SATURDAY, 15 MAY 1943
U.S. Army: 3d Bn, 17th Inf, is withdrawn from Massacre Bay line on Attu, leaving 2d Bn, 32d, to continue attack. No progress is made, despite close arty support before and after jump-off. Dense fog postpones attack of Holtz Bay force until 1100. As fog is lifting it is discovered that enemy has withdrawn to ridge in center of valley, abandoning prepared positions and quantities of food and ammunition. Pursuit of enemy across open valley is slowed by enemy fire from commanding heights and is further handicapped by an Allied air strike that hits 7th Div forces by mistake. Prov bn that landed on Beach Scarlet on D Day joins main northern force.
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) In the Aleutians,
weather again curtails operations. The air-ground liaison B-24 observes and
directs air operations at Attu throughout the day as visibility permits and
directs a supply drop for ground forces by another B-24 in two air-ground support
missions. Six B-24's bomb Holtz Bay and Chichagof Harbor and six P-38's strafe
AA installations in the Holtz Bay area.
CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force) Seven B-24's from Midway bomb Wake; four others abort and seven others fail to find the target.
22 fighters intercept the formation; the B-24's claim four shot down; One B-24 is
lost.
US CCS decide to give first priority to construction of Assam airfields; set goal of 7,000 tons a month to China, to be reached by 1 July.
CBI CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) 25-35 Japanese bombers and 30-40 fighters attack Kunming. Nearly all of the
bombs fall in W and SW of Kunming Airfield, causing little damage. 28 P-40's intercept,
claiming 13 fighters and two bombers shot down.
China: Because of Japanese action in central China, Chiang Kai-shek orders Gen Chen to return to defend Ichang area.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-25's
pound Lae Airfield; A-20's strafe the aircraft and building at Lae; and
B-24's hit Nabire. In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-25's pound Gasmata Airfield; B-24's bomb the airfield at Rabaul; and single heavy bombers hit Gasmata, Cape Gloucester, and barges SW of Ubili. Lost is B-25C "Miss Snafu" 41-12487 (MIA).
JAAF: The first Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) close air support missions are flown in New Guinea. During the morning, nine Ki-51 Sonias from the 14th Fighter Regiment, 83rd Independent Air Chutai escorted by Ki-43 Oscars from the 24th Sentai took off from Madang Airfield on a mission to provide close air support against Australian forces at Bobdubi and a bridge but fail to cause any damage to Allied forces, afterwards the bombers land at Lae Airfield to re-arm then fly a second mission against Wau but bomb Wau Creek without causing any damage to Allied forces. Meanwhile, during the afternoon Ki-48 Lilys from the 208th Sentai escorted by Ki-43 Oscars from the 11th Sentai attempted to hit Bobdubi but accidentally bomb Japanese positions near Salamaua, hitting Japanese forces and killing and wounded nearly fifty Japanese. There were no JAAF aircraft losses, none of the raids were intercepted by Alled fighters.
