November 1943 (1)

Troops ready for landing at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville.

1 November – RAdm. “Tip” Merrill brought 4 light cruisers and 8 destroyers to shell Buka and Bonin.  (See map).  They then sped around Bougainville to Shortland Island.  The Saratoga and Princeton hit airstrips in the north, while aircraft from as far away as Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, hit Buin.

The 3rd Marine Division of I Marine Amphibious Corps, under Lt. Gen. Vandergrift, landed smoothly at Cape Torokina on the west coast of Bougainville.  Most of the Japanese 60,000-strong garrison was concentrated on the south of the island.  Gen. Myakutake made the mistake of delaying an offensive and the Marines held off enemy patrols for weeks.  Operation Galvanic commenced.  The Japanese Combined Fleet of 10 ships, escorting over 1,000 troops, left Truk in response.

2 November – US Task Force 39 engaged in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay against the Japanese Cruiser Div. 5 and 6 destroyers.  Adm. Omori was badly let down by his reconnaissance forces giving inaccurate intelligence.  At 0246 hours, the light cruiser Sendai was hit several times.  The destroyers Samidare and Shiratsuyu collided and were forced to retreat.

Marines hit the beach.

Adm. Merrill ordered a change in course, which is probably the reason why the Hatsukaze collided with a cruiser in an attempt to maneuver.  The Destroyer Div. 46 was scattered.  The Foote was hit by a torpedo intended for the cruisers.  The Spence was hit and the result lowered her speed.  By 0500, the US fleet was back together in time to repel the enemy 18 Vals and 80 Zeros.  A mixed force of 8 Hellcats, 1 Marine Corsair, 3 Army Lightnings and 4 RNZ Air Force Warhawks downed 8 enemy aircraft and the antiaircraft guns claimed 17.  The victory cost the Japanese 1 light cruiser and 1 destroyer, with damage to 2 heavy cruisers and 2 destroyers.  The US had damage to 5 vessels.

4-5 November – Adm. Halsey received word about the Japanese Combined Fleet responding and that they had stopped at Rabaul to re-fuel.  He ordered RAdm. Frederick Sherman to move his carriers of TF-38 to within range of the heavily fortified port and send out all 97 aircraft.  These were joined by aircraft from Barakoma and Vella Lavella and they were ordered to create as much damage as possible.

5-11 November – The dawn Naval air bombing was followed by 27 B-24 Liberators of the 5th Air Force and 58 P-38s.  The enemy’s Atago, Maya, Mogami, Takao, Chikuma and Agano received damage and crew deaths; 3 destroyers were slightly damaged.  RAdm. A. Montgomery’s TF-50.3 reached Halsey and joined in the 6-day attacks with the Bunker Hill, Essex and Independence.  The Agano was eventually sunk and the Japanese counterattack of 120 aircraft resulted in their loss of 35.  [other resources state: the Saratoga and Princeton were involved and that 2 Japanese warships were sunk, 11 others damaged and 55 enemy aircraft downed].

USMC tribute to the Seebees at Marine Hwy.

By the 15th of November, the troops on Bougainville reached 34,000, but advancement into the jungle was slow.  For the moment, the main objective was protecting the Seabees as they created an airfield out of the swamp at Torokina for air defense of this island and future operations.

Click on images to enlarge,

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Military Humor – 

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Damon Alberty – Rockingham County, NC; US Army, WWII, POW, Bataan Death March survivor

William Bird – George, UT; US Army, WWII, PTO

Geoffrey Fenwick – Alberta, CAN; British Army, WWII, Africa

Philip Garippa – Hornell, NY; US Navy, WWII, PTO

Murray Hale – Forest Lake, MN; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne

George Levasseur – Sydney, AUS; RA Army (19 years), WWII

Pete Matteucci – brn: Lucca, Italy, Wichita, KS; US Army Air Corps, WWII, 830th Bomb. Squadron

Leonard Orrell Jr. – Montezuma, IA; US Army Air Corps, WWII

Donald Renehan – W.Lebabob, NH; US Army, WWII, ETO, 112th Antiaircraft Battery

Selmar Woldstad – Shelby, MT; US Army, WWII

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