July 16, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 16 JULY 1943

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) A single B-24 bombs forces at MacDonald's Junction, New Guinea. Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) airplanes hit positions to the SW. Lost are P-38G pilot Sineath (MIA), P-38 pilot Steele (MIA) and P-38F 42-12650 pilot 1st Lt. George E. Morgan (survived).

The first Allied plane lands on Narewa Airfield on Woodlark Island.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) 30+ B-24's and B-17's pound Kahili Airfield. In the Buin-Faisi area, seven B-24's join 70+ US Navy dive bombers and 100+ USAAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), US Navy, and US Marine Corps fighters in an attack on shipping. Allied airplanes claim 40+ aircraft destroyed or damaged; 7 vessels, including a destroyer, are sunk.

U.S. Army: As 172d Inf of 43d Div, assisted by Marine M3 Stuart tanks, slowly expands Laiana beachhead, 1st Bn of 169th Inf attacks through 3d Bn, taking hill--later called Kelley Hill for 1st Lt John R. Kelley--where it is exposed to strong enemy pressure.

USN: Lauched is SS George H. Himes.

Japanese bombers bomb USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) without damage in Saboe Bay off Vanikoro Island.

High speed transports USS Waters (APD-8) and USS Dent (APD-9) rescue last two groups of survivors of USS Helena (CL-50) from Vella Lavella.

Indian Ocean: First group of survivors from U.S. freighter Robert Bacon, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U- 178 on 14 July 1943 off Mozambique Light, arrives at Mozambique harbor (see 27 and 28 July, 3 and 27 August 1943).