Allied Missions Against Japanese Forces Landed at Milne Bay
August 26, 1942
(5th AF & RAAF) P-40s, B-25s, B-26s and B-17s plus RAAF Hudsons,
pound Japanese forces in Milne Bay.
September 1, 1942
(5th AF) P-40s hit a Japanese HQ at Wagga Wagga
September 4, 1942
(5th AF) P-40s bomb and
strafe forces in the Milne Bay area at Goroni, Wagga Wagga, Ahioma, and N of Lilihoa;
September 7, 1942
(5th AF & RAAF) P-40s and RAAF Hudsons, Beauforts, and Beaufighters
attack a cruiser and destroyer 17 miles (27 km) ENE of Cape Karitahua; organized
Japanese resistance in the Milne
Bay sector ends.
Japanese Missions Against Milne Bay
August 4, 1942 - April 14, 1943
August 4, 1942 (Air Raid No. 1)
At mid-day, a Val and 4 Zeros attacked. No. 1 Strip is straffed by the Zeros and bombed by the Val. They destroyed a 75 Squadron Kittyhawk parked on the runway. Eight P-40s from 76 Squadron were airborne and attacked them. The Val was shot down by F/Sgt Bob Gray, crashing several miles to the west of airstrip, the first aerial victory over Milne Bay.
August 11, 1942 (Air Raid No. 2)
Six Zeros attack, intercepted by 22 P-40s of 75 and 76 Squadron, anti-aircraft fire. Japanese lost four Zeros, and Australian four pilots and planes: 75 Squadron: F/O Mark Sheldon, W/O Shelley. 76 Squadron: F/O Albert McLeod, F/Sgt Geoge Inkster.
August 23, 1942 (not classified as a raid officially, no bombs dropped)
16 Zeros from Buna take off at 8:10 attack Rabi at 9:15, finding only one P-40 in the air, no other planes take off. One P-40 is damaged, one Zero claimed shot down.
August 24, 1942 (Air Raids No.3 & No. 4)
(Air Raid No 3) Attacked by 15 Zeros from Buna. After several stafing runs, they set fire to a LB-30 AL-818 that had force landed at No. 1 Strip, that had already been stripped. Eight 76 Squadron P-40s were in the air, Five were claimed as aerial kills. Gunners claimed two or three.
(Air Raid No 4) At 2:45, a spotter at Porlock Harbor warned of another raid, that arrived at 3:30, Japanese bombed and strafed the area around No. 1 Strip. All planes returned, gunners and pilots claimed damage to some of the Zeros.
August 26, 1942 (Naval Bombardment)
At 2:00am, naval bombardment of Gili Gili.
August 27, 1942 (Air Raid No. 5)
As American B-26s of 22nd BG were finishing bombing Japanese forces in the area, at 8:15am eight Vals and 12 Zeros attacked No. 1 Strip. Claims for 12 shot down by Anit-aircraft gunners. One Zero pilot, Enji Kakimoto was shot down and captured by villagers, the first POW captured.
August 31, 1942 (Air Raid No. 6)
Before midday, 7 Mitsubishi bombers attacked No. 1 Strip from 15,000' and were hit by AA fire.
September 7, 1942 (Naval Bombardment)
Navy Bombardment covers withdrawal of Japanese troops.
September 8, 1942 (Air Raid No. 7)
9 Mitsubisihi Nell bombers and 5 Zeros attacked No. 1 Strip. Achived little damage, killed two RAAF guards. Americans lost 4 KIA and 7 WIA. This is the last air raid during the "Battle of Milne Bay".
PARTIAL LIST
January 17, 1943
Japanese air raid by 24 bombers (Betty?) and 20 Zeros escorting at 12:40 local time. They hit No. 1 Strip destroys two B-17s: B-17F "Fire Ball Mail" 41-24551, B-17F 41-24540, P-39D 41-38485, P-39D ??-????, B-24 and two C-47s all destroyed on the ground. Also, 6 vehicles and 6 fuel dumps. 8 WIA from the 49th Serivce Squadron. RAAF 6 Squadron lost Hudson A16-206 destroyed on the ground. Another 6 Squadron Hudson, A16-239, suffered irrepairable damage to fuselage fuel tanks and starboard stabilisers - it was later written off. Also Hudson A16-185 had its ailerons and wireless transmitter damaged, but was later repaired. Thanks to Ed Klacik and Daniel Leahy for additional info.
Norbert Ruff recalls in Ruff Stuff pages 95 - 99
"On January 17, 1943, we had our biggest air raid to date. They hit us with 24 bombers and Zeros. There was a mix up on the orders as to whether only the anti-aircraft guns were to be used or if our fighter I~,r planes would be scrambled. I counted only two bursts being fired. When the Japs saw no other firing and no enemy interception, the planes dropped so low that I remember standing dumbfounded, and I could see the bomb-bay doors opening and the bombs falling out. When they started hitting the ground, it sounded like some giant's footsteps coming at me. All hell broke loose. As there was no opposition, the lap planes kept coming in at us time and time again. The raid lasted over two hours or so. It was almost the last of me I thought, but I remember hitting a slit trench near me and fell on top of some other guys. I guess I was so fascinated about the whole event that I kept Fuel dump burning in background. standing there like a fool and watching the bombs falling.
I remember also something landing on top of me or another person falling on me, I never did know which. Whatever it was did not move. One guy was yelling, 'Let me get my A-in, let me get my A-in!' and I thought how comical it was. Afterwards I remember having a very painful backache.
"The Japs had made direct hits on and destroyed two B-17s, one B-24, one P-39, and two Lockheed Hudsons, over 10,000 gallons of gas. [Also gas trucks and command cars] Ammunition exploding like mad from the ammo dumps nearby that had been hit, and kept exploding for a long time afterwards. Runways were damaged and shrapnel was flying all over the place. When the metal mesh runways were hit, the pieces of the runway became like jagged pieces of shrapnel. They must have been using what we called Daisy Cutters. I remember seeing shrapnel go right through a truck engine, and saw that the piece of shrapnel had the words USA stamped on it. So I figured the J aps had got all our pre-war scrap metal and gave it back to us as bombs."
After the raid was over, we heard that one bomber was shot down. We also heard that the anti-aircraft gun crew was told not to fire as the fighter planes would intercept, but that the fighter planes were told that the anti-aircraft would fire and for them not to intercept. Thus confusion added to the events. I guess that is why only two bursts by the guns were heard. It was some experience laying there helpless. We had rifles, but had not yet been issued bullet clips. When we first arrived in New Guinea each man was issued a 45 caliber pistol, but later had to turn them in for use by the infantry.
After the air raid, we counted between 150-200 bombs that had dropped on our position. The camp was practically demolished and had to be rebuilt. I remember looking into the bomb craters and thinking that a 21 ton truck would easily fit into the hole." - Frank Cicerello (The 80th FS 'Headhunters' Squadron History)"
January 20, 1943
First raid during the day. Two raids at night hit the Milne Bay area.
March 22, 1943
Japanese air raid on Milne Bay
April 14, 1943
No. 3 Strip (Turnbull) was attacked by aproximatly
100 Japanese aircraft (another account 40 bombers, 30 Zeros), 2 bombers, 2 dive bombers and 2 zeros
were destroyed, for the loss of one P-40, 2 crash landed,
four damaged.
August 9, 1943
Milne Bay bombed (?)