May 18, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 18 MAY 1943

U.S. Army: On Attu patrol from Massacre Bay front makes contact with Holtz Bay force before dawn. Holtz Bay is put into use by Americans as landing phase ends. This improves the supply situation of Northern Force somewhat. Co K of 32d Inf sweeps entire Holtz Bay Valley, making no contact with enemy. Preparations are made for next phase of battle the attack against Chichagof Harbor. Northern Force patrol attempts unsuccessfully to locate an easier route to Chichagof Harbor than the Holtz-Chichagof Pass, which is commanded by steep Fish Hook Ridge. 1st Bn of 4th Inf arrives.

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eleventh Air Force) Six B-24's, weathered out of Attu, bomb the Gertrude Cove area on Kiska leaving large fires. Four P-40's reconnoiter Kiska and strafe barges. One B-25 flies photo reconnaissance over Kiska.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) Heavy bombers, operating individually, hit Gasmata Airfield and Rabaul Airfields twice and Cape Gloucester, and Arawe; in addition to Lorengau once. Force landed is B-25D "Dittum-Dattum" 41-30073 pilot 1st Lt. John P. McLean (survived).

USN: USS Pollack (SS-180) sinks Japanese gunboat Terushima Maru southwest of Maleolap Atoll, Marshalls, 08°00'N, 171°00'E.

U.S. tanker H. M. Storey is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-25 while en route from Nouméa to San Pedro at Lat 17°30'S, Long 173°02'E, and abandoned by the 48-man civilian complement (two merchant seamen are lost when the ship is hit), 2 passengers and 15-man Armed Guard. I-25 then hastens the sinking by shelling the burning ship. USS Fletcher (DD-445) subsequently rescues H. M. Storey's survivors and takes them to Vila.