War Diary - South Pacific Command
June 25th 1943 Operation Wasp D-Day +1
Initial beach landings carried out by spearhead from Americal Division under heavy fire from beach and coastal defences. Small beachhead consolidated by nightfall. Main invasion body begun landing at 03:00 this morning. Still under fire but this time under the protective guns of TF 172 that plastered the enemy positions on Lunga as the 3rd Marines and the 1st Cavalry landed.
aval bombardment of Lunga, at 67,101 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-46-III Dinah: 1 destroyed
55 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
CA Wichita, Shell hits 13
CA Vincennes
BB Massachusetts, Shell hits 13
BB Tennessee
BB California
BB Pennsylvania
Japanese ground losses:
334 casualties reported
Guns lost 8
Airbase hits 3
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 8
Port hits 5
Port supply hits 14
Minesweeping Task Force 1082 reported presence of defensive laid minefield and clearing operations begun at 03:45. As yet no ships report impacts from mines.
Landings continued all morning as Americal Division expanded beachhead for support troops and two artillery battalions.
Aerial attacks begun at o9:15 but targetted the enemy airfiled at Munda further north, this attack was supported by an attack by B-24's from Cooktown on Woodwark Island. VB-101, VB-103 and VMD-154 (PB4Y's) all hit Munda without loss.
Japanese positions on Lunga themselves were targetted at around 11:34 by B-17 Fortresses and Liberators from Lugnaville. 38 bombers attacked in four waves over 25 minutes dropping high explosive ordinace before turning back without loss. Maximum effort is being asked from the pilots. 63rd Bombardment (B-17) joined 320th, 321st and 372nd (B-24) Bombardment Squadrons over Lunga.
The Japanese response came in the form of Ki-21's escorted by Ki-43 II's. A bloody and lengthy battle was fought by the enemy fighters and our own with 20 aircraft on both sides being reported shot down. 330th Fighter Squadron (P-38G) and 48th Fighter Squadron (P-38F) operating from the newly established fighter base at Ndeni flew LRCAP while the Wildcats of VCF-21 (CVE Nassau), VCF-31 (CVE Altamaha) and VF-60 (CVE Suwannee)provided the close in support. No ships were hit and it seemed the Navy learnt the lesson yesterday when the CV Essex was damaged by Ki-21's. CV's Yorktown, Victorious and a damaged Essex and CVL's Bellau Wood, Princeton, Independence, Cowpens and Hermes stand-by should the IJN carriers sortie. As of yet no reports of enemy surface or carrier units have been received from picket subs around Truk, Rabaul or the Solomon Sea.
By sunset the main elements of three divisions were ashore, along with support troops and artillery. Engineers and See Bee units were unloading tomorrow and an advance element of the US XI Corps was directing the battle straight from the beaches.
Ground combat at Lunga
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 8637 troops, 50 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 225
Defending force 22769 troops, 276 guns, 43 vehicles, Assault Value = 888
Allied ground losses:
6 casualties reported
By nightfall news had been received by SOPAC Command at Noumea that the 46th Naval Construction Battlaion had successfully occupied the empty Japanese base at Taktaka on the right flank of the attack. Two more See Bee Units were enroute to an empty Tassafaronga to seal off any escape from Lunga.
The main priority for tomorrow is to finish unloading the assault units and start escorting supply ships into Lunga. Three BB TF's remain on station to guard against an enemy sortie.
