August 1942 (3)

While I chose to keep the activities in the Solomon Islands area in August intact, action was going on around the rest of Asia and the Pacific as well ____

12 August – Japanese forces in Shantung Province, China took advantage of hostilities between the Communist and Nationalist Forces.  The Japanese launched a huge new offensive against the Nationalist troops.

Nautilus, Argonaut & Narwhal

17-25 August – US submarines Nautilus and Argonaut delivered the USMC 2nd Raider Battalion to Makin Island [now known as Butaritari], in the Gilberts.  Their mission was to attack enemy installations, gail intelligence and divert attention away from Guadalcanal.  They went ashore on 2 beaches in high surf and headed inland.  The Japanese garrison was wiped out, but the retrieval of all of the Marines went awry due to high seas, seaplane strafing.  As a result, 11 Marines were captured. Koso Abe was later tried and executed for the murder of 9 of the men.  The operation was considered a failure.

Papuan carriers toted the huge quantities of supplies and medical equipment.

18-19 August – while the main pass across the Owen Stanley Mountains in New Guinea was in the hands of the Japanese, the Australian 7th Division started their amphibious landings at Port Moresby.

26 August – the Australian 39th Battalion and 2/14th, with support of the 2/16th and 53rd Batt. were able to temporarily hold the Japanese at Isurava, on the Kokoda Track.  This was an intense 5-day battle.  High in the remote jungles, trudging in ankle-deep mud, the enemy outnumbered the Australians 5 to 1.

Pvt. Bruce Steel Kingsbury

On the 29th, the enemy attacked in such force that they broke through the right flank.  Pvt. Bruce Kingsbury, who was one of the few survivors of a platoon which had been over-run, immediately volunteered to join a different platoon for a counter-attack.  He rushed forward firing his Bren gun from the hip through machine-gun fire and succeeded in clearing a path through the enemy.  After continuing to sweep the enemy positions with his fire and inflicting a high number of casualties, Pvt. Kingsbury was then seen to fall to the ground shot dead by a sniper.  The first Victoria Cross granted in the New Guinea campaigns was awarded posthumously.

Kingsbury family receive the Victoria Cross

30 August – the 807th Engineer Aviation Battalion landed at Kuhlak Bay, Alaska.  US Army and Navy troops occupied Adak in the Aleutians with the intent to use it as an airfield and naval base for the North Pacific sector, codenamed ‘Longfellow.’  This would become the home of for parts of the 36th Bomb Squadron, 54th Fighter Squadron, 21st and 404th Bombardment Squadron and P-39D Airacobras of the 42nd Fighter Squadron providing defense for Kodiak.

Once the Solomons were made the priority of the Imperial General Headquarters, their 17th Army’s drive in New Guinea to capture Port Moresby would pay the price due to cutbacks in supplies and reinforcements.  The Japanese Operation RE became stalled, which allowed the 18th Australian Infantry and 1,300 US troops to be rushed in.  The enemy only landed  about 1,300 of the Special Force Imperial Marines, underestimating the Allies, who also had support from 2 RAAF Squadrons to protect Milne Bay.  Hyakutaki continued to request assistance, but Tokyo refused.  The enemy were now outnumbered 10 to 1 and tried suicidal tactics to put a dent in the Australian defense and failed.

 

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Aussie Humor – 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

James Abbott Sr. – Yankton, SD; US Army Air Corps, WWII, SSgt., B-24 gunner, PTO

Austin Bagby – Jackson, MO; US Army, WWII, PTO

Arthur Deacan – New Auckland Place, AUS; RA Air Force # 171525

Joel Forest – Sun City, AZ; US Army Air Corps, WWII, 305th Bomb Group, ETO

Gene Kreidt – Augusta, GA; US Army, Vietnam, Bronze Star

James McIntyre – Little River, NZ; RNZ Army, WWII, Captain,/RA Army, 3rd Batt/Royal Australian Reg., Korea/RNZA, Vietnam

Clemente Pacheco Sr. – Grants Pass, OR; US Army, Vietnam, 723 Maint. Batt./23rd Infantry Division

Thomas Robinson – WPalm Beach, FL; US Army, WWII, ETO

Mario “Tank” Sauceda – Tracy, CA; US Army, Iraq, 82nd Airborne

Jefferson Yeiling – Birmingham, AL; USMC, WWII, 306th Airdrome Squadron, PTO

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