October 1943 (1)

Huon Peninsula, New Guinea, 5 Oct. 1943

2-4 October – on New Guinea, the Australians took control of Finschhafaen and the Allied troops were consolidated on the Huon Peninsula.  The Australians then reached Dumpu, only 30 miles (48 KM) from the northern coast.  This confined the enemy along that coastline.

4 October – the isolated Japanese post on Wake Island came under heavy naval and aerial bombardment from the US Navy Task Force 14, commanded by RAdm. Alfred Montgomery.  The B-24 Liberators dropped more than 320 tons (325 tonnes) of bombs.  Approximately 30 Japanese planes were destroyed on the ground and 31 counted downed by aerial combat.  The US lost 13.

4-6 October – the final Japanese forces were evacuated from New Georgia.  This left the enemy with no air base in the Solomons.  The final air battles cost the enemy 27 more aircraft.  The total cost for Vila airfield area: the US had 5,000 casualties, including 1,094 KIA and Japan had 2,500 KIA.  (expensive piece of property).

6 October – In Burma, Gen. Sir William Slim became the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Eastern Command and also led over the newly formed 14th Army.

12 October – at Rabaul, the crucial Japanese air and naval base was hit by a massive attack of 349 US bombers.  In all, a total of 20,540 tons (20,913 tonnes) were dropped on the heavily fortified post by the Allied strike.

 

1-22 October – final plans were made for Operation Galvanic landing on Bougainville for the next ‘hop’ through the Solomons (Operation Goodtime) meant orders for the Marines of US Task Force 311.  Aerial bombings of the island continued and the air base was severely damaged on the 18th.  The Japanese lost 123 aircraft during another air raid near Rabaul on the 22nd.

Bougainville, a 150 mile-long fiddle-shaped island is the largest of the Solomons.  It has jungle-covered mountains, 2 of which are volcanoes, and only narrow beaches to land on.  Adm. Halsey picked the code “Cherryblossom” for the 3rd Marines operation.  The 37th US Army Division to follow 1 November.  This force would be up against the 6th Imperial Division; 35,000 of the terrorists of Nanking.

Gen. Vandergrift

The commander of the 3rd Marines mysteriously fell from his 3rd story window at his headquarters in Noumea.  Gen. Vandergrift was chosen to lead the men in for the initial landing.

Click on images to enlarge.

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

Military Humor – 

You’ve got to align your sights, Private!!

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

Farewell Salutes – 

Pierre Bouvet – Mauritius; South African Air Force, WWII, 31st Bomber Squadron

Daniel Elloitt – Youngsville, NC; US Army, Iraq, MP command, KIA

Marcel Gagnon – San Leandro, CA; US Army, WWII, Bronze Star

Jean-Paul Dubreuil – Port Coquitlam, CAN; RC Army, WWII, Korea, Major (Ret. 22 yrs.)

Howard Guthrie, Jr. – Vero Beach, FL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, 58th Bomber Sq., radar

Alfred Hargreaves – Tauranga, NZ; RNZ Navy # 9315, WWII

Wallace McTammany – Providence, RI; US Army Air Corps, WWII

Frank Peregory – Esmont, VA; US Army, WWII, ETO, 29th Division, Sgt.

Roy Rossiter – Abilene, TX; US Army, Korea, 187th RCT

Janet Sommerville – Payson, AZ; US State Dept. & French Underground, WWII

Gerald Walter – Owosso, MI; US Army, WWII, POW

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