| Special Forces Operations in February 1943 |
| April 4th, 1944 |
| Air Attack on Japanese Airfield Heho. |
| 1st Air Commando Group |
| Attack on Japanese Airfield Heho. Fighter Squadron of the 1st Air Commando Group. The commando assault force responds to intelligence reports of Japanese movement in the Rangoon area. Departing at 08:00, they head for Aungban, Burma. However, the Japanese already scrambled their fighters from Heho in anticipation of a P-38 attack from the USAAF 459th Squadron. By the time Lietenant Colonel Mahoney’s P-51A Mustangs arrive over the airfield, the Japanese aircraft are parked in revetments. The commandos use rockets to keep the anti-aircraft batteries at bay while strafing the field repeatedly, destroying four medium bombers and twenty fighters on the ground. In the air, Captain Forcey engages an enemy aircraft, making a pass withintwo hundred0 metres before pulling off. The Japanese fighter catches fire and explodes. On their way back, the fighters also destroy an enemy bomber on the ground at Anisakan. Overall, the mission resulted in twenty-six verified enemy kills, with no P-51A Mustangs lost by the air commandos. |
| April 21st, 1944 – April 26th, 1944 |
| Search and Rescue Operation. |
| 1st Air Commando Group |
| Sikorsky YR-4B 43-28223 of the 1st Air Commando Group flown by Lieutenant Carter Harmon. His mission is to rescue Technical Sergeant Ed “Murphy” Hladovcak and three Chindits after crashing his Stinson L-1A Vigilant liaison aircraft behind enemy lines. All four men are rescued over a period of two days by helicopter, making it the first helicopter search and rescue mission. |