Allied missions against Munda and Munda Airfield
December 2, 1942–July 4, 1943
December 2, 1942
(Army Forces in South Pacific Area) American bombers based at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal begin almost daily
attacks on Munda Point, New Georgia to prevent the Japanese from constructing
an airfield there.
December 6, 1942
(Army Forces in South Pacific Area) P-39s strafing Munda on New Georgia Island discover trucks,
steam rollers and other construction equipment, and evidence of two airfields
under construction. B-17s
will bomb Munda 21 times in December and continue to hit it in Jan 43, as the
Japanese continue to work at building the strips despite the constant air strikes.
December 9, 1942
(RNZAF, Army Forces in South Pacific Area) RNZAF 3 Squadron Hudsons and B-17s bomb Munda Airfield without loss.
December 11, 1942
(13th AF) B-17s bomb Munda Airfield without loss.
December 12, 1942
(13th AF) B-17s begin a series of daily attacks on the Japanese airfields nearing
completion at Munda.
December 15, 1942
(13th AF) Five P-38G Lightnings escort SBDs on a dive bombing mission against the Lambeti-Munda. Returning, ditched is P-38G pilot Woods (MIA).
December 16, 1942
(13th AF) B-17s of the 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy) attack Munda Airfield. They are intercepted by 16 Zekes; the B-17s claim four Zekes. Lost was B-17E "G. I. Angel" 41-2521 (crew rescued).
December 19, 1942
(13th AF) B-17s, escorted by P-38s, hit Munda Airfield They are
attacked by 20 Zekes; the Americans claim three Zekes with no American losses.
December 24, 1942
(USN & 13th AF) Nine SBDs, nine P-39s, four P-38s and four F4Fs attack Munda Airfield, they intercepted by 14 Zekes. The Americans claim 14 Zekes
shot down, seven by two F4F pilots while four P-39s pilots of the 12th Fighter
Squadron, 15th Fighter Group get five and a P-38 pilot of the 70th Fighter
Squadron, 347th Fighter Group got one. The SBDs destroyed ten Zekes on the
ground as they were taking off. There are no U.S. losses.
December 29, 1942
(USMC) PB4Y-1 Liberator 31940 flies a solo photographic reconnaissance mission over Munda Airfield. Attacked by nine A6M Zero from the 204 Kokutai that manage to damage the bomber.
December 31, 1942
(13th AF) B-26s of the 69th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 38th Bombardment
Group (Medium), escorted by P-38s and P-39s, attack Munda Airfield.
January 3, 1943
(USAAF) B-26s bomb Munda Airfield. Lost is B-26 "Queenie" 41-17586 crew later rescued.
January 5, 1943
(USN) In the early morning, Task Task Force 67.2 (TF-62.2) under the command of Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth including USS Helen (CL-50), USS St. Louis and USS Nashville and two destroyers conducts a shore bombardment of Munda Airfield and Munda. Although the cruisers and destroyers fire 4,000 shells, they causes little damage.
January 10, 1943
(13th AF) B-26s attack Munda,
with the loss of one aircraft.
January 11, 1943
(13th AF) B-26s and P-39s hit Munda.
January 15, 1943
(USN, 13th AF) SBDs with F4F and P-39 escort bomb a cargo ship off Munda;
they are met by 12 Zekes; seven are shot down with the loss of one US fighter.
January 16, 1943
(13th AF) Munda is bombed.
January 19, 1943
(13th AF) B-17s, escorted by P-38s and P-40s, bomb Munda Airfield runway and revetments.
January 21, 1943
(13th AF) B-26s and P-39s pound a bivouac and other targets at Munda.
January 25, 1943
(13th AF) B-26s and P-38s hit Munda Airfield and bomb the wharf at Repirepi, demolishing it.
January 27, 1943
(13th AF) Six B-26s and eight P-39s attack Munda Airfield.
January 29, 1943
(13th AF) B-26s and P-39s hit Munda Airfield.
January 30, 1943
(13th AF) Munda Airfield and AA positions are pounded by B-17s, B-26s, P-39s and P-40s.
January 31, 1943
(13th AF) P-39s, P-38s and P-40s, and other Allied fighters, carry out
sweeps over Munda.
February 2, 1943
(13th AF) B-26s,
P-38s and P-39s attack Munda Airfield.
February 3, 1943
(USN, USMC, 13th AF) P-39s, P-38s and P-40s, along with Navy and Marine aircraft,
attack Munda Airfield.
February 4, 1943
(USN) Navy aircraft strike Munda Airfield.
February 8, 1943
(USN, 13th AF) P-38s and Navy aircraft bomb Munda Airfield.
February 9, 1943
(USN, 13th AF) P-38s
join Navy aircraft strike Munda Airfield.
February 10, 1943
(USN, 13th AF) P-38s and Navy aircraft attack Munda Airfield.
February 11, 1943
(13th AF) B-26s, P-38s and P-39s bomb Munda Airfield.
February 12, 1943
(USN, 13th AF) P-38s, along with Navy aircraft, attack the Munda area, hitting AA B-26s and P-39s follow with a strike on the Munda Airfield.
February 14, 1943
(13th AF, USN) P-39s
and Navy aircraft bomb and strafe Munda Airfield and hit
AA positions and other targets at Munda Point.
February 17, 1943
(13th AF, USN) P-39s join Navy fighters and dive bombers in a strike against Munda Airfield.
February 18, 1943
(13th AF) B-24s bomb Munda Airfield.
February 20, 1943
(13th AF, USN) During the night
of 19/20 Feb and day strikes, P-39s and Navy aircraft attack the Munda area, hitting the airfield and nearby Lambeti and Munda Point.
