January 10, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SUNDAY, 10 JANUARY 1943

ALASKA (Sixth Air Force) 24th Fighter Squadron, 16th Fighter Group with P-39s and P-70s transfers from Albrook Field to La Joya, Panama.

CBI (Tenth Air Force) In Burma, six B-24s and B-25s jointly attack the Myitnge bridge, knocking out a span and causing considerable damage to the entire target.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC (Fifth Air Force) Allied aircraft operating over the Solomon Sea south of New Britain continue to attack vessels of the Japanese convoy that departed Lae yesterday. Supply dumps and AA positions in the Lae area are also bombed. 13th Bombardment Squadron (Dive), 3d Bombardment Group (Dive) with B-25s transfers from Charters Towers to Port Moresby. Crashed on take off B-26 "Diana's Demon" 40-1495 (KIA).

SOUTH PACIFIC (Army Forces in South Pacific Area) P-39s and SBDs support ground forces in the Guadalcanal battle area. A strongpoint and an ammunition dump are destroyed. B-26s attack Munda with the loss of one aircraft.

U.S. Army: In New Guinea, Cos A and C, 127th Inf, establish bridgehead across Konombi Creek in Tarakena area where action is then suspended temporarily. 1st Bn, 163d Inf, finds 1 of the 2 enemy positions between Musket and Kano evacuated. Kano is renamed Fisk after 1st Lt Harold R. Fisk, 3d Bn, 163d Inf, reaches front.

U.S. Army: On Guadalcanal, General Patch XIV Corps on Guadalcanal begins offensive to the west. The 25th Infantry Division, reinforced, begins largest and final offensive to clear Guadalcanal, immediate objectives being Galloping Horse, Sea Horse, and The Gifu strongpoint. After 1/2 hour arty preparation--first divisional TOT concentration of the campaign, followed by aerial bombardment, 27th Inf Reg drives S through 2d Mar Division line against Galloping Horse and clears more than half of the objective. 1st Bn on W, attacks from Hill 66 to objective, N part of Hill 57, and establishes patrol contact with 3d Bn to E. From Hill 55, 3d Bn advances 1,600 yards toward Hill 53, but is halted by stubborn opposition on Hill 52, intermediate position. 35th Infantry Regiment "Cacti" 3d Bn begins envelopment of the southern flank of Sea Horse, omitting preparatory fire, and takes preliminary objective, a small hill a short distance s of Sea Horse, against scattered opposition. Sgt William G. Fournier and T/5 Lewis Hall rushed to man an idle machine gun and were both Killed In Action (KIA). Later, both posthumously earned the Medal of Honor. Combat patrols of 2d Bn move against The Gifu after preparatory fire but are unable to make any headway.

USN: USS Argonaut SS-166 is sunk by a depth charge attack.