FRIDAY, 15 JANUARY 1943
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) Eight P-38s, three B-25s and a B-24 patrol Constantine Harbor on Amchitka, fly reconnaissance over Kiska,
where one ship is sighted, and fly negative armed reconnaissance runs over Attu, Semichi and Buldir.
CBI (Tenth Air Force) Six B-24s bomb a Japanese convoy roughly 200 miles south-southwest of Rangoon sinking Nichimei Maru and damaging Moji Maru. Unknown to the Americans, Nichimei Maru is transporting Allied POWs, 500 of whom are lost. Six P-40s bomb barges at Bhamo;
six others bomb Nsopzup; three more hit footbridges and targets of opportunity
at Taihpa Ga, Yupbang Ga, and other points in northern Burma.
SOUTH PACIFIC (Thirteenth Air Force) SBDs escorted by F4F Wildcats and P-39 Airacobras strike nine destroyers from the "Tokyo Express" off Guadalcanal. They
are met by 12 Oscars; eight are shot down with the loss of one SBD and five US fighters. B-17s, P-38s, P-39s and P-40s attack five destroyers near Faisi;
they are met by float biplanes and 13 are shot down with no loss of USAAF aircraft.
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.
B-17s and PBYs hit Kahili.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC (Fifth Air Force) A-20s strafe the Sanananda
Point area as US troops envelop pockets along the Soputa-Sanananda
Track. B-25s
bomb supply dumps at Lae; B-24s
carry out single-plane attacks on bridge construction at Wewak.
In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-24s hit the airfield on Gasmata and carry out single-plane attacks on the runway at Cape
Gloucester.
USMC: 2d Mar Division continues to make slow progress in coastal sector, despite use of tanks and a flame thrower. Engineers of the 8th Marines, 2d Marine Division use the M1 portable flame thrower for the first time in combat against Japanese bunkers on the beach of Guadalcanal. Under the cover of rifle and BAR fire, two Marine engineers crawled into position and fired the flame thrower into a bunker 25 yards away killing five inside with two escaped and died nearby. (Reference: Portable Flame Thrower Operations in World War II, page 39).
U.S. Army: On Guadalcanal,
Co B of 35th Inf, reinf by platoon of Co D, takes over westward attack from Co C. After 30 minutes of artillery concentration followed by machine gun and mortar fire, Co B outflanks enemy position barring advance and finds it to be a bivouac area held by a single platoon. Enemy positions in The Gifu remain practically intact despite further efforts of 2d Bn, 35th Inf, to reduce them. Surrender request is broadcast to Japanese in The Gifu. Engineers from 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division in the Mount Austin sector use the M1 portable flame throwers for the first time. (Reference: Portable Flame Thrower Operations in World War II, page 39).
In New Guinea, preparations are made for all out offensive to clear Sanananda area. Lt Col Merle H. Howe, 3d Div G-3, takes command of Urbana Force, which is to renew drive W along coast.
2d Bn of 163d Inf--the Rankin force--then follows Australians northward and takes over trail junction E of a coconut plantation about 1 1/2 miles north of Rankin perimeter. On Soputa-Sanananda road, 1st Bn of 163d Inf envelops enemy pocket remaining between Musket and Fisk, elements infiltrating to attack from inside the perimeter.
Australian Army: 18th Brig moves N along Killerton Trail, passing through Rankin, in preparation for drive to the north coast of New Guinea.
USN: SBDs from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, and USAAF B-17s, escorted by F4Fs and USAAF P-39s, attack nine Japanese destroyers northeast of New Georgia, Solomons, and damage four: Arashi, Tanikaze, Urakaze, and Hamakaze.
IJN: Japanese attempt to reinforce their troops in the Solomons begins as first group "Section A" three transports escorted by destroyer Shigure departs Truk for Bougainville. Aboard are Japanese Army soldiers are being transferred from China.
The first Japanese plane including G4M1 Bettys and A6M Zeros land at
Nauru Airfield. The first phase of construction at Cape Gloucester II (No. 2 Strip, East Strip, New Airfield) is completed with a runway measuring 3,773' x 328' (1,150m x 100m) and deemed usable for emergency landings.
