May 6, 1942
(USAAF)
Four B-17s unsuccessfully bomb Japanese CruDiv 6 in the Shortland anchorage.
October 9, 1942
(5th AF) 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.
Twenty Japanese aircraft intercept, nine 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
(13th AF) 17th Reconnaissance Squadron’s Lockheed F-5As flying photographic reconnaissance missions 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
(13th AF) 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 led by Captain
Tom Lanphier with eight Lockheed P-38 Lightnings from the 339th Fighter Squadron (339th FS) and 70th
Fighter Squadron (70th FS) with eight U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) F-4U-1 Corsairs from
VMF-124. 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. At dawn, they strafe the seaplane bases
at Shortland and set fire to 5-7 F1M2 Pete floatplanes. (Other
damage reports state they claimed 8 aircraft destroyed). Returning, they spot a "destroyer" [sic Subchaser CH-28] east of Shortland Island and make repeated strafing runs, leaving it on fire and with a 15° list.
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
(13th AF) Allied intellegence observes 10 floatplanes in Shortland Harbor.
June 14, 1943
(13th AF) B-17's and B-24's bomb Shortland.
June 30, 1943
(USN)
At 1:54am, Task Unit 36.2.1 (TU 36.2.1) cruisers and destroyers bombards targets including Shortland Seaplane Base (Tuha Channel), Shortland Island and Poporang Island. USS Cleveland (CL-55) targets Korovou on Shortland Island plus the Shortland Seaplane Base achorage area in Tuha Channel and Poporang Island
the seaplane supply dump, heavy anti-aircraft guns and radar station. Due to the bad weather, visual observation and fire correction was impossible nor could her floatplanes launch but the cruiser's FH radar was used for the 6" guns firing at ranges of 11,000-12,000 yards. At 2:08am ceased fire having expended 796 rounds of 6" H/C and 499 rounds of 5" AAC that were deemed to cover the target areas.
July 10, 1943
(13th AF) F-5A Lightning piloted by 1st Lt Lt. Eugene R. Brown took off on a photo reconassiance mission over Kahili, Ballale and Shortland was intercepted by two Zeros from 582 Kokutai from Buin that shot out the left engine, but managed to dive to 500' and escape landing safely.
August 6, 1943
(13th AF, USMC) F-5A Lightning flies a photo reconassiance mission over the Shortlands.
(USMC) Eight F4U Corsairs from VMF-221 on Banika
preform an armed reconnassiance over 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 claim five enemy planes shot down.
Lost is F4U 02492 (rescued) plus two F4Us are damaged. References: Bulletin No. 507 Extracts: 10 August 1943: "Grand Imperial HQ News (1530 on the 9th) on the 6th, 16 enemy planes attacked Shortland Island but our naval fighter unit shot down 15 of them while our loss was only one plane."
October 9, 1943
(USMC) F4U Corsairs from VMF-222 provide cover and strafe Shortland.
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.
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 23, 1944
(13th AF) Twenty P-39's strafe targets
of opportunity in the Shortland area.
January 28, 1944
(13th AF) Sixteen 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.
