18 Dec 1943
After 4 days of thunderstorms the day dawned clear and all eyes were cast skywards knowing that the Allied airforce would be out in strength....Today Rabual was not the target but the airfields of Kavieg were destined to be wiped from the map.....
Japanese shipping also came under heavy attack
I managed to get one strike off against Kids resupply TFs before the airfields were obliterated
Allied air strikes at Kaviegs airfields
Air attack on Kavieng , at 18,24
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 35
A6M3 Zero x 9
A6M5 Zeke x 4
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 6
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 20
Allied aircraft
F6F Hellcat x 24
Spitfire IX x 11
Boomerang II x 21
Beaufighter VIC x 31
B-25J Mitchell x 76
B-24J Liberator x 12
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 8 destroyed
A6M2 Zero x 2 damaged
A6M3 Zero x 1 destroyed
A6M5 Zeke x 1 damaged
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 3 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 1 damaged
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 3 destroyed
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 2 damaged
Ki-21 Sally x 1 destroyed
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 2 destroyed
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 4 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Boomerang II x 2 damaged
Beaufighter VIC x 1 destroyed
B-25J Mitchell x 2 damaged
FO W.Coffey of 23rd RAAF Squadron is credited with kill number 4
COL H.Maeda of 78th Sentai is KILLED
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 539
Guns lost 4
Airbase hits 17
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 70
Air attack on Kavieng , at 18,24
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15
A6M3 Zero x 4
A6M5 Zeke x 3
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 1
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 9
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 27
PB4Y Liberator x 33
B-24D Liberator x 51
B-24J Liberator x 30
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 2 destroyed
A6M2 Zero x 3 damaged
A6M3 Zero x 1 damaged
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 2 destroyed
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 1 damaged
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 1 destroyed
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 4 damaged
Ki-48 Lily x 1 destroyed
Ki-48 Lily x 1 damaged
Ki-21 Sally x 1 destroyed
Ki-21 Sally x 1 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress x 4 damaged
PB4Y Liberator x 10 damaged
B-24D Liberator x 1 damaged
B-24J Liberator x 5 damaged
LT H.Gardner of VB-102 is credited with kill number 2
LCDR T.Fujiwara of F2/252nd Daitai is KILLED
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 511
Guns lost 1
Airbase hits 9
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 55
Air attack on Kavieng , at 18,24
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 17
A6M3 Zero x 7
A6M5 Zeke x 3
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 3
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 12
Allied aircraft
F6F Hellcat x 22
Spitfire IX x 11
Boomerang II x 18
Beaufighter VIC x 28
B-25J Mitchell x 78
B-24J Liberator x 9
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 5 destroyed
A6M3 Zero x 1 damaged
A6M5 Zeke x 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 1 destroyed
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 3 destroyed
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 5 destroyed
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 1 damaged
Ki-51 Sonia x 1 destroyed
Ki-51 Sonia x 2 damaged
Ki-48 Lily x 5 destroyed
Ki-48 Lily x 15 damaged
Ki-21 Sally x 1 destroyed
Ki-21 Sally x 2 damaged
E13A1 Jake x 2 destroyed
E13A1 Jake x 3 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
F6F Hellcat x 1 destroyed
F6F Hellcat x 2 damaged
Spitfire IX x 1 destroyed
B-25J Mitchell x 4 damaged
B-24J Liberator x 2 damaged
LTJG M.Morton of VF-6 is credited with kill number 6
LT D. McKinley of VF-6 bails out and is CAPTURED
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 1075
Guns lost 4
Airbase hits 22
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 107
Allied air attacks on Japanese TFs
Air attack on TF, near Kavieng at 18,24
Allied aircraft
F6F Hellcat x 11
SBD Dauntless x 13
SB2C Helldiver x 6
TBF Avenger x 15
Spitfire IX x 5
Boomerang II x 8
Allied aircraft losses
SB2C Helldiver x 1 damaged
TBF Avenger x 2 damaged
Japanese Ships
DD Tanikaze, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AP Chowa Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire
AP Bengal Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Maikaze
AP Hokko Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AP China Maru, heavy damage
PC Toshi Maru #3
Air attack on TF, near Kavieng at 18,24
Allied aircraft
F6F Hellcat x 9
SBD Dauntless x 13
SB2C Helldiver x 6
TBF Avenger x 14
Spitfire IX x 4
Boomerang II x 8
Allied aircraft losses
TBF Avenger x 2 damaged
Japanese Ships
DD Tanikaze
AP China Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Chowa Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Hokko Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Maikaze
Japanese air attacks on Allied resupply convoy
Air attack on TF, near Rabaul at 21,28
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 50
A6M3 Zero x 10
A6M5 Zeke x 6
D4Y Judy x 9
B5N Kate x 3
G4M1 Betty x 16
G4M2 Betty x 21
E13A1 Jake x 61
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 9
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 33
Ki-51 Sonia x 9
Ki-21 Sally x 40
Ki-48 Lily x 66
Allied aircraft
F6F Hellcat x 5
F4U-1 Corsair x 18
P-38G Lightning x 1
P-47D Thunderbolt x 5
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 16 destroyed
A6M3 Zero x 1 destroyed
A6M3 Zero x 2 damaged
A6M5 Zeke x 1 destroyed
B5N Kate x 1 damaged
G4M1 Betty x 2 destroyed
G4M2 Betty x 2 destroyed
E13A1 Jake x 10 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 6 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 1 damaged
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 8 destroyed
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 4 damaged
Ki-21 Sally x 6 destroyed
Ki-21 Sally x 2 damaged
Ki-48 Lily x 4 destroyed
Ki-48 Lily x 1 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
F6F Hellcat x 1 destroyed
F6F Hellcat x 4 damaged
F4U-1 Corsair x 9 destroyed
We shot down 9 Corsairs
F4U-1 Corsair x 9 damaged
P-47D Thunderbolt x 2 damaged
LT D.Norton of VF-28 is credited with kill number 17
ENS M.Rice of VF-9 is KILLED
Allied Ships
CL Boise, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AK Caledonia, Torpedo hits 1
AK Cheleb, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AK Saggittarius, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Alcona, Bomb hits 1
AK Situla, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Chicot, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 96
Guns lost 2
Overall not a good turn for the Japanese aircraft losses are staggering