history · 03 January 1945 · 79 years ago
14 SB2C-3, 6 TBM-3, and 12 F6F-5 aircraft of Air Group 80 from USS Ticonderoga attacked Taichu Airfield in central Taiwan; six of the SB2C aircraft turned back after running into poor weather, one of the F6F aircraft became lost and joined fighters from USS Wasp in the strafing of a train, and two of the TBM-3 aircraft got lost and joined another group in the attacking of Suo (now Suao). On a separate mission later on this day, Air Group 80 conducted a fighter sweep over Koryu Airfield on Taiwan; Ensign Philip Manella's F6F fighter was shot down, forcing him to bail out, and his wingman Lieutenant (jg) R. C. Wagg reported that the parachute was strafed by Japanese fighters.
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