October 17, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SUNDAY, 17 OCTOBER 1943

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): Heavy and medium bombers bomb Naba, Burma.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): Seven B-24's bomb Htawgaw, Burma.

USN: Over southern Bougainville, F4U Corsair pilot Milton E. Scheider from VMF-214 went MIA, and two F4Us sustained minor damage. Over the past two days (16-17) Japanese records indicate the loss of 15 Zeros in the air, and deaths of 13 pilots (half a squadron).

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): Eighteen A-20's and B-25's bomb and strafe Sattelberg. Seven B-25's hit Wewak and Boram Airfield with a low-level attack. Six B-24's bomb Ternate a 2,200-mile round trip.

Four P-39's intercept eighteen airplanes including Ki-48 Lilys attacking Finschhafen and claim six shot down.

American side: 40+ American P-38s an P-40s from Dobodura took off to intercept a large group of Japanese planes inbound to strike Oro Bay. P-38 Lightnings from 432nd Fighter Squadron did not engage due to low fuel. U.S. fighters claim 24 Japanese aircraft shot down. Lost are P-40N 42-104991 pilot 1st Lt. Lawrence N. Succop (MIA), P-38H 42-66561 pilot 2nd Lt. Virgil A. Hagan (MIA), P-38H 42-66743 pilot 1st Lt. Edward J. Hedrick (MIA), P-38H 42-66836 pilot 1st Lt. Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. (rescued) and P-38H "We Dood It" 42-66908 pilot 2nd Lt. Roger A. Pare (survived).

IJN: At 7:55am, fifty-six Zeros from the 6th Air Attack Force (6th AAF) took off from Tobera Airfield near Rabaul. The formation includes 28 Zeros from 253 Kokutai and 28 Zeros from 204 Kokutai. At 10:05am, over the Buna anchorage, the Zeros were intercepted by P-38 Lightnings, P-40 Warhawks and P-39 Airacobras. The air combat lasted 25 minutes. The Japanese Zero pilot claimed 12 P-38s shot down plus one probable, 1 P-39 probable plus two P-40s and six P-40s damaged. The Japanese lost a total of eight Zeros (another source lists the losses as two exploded, six missing).

IJA: Japanese continue vigorous attacks from Sattelberg against Finschafen.

U.S. Army: In the predawn, the Japanese attempt to land four barges loaded with troops, only one reaches shore. Private Junior Van Noy manning a machine gun opens fire on the barges, sinking one barge then firing on the other two that landed only ten yards away from his position as he directed his on the troops as they unloaded. His loader was wounded by a grenade and evacuated. Alone, Van Noy remained at his post and continued firing until all his ammunition was expended. He died from multiple wounds and after the battle was found dead beside his weapon. A total of 39 Japanese were killed, with at least half were credited to Van Noy's machine gun.

References
Richard Dunn adds: "Zero unit of 5th AAF (alias 25th AirFlot) at this time Air Group 253. Zero unit 6th AAF (alias 26th AirFlot) Air Group 204. 582 an all bomber unit at this point."
6th Air Attack Force Action Summary for 17 October 1943
"56 Zeros (28 each from 5th and 6th AAF) at 0555 took off from OFI [Tobera Airfield]. At 0805 tangled with about 60 P-38s and 10 or more P-39s and 40s over ONF [Buna Anchorage] and engaged them for about 25 minutes. Results: shot down 12 P-38s (1 probable only), 1 P-39 (probable), 2 P-40s and 6 damaged. Losses 8 planes."
Kodochosho, 253 Kōkūtai, October 17, 1943
"28 Zeros took off, combat at 0805 [Tokyo Time], 5 were lost, six damaged, 23 returned. Claimed 5 x P-38s and 1 x P-40"
Kodochosho, 204 Kōkūtai, October 17, 1943
"32 Zeros took off, 3 aborted, 29 reach target area, 3 were lost, two damaged. Claimed 7 x P-38, 1 x P-39 and 1 x P-40."
Japanese Naval Aces and Fighter Units of WWII by Hata and Izawa states 253 Kokutai lost three pilots over Buna on October 17, 1943
Thanks to Richard Dunn and Edward Rogers for additional research and analysis