Pacific Counterblow - Air Force Historical Studies Office

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