January 5, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 5 JANUARY 1943

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) Three B-25s sink a 6,500-ton cargo vessel previously sighted by a PBY off Holtz Bay, where a weather and armed reconnaissance B-24 with a direct bomb hits and sinks another freighter shortly afterwards. One B-24 flies photographic reconnaissance over Amchitka, concentrating on Constantine Harbor. A mission by six heavy bombers, six medium bombers and 12 fighters against Kiska is canceled due to bad weather.

CBI (Tenth Air Force) The 490th and 491st Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium) with B-25s move from Karachi to Ondal. The units will enter combat on 10 Jan and 18 Feb 43 respectively.

Australian Army: Advance elements of Aus 18th Brig (2/9th Bn and brig HQ) and four tanks of Aus 2/6th Armd Regt reach Soputa. Additional tanks and arty are kept east of the river for some time because of poor road conditions.

U.S. Army: In New Guinea, 127th Inf starts NW along coast toward Tarakena as preliminary to an all out offensive against Sanananda.

U.S. Army: On Guadalcanal, saff section chiefs of XIV Corps assume their duties. Gen Patch, in letter of instructions to 25th Div CG, Maj Gen J. Lawton Collins, directs 25th Div to relieve 132d Inf, Americal Div, on Mt Austen and attack W some 3,000 yards. 2d Mar Div, holding coastal sector from Point Cruz to Hill 66, is to maintain contact with N flank of 25th Div.

USN: During the night of January 4-5, 1943 TG 67.2 cruiser-destroyer force under the command of Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth bombards Munda Airfield and Munda but causes little damage then departs. After the rest of TF 67 joins TG 67.2, Japanese planes attack the force, near-missing light cruiser USS Honolulu (CL 48) and damaging New Zealand light cruiser HMNZS Achilles, 18 miles south of Cape Hunter on Guadalcanal. During this action, light cruiser USS Helena (CL 50) becomes the first U.S. Navy ship to use Mk. 32 proximity-fuze (VT-fuze) shells in combat, shooting down a Japanese Aichi Type 99 carrier bomber / D3A Val with her second salvo.

SOUTH PACIFIC (Army Forces in South Pacific Area) Five B-17s from the 26th Bombardment Squadron escorted by P-38 Lightnings took off on a mission to bomb a Japanese cruiser off Tonolei Harbor near Buin on southern Bougainville. Inbound, B-17E 41-9145 was unable to climb to high altitude and instead bombed Rekata Bay. Also, a flight of B-17s from the 26th BS bomb Kahili Airfield.

Over the target, they are intercepted by what the U.S. side claimed were twenty-five A6M Zeros and float biplanes and claimed three shot down. In fact, the Japanese force included two A6M2-N Rufes from 802 Kōkūtai (802 Air Group), six A6M Zeros from 204 Kokutai (204 Air Group) plus F1M2 Petes from the 11th Seaplane Tender Division. The U.S. claimed three Japanese aircraft shot down and lost P-38G pilot Hilken (MIA) and P-38G pilot Dinn (MIA).

References
Fortress Against The Sun (2001) pages 317-318, 440 (footnote 26 Daily Diary 26th BS Jan 5, 1943)
"On January 5, the burden was lessened a bit when the 12 planes sent to Gen. Kenney returned to the South Pacific Area. Having flown only two missions while in the Southwest Pacific, the aircrews felt that their trip to Port Moresby had been a waste of time. "Our force is ready to leave New Guinea," the 26th BS/11th BG diarist had recorded on January 4, 'we feel we're not needed here.' At 10:00am five 26th BS planes, escorted by a small group of American fighters [P-38s], set off to attack shipping in Tonolei Harbor. When Captain Thornhill, B-17E (41-9145), could not reach high altitude, he turned back and made a solo run against Rekata Bay. The other four B-17s continued on an although they met light anti-aircraft fire, they managed to damage one Japanese transport with their 1,000-lb. bombs. At the same time that the 26th BS planes were hitting Tonolei Harbor, a flight of 42nd BS B-17s struck the airport at Kahili."
Operation KE (2012) by Roger & Dennis Letourneau pages 86
"The Lightnings flew in two elements of three planes above and behind the bombers. After the Forts made their run on a 'cruiser,' the 11th's Rufes and Petes, in the company of the 204th Zeros, quickly moved in. One Rufe piloted by Leading Airman Matsuyama, pounced on Lt. Ron Hiklen at the outset. A Pete quickly joined in. Before they were driven off by Lt. Betsy Holmes and Lt. Emmett Noris, they had set Hilken's right engine on fire. He was last seen going down toward Vella Lavella. Matsuyama also shot out Lt. Wally Dinn's left engine with 20-mm fire, sending Dinn spinning into the water one final, fatal time."

