Allied missions against Finschafen (Finschaffen) and Finschafen Airfield
December 21, 1942–January 5, 1944

December 21, 1942
(5th AF) B-17s attack vessels in Finschhafen Harbor.

December 26, 1942
(5th AF) Heavy bombers carry out single-bomber attacks against Finschhafen.

December 27, 1942
(5th AF) A single B-24 hits the runway at Finschhafen Airfield.

January 12, 1943
(5th AF) B-24s in single-plane actions, bomb Finschhafen.

January 14, 1943
(5th AF) B-24s carry out single-plane attacks on Madang and Finschhafen.

January 16, 1943
(5th AF) B-24s carry out single-plane attacks on Madang and Finschhafen.

January 17, 1943
(5th AF) B-24s carry out single-plane attacks on Madang and Finschhafen.

January 19, 1943
(5th AF) Heavy bombers carry out single-bomber attacks against Finschhafen.

January 20, 1943
(5th AF) B-24s carry out single-plane attacks on Finschhafen.

January 23, 1943
(5th AF) B-24s carry out single-plane attacks on Finschhafen.

January 25, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-24s attack a beached ship at Finschhafen.

January 26, 1943
(5th AF) B-24s carry out single-plane attacks on Finschhafen.

January 27, 1943
(5th AF) Individual B-24s bomb Finschhafen town and the runway at Finchhafen Airfield (Prewar Airfield).

February 1, 1943
(5th AF) A single B-24 bombs the runway at Finchhafen Airfield (Prewar Airfield).

February 6, 1943
(5th AF) A single B-24 hits cargo vessels off Finschhafen and Powell Point, claiming 1 vessel destroyed, and attacks troop barges in Riebeck Bay, causing several casualties.

February 15, 1943
(5th AF) B-24s operating singly bomb the runway at Finschhafen, and claim a direct hit on a vessel in Stettin Bay.

February 18, 1943
(5th AF) Individual B-24s bomb the Finschhafen landing ground.

February 27, 1943
(5th AF) B-17s, operating individually, strafe a schooner off Matiu Point and bomb Finschhafen Airfield.

March 4, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-17 and B-24s hit barges off Finschhafen.

March 11, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-24s attack Finschhafen.

March 14, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-17s bomb Finschhafen Airfield.

March 20, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-24s bomb Finschhafen Airfield.

March 22, 1943
(5th AF) Single-plane strikes, heavy bombers attack Finschhafen.

March 26, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-l7 bombs Finschhafen.

March 28, 1943
(5th AF) Medium and heavy bombers on individual missions attack a small boat off Finschhafen.

March 30, 1943
(5th AF) A-20's, B-25's, B-24's, and B-17's pound shipping, the harbor, and town area at Finschhafen.

March 31, 1943
(5th AF) Individual B-24's attack Finschhafen.

April 1, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-24's attack Salamaua, Finschhafen.

April 5, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-17's hit Finschaffen on the Huon Peninsula.

April 6, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-17's bomb Finschhafen.

April 7, 1943
(5th AF) Single heavy bombers attack shipping and coastal targets including Finschhafen.

April 8, 1943
(5th AF) B-17's and B-24's carry out small harassing strikes at Finschhafen.

April 9, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-17's attack barges at Finschhafen.

April 11, 1943
(5th AF) B-17's bomb Finschhafen. Single B-24's bomb Finschhafen 3 times.

April 13, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-l7 bombs the runway at Finschhafen.

April 18, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-24's hit the Finschhafen.

April 23, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-24's bomb the airfield and town area at Finschhafen.

April 25, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-24's hit airfields at Madang and Finschhafen.

April 26, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-24's hit airfields at Finschhafen.

April 27, 1943
(5th AF) Heavy bombers, operating individually, attack small vessels and targets of opportunity at Finschhafen areas.

April 28, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-17's hit buildings N of Finschhafen Airfield.

May 2, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-17 bombs dock area at Finschhafen.

May 6, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-24's hit Madang and Finschhafen.

May 12, 1943
(5th AF) Seven B-25s from the 405th BS led by Major Ralph Cheli piloting "The Wolf". One B-25 developed engine trouble and aborted the mission. The other sixed arrived over the target at 7:45am and bombed Finschafen Airfield (Prewar) from 700' dropping 100 pound bombs. Afterwards, the B-25s made three strafing runs. There was only light anti-aircraft fire from Japanese machine guns that ceased during the strafing. Reference: Sun Setters page 148

May 17, 1943
(5th AF) Single heavy bombers hit Lae and Finschhafen.

May 27, 1943
(5th AF) B-25's hit Finschhafen with single-plane strikes.

May 29, 1943
(5th AF) Heavy and medium bombers, operating individually or in flights of 2 bombers Finschhafen.

June 15, 1943
(5th AF) A single B-25 attacks a power boat in Hanisch Harbor and strafes a beach near Finschhafen.

June 18, 1943
(5th AF) B-25's bomb and strafe power launches off Finschhafen.

June 19, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-24's bomb Finschhafen.

June 20, 1943
(5th AF) Two B-25's and an A-20 hit Finschhafen.

July 19, 1943
(5th AF) B-17 hits Finschhafen Airfield.

July 21, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-24's bomb Finschhafen Airfield.

July 25, 1943
(5th AF) B-24s attack the area near Finschhafen.

July 27, 1943
(5th AF) B-25s hit barges between Pommern Bay and Finschhafen.

July 30, 1943
(5th AF) B-25s hit barges off Huon Peninsula and villages in the Finschhafen.

July 31, 1943
(5th AF) B-25s hit the Finschhafen area.

