July 7, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 7 JULY 1943

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) Seven B-25's and twenty-two P-40's attack shipping at Canton. At least two interceptors are claimed shot down.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) B-25's and P-38's attack Vila Airfield and B-24's bomb Kahili Airfield. Lost are B-24D "Scrap Iron" 42-40384.

RNZAF: Lost is Hudson NZ2033 pilot F/L Wilfred O. Rutherford shot down by J1N1 Irving night fighter and crashed over western Shortland Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-24's and B-25's, along with Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) airplanes, operate in direct support of Allied ground operations in the Mubo area, dropping over 100 tons of bombs on numerous targets.

Australian Army: In New Guinea, 2/6 Battalion forces capture Observation Hill, an important terrain feature west of Mubo.

U.S. Army: In New Guinea, "MacKechnie Force" begins an assault on Bitoi Ridge.

On Guadalcanal, the first echelon of 145th Inf (-3d Bn), 37th Div departs for Rendova as reinforcements. On New Georgia,, 43d Div continues futile efforts to eliminate roadblock on Munda Trail between Zanana and the Barike River.

USN: Lost is PB4Y-1 Liberator 32005 pilot LtCdr Alfred Wilstam (KIA) on a training mission off Hawaii.

Strike Command 17 SBD's and 18 TBF's strike Enogai Inlet targeting known enemy installations with 1,000 and 2,000 pound bombs in support of the approach of the Northern Landing Group (NLG).

USMC: The Northern Landing Group (NLG) 1st Raider Battalion (reinforced) under Col Liversedge force reach Enogai Inlet and encounters enemy resistance at Triri. The 3d Bn of 148th Inf reach the Munda-Bairoko Trail.