May 8, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 8 MAY 1943

CBI CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) Sixteen B-24's and eleven B-25's bomb Tien Ho Airfield, the shop and factory area, and White Cloud Airfield. Twenty-four escorting P-40's strafe the target areas following the bombing strikes. Considerable damage is done, including the destruction of about 20 enemy aircraft.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) P-40's join Navy aircraft in an attack on destroyers in Blackett Strait. Other P-40's and P-38's hit AA positions at Vila. Lost is F-5A 42-12680 pilot 2nd Lt. Charles B. Roberts, Jr. (MIA).

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-17's bomb the airfield at Rabaul, and single B-17's attack barges and small boats off the north coast of New Britain. A B-17 from 43rd BG on armed reconnaissance mission radios the discovery of shipping between Wewak and Madang. Lost on reconassance missions is B-17F "Fighting Swede" 41-24520 pilot Captain Robert N. Keatts (MIA) rammed Ki-43 Oscars pilot Tadao Oda.

B-25 strafers along with 8 x Beaufighters of the RAAF, escorted by 16 x P-38s of the 39th FS claim the destruction of 2 cargo vessels at Madang. The two Japanese sea trucks (small transports, 550 and 950 tons each) merchant cargo ship Tomioka Maru and army cargo ship Sumida Maru entering Madang Harbor carrying vital supplies and full of troops at 05°12'S, 145°50'E. Beaufighters swooped down and strafed the larger ship setting fires. A few minutes later the B-25s followed up against the ships with bombs and gunfire. Both ships were lost with all their supplies and heavy casualties. This included many of the personnel and much of the equipment of the 11th Airfield Construction Unit moving from Wewak to Madang.

Beaufighters strafed and destroyed a fighter at Madang Airfield but aborted further attacks when eight or more Type 1 / Ki-61 Tonys appear over Madang. Some of the Japanese fighters attacked the Beaufighters, damaging one, and chased them down the coast toward Saidor. Other Japanese fighters headed for the B-25s but when P-38s finally arrived on the scene and reported encountering three Zekes and two Hamps a few miles south of Madang. Three P-38s jumped these at 5,000' and dispersed the formation and claimed one damaged. On the return flight a single fighter identified as a HAMP was sighted at 1,000' jumped by the flight led by Captain Thomas Lynch. In the low level combat that followed double ace Lynch claimed a Hamp destroyed but this cannot be verified. Lynch engaged despite having difficulty releasing one of his external fuel tanks. Reference via Richard Dunn.

IJN: Yesterday, U.S. Navy light minelayers laid a minefield in Blackett Strait. Destroyer Kuroshio is sunk by a sea mine in Blackett Strait. Destroyer Oyashio is damaged by sea mine off Rendova then sunk by U.S. Navy planes. Destroyer Kagero damaged by sea mine off Rendova is sunk by USMC aircraft.

USN: USS Plunger (SS-179) sights Japanese Saipan-bound convoy about 60 miles northwest of Truk.