Late in July and early August
1943 the Group sent out as many as 28 planes a day to bomb Salamaua,
New Guinea, in support of ground troops. On 25 August the 43rd, in
coordination with the 90th Bombardment Group, blasted the Japanese base
at Wewak. Initially, Wewak had been built up as a major enemy base in
which the Japanese had poured the best of their air force units. On the
raid of 25 August the 43rd and 90th Groups claimed they destroyed
approximately 200 enemy planes at the Japanese base, and thus caused
the enemy to shift their major strength from Wewak to Hollandia,
farther up the New Guinea coast.
By the end of September the entire Group had completed the conversion
to B-24 aircraft. The 63rd Squadron, the last of the Group's units to
convert, flew its last mission in B-17's on 19 September, when it
bombed a large store and personnel area at Cape Gloucester, New
Britain. Earlier in the month, on 4 September, 12 of the Group's B-24's
were assigned the task of destroying a heavy concentration of enemy gun
emplacements on the south and the east runway at Lae, New Guinea. That
attack was flown in support of the 9th Australian Division, which had
made a landing at Hopoi in preparation for a coordinated drive toward
Lae. On 5 September "Ken's Men" bombed gun emplacements at Heath's
Plantation, about eight miles west of Lae airdrome. The official
comment on the bombing was, "target obliterated, area plastered." A few
minutes after the Group's attack, B-25's bombed Nadzab about five miles
west of Heath's Plantation. Their strike was followed immediately by
the landing of 1,500 paratroopers at Nadzab. General Douglas MacArthur
observed the entire operation aboard a B-17 piloted by Colonel Harry J.
Hawthorne, the 43rd Group's Commanding Officer.
In October 1943 Fifth Air Force units concentrated their attacks on
Rabaul, New Britain. During October and the first part of November the
43rd completed many air strikes against that city. Then, late in
November, the unit diverted its attention to the Gasmata area; 20-30
B-24's were over that city daily, pounding Ring Ring Plantation and
other personnel areas.
After one mission to Wewak on the first of December, the 43rd devoted
its efforts to the neutralization of enemy airdromes in New Britain
during the remainder of the month. The Group also softened up the Cape
Gloucester and Arawe areas in preparation for the invasion of New
Britain. December 1943 was one of the 43rd's busiest months of the war
because maximum effort was called for every day. Veterans of the aerial
assault on New Britain referred to December 1943 as the "month my
squadron flew 200 sorties."
From 13 to 15 December the 43rd Bombardment Group softened up the Arawe
area. After our forces landed on the 15th, the organization continued
to provide support on that front, but the weight of its attacks were
directed at the Cape Gloucester area. On the 21st, 22nd, 24th, and 25th
the Group flew double missions--a difficult task under the
circumstances. "In the midst of moving to Dobodura, New Guinea,
constructing a new camp, and attempting to carry on maintenance of the
planes for twice the number of missions flown previously," the 65th
Squadron reported, "the strength of the ground men had been taxed
beyond the breaking point. They must be replaced before the entire
maintenance crumbles." The 403rd Squadron registered a similar
complaint, protesting that with a shortage of 67 ground personnel, the
men were being asked to exert themselves beyond the point where
efficiency could be expected. Regardless of the maintenance problems,
the Group's personnel worked night and day to get the maximum number of
aircraft in the air. From 19 to 25 December the 63rd, 65th and 403rd
Squadrons (the 63rd Squadron was carrying out attacks against enemy
shipping until late in the month) flew a total of 191 sorties--more
than 25 a day--against the Cape Gloucester installations.
On 26 December, when the Marines landed at Cape Gloucester, all four
squadrons of the Group dropped 229 of 276 bombs on a narrow strip of
rain forest west of Silimati Point, which contained enemy gun
positions, stores, and troops. That same afternoon, 21 B-24's blanketed
Hill 660, a highly fortified region south of Silimati Point. During the
last two days of the month, after rendering effective support to ground
forces in New Britain, the Group directed its attacks against
antiaircraft positions and supply dumps at Alexishafen, New Guinea. |