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC (Fifth Air Force) B-26s pound the Sanananda Point area as Australian infantry and armored elements reach Soputa and U.S. Army 128th Infantry Regiment start northwest along the coast toward Tarakena as preliminary moves to an all-out assault on Sanananda get under way. A-20s and B-25s hit the airfield at Lae.

General Walker leads mission over Rabaul
After detecting a convoy forming at Rabaul, 5th Bomber Command under the command of General Kenneth N. Walker launched the first daylight mission since 1942 over Rabaul. During the morning, three B-17s from the 43rd Bombardment Group, 403rd Bombardment Squadron took off on a bombing mission against Rabaul, ahead of the main formation whose mission was to bomb Lakunai Airfield to suppress defenses. Inbound, B-17F "The Reckless Mountain Boys" 41-24518 aborted the mission due to engine problems and returned to base. At 9:30am the two B-17s were over Rabaul but found clouds obscuring Lakunai Airfield and made three dry runs without releasing any bombs then instead bombed Vunakanau Airfield.

403rd Bomb Squadron (403rd BS)
B-17F 41-24538  piloted by Jack ditched crew rescued the next day
B-17F "The Reckless Mountain Boys" 41-24518  pilot Adams, aborted the mission
B-17E 41-2639  pilot Hocutt landed damaged

Over the target, the two B-17s experienced intense anti-aircraft over Simpson Harbor and were attacked by A6M Zeros from the 582 Kōkūtai. Damaged, B-17F 41-24538  piloted by Jack ditched off Urasi Island and the crew was later rescued. Another B-17 was damaged and landed at Dobodura.

Meanwhile, in Queensland, Australia, nine B-24s planned to take off from Iron Range Airfield were to rendezvous with the B-17 and B-24 formation over Cape Ward Hunt. Unable to take off due to bad weather, these B-24s abort the mission and did not participate.

At 7 Mile Drome (Jackson) near Port Moresby, six B-17 Flying Fortresses from the 43rd Bombardment Group. 64th Bombardment Squadron armed with 500 pound bombs plus six other B-24 Liberators from the 90th Bombardment Group armed with 1,000 pound bombs. Aboard one of the B-17s was a 5th Combat Camera Unit (5th CCU) photographer/cinematographer that took both still photographs and cine footage during the mission.

64th Bomb Squadron (64th BS)
B-17F "San Antonio Rose" 41-24458 pilot Lindberg Missing In Action (MIA), two crew Prisoners Of War (POW)
B-17E "Honi Kuu Okole" 41-9244  confirmed to have flown the mission, appears in cine footage
B-17E "The Jersey Skeeter" 41-2664  confirmed to have flown the mission, appears in cine footage
B-17E "R. D. F. Tojo" 41-2627  possibly flew the mission
B-17E "Lulu" 41-2665  possibly flew the mission, 5th CCU photographer and cameraman aboard
B-17E "Blue in the Night" 41-9209  possibly flew the mission
B-17F 42-24420  possibly flew the mission

90th Bomb Group (90th BG)
Six B-24D Liberators from the 90th Bombardment Group (90th BG) participated in the January 5, 1943 bombing mission. Their precise identities are not confirmed. Likely, the six B-24s were assigned to different Bombardment Squadrons. On B-24 was piloted by 1st Lt. Henry L. Chovanec whose bombardier claimed to hit a 10,000 ton ship (Reference: 90th Bombardment Group pages 32-33). Another B-24 was piloted by 1st Lt. Walter Higgins.

