November 2, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 1943

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): Five B-25's and twelve P-40's pound docks and warehouses at Shasi.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): Twenty B-24s bomb Kahili Airfield. The 13th Troop Carrier Squadron, 403d Troop Carrier Group transfers from Tontouta to Espirtu Santo with C-47s.

IJN: The following warships and transports were in Simpson Harbor off Rabaul, heavy cruisers Myoko and Haguro, light cruiser Agano and destroyers Shigure, Samidare and Shiratsuyu plus stores ship Hayasaki and Minesweeper W-26, Hakusan Maru, Manko Maru, Iwate Maru and gunboat Fuku Maru No. 2, sub tender Chogei, repair ship Yamabiko Maru, transport Hokuyo Maru.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): In support of Allied landings on Bougainville 75 B-25's, with an escort of 70 P-38's of the 8th FG and 49th FG, attack Rabaul including airfields and Japanese ships in Simpson Harbor; 3 destroyers and 8 merchant sunk: including Italy Maru, Minesweeper W-26, Iwate Maru and gunboat Fuku Maru No. 2. The B-25's and P-38's claim 12 aircraft destroyed on the ground and 68 shot down; AA and air opposition is the strongest thus far encountered by the Fifth Air Force; 21 US airplanes are lost. For the bombers, 28 men listed as MIA with 7 killed in action.  The fighter s lost eight pilots MIA/KIA. Lost are: B-25D "Fifi" 41-30311 pilot Major Raymond H. Wilkins (MIA, Medal of Honor), B-25C "Tugboat Annie" 41-12998 (MIA), B-25D "Notre Dame De Victoire" 41-30316 pilot Major John "Jock" P. Henebry (rescued), B-25D 41-30433 pilot 2nd Lt. Robert K. Fox (MIA), B-25D "Sleepy Time Gal" 41-30190 pilot 1st Lt James A. Hungerpiller (MIA), B-25D 41-30240 pilot F/O Richard H. Hastings (rescued, 2 MIA), B-25D "Miss Ellen" 41-30039 pilot 2nd Lt. Alfred R. Krasnickas (MIA), B-25D 41-30213 pilot 1st Lt John Cunningham (MIA, resolved), B-25D "Hellzapoppin" 41-30094 pilot 1st Lt. Orbry H. Moore (MIA / POW), P-38G 42-12848 pilot 1st Lt. Francis S. Love (MIA, resolved), P-38H 42-66821 pilot 1st Lt. Lowell C. Lutton (MIA), P-38H 42-66843 pilot 2nd Lt. Owen N. Giertsen (rescued), P-38G 43-2387 pilot 1st Lt. Carl G. Planck, Jr. (rescued), P-38G 43-2203 pilot F/O Willis F. Evers (MIA, resolved), P-38H 42-66857 pilot 2nd Lt Donald Y. King (MIA), P-38H 42-66662 pilot 2nd Lt. Norman R. Shea (MIA) P-38H 42-66747 pilot 1st Lt. Leo M. Mayo (MIA), P-38H 42-66665 pilot 2nd Lt. Kenneth M. Richardson (MIA) and P-38H 42-66581 pilot Lt. James H. Palmer (survived). Afterwards, the mission was dubbed "Bloody Tuesday". The 5th Air Force planes sink Manko Maru and claim damage on heavy cruisers Myoko and Haguro, destroyer Shiratsuyu, stores ship Hayasaki and Minesweeper W-26.

P-39s pound a road in the Bogadjim area and A-20's bomb and strafe communication routes near Fortification Point. The 418th Night Fighter Squadron, AAF School of Applied Tactics arrives at Milne Bay from the U.S. with P-38's and P-70's.

USMC: 3d Mar Div is slowly expanding beachhead and organizing defenses. 3d Marines, which has had hard fighting on right flank, is exchanging places with 9th Marines. By 3:30pm, Puruata Island is secure with the 3d Raider Battalion loosing 5 KIA and 32 WIA. The Japanese lost 29 KIA.

USN: During the night, US Navy Task Force 39 (TF-39) commanded by Rear Admiral Merrill intercepted a Japanese Naval force sent to attack the American landing force in Empress Augusta Bay. The Battle off Empress Augusta Bay results in the sinking a Japanese cruiser and a destroyer, the remainder of the force turned back.

As part of "Operation Shoestring 2", Task Force 38 carrier planes from USS Saratoga (CV-3) and USS Princeton (CVL-23) make two strikes against Buka Airfield and Bonis Airfield, to cover the landings at Torokina. A total of 11 aircraft are lost to all causes. They destroy an estimated 30 planes and several small ships. Lost are TBF Avenger 24071 (MIA), TBF Avenger 06117 (rescued), TBF Avenger 24176 (rescued, one MIA). Damaged is F6F Hellcat 08984 (repaired).

During the night, Task Force 39 (TF-39) under the command of Rear Admiral Aaron S. Merrill with four light cruisers and eight destroyers intercepts and turns back a Japanese force under the command of Rear Admiral Omori Sentaro with two heavy and two light cruisers and six destroyers. During the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, the U.S. warships sustain damage including USS Denver (CL-58) is damaged by three 8" shells that fail to explode; USS Foote (DD-511) by torpedo; and USS Spence (DD-512) by a shell at the waterline that failed to explod and collision with USS Thatcher (DD-514). Destroyers USS Charles Ausburne (DD-570), USS Spence (DD-512), USS Dyson (DD-572), USS Claxton (DD-571), and USS Stanly (DD-478) sink Japanese destroyer Hatsukaze with bow damage due to an accidental collision with Myoko. U.S. gunfire sinks light cruiser Sendai and damages heavy cruisers Myoko and Haguro. Destroyers Shiratsuyu and Samidare are damaged in collision. Afterwaards, Japanese planes strike TF 39 as they retire damaging USS Montpelier (CL- 57).

Submarine Haddock (SS-231) engages Japanese submarine chaser Ch 28, 09°12'N, 150°13'E, but neither side damages the other.

Submarines Seahorse (SS-304), Halibut (SS-232), and Trigger (SS-237), each operating independently of the other, attack Japanese convoy south of Honshu; Seahorse sinks transport Chihaya Maru, 29°31'N, 134°50'E, and army cargo ship Yawata Maru, 28°30'N, 135°35'E; Halibut sinks army cargo ship Ehime Maru, 28°40'N, 135°35'E; Trigger sinks army transport Delagoa Maru, 28°30'N, 135°35'; Seahorse or Trigger sinks army cargo ship Ume Maru, 28°40'N, 135°35'E.