Pacifica Military History Free Sample Chapters.pmd

154 Pacifica Military History
November 8, 1943
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: The scheduled Fifth Air Force mission
to Rabaul is canceled because of bad weather over the target.
BURMA: During the night of November 8–9, five 7th Heavy Bombardment
Group B-24s sow mines in the Rangoon River.
CHINA: Two 11th Medium Bombardment Squadron B-25s attack
Kiungshan Airdrome; and six Fourteenth Air Force P-40s attack a bridge
at Hsiangyangchiao.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: Twenty-two AirSols B-24s attack
Bougainville/Bonis Airdrome; six 42d Medium Bombardment Group
B-25s attack Kieta; and six B-25s attack targets of opportunity on
Bougainville.
Twenty-six IJN D3As and 71 A6Ms attack USN transports and
warships in Empress Augusta Bay at noon, but they are intercepted by
28 AirSols fighters before they can do much damage. One USN transport
is lightly damaged by two direct hits. Eight AirSols fighters are lost.
A VF-17 F4U pilot downs a transport over Buka Airdrome at
0710 hours; VF-17 F4U pilots down three A6Ms west of Bougainville
at 1100 hours; VMF-212 F4U pilots down three D3As and VF-33 F6F
pilots down four D3As and four Ki-61s over Empress Augusta Bay at
noon; and XIII Fighter Command P-38 and P-40 pilots down eight D3As
and seven A6Ms over Cape Torokina between noon and 1230 hours.
Lt(jg) James J. Kinsella, a VF-33 F6F pilot, achieves ace status
when he downs three Ki-61s over Empress Augusta Bay at noon.
Between 1911 hours, November 8, and 0100 hours, November
9, 21 Rabaul-based B5Ns, D3As, and G4Ms make unopposed attacks
against a USN surface force off Bougainville. Ten bombers are downed
by antiaircraft fire, but one light cruiser is damaged by two bombs and
a torpedo.
November 9, 1943
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: V Fighter Command P-40s attack
dumps at Gasmata, and patrolling V Bomber Command B-24s sink an
IJN destroyer near Kavieng, but the scheduled Fifth Air Force mission
to Rabaul is canceled because of bad weather over the target.