October 27, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 27 OCTOBER 1943

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): Six B-24's bomb the city of Tungling, China and claim 8 intercepting Zekes shot down.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): B-24's pound Kahili Airfield and Kara Airfield; P-40's over Kahili claim three Zekes shot down. P-38's, P-40's, and P-39's, plus some RNZAF P-40's and P-39's, cover the landing by New Zealand troops on Stirling and Mono. The fighters claim destruction of twelve enemy dive bombers attacking the landing force and afterwards claim three fighters shot down. Force landed is B-17E "Fiji Foo" 41-9217.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): P-40's and P-39's intercept an escorted Japanese bomber force dropping supplies over the Sattelberg area; the US fighters claim 12 airplanes downed. Lost is P-39Q Airacobra 42-20019 pilot 2nd Lt. William H. Owen (MIA). A-20's hit harbor and supply dump area at Gasmata. Lost is B-24D "Shack Rat" 42-40918 pilot 1st Lt Jack E. Volz (KIA) crashed near Nadzab.

USN: TG 39.3 under the command of Captain Andrew G. Shepard with two light cruisers and Destroyer Squadron 23 plus aircraft from South Pacific Air Force provide cover for the landings in the Treasury Islands. After a pre-invasion bombardment, U.S. and New Zealand troops land on Mono and Stirling Islands in the Treasury Islands. During Japanese retaliatory air strikes, destroyer USS Cony (DD-508) is damaged by horizontal and dive bombers 15 miles north of Mono, Treasury Islands, 07°23'S, 155°27'E. Tank landing ships LST-399 and LST-485 are damaged by mortar fire, 07°25'S, 155°34'E.

New Zealand Army: At dawn "Operation Goodtime" 8th Brig Gp of NZ 3d Div, under Brig R. A. Row, land on Stirling without opposition and Mono. The small Japanese force on Mono oppose from coconut log bunkers supported by mortars emplaced on two hills from the beach plus snipers in Falamai.

USN: USS Flying Fish (SS-229) sinks Japanese transport Nanman Maru, 12°02'N, 134°28'E.

USS Shad (SS-235) and Grayback (SS-208) sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Fuji Maru, 28°20'N, 128°05'E, and damage cargo vessel Kamo Maru. Transport Oryoko Maru is hit by a dud torpedo.

Four APDs escorted by USS Conway (DD-507) embark roughly 700 U.S. Marines from the 2nd Parachute Battalion at Villa Lavella to land at Voza on Choiseul.

USMC: During the night, 2d Mar Para Bn under the command of Lt. Col Victor H. Krulak embarks aboard APDs at Villa Lavella and land at Voza on Choiseul.