February 11, 1944
(13th AF) P-40s escort USN and USMC SBDs over Vunapope.
(USMC): Twelve SBDs from VMSB-244 plus twelve SBDs from VMSB-241 dive bomb Vunapope. F4U Corsairs from VMF-212 escort SBDs over Vunapope. Afterwards, the formation was intercepted by Zeros. Lost is F4U Corsair 55908 (MIA).
(USN) SBDs from VB-98 dive bomb Vunapope. The dive bombers cause two large fires on the docks.
February 18, 1944
(USN) During the Battle of Karavia Bay from 1:26- 1:37am, five US Navy destroyers Vunapopo bivouac and supply area firing 244 rounds.
February 23, 1944
(13th AF) 16 P-38s dive-bomb the Vunapope supply
area.
February 24, 1944
(13th AF) P-40s and USN fighters escort USN dive bombers in a strike on Vunapope.
February 26, 1944
(13th AF) P-40s
join USN fighters in covering a USN dive bomber strike on Vunapope supply and
shipping facilities; 22 B-25s, with fighter support, follow up with the day's
second strike on Vunapope; shortly afterwards, 17 P-38s strike the same target.
February 27, 1944
(13th AF) Vunapope is attacked by 21 B-24s and 24 B-25s
(both forces supported by fighter escorts) and by 14 P-38s.
February 28, 1944
(13th AF) P-40s and US Navy fighters escort USN dive bombers in a strike
on Vunapope.
Prisoner's Base and Home Again by James Benson:
"Feb 28. March of of 100 Liberators and 200 dive-bombers. Earth trembled. We all expected the end. Entrance to the tunnels blown in. 20 great craters in the banana grove. All been living in tunnels for eight days now... That raid on the 28th was the most terrible and agonizing we ever had to endure."
March 10, 1944
(13th AF) P-40s and
P-39s attack the Vunapope supply area.
March 11, 1944
(13th AF) 20 P-40s bomb Vunapope.
March 13, 1944
(13th AF) 27 P-39s, P-40s, and P-38s pound the Vunapope
supply area.
March 14, 1944
(13th AF) 22 P-40s and P-39s hit Vunapope.
March 15, 1944.
(13th AF) 50+ B-25s, P-40s, P-39s and P-38s and USN fighters pound Vunapope
supply areas.
March 16, 1944
(13th AF) 9 B-25s, 12 P-39s, and 11 P-40s hit Vunapope supply areas.
March 18, 1944
(13th AF) Fighter-bombers
and B-25s pound supply areas at Vunapope.
March 19, 1944
(13th AF) 24 B-25s
blast the Vunapope area, concentrating on workers' quarters.
March 24, 1944
(13th AF) 30+ P-38s, P-39s, and P-40s hit Vunapope with incendiary clusters, causing numerous fires.
March 27, 1944
(13th AF) 23 B-25s
hit Vunapope with incendiaries; and 34 fighter-bombers follow in rapid succession
with another incendiary strike, leaving the entire vicinity in flames.
March 29, 1944
(13th AF) P-40s get through the bad weather and pound supply areas at
Vunapope.
March 30, 1944
(13th AF) 24 B-25s pound
nearby Vunapope.
March 31, 1944
(13th AF) 11 P-40s hit Vunapope.
Prisoner's Base and Home Again by James Benson:
"March 31st. Day of a thousand firesl incendiaries everywhere. The last sentance describes what seemed like a deliberat attempt to set the whole of the Gazelle Peninsula on fire. There had been no rain for a week and the blistering sun had turned the vegitation to tinder. The planes came early. Being on the coast we were hit by the first wave of bombers and when we came out of our shelters there were fires everywhere."
April 1, 1944
(13th AF) B-25s bomb supply areas at Vunapope.
April 6, 1944
(13th AF) 20+ fighter-bombers carry out incendiary strike on Vunapope, causing
severe destruction to several buildings.
April 9, 1944
(13th AF) 22 fighter-bombers
strike Vunapope.
April 14, 1944
(13th AF) 8 fighter-bombers hit Vunapope.
April 15, 1944
(13th AF) 3 P-38s fire the Vunapope supply area; other fighter-bomber
strikes on the same area are cancelled by weather.
April 18, 1944
(13th AF) Vunapope is hit by about 40 fighter-bombers, with
considerable damage to the supply area.
April 28, 1944
(13th AF) 24
B-25s bomb the Vunapope supply area.
June 15, 1944
(13th AF) B-25s, P-38s, P-39s and USN aircraft hit supply areas and underground storages
along the north shore of Gazelle Peninsula from Vulcan Crater to Vunapope. Vunapope stores are the hardest hit.
June 24, 1944
(13th AF) Allied aircraft AA guns at Vunapope.
June 25, 1944
(13th AF) B-25s and fighters, along
with other Allied aircraft, hit AA positions near Vunapope.
