November 5, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 5 NOVEMBER 1943

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): The 459th Fighter Squadron, 80th Fighter Group transfers from Karachi to Kurmitola with P-38s. They will fly their first mission on 14 Nov.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): Six B-25's hit a bivouac area at Kieta and sink at least six barges between Kieta and Banin Harbor. B-24s sink Japanese fishing vessel No.1 Kanto Maru seven miles north of Kieta, 06°15'S, 155°25'E. Allied fighters from the Munda cover a carrier strike which causes considerable damage to shipping in the harbor at Rabaul.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): P-38s from 39th Fighter Squadron (39th FS) and 9th Fighter Squadron (9th FS) escort 27 B-24s from 43rd Bombardment Group (43rd BG) bomb Rabaul town and supply dumps near wharf areas. Lost is P-38E "Sooner" 42-12655 pilot 2nd Lt. George C. Haniotis (MIA). B-26's and P-39's hit Bogadjim Road, B-25's pound positions northwest of Dumpu, and P-39's bomb and strafe the Madang area; P-47's over Wewak encounter a force of fighters and claim about 20 shot down. The 67th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Group transfers from Port Moresby to Nadzab with C-47's. Lost is B-24D Liberator 42-40972 pilot pilot 1st Lt. William M. Hafner (MIA) on an armed recon.

USN: Early in the day, In response to reports of Japanese cruisers at Rabaul, Task Force 38 (TF 38) under the command of Rear Admiral Frederick C. Sherman launch over 100 carrier planes from USS Saratoga (CV-3) and USS Princeton (CVL 23) on a strike against Japanese warships in Simpson Harbor off Rabaul. They claim damage against Japanese crusiers and destroyers ending the surface threat to Bougainville. They claim to damage heavy cruisers Atago, Takao, Maya, Chikuma, and Mogami. light cruisers Noshiro and Agano and destroyers Fujinami and Amagiri near miss and minor flooding.

Open cargo lighter YCK-2 is lost, cause unspecified at Lat 45°47'N, 58°57'W.

USS Halibut (SS-232) fires a spread of six torpedoes with one hitting and damaging Junyō in the Bungo Strait at Lat 32°19'N, Long 132°58'E. Afterwards, heavy cruiser Tone tows the damaged carrier to Kure.

IJN: Japanese planes from from Rabaul search for the U.S. Navy carrier force that attacked Rabaul. At approximately 7:15pm Japanese torpedo planes attack USS LCI(G)-70 and USS LCT 68 escorted by PT-167 roughly 28 miles southwest of Cape Torokina bound for the Treasury Islands. Dud torpedoes damage LCI(G)-70 and PT-167 has an aerial torpedo pass through the bow without detonating and afterwards is towed to safety.

References
Ken’s Men Against The Empire Volume II (2019) pages 31-34, 32 (photo Rabaul 11/5/43)