August 5, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-24 bombs Finschhafen.

August 14, 1943
(5th AF) A-20's strafe  barges near Finschhafen.

August 22, 1943
(USN) Four Allied destroyers to proceed along the coast from Milne Bay to Finschhafen; they bombard Finschhafen during the night of 22/23, then return to Milne Bay.

August 25, 1943
(5th AF) B-24s attack Finschhafen.

September 9, 1943
(5th AF) B-25s bomb and strafe coastal area including Finschhafen.

September 15, 1943
(5th AF) B-25's hit barges around Finschhafen.

September 18, 1943
(5th AF, RAAF) B-26's and RAAF airplanes bomb and strafe Finschhafen.

September 19, 1943
(5th AF) B-25's and B-26's pound Finschhafen in preparation for Allied landings scheduled for September 22, 1943.

September 22, 1943
(Australian Army) After a preparatory naval bombardment, elements of the Australian 9 Division land at the mouth of the Song River north of Finschhafen and push to the south.
(5th AF) B-25's pound defenses in the Finschhafen area; almost 90 fighters battle Japanese aircraft attacking the convoy; 38 enemy aircraft are claimed shot down.

September 25, 1943
(5th AF & RAAF) A-20's and RAAF airplanes pound positions near Finschhafen as the Australian 9 Division, having crossed the Buni River the previous day, pushes S toward the town.

September 27, 1943
(5th AF) Finschhafen is bombed twice during the day.

September 28, 1943
(5th AF & RAAF) A-20's and Vengeances attack the Finschhafen.

October 1, 1943
(5th AF, RAAF) A-20's and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft bomb and strafe the Finschhafen area.

October 2, 1943
(Australian Army) Troops take the town and harbor of Finschhafen and prepare to take nearby commanding positions still held by the Japanese.

October 9, 1943
(5th AF, RAAF) A-20's and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) airplanes bomb and strafe defensive positions in the Sattelberg and Finschhafen areas.

October 15, 1943
(5th AF) 4 other P-40's, encountering 20+ Japanese airplanes E of Finschhafen, claim 5 destroyed.

October 17, 1943
(5th AF) 4 P-39's intercept 18 airplanes attacking Finschhafen, claiming 6 shot down.

October 19, 1943
(Japanese) Air raid against Finschhafen causes no effective damage.

October 20, 1943
(Japanese) An attack on Finschhafen by 30 Japanese aircraft causes minor damage.

November 6, 1943
(Japanese) Japanese airplanes attack Finschhafen but cause no major damage.

November 16, 1943
(5th AF) B-25's hit installations near Finschhafen.

November 19, 1943
(5th AF) A-20's hit Finschhafen area.

November 21, 1943
(5th AF) A-20's hit Finschhafen area.

November 23, 1943
(5th AF) B-25's and A-20's hit villages around Finschhafen.

November 24, 1943
(5th AF) 15 A-20's and B-25's, with P-38's escorting, hit stores and supplies in the Finschhafen area.

November 27, 1943
(5th AF) Medium bombers also bomb the town of Finschhafen.

November 28, 1943
(5th AF) A-20's hit tracks in the Finschhafen area.

December 2, 1943
(5th AF) 20 B-25's and B-26's hit enemy forces in the Finschhafen area.

December 3, 1943
(5th AF) A-20's attack villages around Finschhafen.

December 5, 1943
(5th AF) A-20's hit enemy forces in the Finschhafen area.

December 6, 1943
(5th AF) A-20's and B-25's attack villages and supply dumps around Finschhafen.

December 7, 1943
(5th AF) A-20's bomb troop encampments and dumps in the Finschhafen area.

December 8, 1943
(5th AF) B-25's and B-26's pound enemy supply dumps on the Huon Peninsula near Finschhafen.

December 11, 1943
(5th AF) B-25's and B-26's hit bivouacs and other installations near Fortification Point and in the Finschhafen area.

December 18, 1943
(5th AF) 33 A-20's bomb and strafe dumps and bivouacs north of Finschhafen.

December 19, 1943
(5th AF) 30 B-25's, A-20's, and P-39's hit barges, bivouac areas, and gun positions north and west of Finschhafen.

December 20, 1943
(5th AF) B-26's and B-25's hit bivouacs in the Finschhafen area.

December 21, 1943
(5th AF) A-20's hit camps north of Finschhafen.

December 22, 1943
(5th AF) A-20's and B-26's pound occupied area north of Finschhafen.

January 4, 1944
(5th AF) Heavy and medium bombers hit troops and supplies between Finschhafen and Saidor.

January 5, 1944
(5th AF) B-24's and medium bombers attack barges from Finschhafen to Saidor.

Japanese missions and resupply of Finschafen (Finschaffen)
September 6, 1943–October 1, 1943

September 6, 1943
(IJN) I-176 arrives at Finschafen, first supply run.

September 17, 1943
(IJN) I-176 arrives at Finschafen second supply run then departs on September 21, 1943 for Rabaul.

September 22, 1943
(IJN) I-176 departs Rabaul for her third supply to Finschafen.

September 23, 1943
(JAAF) Air raid against Finschafen by 7th Sentain Ki-49 Helens, lost is Ki-49-II flow by W.O. Osamu Nemoto.

September 25, 1943
(IJN) Arrives at Finschafen but fails to contact ground troops there. The I-176 remains in the vicinity for the next five days despite an ongoing battle on the shore.

October 1, 1943
(IJN) I-176 LtCdr Yamaguchi finally establishes contact with the ground troops and unloads his cargo, then departs for Rabaul.