American Missions Against Rapopo
January 26, 1943
(5th AF) B-17s bomb Rapopo airstripFebruary 15, 1943
(5th AF) A single B-17 attacks Rapopo AirfieldMarch 16, 1943
(5th AF) B-17s bomb Rapopo airstripJune 19, 1943
(5th AF) B-24's bomb the airstrip at RapopoJune 20, 1943
(5th AF) B-24's bomb airstrip at RapopoOctober 23, 1943
(5th AF) 40+ B-24's escorted by P-38's, bomb Rapopo airstrip on New Britain , destroying about 20 airplanes on the ground; 20 enemy interceptors are claimed shot down.October 24, 1943
(5th AF) At least 45 bombers are destroyed on the ground at Rapopo during attacks by B-25's.November 7, 1943
(5th AF) 25 B-24's, with an escort of 60+ P-38's, bomb Rapopo airstrip; a large force of enemy fighters intercepts the formations and in the ensuing battle 5 P-38's are lost; US airplanes claim 20+ fighters shot down and several more destroyed on the ground.January 13, 1944
(13th AF) B-25's bomb Rapopo and coast S of Rapopo.January 14, 1944
(13th AF) During the night of 13/14 B-24's bomb Rapopo and other targets before dawn.February 14, 1944
(13th AF) 28 B-24s, with escort, bomb Rapopo AirfieldFebruary 21, 1944
(13th AF) 4 B-24s, with fighter support, attack the airfield at RapopoFebruary 24, 1944
(13th AF) 6 B-24s bomb RapopoFebruary 25, 1944
(13th AF) B-25s hit Rapopo. 21 B-24s and 17 P-38s follow shortly with another strike on Rapopo.February 28, 1944
(13th AF) 6 B-24s bomb RapopoMarch 2, 1944
(13th AF) 11 B-25s, with USN fighter support, bomb RapopoMarch 15, 1944
(13th AF) 22 unescorted B-24s, finding Tobera clouded over, bomb the airfield at Rapopo as a secondary target.April 17, 1944
(13th AF) 24 B-25s pound runway and revetments at Rapopo AirfieldApril 19, 1944
(13th AF) 7 fighter-bombers bomb Rapopo airstripApril 22, 1944
(13th AF) B-25s hit the area between Rapopo and Cape Gazelle. 40+ fighter-bombers attack the runway and gun positions at RapopoApril 28, 1944
(13th AF) 24 B-25s bomb Rapopo airfieldMay 25, 1944
(13th AF) A B-24 bomb RapopoMay 27, 1944
(USMC) A single PBJ bomber from VMB-423, escorted by four F4Us fly over Rapopo Airfield. They drop their bombs and a 65 foot scroll signed by 35,000 Oklahoma school children, who had raise war bond money to buy a plane). General Mitchell decided a PBJ crew from Oklahoma should drop the scroll on the Japanese at Rabaul. Two Oklahoma natives, S/Sgt Bill Woolman and Lt. Dick Morgan led the flight, with four other crewmen who became adopted 'Okies' for a day. The scroll was attached to a parachute and a burned out 30 cal machine gun barrel, and dropped with their bombs. They observed the scroll landing, but according to post war files, no indication exisits that the scroll was located by the Japanese. Reference, Leatherneck Bombers by Alan Carey, page 23June 10, 1944
(13th AF) AA guns S of Rapopo are attacked by 12 B-25s, 20 P-39s, and 20+ US Navy (USN) dive bombersJune 11, 1944
(13th AF) 130+ B-25s, P-38s P-39s and USN dive bombers pound AA positions S and SW of RapopoJune 12, 1944
(13th AF) B-24s bomb runway at RapopoJune 17, 1944
(FEAF) A-20s, B-25s and fighters attack targets around RapopoJune 20, 1944
(FEAF) B-25s, P-38s and other Allied aircraft, including some of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), blast AA positions S and SW of RapopoJune 23, 1944
(FEAF) B-25s along with other Allied aircraft, hit AA positions S and SW of Rapopo.