OBJECTIVE: Harass Canton airfields and prevent JAAF from flying night bombing missions
RESULTS: At staggered intervals, B-25s bomb White Cloud and Tien Ho airbases. Damage to target is unknown, but two large and three small fires are ignited by the bombing.
TIME OVER TARGET: ~7:45 to 9:42 p.m.
AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Six B-25s from 491st Bomb Squadron (341st Medium Bomb Group)
AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Lt. Col. Clark; Captain Toney; Lt. Anderson; Lt. Cullen; Lt. Hexberg; Lt. Lesher <Read more ...>
OBJECTIVE: Block channels in Victoria Harbor with anti-ship mines
RESULTS: Five B-24s drop anti-ship mines into Victoria Harbor (Lei Yue Mun, Sulphur, Rambler, and Kellett channels); a sixth B-24 drops mines into the Pearl River.
TIME OVER TARGET: ~10:10 to 11:42 p.m.
AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Six B-24Js from the 374th, 375th, and 425th Bomb Squadrons (308th Heavy Bomb Group)
AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Unknown
ORDNANCE EXPENDED: Twenty Mark 13 and Mark 13-5 anti-ship mines <Read more ...>
OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton airfields
RESULTS: Pilots overfly Tien Ho and White Cloud airbases to take pictures with recon cameras; they also overfly satellite fields and report that the White Cloud satellite field has been ditched to render it unusable.
TIME OVER TARGET: ~3:30 p.m.
AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Two P-40s from the 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (attached to 23rd Fighter Group)
AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Major Edward O. McComas; Lt. Penning
OBJECTIVE: Bomb military godowns, arms factory, railroad repair facilities, and Shell Oil facility at Canton
RESULTS: Haze and darkness make accurate bombing difficult. An estimated sixty percent of bombs fall within target area. Some errant bombs may have landed on barracks near Tien Ho airbase.
TIME OVER TARGET: 8:17 to 9:15 p.m.
AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Twenty-three B-24Js from the 373rd, 374th, 375th, and 425th Bomb Squadrons (308th Heavy Bomb Group)
OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton airfields
RESULTS: Due to poor weather, pilots are only able to observe the satellite field for White Cloud airbase, where they note the runway is in good repair but no enemy aircraft are visible.
TIME OVER TARGET: ~2:30 p.m.
AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Two P-51s from the 76th Fighter Squadron (23rd Fighter Group)
AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Lt. Croughan; Lt. Wilson
