October 11, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY, 11 OCTOBER 1943

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): HQ 311th Fighter-Bomber Group transfers from Nawadih to Dinjan.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): Eight B-24's bomb the town area of Tengchung, Sadon and Myitkyina Airfield. The 75th Fighter Squadron, 23d Fighter Group, transfers from Kunming to Kweilin with P-40's.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) 22 B-24's join 30+ USN dive bombers in pounding Kahili Airfield and the nearby area. Hits are scored on the airstrip, fuel dumps, supply areas, gun positions, bridges between Rangu and Jakohina, barges at the mouth of the Uguima River, and several other targets. The B-24's and the USN and AAF fighters covering the attack claim 12 Japanese airplanes downed. B-25s attack small Japanese cargo vessels off Bougainville, sinking Sanwa Maru and damaging Muyo Maru with a near-miss.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): B-24's attack the towns of Manokwari, Bira, and Fak Fak and score hits on a small vessel off Fak Fak. During the night of 11/12 Oct, B-25's bomb Cape Chater Airfield and Lautem. Lost is P-39 pilot Burley.

RAAF: Lost is A-20C Boston A28-26 pilot F/O James Bell Knight (KIA, crew survives) crashed on take off.

IJN: In the early morning, six B5N2 Kakes from 582 Kōkūtai (582 Air Group) each armed with an aerial torpedo attack U.S. shipping off Koli Point on Guadalcanal they score torpedo hits on SS George H. Himes and SS John H. Couch. Afterwards, tug USS Menominee (AT-73) beaches SS George H. Himes sustains hull damage but no casualties. Three men perish on board SS John H. Couch including a merchant seaman, one Armed Guard sailor and a CB stevedore, whose cargo of gasoline and diesel oil caught in at the initial explosion. Firefighting efforts by two destroyer escorts prove as unsuccessful as the crew's in putting out the blaze and the ship is abandoned by the crew.

IJA: Japanese continue vigorous attacks from Sattelberg and attempt to land four barges loaded with troops, of which only one reaches shore.

USN: USS Wahoo SS-238 is sunk by attacks from E13A Jakes followed by subchaser CH-15, subchaser CH-43 and minesweeper W-18 in La Perouse Strait at roughly Lat 45°13'N, Long 141°56'E.

USS Skipjack (SS-184) damages Japanese transport Matsutani Maru five miles off Kwajalein, 06°25'N, 171°40'E.