Japanese missions against Madang, Madang Airfield and Madang Harbor
January 21, 1942

January 21, 1942
(IJN) Japanese bombers and fighters attack Madang and Madang Airfield and the Madang AWA radio station.

Bob Emery via Madang (2006) page 135:
"One day in January we heard these aircraft coming. The air was sort of vibrating with the drone of aircraft. I was down in the gunpit... the aircraft were so high there was no chance of identifying them... while I was watching I noticed that small objects were circulating around like mosquitoes, and then I heard the whistle of what was the first bomb - and that showed us whose aeroplanes they were!
That first bomb lobbed right alongside our [Lewis 7.7mm machine gun] gunpit, leaving a crater nearly big enough to put a house in. Well, this was rather nerve-shattering, because I wasn't used to it... when the aircraft left their was dead quite, but they had made a terrible mess of our camp, with great bomb craters all along the aerodrome.
Towards Madang township there were great clouds of black smoke. I knew there was a brand new cargo shed on the wharf there and two big stores full of copra... the only thing I could think of now was, if that was the Japanese air force, the Japanese Army and Navy would be here very soon, because there was nothing to stop them from sailing in and trying up to the Madang wharf, and only us with one Lewis gun. I though the most important thing we could so was to get as much food into the bush as we could, because we would have to retreat there."
E. V. O. O'Brien Diary observed the air raid from Mililat Plantation via Madang (2006) page 136
"About 27 bombs were dropped... and the [Madang] town was machine-gunned... the bombing and machine gunning continued until about mid-day... the Lutheran station at Nobonob was bombed, and the village of Ruo was machine gunned... tops of coconut palms were cut off by cannon shells and branches and limbs of trees were strewn everywhere. Carpenter's copra store was blazing... Gov't copra store and Customs Offices were badly knocked about... practically all of the buildings had been damaged by cannon shells and machine gun fire from Jap fighters. One calboose (prisoner) was killed... Sgt Emery's cookboy was killed... machine gun bullets cut hm in half..."

Allied missions against Madang, Madang Airfield and Madang Harbor
December 13, 1942–April 26, 1944

December 13, 1942
(5th AF) A Japanese convoy of five destroyers is detected off Madang.

December 18, 1942
(5th AF) B-17s attack a Japanese convoy in Astrolabe Bay off Madang. Later B-24s attack the convoy off Madang.

December 19, 1942
(5th AF) B-17s and B-24s attack warships, transports and cargo vessels off Madang in Astrolabe Bay.

December 26, 1942
(5th AF) Single-bomber attack on Madang.

December 30, 1942
(5th AF) Single-bomber attack on Madang.

January 3, 1943
(5th AF) B-26s, along with a single B-24 bombs Madang.

January 12, 1943
(5th AF) A single B-24s bombs Madang.

January 14, 1943
(5th AF) A single B-24s bombs Madang.

January 17, 1943
A single B-24s bombs Madang wharf areas.

January 18, 1943
A single B-24s bombs Madang.

January 19, 1943
A single heavy bomber bombs Madang.

January 20, 1943
A single B-24s bombs Madang.

January 23, 1943
A single B-24s bombs Madang.

February 14, 1943
(5th AF) individual B-24s attack the Madang area.

February 18, 1943
(5th AF) Individual B-24s bomb the Madang area.

March 7, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-24s attack a ship NW of Madang.

March 14, 1943
(5th AF) B-17s and B-24s bomb Wewak, Tring, and Madang.

March 18, 1943
(5th AF) B-24's pound the town of Madang.

March 22, 1943
(5th AF) heavy bombers attack Madang.

April 1, 1943
(5th AF) B-17's attack the town of Madang.

April 5, 1943
(5th AF) A single B-17 bomb Madang.

April 9, 1943
(5th AF) Thirteen B-25s from the 90th BS and RAAF Beaufighters of 30 Squadron bomb and strafe the airfield and town and dock areas of Madang. They burn two 45th Sentai Ki-48 Lily bombers and three fighters. A refueling truck was also burned. The Japanese suffered twelve casualties.

April 11, 1943
(5th AF) Single B-24 hit Madang once.

April 12, 1943
(5th AF) A single B-24 scores hits on the Madang dock area.

April 16, 1943
(5th AF) B-24's bomb Madang.

April 25, 1943
(5th AF) B-17's bomb Madang Town. A single B-24's hit Madang Airfield.

May 6, 1943
(5th AF) A single B-24 hits Madang.

May 7, 1943
(5th AF) B-17's and B-24's bomb supply dumps, and other targets at Madang and Madang Airfield. Japanese fighters from Wewak were on patrol and intercepted seven B-17s and six B-24s over Madang. The B-17s reported interception by seven Japanese fighters including two that dropped aerial bombs that missed by a considerable distance. Four B-17s were damaged, one seriously, in conventional attacks.

