American Missions Against Shortland and Shortland Harbor (Tuha)
[ See also Missions Against Faisi & Missions Against Poporang ]
October 9, 1942
Aerial reconassaince photo of the Shortland area.
October 16, 1942
(5th AF) B-17s bomb shipping off Moila Point and the Shortland Islands.
November 1, 1942
(5th AF) B-17s strike shipping in Shortland area.
December 17, 1942
Aerial reconassaince photo of the Faisi area.
January 1, 1943
(13th AF) B-17s with P-38s bomb destroyers
30 miles south of Shortland without loss.
January 5, 1943
Aerial reconassaince photo of the Faisi area.
January 7, 1943
(13th AF) B-17s with P-38 and P-40 escorts attack a transport near
Shortland without loss.
January 18, 1943
(13th AF) B-17s, P-38s and P-40s attack shipping at Shortland
January 20, 1943
(13th AF) B-17s with fighter escort attack ships near Shortland
without scoring hits. They are met by Zekes and float biplanes; eight are
shot down with the loss of one US fighter.
February 1, 1943
(13th AF) B-17s attack shipping in the Shortland-Bougainville area.
February 2, 1943
(13th AF) P-40s and P-38s, attack shipping off Shortland.
Of 20 Japanese aircraft which intercept, 9 are claimed destroyed.
February 13, 1943
(USN & 13th AF) 9 PB4Ys of VP-51 escorted by 4 P-38s and 11 F4Us of VMF-124
and 6 B-24s escorted by 4 P-38s and 7 P-40s take off on separate missions
to hit shipping in the Shortland-Kahilli-Buin, area. On the way to the target,
3 P-40s and 2 P-38s had aborted the mission leaving the B-24s with an escort
of 2 P-38s and 4 P-40s; this force is attacked by 45 enemey fighters over
the target. Three B-24s, 2 P-40s and 4 P-38s are lost on this mission due
to engine trouble, AA and enemy action.
February 14, 1943
(USN & 13th AF) 9 PB4Ys escorted by 10 P-38s and 12 F4Us
attack shipping in the Buin, Bougainville-Shortland area. The bombers score
several hits on a cargo ships and near misses on two others. The formation
is then attack by 30 Zekes and about 15 floatplanes. In the ensuing battle,
we claim 14 Zekes and 1 Pete shot down; Japanese records show they lost 3
Zekes. We lose 2 PB4Ys, 4 P-38s and 2 F4Us. Because of the losses suffered
yesterday and today, all daylight bombing missions in the northern Solomons
are halted until adequate fighter protection can be furnished.
March 27, 1943
A single floatplane attacks Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal. Meanwhile, photo-reconnaissance missions flown by the USAAF’s 17th Reconnaissance Squadron’s Lockheed F-5As (P-38s) pinpoint the Faisi-Poporang area in the Shortland Islands as the principal IJN seaplane base in the Solomons. Recon photos showed 27 floatplanes on moorings in Shortlands.
March 28, 1943
F-5As of the 17th Reconnaissance Squadron reconnaissance photo reveals 27 floatplanes at their moorings at Shortland Harbor.
March 29, 1943
(USN & 13th AF) A joint-service fighter sweep by led by Captain
Tom Lanphier with eight Lockheed P-38 Lightnings of the 70th
Fighter Squadron, USAAF and eight Marine Chance-Vought F-4U-1 Corsairs of
VMF-124, USMC. Due to poor weather and difficulty in rendevouing, only five P-38s (Lanphier, Barber, Petit, Topoll and Moore) and one Corsair (Dale) reach the target. They strafe the seaplane bases
at Shortland at dawn, and set fire to 5 - 7 Pete floatplanes and strafe Subchaser No. 28 on their way back to base. (Other
damage reports state they claimed 8 aircraft destroyed, and attack a destroyer
east of Shortland, leaving it listing.)
May 10, 1943
(13th AF) B-17's fly harassing strikes during the
night of 10/11 against Kahili Airfield and Shortland Island.
May
13, 1943
Allied intellegence observed 10 floatplanes in the
harbor.
June 14, 1943
(13th AF) B-17's and B-24's bomb Shortland.
August 6, 1943
A F5A photo recon lightning, escorted bvy eight F4Us from VMF-221 on Banika
preform an armed reconnassiance on Shortland Harbor. They suprise enemy Rufe
and Jake seaplanes taking off, and are attacked by about a dozen A6M Zeros
in the air, probably from Ballale patroling. They shoot down five enemy planes.
Two F4Us are damaged, one piloted by Bill Blakeslee goes MIA.
November 13, 1943
Night fighters harass the Shortland
November 14, 1943
(13th AF) P-70 night fighters hit the Shortland-Faisi area, claiming
a seaplane and 2 barges destroyed.
November 30, 1943
(13th AF) 17 B-25's bomb Malai on Shortland
December 2, 1943
(13th AF) B-24's bomb Korovo
December 3, 1943
(13th AF) B-24's on armed reconnaissance hit a variety
of targets, including Korouvo
December 11, 1943
Several aircraft on armed reconnaissance, operating individually
or in small flights, attack targets of opportunity scattered throughout Bougainville
and the Shortland area.
December 14, 1943
ther 13th Air Force fighters hit targets of opportunity at scattered points
on Shortland
December 18, 1943
(13th AF) 11 B-25s bomb Korovo
December 20, 1943
(13th AF) 13 B-25's, with fighter cover, bomb Korovo village and docks
on Shortland
December 24, 1943
6 P-39's on patrol bomb and strafe targets on Shortland
December 30, 1943
(13th AF) 6 B-25's bomb the Korovo area.
January 28, 1944
16 P-39's strafe the Shortland area
February 29, 1944
(USN) Fighters, hit targets of opportunity throughout S Bougainville
and Shortland Islands.
March 3, 1944
(13th AF) P-39s hit targets of opportunity on the eastern part of Shortland.
March 4, 1944
(13th AF) Shortland targets of opportunity are hit by P-40s on patrol
May 15, 1944
(13th AF) Fighters make sweeps over Shortland