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 Justin Taylan 2006 |
Location Saint Georges Channel is located between the eastern coast of East New Britain and the west coast of New Ireland southward to Cape Saint George. Also known as St. George's Channel or Saint George's Channel. Connects to the Bismarck Sea to the northwest and Solomon Sea to the southeast. Located inside is Rakanda Island. Today spans East New Britain Province and New Ireland Province in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Wartime History During the Pacific War, used by the Japanese Navy during late January 1942 as an important shipping channel that connected Rabaul the open sea and was the first leg for vessels departing southwards to the Solomon Islands. Allied missions against Saint Georges Channel December 31, 1942–October 26, 1944 George Munroe recalls: "For flights over Rabaul, we always looked for safety to St. Georges Channel because it was only a few minutes away to where you would start hitting thunder clouds. We would go into those thunderheads, something we would never do in the States, and go up... down mainly four or five thousand feet in the blink of an eye. But, the [Japanese] fighters couldn't follow us. Of course, with that kind of turbulence we were fighting for our lives too, just to stay in the air." USS Argonaut (APS-1 / SS-166) Sunk January 10, 1943 by depth charges south of St. Georges Channel. B-25D "Sorry Satchul" Serial Number 41-30056 Pilot Peterson ditched October 18, 1943 crew strafed by fighters all KIA. F6F Hellcat Bureau Number 09028 Pilot Scott ditched December 24, 1943 rescued by PBY Catalina F4U Corsair Bureau Number 17915 Pilot Boyington ditched January 3, 1944 captured by Japanese submarine I-181 SBD Dauntless Bureau Number 35971 Pilot Ramsey crashed January 4, 1944 one member of crew survived, taken POW, executed F6F Hellcat Bureau Number 25853 Pilot Schneider MIA January 9, 1944 P-38J Lightning Serial Number 42-67783 Pilot McCloud ditched January 28, 1944 in his life raft for nine days before rescued by PBY Catalina. P-40N Kittyhawk Serial Number NZ3120 Pilot Bremner MIA February 5, 1944 P-40N Kittyhawk Serial Number NZ3126 Pilot Nicholson MIA February 5, 1944 F4U-1A Corsair Bureau Number 17460 Pilot Schaeffer crashed February 19, 1944 rescued by PBY Catalina the next day. B-25 Mitchell Pilot Keefer ditched February 20, 1944 crew rescued by PBY Catalina. B-24J Liberator Serial Number 42-73469 Pilot Haire MIA March 5, 1944, 7 missing, 3 rescued, 1 POW, survived. B-25D Mitchell Serial Number 42-87320 Pilot Shanks ditched March 8, 1944 near Cape Saint George crew rescued by RNZAF Catalina Contribute
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