WEDNESDAY, 20 OCTOBER 1943
CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force): HQ 30th Bombardment Group and it's 27th, 38th and 392d Bombardment Squadrons
arrive at Hickam Field, Moluleia and Kahuku respectively from the US with B-24's. The 396th and 820th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 41st Bombardment Group (Medium) arrive at Hickam Field from the US with
B-25's.
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): The bridge at Meza, Burma, being repaired after being severely damaged on October 10, 1943, is again attacked and further damaged by B-25s.
SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): Kakasa on Choiseul is attacked three times by Venturas, P-40's, and USN fighters
and dive bombers. 24 P-40's and nearly 50 USN F4U's sweep Kahili; one force of F4U's encounters fighters, claiming 3 destroyed. The 69th Bombardment
Squadron (Medium), 42nd Bombardment Group (Medium), ceases operating form Guadalcanal with B-25's and returns to Plaine
Des Gaiacs Airfield.
IJN: The so-called "Tokyo Night Express" completes the evacuation
of the Japenese garrison from Kolombangara.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): B-25's bomb and strafe the Bogadjim area; B-24's hit 2 freighters near Manokwari and bomb the Manokwari area; and an attack on Finschhafen by 30 Japanese aircraft causes minor damage. A-20's hit Gasmata. Lost in an aerial collision is B-25D 41-30573 pilot Captain Jason L. Brown (KIA).
RAAF: Lost is CA-12 Boomerang A46-87 pilot P/O A. H. O'Brien (survived) on a ferry flight.
Australian Army: 26th Brigade reinforcements land at Langemak Bay to reinforce 9th Division at Finschhafen, where enemy attacks continue.
IJN: Japanese order a strong force of carrier planes to Rabaul to augment land-based air strength and delay Allied progress while main perimeter defenses of Japan are being strengthened. This plan is called Operation RO.
The first photographic coverage of Tarawa is obtained.
USMC: The First Joint Assault Signal Company was activated at Camp Pendleton, California, to coordinate supporting fires during amphibious operations; it was later attached to the 4th Marine Division for the Marshalls operation.
Commander, Aircraft, Solomons displaced forward to Munda Airfield and began operations from that strip.
Fighter-bomber groups of the Allied air forces struck the Simpson Harbor and Rabaul airfields causing considerable damage to Japanese installations, reducing the Japanese ability to strike at the Bougainville assault.
USN: USS Gato (SS-212) sinks Japanese transport Tsunushima Maru between Truk and Kavieng, 01°26'N, 148°36'E.
USS Kingfish (SS-234) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Sana Maru off Banbon Bay, French Indochina, 12°36'N, 109°30'E.