USMC: TBF Avengers from VMSB-143 glide bomb Munda Airfield. Over the target, the formation was a four plane diamond formation then made the glide bombing attack in a column bombing the runway and revetments and claimed two twin engine bombers as severely damaged. During the attack, TBF-1 Avenger 05970 piloted by 1st Lt. Homer J. Cornell reported diving at a speed in excess of 400 knots (460.3 mph) when he returned the fuselage had a slight buckle, several wing rivets were spring and wing ribs stretched 1/2 inch and was the opinion of ground crews that it achieved a speed of 425-450 knots (489-517 mph).
February 24, 1943
(USMC) Nine TBF Avengers led by Major J. W. Sapp, Jr. from VMSB-143 took off from Henderson Field on a glide bombing mission against Munda Airfield on New Georgia. The Avengers rendezvoused over Lunga Point with the rest of the strike force including fourteen SBD Dauntless plus escorting fighters including eight F4F Wildcats, eight P-39s and eleven P-38s and flew northward over the east coast of New Georgia. The weather was clear over the target with clouds at 5,000' to the north. Over the target at 11:45am, the Avengers began their glide bombing attack from at 3,500'. The first division encountered practically nil anti-aircraft fire. The second division and third division encountered light to medium anti-aircraft fire. The squadron's bombs were seen to fall across the northeast end of the runway and revetments and a twin engined bomber in the middle of the runway as claimed as destroyed plus two other planes in revetments that were possibly wrecks and a fuel dump was set on fire and a row of tents were strafed. Two bombs fell into the sea and two bombs failed to release.
March 2, 1943
(13th AF) P-40s, P-38s and a single PB4Y fly photographic reconnaissance over Munda Airfield.
March 7, 1943
(13th AF) Eight B-24s bomb Munda.
March 8, 1943
(13th AF) Light B-24 strike on Munda.
March 9, 1943
(13th AF) B-24s bomb the airfields at Munda.
March 12, 1943
(13th AF) Light B-24 strike on Munda.
March 13, 1943
(13th AF) Light B-24 strike on Munda.
March 15, 1943
(13th AF) Single B-17s hit
Munda Airfield.
April 13, 1943
(USN & 13th AF) P-38's and Navy aircraft bomb the airfield at Munda.
May 2, 1943
(13th AF, USN) B-17s hit Munda Airfield. P-38's
and P-39's join Navy aircraft in pounding the runway area at Munda Airfield.
May 6, 1943
(13th AF, USN) P-40's and Navy dive bombers and fighters hit Munda Airfield.
May 10, 1943
(13th AF, USN, USMC) P-38's join Navy and Marine aircraft in a strike against gun emplacements, runway,
and revetments at Munda Airfield.
May 14, 1943
(13th AF) B-24's fly early evening snooper strikes against Munda.
May 28, 1943
(13th AF, USN) P-38's and P-40's, along with naval aircraft, attempt a strike on the Kolombangara
area and Munda but are hampered by bad weather. Some of the Navy TBF bombers
manage to bomb the runway and revetment area at Munda.
June 9, 1943
(13th AF) B-17s, P-40s, and P-38s pound Munda Airfled.
June 27, 1943
(13th AF) A single heavy bomber on armed reconnaissance
bombs Munda Airfield.
June 30, 1943
(13th AF, USN) B-25's and US Navy dive bombers bomb Munda Airfield.
July 3, 1943
(13th AF) B-25's bomb the airfield and AA positions at Munda.
July 5, 1943
(13th AF) B-24's over Buin fail to find shipping and
bomb Munda.
(USMC) Twelve SBDs from VMSB-144 fly a mission against gun emplacements at Munda but bad weather prevents any bombing.
July 12, 1943
(13th AF & USN) Several fighters join US Navy dive bombers in strikes on AA and bivouacs in
the Munda area.
July 25, 1943
(USN, 13th AF, USN) The final push on the Japanese base
at Munda opens with a bombardment by 7 destroyers and the heaviest air attack
in the South Pacific (SOPAC) Theater to date; 170+ B-24's, B-25's, B-17's,
TBF's, and SBD's, covered by 70+ fighters, pound the target thoroughly, dropping
more than 145 tons of bombs in little more than a half hour; later in the afternoon
10 more B-24's, with fighter cover, bomb Bibolo Hill, and SBD's and TBF's dive-bomb
gun positions; and later in the day, gun positions NE of Kindu Village are
hit. The 43d and 37th Infantry Divisions open the ground assault against the
firmly entrenched enemy.
July 27, 1943
(13th AF, USN, USMC) 8 P-38's and
70+ US Navy and Marine Corps aircraft again attack the Munda area, hitting positions on Bibolo Hill and targets at Gurasai,
Munda Point, and Munda Airfield.
July 31, 1943
(13th AF, USN, USMC) 17 P-40's and P-39's join 90+ US Navy and Marine Corps aircraft in pounding guns and defensive positions on Bibolo Hill as Allied ground forces close on Munda Airfield.
August 1, 1943
(13th AF, USN) P-40's and US Navy aircraft again hit Munda
bombing AA positions, ammunition dumps, and other targets.
August 10, 1943
(13th AF) P-40s and P-39s intercept and turn back forty Japanese fighters attacking U.S. bulldozers repairing Munda Airfield.
August 13, 1943
(13th AF) Four P-40s from the 44th Fighter Squadron become the first Allied aircraft to land on the reconstructed Munda Airfield; after refueling, they are sent on a sweep over Kolombangara.
