February 1943 (1)

Tulagi PT base

PT Report:

1/2 February – This was the last fight between the Tokyo Express and the PT’s at Guadalcanal and it was the most violent.  Three boats were sunk – the 37, 111 and 123, with a total of 6 enlisted men killed, 3 officers killed, 6 enlisted missing and 6 others wounded.  Five PTs fired 19 torpedoes, claiming 2 destroyers sunk and 2 damaged.

The Makigumo was either damaged by the PTs or by one of the 300 mines laid that day.  Two more Japanese evacuation trips were made on 4/5 and 7/8, but the boats did not attempt to intercept.  During this time, Japanese Gen. Hyakutake and his remaining troops were ferried off Guadalcanal 6 months after the US troops arrived on the island.

IJN Makigumo

In the Bismark Sea, the 5th Air Force spotted a convoy and performed the first “skip-bombing” technique.  Mitchell bombers went at the enemy transports mast-high and the bombs skimmed like stones on a pond with the accuracy of torpedoes.  Eight transports and 4 destroyers were sunk.  During aerial combat, 60 Japanese aircraft were downed at the cost of 4 US fighters.  As the sun set, the enemy lifeboats were attacked by PT boats.  Gen. Hatazo Aidichi and only 2,000 of his men made it to shore on New Guinea.

example of skip-bombing

MacArthur used the Bismark victory to request 5 more divisions; 1,800 aircraft and more naval forces including carriers for his “Elkton” plan.  But due to the decisions made at Casablanca, Gen. Marshall could not comply.  Rather than cable his response, Gen. Wedemeyer was sent to the Pacific to render an explanation to Mac.

A furious MacArthur cabled Washington D.C. that the New Guinea campaign would be cancelled due to the lack of resources.  In turn, Mac, Nimitz and Halsey were ordered to send representatives to Washington for a “Pacific Military Conference” to be held in March.

Two weary Chindits with their mule

1-15 February – the British offensive in the Arakan peninsula in Burma ended without success.  The Japanese continued to hold on to their strong defensive positions.  Gen. Orde Wingate and his newly formed 3,000-man 77th Indian Brigade (aka “Chindits”) entered Burma to go behind enemy lines.  Their mission was to disrupt the Japanese communications and tactical deployments.

6 February – the Allies began to show their superiority in the skies of New Guinea when 37 fighters shot down 26 Japanese aircraft out of their raiding party of 70 planes.

Click on images to enlarge.

######################################################################################

Military Humor – the Navy’s answer to Sad Sack…..

#######################################################################################

Merchant Navy Day – New Zealand – 3 September

The men and boys of the New Zealand Merchant Navy had one of the most perilous wartime occupations as they carried supplies to the troops and wounded to safety.  Their virtually unarmed ships were sitting ducks for the enemy.  Hundreds of mines were laid by German raiders in the early years of the war and several vessels were sunk, including the minesweeper, Puriri, May 1941 off Whangarei, NZ.

Around 130 New Zealand seafarers lost their lives and around 140 were taken prisoner.  Captain Inkster, pictured above, served for 60 years, including all six years of WWII.  Let’s join them this today in honoring these civilians who put their lives on the line for the Allied troops!

####################################################################

Farewell Salutes – 

John Bradley Jr. – Fairfield, AL; USMC, WWII

Graham Carkeek – NZ; RNZ Navy # NZ6315, WWII

Ernest Fox – CAN & TX; RC Air Force, WWII

Roy Griffin – Sacramento, CA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 20th Army Air Force

Charles Hill – Stanley, NC; US Army, WWII, Sgt.

Martin Johnson – Boise, ID; US Army, Vietnam

Matthew Leggett – Ruskin, FL; US Army, Afghanistan, Sgt.

Franklin Slack – Seattle, WA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO,b CO/188th/11th Airborne

Peter Veltmeijer – Caloundra, AUS; RA Army, Vietnam

Richard Votava – Chicago, IL; US Navy, WWII

R. Eugen Wolford – US Army, WWII, 10th Mountain Division

##########################################################################