November 13, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 1943

CBI: Col Francis G. Brink is given responsibility for training of GALAHAD forces, a task previously held by Lt Col Charles N. Hunter. In late December the GALAHAD Force is activated as 5307th Regt (Prov).

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): A single B-24 mines the Rangoon River during the night of 13/14 Nov.

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force): Air strikes for Operation Galvanic, the assault on the Gilbert Islands begins with eighteen B-24s from Funafuti bomb Tarawa without interception but meet unusually heavy AA fire, one B-24 is lost.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): Seventeen B-24's pound AA positions, dispersal areas, and runway at Bonis Airfield. 6 B-25's carry out a low-level raid on Buka Airfield. Night fighters harass the Shortland and Kahili Airfield and Bonis Airfield, claiming four grounded airplanes destroyed at the latter.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, nearly 120 B-24's and B-25's pound Alexishafen, and P-40's strafe the area. Other B-24's hit Gasmata and Kaukenau and Timoeka. B-25's and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Beaufighters claim the sinking of a small freighter off Tanimbar. Lost is P-38H Lightning 42-66532 pilot 1st Lt. Lee C. Haigler (MIA).

USMC: Gen Geiger becomes responsible to Adm Halsey as Adm Wilkinson relinquishes command. 21st Marines begins attack for the junction of Numa Numa Trail with the East-West Trail to ensure safety of the site planned for Torokina Airfield.

The Battle of the Coconut Grove begins with Company E, 2d Battalion, 21st Marines--advancing along the Numa Numa Trail to establish an outpost for the protection of the site where Torokina Airfield will be built. Roughly 200 yards south of the trail junction with the Easts-West Trail attacked by a sizeable Japanese force in a coconut palm grove. Company E, reinforced by Companies F and G, overran the Japanese position. Their advance permitted the entire beachhead to move forward 1,000 to 1,500 yards.

U.S. Army: 129th Infantry Regment under the command of Major General Robert S. Beightler, 37th Division lands at Torokina on western Bougainville and assumes command of the Army sector of the U.S. perimeter area.

USN: Southern Attack Force for Galvanic departs from New Hebrides.

Carrier and land-based aircraft begin daily bombings of Japanese positions in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands.

Japanese planes strike Task Force 39 (TF 39) under the command of Rear Admiral Aaron S. Merrill off Empress Augusta Bay with USS Denver (CL-58) damaged by aerial torpedo at Lat 06°45'S, Long 154°15'E that knocked out all power and communications and killed 20.

USS Narwhal (SS-167) lands men and supplies at Paluan Bay, Mindoro, P.I.

USS Scorpion (SS-278) damages Japanese oiler Shiretoko northwest of the Marianas, 18°22'N, 142°50'E.

USS Trigger (SS-237) sinks Japanese transport Nachizan Maru in East China Sea, 32°55'N, 124°57'E; although damaged by depth charges, she remains on patrol.

Royal Navy: HMS Taurus sinks Japanese submarine I-34 30 miles south of Panang, Malaya, 05°17'N, 100°05'E.