SATURDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 1943
U.S. Joint War Plans Committee recommends retrenchment of North Pacific Force. Eleventh Air Force has already been cut to 1 heavy and 1 medium sq, a fighter gp of 4 sqs, and 1 troop carrier sq.
CENTRAL PACIFIC (Seventh Air Force): During the night of September 18-19, 24 B-24s from Funafuti and Canton bomb Betio and Maiana
and Abemama. This action
is part of a coordinated AAF-USN attack on Tarawa aimed at preventing Japanese
attacks against American bases at Baker and Funafuti.
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): The 71st Liaison Squadron, US Army Forces
CBI, based at Ramgarh sends a detachment to Ledo with L-4's and
L-5's.
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 4 B-25's and 7 P-40's attack rail yards and
blast furnaces at Shihhweiyao in China.
SOUTH PACIFIC (Thirteenth Air Force): B-24's bomb Nauru Airfield and attack
a phosphate plant and radio station on Nauru.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC (Fifth Air Force): A-20's hit Tami; B-26's and RAAF airplanes bomb and strafe Finschhafen. The 65th
Troop Carrier Squadron, 54th Troop Carrier Wing based at Port
Moresby begins
operating from Tsili Tsili with C-47s.
New Zealand Army On Vella Lavella, Maj Gen H. E. Barrowclough, CG NZ 3d Div, takes command, replacing Gen McClure. NZ 14th Brig Gp lands to round up retreating enemy, but Japanese eventually succeed in withdrawing from the northern edge.
U.S. Army: On Arundel, Co G, reinf, of 103d Inf arrives to reinforce 172d Inf's block at base of Stima Peninsula. Additional reinforcements are sent from mainland to 3d Bn, 27th Inf on Sagekarasa.
USN: TF 15 (Rear Admiral Charles A. Pownall) aircraft attack Tarawa, Makin, and Abemama, Gilberts, to decrease Japanese pressure on the Ellice Islands and provide operational training. During the attack on Tarawa, TBFs, SBDs, and F6Fs from USS Lexington (CV-16), USS Princeton (CVL 23) and USS Belleau Wood (CVL 24) sink Japanese motor torpedo boats Gyoraitei and Gyoraitei No. 3.
USS S-42 (SS-153) damages Japanese gunboat Chowa Maru, 50°22'N, 155°43'E.
USS Scamp (SS-277) attacks a Japanese convoy north of New Guinea, sinking army cargo ship Kansai Maru, 00°41'N, 146°28'E, but although damaged by depth charges (perhaps dropped by submarine chasers Ch 38 and/or Ch 16, known to be among the escorts) remains on patrol.
USS Spearfish (SS-190) damages Japanese torpedo boat Sagi (premature explosion of two torpedoes), 29°08'N, 134°29'E.
USS Trigger (SS-237) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Yowa Maru, 27°20'N, 126°53'E.