May 8, 1943
(5th AF) A Single B-17F Flying Fortress from the 43rd BG on armed reconnaissance mission radioed its discovery of shipping between Wewak and Madang. B-17F "Fighting Swede" 41-24520 disappears, likely rammed by escorting Ki-43 fighters. B-25 strafers along with 8 x Beaufighters of the RAAF, escorted by 16 x P-38s of the 39th FS claim the destruction of 2 cargo vessels at Madang. The two Japanese sea trucks (small transports, 550 and 950 tons each) were entering Madang harbor carrying vital supplies and full of troops. Beaufighters swooped down and strafed the larger ship setting fires. A few minutes later the B-25s followed up against the ships with bombs and gunfire. Both ships were lost with all their supplies and heavy casualties. This included many of the personnel and much of the equipment of the 11th Airfield Construction Unit moving from Wewak to Madang. Other Japanese fighters headed for the B-25s but the P-38s finally arrived on the scene and reported encountering three "Zekes" and two "Hamps" [sic Ki-43] a few miles south of Madang. Three P-38s jumped these at 5,000 feet, dispersed the formation and claimed one damaged. On the return flight a single fighter identified as a "Hamp" was sighted at 1,000 feet. This was jumped by Capt. Thomas Lynch’s flight. In the low level combat that followed double ace Lynch claimed a "Hamp" destroyed but this cannot be verified. Lynch went into this action despite having difficulty dropping one of his external fuel tanks.

RAAF: Beaufighters strafed and destroyed a fighter on Madang Airfield but aborted further attacks when eight or more Type 1 fighters appeared over Madang. Some of the Japanese fighters attacked the Beaufighters, damaging one, and chased them down the coast toward Saidor.

May 9, 1943
(5th AF) B-24's and B-17's bomb Madang Airfield.

May 20, 1943
(5th AF) B-25's sink several barges offshore between Madang and Cape Cretin.

May 25, 1943
(5th AF) Single heavy bomber hits Madang.

May 26, 1943
(5th AF) 9 B-24's and B-25's bomb Madang town area and Madang Airfield.

May 29, 1943
(5th AF) B-17s bomb Madang.

May 31, 1943
(5th AF) B-17's bomb Madang.

June 7, 1943
(5th AF) B-17's and B-24's attack Madang.

June 17, 1943
(5th AF) B-25's administer a thorough pounding to the Madang.

July 20, 1943
(5th AF) A-20's and B-25's pound Madang Airfield and area.

July 21, 1943
(5th AF) 50+ B-25's again thoroughly pound the Madang area.

August 6, 1943
(5th AF) B-25's pound barges near Madang.

August 17, 1943
(5th AF) 50+ B-24's and B-17's attack Madang.

September 1, 1943
(5th AF) 70+ B-24's and B-25's hit the Madang area, dropping 201 tons of bombs the heaviest bomb load dropped by the Fifth Air Force to date.

September 20, 1943
(5th AF) B-25's and B-17's hit roads from Kaiapit to Madang, destroying 3 key bridges.

October 22, 1943
(5th AF) Madang is strafed by 4 P-39's and 2 Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boomerangs.

October 29, 1943
(5th AF) 17 B-25's hit the Madang area.

November 5, 1943
(5th AF) P-39's bomb and strafe the Madang area.

November 11, 1943
(5th AF) B-25's hit the Madang area.

November 16, 1943
(5th AF) P-39's, with P-40's covering, strafe barges from Saidor to Madang.

November 26, 1943
(5th AF) P-40s and P-47s strafe villages and targest of opportunity around Madang.

December 7, 1943
(5th AF) P-40's strafe boats and barges near Madang.

December 10, 1943
(5th AF) P-39s strafe barges in the Madang area.

December 19, 1943
(5th AF) 30 B-25's and B-26's pound Madang.

December 21, 1943
(5th AF) B-25s bomb and cannon Madang.

December 22, 1943
(5th AF) B-25's and P-39's bomb Madang Airfield and barges at Madang.

December 27, 1943
(5th AF) B-25s bomb Madang.

December 29, 1943
(5th AF) B-25s hit Madang.

December 30, 1943
(5th AF) B-24's and B-25's bomb Madang. P-47's strafe the Madang area.

December 31, 1943
(5th AF) B-24s and medium bombers pound Magang.

January 1, 1944
(5th AF) B-25's bomb Madang.

January 2, 1944
(5th AF) B-25's and B-26's bomb Madang.

January 4, 1944
(5th AF) Heavy and medium bombers bomb Madang.

January 5, 1944
B-24's and medium bombers bomb Madang.

January 7, 1944
(5th AF) B-24's, B-25's, P-39's, and P-47's bomb the Alexishafen-Madang area.

January 8, 1944
(5th AF) B-24's, medium bombers, and a few fighters, attack the Madang area.

January 9, 1944
(5th AF) Fighters and bombers attack Madang.

