THURSDAY, 1 JULY 1943
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) During the month of July: The 21st Bombardment Squadron
(Heavy), 30th Bombardment Group based on Umnak ceases operating
from Amchitka and the detachment of the 344th Fighter Squadron, 343d
Fighter Group that has been operating from Amchitka with P-40's since
May 1943 returns to Shemya, and 632d and 633d Bombardment
Squadrons (Dive), 407th Bombardment Group (Dive) based at Drew Field begin operating from Amchitka with A-36's.
14th Air Force: General Claire Lee Chennault designates shipping and port installations as primary targets for the Fourteenth Air Force.
ANTISUBMARINE WARFARE (AAF ANTISUBMARINE COMMAND) The 27th, 30th and 392d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 30th Bombardment Group
based at March Field with B-24's, ceases flying ASW missions of the west coast of the United States.
The squadrons have been flying AWS missions since January 1942.
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force) The 2d Troop Carrier Squadron, Assam Air Base Command, transfers with C-47's
from Yangkai to Dinjan. During the month of July, the detachment
of the 9th Photographic Squadron, Tenth Air Force operating from Dinjan,
India with F-4's and F-5's returns to its base at Pandaveswar.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) In New Guinea, A-20's bomb and strafe forces in the Duali area as nearby Allied troops consolidate positions along the Sarm of the Bitoi River; other A-20's strafe the Lae area; and B-25s hit Kela Point and Logui. B-17's and B-24's bomb airfields at Rabaul. The 431st Fighter Squadron, 475th Fighter Group with P-38s transfers from Charters Towers to Amberley Field. The squadron has yet to enter combat.
SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) During the month of July, 69th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 42d Bombardment Group (Medium) transfers with B-25's from Henderson Field to Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield; the squadron continues to operate from Guadalcanal until Oct 43.
B-24s from 307th BG took off to bomb Kahili Airfield with 500 pound bombs with half fused instantaneous and half with delay fused to explode 6, 12 and 36 hours (mission rescheduled from June 30, 1943) but weather over the target escorted by fighters made bombing impossible, then attempted again on July 6, 1943. (Reference: Consolidated Mission Report 307th Bomb Group, 13th Air Force)
U.S. Army: On New Guinea, Allied troops are consolidating positions along the south arm of the Bitoi River at Nassau Bay. On Rendova Island, 43rd Div troops consolidate the beachhead and continue to search for enemy.
USMC: 4th Raider Battalion seize Viru Harbor in a double envelopment maneuver. Two platoons from Company P, 4th Raider Battalion, overran the Japanese detachment at the village of Tombe overlooking Viru Harbor, while the remainder of Company P and Company Q occupied Tetemara village on the west side of Viru Harbor where the bulk of the defenders were located. On Rendova, additional troops and supplies including 90mm and 155mm gun batteries for the 9th Defense Battalion are landed.
USMC: The Administrative Division was organized at Headquarters to control the civilian personnel program and the placement of enlisted Marines.
USN: The Navy's V-12 program designed to recruit and train college students for future service as line officers, was launched; 11,500 Marines were to be included for training. Admiral Nimitz, CinCPOA, submitted a tentative plan for operations against the Marshalls.
Naval Operating Base, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, is established.
Motor torpedo boat PT-162 operating out of Rendova, is damaged by Japanese plane south of Mbalumbala Island.
USS Gar (SS-206) lands commandoes on south coast of Timor.
USS Gurnard (SS-254) unsuccessfully attacks Japanese landing craft transport/aircraft transport Akitsu Maru, 07°39'N, 134°20'E.
USS Thresher (SS-200) attacks Japanese convoy off the northwest coast of Celebes, in the Straits of Makassar, damaging destroyer Hokaze, 00°43'N, 119°34'E, and sinking army cargo ship Yoneyama Maru, 00°20'N, 119°32'E, 38 miles from Balikpapan. Hokaze is grounded in Sibaya Harbor, Celebes, to prevent sinking and to permit salvage.
