October 1943 (2)

Location of Hai Phong.

26 October – in the CBI Theater, the 10th Air Force,  71st Liaison Squadron, US Army Forces,  transferred from Ramgarh to Ledo, India with L-4’s and L-5’s.  The 14th Air Force, 13 B-24’s and 15 P-40’s pounded railroad yards at Hai Phong, Indochina (now called Vietnam).  Two B-25’s attacked several vessels at Kiungshan, claiming 4 sunk or badly damaged; later 6 more B-25’s hit shipping nearby, claiming 1 freighter sunk.   Kiungshan Airfield was strafed by one of the B-25’s.

Showing islands involved.

27 October – the 13th Air Force’s B-24’s pound Kahili and Kara airfiels.   The Allies over over Kahili claimed three Zekes shot down.  The P-38’s, P-40’s, and P-39’s, plus some RNZAF P-40’s and P-39’s, covered the landing by New Zealand troops on Stirling and Mono. The fighters claimed destruction of twelve enemy dive bombers attacking the landing force and afterwards claimed three fighters shot down.

Falamai village, by Russell Clark

 The 8th NZ Brigade made ²/³ of the landing party on the Treasury Islands. (US Marines made up the balance).  The 250 Japanese defenders fought to the death ; only 8 of the enemy were taken.  Falamai village, Mono Island, the location of the Japanese HQ, was captured early in the campaign.

As a prelude to “Cherryblossom”, US Navy Task Force 31 bombarded the village area prior to the Allied landing by the New Zealand Army and US Navy 87th Construction Battalion “Seabees”, Company A under the command of Carl J. Mitchell landed at “Purple Two Beach”. Japanese opposed the landing from coconut log bunkers and with mortar fire from two hills inland from the beach, and with snipers in the village.

A mortar shell hit an ammunition dump on the beach, causing a large explosion and wounded Seabee Herb Bodine, who was evacuated. Other mortars his food dump and another hit one of the LSTs. After the area was secured, the village huts were bulldozed, and road construction began. That night, Japanese aircraft attempted to bomb the landing force, but were ineffective.

27 October – The 5th Air Force intercepted an escorted Japanese bomber force dropping supplies over the Sattleburg area; the US fighters claimed 12 airplanes downed. A-20’s hit the harbor and supply dump area at Gasmata.  The US lost the B-24D“ “Shack Rat” near Nadzab, New Guinea.

Operation Blissful began with the US 2nd Marine Para Battalion landing on Choiseul Island.  This campaign would hopefully divert enemy attention from Bougainville.

New Zealand brigade landing

To read more of this island’s campaign and the command of Pvt. Joe Smith – CLICK HERE!

The USS Cony was attacked by Japanese aircraft while covering a landing.  The following are excerpts from the shipboard diary of the rear gunner, Stanley Baranowski:

“27 Oct – … at 3:oo PM got contact with a lot of planes – enemy… at 3:15 they came at us.  So many of them.  We started to fire everything we had… 3:25 we got 2 direct hits on port and starboard… Lots of men were hit.  Worked on fires.  Was up all night taking care of wounded.

“28 Oct – Still working on fires… we started to throw ammo over the side.  Ship was listing to port… 11:15 AM port engine gave out.  Tug came along and started to tow us.  12 PM fire was out.  1 PM moored to taker “Oragon” and took off wounded men.

“29 Oct – Got up at 6:30 AM.  Worked like hell and at 1:35 PM took off 2 dead fellows burned to death – what a horrible sight.  Admiral came on board to look things over, said it’s a State-side job and at 5:30 PM a show started named – ‘Accidents Will Happen.’”

USS Cony

31 October  – Lieutenant H. D. O’Neil of VF(N)-75, operating from Munda, New Georgia, flying a radar equipped F4U-2 destroyed a Betty during a night attack off Vella Lavella, the first kill by a radar-equipped night fighter of the Pacific Fleet.  Major T. E. Hicks and Tech Sergeant Gleason from VMF(N)-531 provided ground-based fighter direction.

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Military Humorous Mags – 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Alfred Abramczyk – Philadelphia, PA; US Army, WWII

Jack Blanchfield – Tacoma, WA; US Army, WWII, PTO, 96th ‘Deadeyes’, Bronze Star

William Camire – Lake Worth, FL; US Air Force

Jack Foote – Thames, NZ; NZ Army # 261006, 5th Field Artillery

Raymond Hoffman – Cochrane, CAN; RC Army, WWII, Calgary Highlands

Charles Isaacs – San Jose, CA; USMC, WWII, PTO

John Lasater – Durham, NC; US Navy, WWII

Jack Parish – Washington, IA; US Navy, WWII

Leonard Thuro – Rahway, NJ; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 188th Medical/11th Airborne

Warren ‘Buzz’ Whitmore Jr. – Fairfax, VA; US Air Force, Vietnam, Warrant officer, KIA

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