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

SUNDAY, 18 JULY 1943

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) Two B-24's and six B-25's bomb Gertrude Cove and Main Camp on Kiska. Six B-24's bomb shipping targets between Paramushiru and Shimushu and completed runway at Murakami Bay on Paramushiru, which is also photographed. They observe fires among buildings S and E of this runway. Some of the observed aircraft take to the air and vainly pursue the attackers.

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force) Six B-24's flying out of Funafuti bomb Betio. Japanese bombers attempt to bomb Canton, but are forced to jettison their bombs at sea because of intense AA and fighter defense.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) Seven B-24's bomb shipping at Haiphong and Hongay in French Indochina.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) A B-25 off New Georgia strafes a motor launch. 21 B-24's, 20+ P-40's and P-38's, and 140+ US Navy and Marine Corps dive bombers and fighters bomb Kahili Airfield; 15 B-24's concentrate on Kahili Airfield; many AA positions are attacked, as are revetments and runways. Hits are claimed on 2 destroyers and a light craft is sunk. The Allied airplanes claim 21 fighters shot down; 9 US aircraft are lost including: F4U piloted by Rhodes (MIA), F4U piloted by Winnia (MIA/POW), F4U piloted by Hall (rescued), F4F Wildcat 03472 (MIA), F4F Wildcat 11672 (MIA), F4F Wildcat 11724 (MIA), F4F Wildcat 5155 (MIA), F4F Wildcat 12094 (MIA), TBF Avenger 05992 and TBF Avenger 05923 (rescued).

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) During the night of July 18-19, B-24's bomb Makassar Harbor area. In New Guinea, several B-25's, a B-24, and an A-20 bomb and strafe Lokanu, Boisi, Tambu Peninsula, Dot Island, Salamaua, and Komiatum as US forces secure the south headland of Tambu Bay for a supply base. Other B-25's attack barges and shipping off New Britain sinking a small cargo vessel off Cape Kwoi.

USN: SBDs, TBFs, and B-24s, attack Japanese shipping in the Buin-Kahili area and damage destroyer Mochizuki.

USN: USS LST-342 is torpedoed by Japanese submarine RO-106 at 09°03'S, 158°11'E.

JAAF: Ki-46 Dinah 2414 (KIA) shot down east of Darwin.

U.S. Army: On New Georgia, XIV Corps, while preparing for final push on Munda, repels Japanese counterattacks at several points. 1st and 2d Bns of 148th Inf, 37th Div, which have landed at Zanana Beach try unsuccessfully to reach and relieve 169th Inf, 43d Div.The New Georgia Occupation Force was reinforced by U.S. Army troops between July 18-24, 1943.

USMC: At 1:00am, destroyer-transports USS Ward (APD-16), USS Kilty, USS McKean and USS Waters enter Enogai Inlet to land the 4th Raider Battalion under Colonel Currin including 35 officers and 666 enlisted men at Enogai as reinforcements.