World War II Memorial. The graves of four 13th U.S. Army-Air Force soldiers are interred on Morotai, after being bombed by Japanese air attacks in the November air raids on the island. Morotai was the final island invasion in Dutch New Guinea before the liberation of the Philippines. The island was recaptured by the 31st Infantry Division on September 15, 1944, meeting only light opposition. At the time, the island had only five hundred Japanese defenders. While nearby Halmahera, which was heavily fortified with 20,000 Japanese troops and aircraft, was bypassed. This tactic, of island-hopping, would prove the strategic downfall of the Japanese plan of occupation.
The Japanese made a total of 82 air raids against the strips at Morotai, from September 15, 1944 to February 1, 1945. reaching a peak in November 1944 with a raid every day. Tokyo radio dubbed Morotai "graveyard of the 13th Air Force". Dena "Thumper" Huitt, 41st FS adds:
"We lost several planes by Japanese bombing raids at Morotai. There were only about two nights during November that we didn't have a red alert. Lots of foxhole time! One night a bomb landed in a foxhole in the enlisted men's area and killed four of our men."
Some of the units stationed on the island were the the 13th Army-Air Force(the Jungle Air Force), the 38th Photo reconnaisance Sq., the 347th Fighter Group, 5th U.S. Army-Air Force, 67th Fighter Squadron(P-38s) Feb 12, 1945 - Mar 21, 1945, the 41st Fighter Squadron (P-47s), the 35th Fighter Group HQ (September 27, 1944 - Oct., 1945), the 371st & 372d Bomber Squadrons, the 307th Bomber Group(B-24s) November, 1944 - September 1, 1945,• 418th Night Fighter Squadron (P-61s-"Black Widows") 28 September-26 December 1944.
The Japanese made a total of 82 air raids against the strips at Morotai, from September 15, 1944 to February 1, 1945. reaching a peak in November 1944 with a raid every day. Tokyo radio dubbed Morotai "graveyard of the 13th Air Force". Dena "Thumper" Huitt, 41st FS adds:
"We lost several planes by Japanese bombing raids at Morotai. There were only about two nights during November that we didn't have a red alert. Lots of foxhole time! One night a bomb landed in a foxhole in the enlisted men's area and killed four of our men."
Some of the units stationed on the island were the the 13th Army-Air Force(the Jungle Air Force), the 38th Photo reconnaisance Sq., the 347th Fighter Group, 5th U.S. Army-Air Force, 67th Fighter Squadron(P-38s) Feb 12, 1945 - Mar 21, 1945, the 41st Fighter Squadron (P-47s), the 35th Fighter Group HQ (September 27, 1944 - Oct., 1945), the 371st & 372d Bomber Squadrons, the 307th Bomber Group(B-24s) November, 1944 - September 1, 1945,• 418th Night Fighter Squadron (P-61s-"Black Widows") 28 September-26 December 1944.
World War II Memorial. The graves of four 13th U.S. Army-Air Force soldiers are interred on Morotai, after being bombed by Japanese air attacks in the November air raids on the island. Morotai was the final island invasion in Dutch New Guinea before the liberation of the Philippines. The island was recaptured by the 31st Infantry Division on September 15, 1944, meeting only light opposition. At the time, the island had only five hundred Japanese defenders. While nearby Halmahera, which was heavily fortified with 20,000 Japanese troops and aircraft, was bypassed. This tactic, of island-hopping, would prove the strategic downfall of the Japanese plan of occupation.
The Japanese made a total of 82 air raids against the strips at Morotai, from September 15, 1944 to February 1, 1945. reaching a peak in November 1944 with a raid every day. Tokyo radio dubbed Morotai "graveyard of the 13th Air Force". Dena "Thumper" Huitt, 41st FS adds:
"We lost several planes by Japanese bombing raids at Morotai. There were only about two nights during November that we didn't have a red alert. Lots of foxhole time! One night a bomb landed in a foxhole in the enlisted men's area and killed four of our men."
Some of the units stationed on the island were the the 13th Army-Air Force(the Jungle Air Force), the 38th Photo reconnaisance Sq., the 347th Fighter Group, 5th U.S. Army-Air Force, 67th Fighter Squadron(P-38s) Feb 12, 1945 - Mar 21, 1945, the 41st Fighter Squadron (P-47s), the 35th Fighter Group HQ (September 27, 1944 - Oct., 1945), the 371st & 372d Bomber Squadrons, the 307th Bomber Group(B-24s) November, 1944 - September 1, 1945,• 418th Night Fighter Squadron (P-61s-"Black Widows") 28 September-26 December 1944.
The Japanese made a total of 82 air raids against the strips at Morotai, from September 15, 1944 to February 1, 1945. reaching a peak in November 1944 with a raid every day. Tokyo radio dubbed Morotai "graveyard of the 13th Air Force". Dena "Thumper" Huitt, 41st FS adds:
"We lost several planes by Japanese bombing raids at Morotai. There were only about two nights during November that we didn't have a red alert. Lots of foxhole time! One night a bomb landed in a foxhole in the enlisted men's area and killed four of our men."
Some of the units stationed on the island were the the 13th Army-Air Force(the Jungle Air Force), the 38th Photo reconnaisance Sq., the 347th Fighter Group, 5th U.S. Army-Air Force, 67th Fighter Squadron(P-38s) Feb 12, 1945 - Mar 21, 1945, the 41st Fighter Squadron (P-47s), the 35th Fighter Group HQ (September 27, 1944 - Oct., 1945), the 371st & 372d Bomber Squadrons, the 307th Bomber Group(B-24s) November, 1944 - September 1, 1945,• 418th Night Fighter Squadron (P-61s-"Black Widows") 28 September-26 December 1944.
