Aerial view of Azumasan Maru burning and being bombed by B-17s near Bunani Point on Guadalcanal
On October 15, 1942 around midnight Japanese transports arrive off Tassafaronga Point on Guadalcanal. At 6:00am six F4F Wildcats strafe the transports with one shot down and other damaged. At 10:30am U.S. aircraft from Henderson Field attack the transports including SBD Dauntless dive bombers, Airacobras and eight F4F Wildcats and a PBY Catalina. Sasako Maru was hit by a bomb that started a fire and deliberately run aground but is a total loss. At 11:50 B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb the transports and hit Azumasan Maru causing fires and is run aground. Around 1:30pm, U.S. aircraft again strike and Kyushu Maru was hit by a bomb and set on fire and is deliberately run aground.
This photograph was taken October 16, 1942. At the center is a stick of bombs exploding next to the bow of Azumasan Maru that was already hit and is still on fire amidships and later at night will sink. Hidden behind the smoke column is the bow of Kyusyu Maru also hit and beached. The feature at the upper right is Bunani Point (Bunina) with smoke rising from a burning supply dump also hit by bombing. At the lower left is an oil slick from sunken Sasako Maru.
Credit: USAAF, 13th AF, 11th BG Date: October 16, 1942
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