January 10, 1944
(5th AF) Heavy, medium, and light bombers, and fighters attack Madang.

January 15, 1944
(5th AF) P-40's, P-47's, and B-25's hit the Madang.

January 16, 1944
(5th AF) B-25's, A-20's, and P-40's hit Madang.

January 18, 1944
(5th AF) B-25's pound Madang.

January 21, 1944
(5th AF) B-25's, A-20's, and P-39's bomb the Madang area.

January 24, 1944
(5th AF) B-25's and P-47's hit Madang and troops in the vicinity.

January 25, 1944
(5th AF) B-25's bomb Madang.

January 25, 1944
(USN) USS Boise CL-47 conducts a shore bombardment of Madang and Alexishafen.

January 26, 1944
(5th AF) 140+ B-24's, A-20's, P-39's, and P-40's hit the Alexishafen-Madang area.

January 27, 1944
(5th AF) B-25's, A-20's, and P-39's, along with several RAAF aircraft attack the Madang.

February 2, 1944
(5th AF) 50 A-20s pound installations in the Madang area.

February 4, 1944
(5th AF) B-24s, A-20s. and B-25s bomb Madang.

February 6, 1944
(5th AF) B-25s and B-24s hit Madang.

February 8, 1944
(5th AF) A-20s and B-25s hit the Madang area.

February 18, 1944
(5th AF) P-39s strafe targets of opportunity at Madang.

February 21, 1944
(5th AF) A-20s hit Madang.

February 22, 1944
(5th AF) 30+ B-25s and P-39s attack the Madang area.

February 25, 1944
(5th AF) B-25's pound Alexishafen-Madang area.

February 26, 1944
(5th AF) B-25s, along with P-39s, hit the Alexishafen-Madang area.

March 1, 1944
(5th AF) Aircraft hit enemy installations and positions at Madang

March 2, 1944
(5th AF) B-24s and P-40s hit the Alexishafen-Madang area.

March 3, 1944
(5th AF) 20 P-39s attack Madang.

March 5, 1944
(5th AF) P-39's pound the areas around Madang. Australian ground forces break out of the Ramu Valley and Japanese retreat toward Madang.

March 6, 1944
(5th AF) P-39s and RAAF aircraft hit Japanese forces around Madang.

March 11, 1944
(5th AF) 40+ A-20s and P-39s attack targets in the Madang area.

March 14, 1944
(5th AF) 8 A-20s carry out a sweep over the Madang area.

March 17, 1944
(5th AF) B-25s bomb the Alexishafen-Madang area.

March 19, 1944
(5th AF) B-25s and P-39s, along with RAAF aircraft, bomb Madang.

March 21, 1944
(5th AF) P-39s and RAAF fighter-bombers blast Japanese positions in the Madang area.

March 26, 1944
(5th AF) P-39s hit the Madang area.

March 27, 1944
(5th AF) B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, P-47s, P-40s and P-39s attack Madang.

March 29, 1944
(5th AF) P-39s hit the Madang area.

March 30, 1944
(5th AF) B-25s, A-20s, P-47s, P-40s, and P-39s hit Madang.

April 2, 1944
(5th AF) Bombers and fighters continue to hit targets in areas around Madang.

April 3, 1944
(5th AF) P-40s, P-47s, and P-39s hit Madang.

April 6, 1944
(5th AF) P-39s, P-40s and P-47s hit Madang.

April 7, 1944
B-25s, A-20s and P-39s hit areas around Madang.

April 9, 1944
(5th AF) P-39s hit troops, barges, and bridges in the Madang area.

April 10, 1944
(USN) PT Boat captain Lt Commander Davis served as spotter aboard destroyer USS Hutchins to pinpoint coastal targets for shore bombardment of the Madang, Alexishafen, Ulingan and Hansa Bay using a minimum of shells by the destroyer group including USS Hutchins DD-476, USS Bache DD-470 and USS Daly DD-519.

April 12, 1944
(5th AF) B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and P-39s bomb and strafe various targets at Wewak, Madang.

April 16, 1944
(5th AF) P-38s hit Madang area.

April 17, 1944
(5th AF) Other planes, operating individually or in pairs, attack the Madang area.

April 18, 1944
(5th AF) The Madang area is hit by fighter-bombers.

April 19, 1944
(5th AF) B-25s, A-20s, and fighter aircraft strike a wide variety of targets including Madang.

April 21, 1944
(5th AF) B-24s, B-25s, and A-20s hit numerous targets including the Madang area.

April 22, 1944
(5th AF) 1 to 20+ aircraft, attack areas including Madang.

April 24, 1944
(5th AF) B-25s and fighter-bombers hit a variety of targets along the New Guinea coast including the Madang area.

April 25, 1944
Madang Town is liberated by Australian troops.

April 26, 1944
(5th AF) 20 P-39s and P-47s attack bridges and targets of opportunity near Madang.