Pacific Counterblow - Air Force Historical Studies Office
Pacific Counterblow - Air Force Historical Studies Office
Pacific Counterblow - Air Force Historical Studies Office
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another sustained two flat tires; a third simply got stuck. Still another<br />
plane proved to have a rough engine. The remaining P- 4oo's bombed<br />
and strafed for an hour near a bridge west of Kokumbona and at 1oo<br />
four pilots returned to bomb. The enemy air raid at Tojo Time<br />
failed to materialize. Earlier in the day, the new P- 39's had made<br />
their debut up in the New Georgia area, accompanying SBD's in an<br />
attack on Japanese ships. Of the float planes sent up to interfere, the<br />
P-39's shot down one certain and two probables without loss to<br />
themselves. Late in the afternoon, the P-39's, using xoo-pound incendiaries<br />
and demolition bombs, worked over the Marovovo district<br />
beyond Cape Esperance.<br />
In the succeeding 3 days the pattern was largely repeated. On the<br />
ioth, the P- 39's went twice up to the New Georgia area as escort for<br />
SBD's on ship strikes. On the iith, the 67 th lost one pilot and was<br />
credited with i bomber in a scrap with 3o bombers and 20 Zeros carrying<br />
out the usual noon-hour raid. On the U2th, ground troops were<br />
again harassed; the P-39's flew top cover for TBF's and SBD's which<br />
went up after 3 destroyers in The Slot; and 2 P-39's cracked up in<br />
take-offs from the muddy field. On this day, however, a new note<br />
was added: a Japanese field piece began dropping shells in the dispersal<br />
area.<br />
Henderson Field Knocked Out<br />
Admiral Scott had chastened the Express on the night of the ixith.<br />
Colonel Saunders' B-i 7 's, returning from Buka on the i3th, stopped<br />
over at Tonolei long enough to score a direct hit on a transport and<br />
shoot down 6 of 26 attacking fighters. The Americal Division's<br />
x64th Infantry was disembarking at Lunga Point.<br />
The morning of the i3 th the 67th attacked landing barges which<br />
the enemy had beached during the night at the western end of Guadalcanal.<br />
At noon the air raid came. The Bettys were scarcely intercepted.<br />
The P-4oo's watched the show above from 12,ooo feet; the<br />
P- 39's struggled to 27,0oo and still were 3,000 feet low; and insufficient<br />
warning prevented the F4 F's from making contact in force.<br />
At 1400, while the fighters sat being refueled and rearmed, another<br />
wave of Japanese bombers made an appearance and was able to bomb<br />
at will, damaging aircraft at Henderson and causing casualties among<br />
the i64th Infantry, still movhig ashore.<br />
36