Possibilities include these early 90th BG B-24 Liberators in service as of this date including:
B-24D "Czech'em / The Falcon" 41-23828
B-24D "Pelly Can" 41-23688
B-24D "Sky Lady" 41-24043
B-24D "Crosby Curse" 41-23836 90th BG, 321st BS
B-24D "Aincha Sorry" 41-23824  damaged in one engine returning landed Turnbull Field destroyed January 17, 1943 during air raid

The formation of six B-17 Flying Fortresses and six B-24 Liberators flew together towards New Britain arriving over the target area at roughly noon. Flying at roughly 8,500' the bombers approached from the southeast between Rapopo and Kokopo and bombed Japanese shipping in Blanche Bay and Simpson Harbor.


Over Blanche Bay, a photograph and cine footage revealed the presence of the new runway at Lesson Point near Rapopo. This was the newly constructed Rapopo Airfield.

Meanwhile, from roughly 11:55am to 12:00pm, A6M Zeros from 582 Kōkūtai (582 Air Group) and 252 Kōkūtai (582 Air Group) attempted to intercept the bomber formation, but all but two Zeros lost the bombers in the clouds and failed to intercept. Also, Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) Ki-43-I Oscars from the 11th Hiko Sentai (11th Flying Regiment), 3rd Chutai led by Lt. Hiroatsu Hirano took off from Vunakanau Airfield to intercepted the bomber formation.

The B-24s claimed hits on two ships, including a 10,000 ton ship. B-17s claimed hits on nine including a destroyer. One B-17s, possibly B-17F "San Antonio Rosabe" 41-24458 with General Walker aboard circled the harbor before attempting to rejoin the formation. Leaving the target area, the B-17s and B-24s never rejoined formation and proceeded back to Port Moresby individually.

At noon, the Japanese convoy departed Kokopo bound for Lae. Following this mission, 5th Bomber Command did not attempt another daylight raid over Rabaul until October 1943.

U.S. Losses
Two B-17s are lost: B-17F 41-24538 (crew rescued) and B-17F "San Antonio Rose" 41-24458 (MIA, two POW) aboard is Brigadier General Kenneth Walker, Commanding General V Bomber Command.

Japanese Losses
Despite the U.S. claims for shipping destroyed, only the Keifuku Maru sustained two near misses that caused her to sink. Bomb fragments did cause fires aboard other ships and inflicted 20 casualties. Also lost was a MLC (Motorized Landing Craft) Daihatsu Landing Barge. On the ground, casualties were inflicted in the Kokopo area and at Lakunai Airfield.

Lost attacking the B-17s were Ki-43 Oscar pilot Nagayo failed to return (11/1) also lost was a Ki-43 Oscar pilot ? (survived) (11/2).

Richard Dunn adds:
"The only Type 1 fighter lost with its pilot on 1/5 was a 1/11 FR pilot (Nagayo). A 2/11 FR pilot bailed out but returned. 1/11 FR was the Army unit responsible for attacking Walker's bomber. Probably after the Navy had already inflicted damage. See page 14 of article. Shishimoto's (1st chu) diary description of combat is consistent with what we know about Walker's demise and basis for my conclusion."

References
The Lae Convoy by Richard Dunn
Air Power History "The Search General Walker: New Insights" Fall 2014 pages 6-19 [PDF] by Richard Dunn
Ki-43 'Oscar' Aces of World War 2 (2009) pages 74
Thanks to Steve Birdsall and Richard Dunn for additional information