July 22, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 22 JULY 1943

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) 26 B-25's, 17 B-24's, 13 P-40's, and 20 P-38's hit North Head, Main Camp, and the submarine base at Kiska, as well as coastal defenses and AA guns at both Kiska and Little Kiska, starting numerous fires. Intense and heavy AA fire downs one B-25 (crew saved) and damages 18 aircraft of which another B-25 crashes at base. 1 B-25 photographs the S and W Kiska shores. 1 B-24 flies radar reconnaissance over Kiska. The 77th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 28th Composite Group, based on Adak Airfield begins operating from Attu Airfield with B-25's.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) 20+ B-17's and B-24's, 40+ US Navy dive bombers TBF VMSB-143, plus SBD Dauntless, and 100+ Allied fighter aircraft attack shipping in the area off Buin. Sunk is Nisshin, a seaplane carrier, and damaging hits are claimed on several other vessels.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) 50+ B-24's, B-25's, and B-26's blast troops, AA guns, defensive positions and targets of opportunity in the battle zones at Komiatum on Komiatum Ridge, Kela Mountain, Salamaua, and along trails near Komiatum and Salamaua. B-24's bomb an oil refinery, docks, and railroad yards at Soerabaja and damage auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 111. B-25's hit targets of opportunity on Selaroe.

U.S. Army: Gen Griswold orders a general attack on Munda by 37th and 43d Divs on 25th. 37th Div commander takes charge of his forces on the island. RCT 161, 25th Div, arrives and is attached to 37th Div.

USMC: During the night of July 21, 1943 to July 22, 1943 a small six man patrol including U.S. personnel from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines land near Barakoma to scout the Barakoma area as a possible landing area for a future amphibious operation.

USN: TG 16.21 (Rear Admiral Robert C. Giffen) and TG 16.22 (Rear Admiral Robert M. Griffin), consisting of two battleships, three heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, and nine destroyers, bombard Kiska, Aleutians. Enemy return fire proves ineffective.

Three waves of Navy and USAAF planes, including B-17s and B-24s, attack Japanese resupply convoy off Cape Friendship; SBDs and TBFs armed with bombs score at least five bomb hits and sink Nisshin.

USS Sawfish (SS-276) damages Japanese ammunition ship Seia Maru, 30°54'N, 125°15'E.