatre increased, however, as Catalina planes flying from Bataan noted Japanese capital ships withdrawing NE towards the Japanese Home Islands, probably in preparation of a major operation.

Meanwhile, yesterday's successes in China could not be repeated as the third day of the Chinese offensive in Wuchow ground to a halt in the face of galling fire from entrenched Japanese forces. In Hanoi, the 50th Army began to withdraw after only day of fighting in the northern outskirts as the Japanese reinforced Hanoi with a division. In the air, however, the Major General Chennault's famous "Flying Tiger" corps of American-piloted Chinese Tomahawk fighters intercepted an unescorted flight of Jap bombers heading toward the Hengchow Airfield. Out of 23 bombers, 11 were shot down before the enemy flight was driven away.



Elsewhere, B-17's struck the Jolo airfield again, and RAF bombers from Singapore pounded a stranded Jap transport in the S. China Sea. The Japanese Army also continued its slow advance in Luzon against stranded American base personnel at Laoag at the very north of Luzon. The American personnel fled into the mountains of the central Phillipines in scant hope of reaching the safety of the Bataan Redoubt. No other significant activity today.

No warroom.