Location
Latitude. -3.6667°, Longitude. 143.8167° Nightingale Bay is located on the north coast of New Guinea. Also known as Makabing Bay. Borders Terebu (Tarabu). To the west is Boram Bay and beyond Wewak. Today located in Wewak District of East Sepik Province in Papua New Guinea.
Wartime History
During the night of April 28, 1944 to April 29, 1944 PT 370 and PT 368 operating from Aitape arrived at Nightingale Bay and attacked and sank three barges in Nightingale Bay. One of the barges had two 75mm guns and 45 soldiers aboard. After the attack, the PT Boats attempted to take some of the survivors prisoner but the survivng Japanese deliberately drown themselves or resisted capture. One of the survivors claimed to be an officer and told the crews that more barges were headed to this location. The PT Boats waited and three more barges arrived and were sunk, with another being taken prisoner with documents being transported from Hansa Bay to Wewak. Afterwards, the prisoners were interrogated and the officer revealed their barge schedule resulting in other PT Boat attacks that sank 15 other barges, a picket boat and damaging 8 others over the next five nights.
A-20G Havoc Serial Number 43-21390
Pilot Brooks ditched April 27, 1945 into Nightingale Bay
References
At Close Quarters chapter 27 Aitape
The South Sea Islanders and the Queensland Labour Trade: A Record of Voyages page 353
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Last Updated
October 23, 2019
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