July 1943

 

1. Kolombangara Island where Capt. Cecil and others were rescued July 7, 1943 2. Kula Gulf were the CL 50 was sunk July 6, 1943 3. Vella Lavella were 165 officers and men were stranded be be rescued July 16, 1943 4. Ranongga Island were the remains of General Preston Douglas S1c USS Helena CL 50 were found in 2006. 5. Blackett Stright were John F. Kennedy’s PT 109 was sunk August 2, 1943. 6. Randova Island PT 109’s base.

The information and map above provided by Shipmate Charlie McClellend, USS Helena CL-50.

For the landing on New Georgia, Admiral Turner’s attack force (Task Force 31) consisted of ships and landing craft from the South Pacific or III Amphibious Force (Task Force 32), plus the ground troops. These troops, designated the New Georgia Occupation Force, initially included the following units:

43rd Division
9th Marine Defense Battalion
1st Marine Raider Regiment (less two battalions)
136th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm. howitzers), 37th Division
Elements of the 70th Coast Artillery Battalion (Antiaircraft)
One and one-half naval construction battalions
Elements of the 1st Commando, Fiji Guerrillas
Radar units
Naval base detachments
A boat pool

Helena CL-50 (Foreground); St. Louis CL-40 (Middle); Honolulu CL-48 (Background) – Kula Gulf

 5-6 July – The first run by the Japanese, with 2,400 troops was intercepted by RAdm. Ainsworth with 3 light cruisers ; the USS Helena, St. Louis and Honolulu, and 4 destroyers of TF-18, the Nicholas, O’Bannon, Radford and Jenkins.  This was labeled the Battle of Kula Gulf. (link for further detailed info)

As visibility was down to 7,000 yards, the IJN destroyer and flagship Niizuki sank with Adm. Akiyama on board.  The Suzukaze and Tanikase received damaged, but remained in the battle.  Three torpedoes hit the USS Helena and also the destroyer, Strong.  The Japanese ships, Satsuki and Nagatsuki, raced to Vila to unload their men and cargo; the Nagatsuki was later sunk.  After the battle, other enemy ships unloaded their cargo while rescue missions commenced on both sides.

13 July – The second Japanese supply convoy came at night off Kolombangara Island.  The enemy skill of night flying and detecting radar signals was made apparent.  TF-18 sank the flagship cruiser of RAdm. Tanaka, the Jintsu, but lost the destroyer Gwyn and the New Zealand cruiser Leander was heavily damaged.  About 2,000 additional Japanese were put ashore on New Guinea, while the Australian troops took the Mumbo enemy stronghold.

How Marines saw Rendover

15 July – The Japanese had 45 aircraft downed over Rendover at New Georgia.  The Americans lost 3 planes.

17 July – in the Solomon Islands, more than 200 Allied aircraft, including B-17s made a 12 hour attack on Japanese shipping and military positions in and around Bougainville.  This successful action downed 49 enemy planes in the air and destroyed many more on land at Kahili airfield.  Dauntless dive-bombers and Avenger torpedo bombers took out 7 vessels in Buin-Faisi Harbour, including a light cruiser and a destroyer at a cost of 6 aircraft.

New Georgia, 1943

25-31 July – US forces at New Georgia began an offensive attack.  Enemy troops, in camouflaged pillboxes needed to be pried out with tanks and flamethrowers.  Such areas as Horseshoe Hill were taken and then lost after bloody hand-to-hand combat.  On the 29th, MGen. Hester was replaced by MGen. John Hodge as commander of the US 43rd Division and there would 10 more days of close combat.

CBI Report of a Paratrooper taking down a Zero….

 

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Current News –

Locating the Japanese pilot downed in Australia…

German U-boat 168 located off Jakarta (Once known as Batavia, Dutch West Indies) – The Daily Mail, reported that divers off the Indonesian coast had discovered a Nazi U-boat wreckage of WWII with at least 17 skeletons of its lost crew aboard. According to the initial findings, it is the U-168, the German type IX C/40 U-boat commissioned on 10^th September 1942 and was commanded by Captain Helmuth Pich.

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Military Humor – 

“Ohh Yeah… It’s definitely MONDAY!!!”

 

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Chuck Barker – Tacoma, WA; USMC, WWII, PTO

Marc Diab – Ontario, CAN; RC Army, Afghanistan, Royal Canadian Dragoons

Jack Franklin – Irving, TX; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 187th Regiment/11th A/B

Cyril Hill – Hawke’s Bay, NZ; NZ Army # 644920, Korea, 16th Field Regiment

Joseph Islas – Clarksville, TN; US Army Air Corps (Ret.), WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne

Constance Kimberling – Augusta, ME; US Army (DAV), Vietnam

Hyrum Mathews – Shelley, ID; USMC, WWII, PTO, Silver Star, Purple Heart

Leonard Melley – Ridgewood, NJ; US Navy, WWII

Walter Roberts – Daleville, AL; US Army (Ret. 20 Years), WWII, Korea, Vietnam

Mal Whitfield – Los Angeles, CA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Sgt. Tuskegee Airmen / ’48 Olympic Gold-Medalist / Korea, tail gunner / ’52 Olympic Gold & Silver

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