WW2 Military History Question

[JSojourner]

I’m hoping a couple of you have some leads on this. It’s just the kind of thing I wonder about (please don’t ask why!) probably more than I should.

So, we know that Americans saw combat in WW2 against German, Italian, Japanese, and even (Vichy) French forces. Do you know of any engagements between US land, naval, or air forces against the lesser-known Axis militaries? I’m thinking Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Siam, or Finland? I realize the geography of the situation would almost always preclude certain hostile contacts. (The “Big Red 1” isn’t going to come into contact with a Romanian armored division!) However, I wonder if there might have been ground-to-air fighting over Bulgaria or perhaps U.S. Convoys in hostile contact with Finns.

I can’t explain why. But I have always been intrigued by unusual and unexpected engagements. For example, Brazilians fighting their way up the Italian boot against the Wehrmacht or Mexican pilots battling the Japanese over Manila.

[Lumine]

The air campaign against Romania comes to mind, with the USAAF squaring off against the Romanian Air Force with significant German involvement and heavy Allied losses (see: Operation Tidal Wave). Same for Bulgaria, not sure if the bomber range ever allowed for US air raids vs Hungary.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

The US never in fact declared war on Finland. IIRC FDR informed Finland that the US would only declare war if Finnish forces crossed the pre-Winter War border. One reason why the Finnish army didn't really help the siege of Leningrad.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

The target for the first B-29 combat mission was Bangkok, and there was also hostile contact between joint Japanese-Thai forces and American or American-commanded Chinese* forces in the various Burma and South China campaigns. My grandfather, a Navy steward in the Pacific who confiscated things from captured officers, once made an offhand comment about confiscating a Thai dhaab in addition to the usual katanas, although he didn't elaborate on the context.

*Chiang's chief of staff was an American, "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell

[UWS]

There were also more extreme Indian independence movements that supported the Axis in India