TUESDAY, 27 JULY 1943
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) Twelve bombers and twenty fighters take off on five attack missions to Kiska. Several of the fighters jettison bombs. The other aircraft hit Main Camp, North Head and Little Kiska. The 21st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 30th Bombardment Group transfers from Umnak to Shemya. The air echelon is operating from Amchitka.
Chinese-American Composite Wing (CACW) is activated in the Fourteenth Air Force at Karachi. The wing consists of Chinese aircraft and pilots trained under lend-lease.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) Ten B-24's attack shipping in the Samah Bay area, claiming severe damage to 2 vessels; 25-30 fighters intercept the B-24's. 13 fighters are claimed shot down; no B-24's are lost. Six B-25's, supported by fourteen fighters, attack targets of opportunity on Stonecutter's Island, in the Hong Kong area after failing to locate a reported freighter in the area.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) 35 B-25's and 18 B-24's pound the Salamaua area in one of the largest single-strike attacks of Southwest Pacific Area including Salamaua Airfield and supply storage, the Kela and nearby hilltop positions, and defensive positions between the road and beach at Logui are hit; 5 other B-25's hit barges between Pommern Bay and Finschhafen,
and the concentration and supply area at Voco Point; a lone B-24 on armed reconnaissance bombs targets of opportunity on Mundua and Unea. Lost is L-4 Grasshopper 43-1137 near Berry Drome (12-MIle). Lost on a practice bombing mission is B-25D 41-30496 pilot 1st Lt Ercoli Ducci (MA / KIA).
SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) Brigadier General
Ray L Owens becomes Commanding General, Thirteenth Air Force. During the early morning, B-17's from the 5th BG bomb Kahili Airfield and Ballale Airfield. Lost B-17E "De-Icer" 41-9128 pilot 1st Lt. Karl G. Stubblefield (MIA) and B-17E "Jap Happy" 41-2520 pilot Major Berton H. Burns (damaged). During the day, 8 P-38's and
70+ US Navy and Marine Corps aircraft again attack the Munda area, hitting positions on Bibolo Hill and targets at Gurasai, Munda Point, and Munda Airfield. Lost strafing Rekata Bay is P-39D 41-7112. The 371st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 307th
Bombardment Group based on Espitu Santo begins
operating with B-24's from Funafuti.
U.S. Army: On New Georgia, 37th Div temporarily suspends attack on Bartley Ridge in center and begins assault on feature to left called Horseshoe Hill, reducing several pillboxes. 148th Inf gains tenuous contact with 161st, but gap remains between the 2 regts.
USN: USS Sawfish (SS-276) damages Japanese minelayer Hirashima off Kyushu, Japan, 32°32'N, 127°41'E.
USS Scamp (SS-277) sinks Japanese submarine I-168, 02°50'S, 149°01'E, and damages oiler Kazahaya, 02°38'S, 149°20'E.
USS Seadragon (SS-194) inflicts further damage on the previously damaged Japanese transport Suwa Maru off Wake Island, 19°15'N, 166°30'E.
Japanese merchant cargo ship Teikin Maru is sunk by mine (laid by submarine Tambor (SS-198) on 2 November 1942) off Hainan Island, 19°57'N, 109°05'E.
Indian Ocean: Last group of survivors of freighter Sebastian Cermeno, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-511 on 27 June 1943, reaches Durban, South Africa, on board a British destroyer. From the 42-man merchant complement, five passengers and 27-man Armed Guard, five of the crew perish in either the initial attack, die of their wounds or from exposure in the lifeboats.
Second and third groups of survivors from U.S. freighter Robert Bacon, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-178 on 14 July 1943 off Mozambique Light, are rescued from their boats, one by British steamship English Prince the other by British tanker Steaua Romana. Three rafts with survivors are still at sea (see 28 July, 3 and 27 August 1943).
