THURSDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 1943
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 8 B-25's and 12 P-40's hit warehouses, barracks,
ammunition dumps, and HQ at Liujenpa, China.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC (Fifth Air Force): B-17's, B-26's, B-25's,
and A-20's pound enemy positions at Lae after which Lae Airfield and town
(evacuated by Japanese) are occupied by Australian forces; B-24s carry out
a light strike on Sorong.
USMC: Three platoons of Marine Defense battalion tanks reinforced the U.S. Army soldiers on Arundel.
SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (13th AF) Seven B-25s from bomb and strafe Kahili Airfield on Bougainville.
Lost is B-25C 41-13130 pilot 2nd Lt. George E. Gunson (MIA).
(USN, USMC, 13th AF, RNZAF) Twenty-four TBF Avengers and thirty-one SBD Dauntless on a mission to bomb Ballale
Island. A multi-service fighter escort of 71 fighters included thirteen F6F Hellcats from VF-38 plus eleven F6F Hellcats from VF-40. This was the first combat mission for the Hellcat in the South Pacific theater. Also escorting were 13th AF P-38 Lightings and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P-40 Kittyhawks. In addition, 23 F4Us Corsairs from VMF-214 "The
Black Sheep" including Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington took off at 1:00pm from Banika Field and rendezvous
with the formation over New Georgia. In total, more than 100 aircraft proceeded to the target.
Over the target, the formation was intercepted by 40-50 A6M Zeros and Ki-61 Tonys [sic, none intercepted] plus anti-aircraft fire over the target area. A large, sprawling dog fight ensued. VF-38 claimed three Zeros shot down plus a probable. VMF-214
claimed 11 Zeros and 8 probables. Greg Boyington claimed four victories over Zeros and landed at Munda
Airfield with only 10 gallons of fuel and 30 rounds of ammunition left plus minor damage from flying
through the debrs of a Zero that exploded in mid-air. After refueling, he returning
to Banika Field.
U.S. losses include: TBF-1
Avenger 23909 pilot Lt(jg) Roland D. Hahn (MIA), TBF-1 Avenger 06452 pilot 1st Lt. Edward A. Croker (MIA), F4U
Corsair 17527 pilot Captain Robert T. Ewing (MIA), F6F pilot Anderson (MIA), F6F
Hellcat 25839 pilot Lt(jg) Richard "Dick" W. Moore (survived), F6F Hellcat pilot Lt. Riley (survived). One Hellcat was damged and landed at Munda Airfield for a week of repairs before returning to Fighter 1. Two F4Us sustained minor damaged.
IJN: Twenty-six A6M Zeros from 204 Kokutai plus A6M Zeros from 201 Kōkūtai took off to intercept a large formation of Allied fighters and bombers. Japanese losses include five A6M Zero from 204 Kokutai plus one A6M Zero from 201 Kōkūtai.
USN: Returning from a mission at 3:15am ditched is PV-1 Ventura 33214 pilot Lt. Marion D. Trewhitt (1 MIA, crew rescued 3 weeks later).
References
VF-38 Combat Report, September 16, 1943
VMF-214 Squadron Report September 16, 1943
Kodochosho, 201 Kōkūtai, September 16, 1943
Kodochosho, 204 Kōkūtai, September 16, 1943
