December 1943 (1)

Crewmen wheel bombs to aircraft during the Marshall raids.

1-6 December – The Big Three [or aka Second Cairo Conference], restarted with Turkish President, Ismet Inonu in attendance.  Despite his country being technically neutral, he pledged friendship to the Allies.  Gen. Eisenhower was chosen to command the Normandy invasion at this meeting.

Operation Buccaneer, a previously planned assault of Japanese targets in Burma was cancelled.  FDR reneged on a private promise to Chiang Kai shek.  The Nationalist leader, in response, attempted to demand more money and matériel in exchange for his troops’ cooperation to fight.  But – US Treasury Secretary, Morgenthau, flatly refused to take the plan to Congress.

Australian troops (center of pix) scale ‘Shaggy Mountain”

1-8 December – the Australian troops on New Guinea captured Huanko on the 1st of the month.  They continued forward to take Wareo on the 8th and set off to Wandokai.

4 December – In the Marshall Islands, the Kwajalein and Wotji Atolls were bombed by 6 carriers.  They destroyed 72 Japanese planes on the ground and sank 6 transport vessels.  In retaliation, the enemy damaged the carrier, USS Lexington with an aircraft torpedo.

 

11-18 December in the Chinese province of Hunan, 40 US Army Air Corps and Chinese aircraft were destroyed in a surprise nighttime attack on the airfields.  The Japanese mission was to cut off the Allied supplies to Kung-an.

14 December – Adm. Nimitz called a meeting to discuss future Pacific plans.  Operation Flintlock for the Marshall Islands would continue with Kwajalein as the next target rather than the weakly-defended smaller islands.  Adm. Halsey received approval to by-pass Kavieng, New Ireland and go on to capture the Green Islands.

15-24 December – with the US Naval base now operating in the Treasury Islands, it put air control for the Solomons within American control.  RAdm. Merrill’s Task Force of 3 cruisers and 4 destroyers conducted heavy bombardment of the Buka-Bunis region of northern Bougainville.

The Army/Navy dispute over who should control the final offensive against Japan became somewhat heated as MacArthur criticized the “Naval Cabal” for not understanding the strategy of the Pacific.  “These frontal attacks by the Navy, as at Tarawa, are tragic and unnecessary massacres of American lives.”  But, at this point, the Joint Chiefs of Staff were not yet ready to commit to a single road to Tokyo.

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Military Humor – 

budget cuts

Military Intelligence , it sounds better on paper.

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

John Buscemi – Valley Stream, NY; US Army Air Corps, Korea, Medical 187th RCT

Edward Evans – Everett, MA; US Navy, Korea, USS Newport News

Richard Ferguson – Pittsburgh, PA & FL; US Army, Vietnam

Oscar Jones – Flat Gap, KY; US Army, WWII, PTO

Mary Lettow -Palm Beach, FL; civilian, Lackland AFB, Cold War Russian decoder (Ret.)

George Martin – London, ENG; Royal Navy, WWII, pilot, (“Beatles’ band manager)

Ariel Olsen – Mint Creek, ID; US Navy, WWII/ Korea, USS Tarawa

Alan Rook – Waihi, NZ; RNZ Navy # P/KX765295, stoker mechanic

Carl “Bill’ Suchocki – Chicago, IL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Bronze Star

Thomas Vettere – Patterson, NJ; US Army, WWII, SSgt., 112th Field Artillery

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