Army Air Forces in World War II: Volume 4

Kramer J. Rohfleisch, San Diego State College; James C. Olson, Nebraska State Historical Society; Capt. Berhardt L. Mortensen, Air Force Historical Division

Chapter 7: The Central Solomons

Kramer J. Rohfleisch, San Diego State College

Chapter 8: Bougainville

Kramer J. Rohfleisch, San Diego State College

Chapter 9: The Gilberts and Marshalls

James C. Olson, Nebraska State Historical Society

Chapter 10: Rabaul and Cape Gloucester

Capt. Bernhardt L. Mortensen, Air Force Historical Division

Section 3: The North Pacific

Harry L. Coles, Ohio State University

Chapter 11: The Aleutians Campaign

Section 4: China–Burma–India

Herbert Weaver, Vanderbilt University Lee Bowen, Air Force Historical Division

Chapter 12: The Tenth Air Force

Herbert Weaver, Vanderbilt University

Chapter 13: Problems of Command

Herbert Weaver, Vanderbilt University Lee Bowen, Air Force Historical Division

Chapter 14: The Pattern of India–Burma Operations, 1943

Herbert Weaver, Vanderbilt University

Chapter 15: Allied Offensive in Burma

Lee Bowen, Air Force Historical Division

Chapter 16: Fourteenth Air Force Operations, January 1943–June 1944

Herbert Weaver, Vanderbilt University

Section 5: Pacific Junction

Frank Futrell, Air Force Historical Division; Capt. Bernhardt L. Mortensen, Air Force Historical Division; James C. Olson, Nebraska State Historical Society

Chapter 17: The Admiralties

Capt. Bernhardt L. Mortensen, Air Force Historical Division; Frank Futrell, Air Force Historical Division

Chapter 18: Hollandia

Frank Futrell, Air Force Historical Division

Chapter 19: Final Victory in New Guinea

Frank Futrell, Air Force Historical Division

Chapter 20: The Marianas

James C. Olson, Nebraska State Historical Society; Capt. Bernhardt L. Mortensen, Air Force Historical Division

Index

List of Maps and Charts

Pacific Theaters – New Guinea and the Solomons – Island Chains of the South Pacific – Solomon Islands – Northwest Corner of Guadalcanal – Papuan Peninsula – Buna Area – Principal American Air Bases, November 1942 – Huon Gulf Area – Central Solomons – Guadalcanal Airfields – Enemy Defenses, Munda Field – Bougainville – Gilbert and Marshall Islands – Rabaul and Gazelle Peninsula – New Britain – Alaska and the Aleutian Islands – North Pacific Ocean – Allied and Japanese Main Lines of Communication, 1942–1943 – India-Burma Sector – Railway Transportation in Burma – Burma Operations, November 1943–May 1944 – CBI Battle Area, November 1943-May 1944 – Admiralty Islands – Eastern Manus and Los Negros Island – Hollandia Strikes, 30 March-16 April 1944 – Japanese and Allied Airfields, April 1944 – Aitape Area – Wakde-Sarmi Area – Wakde Islands – Schouten Islands – Noemfoor Island – The Sansapoor Area – Pacific Battle Area, Spring 1944

List of Illustrations

The Prize of Guadalcanal – Japanese Airstrip, Lunga Point, 7 August 1942 – Henderson Field, August 1944 – Port Moresby – The Harbor – Wards (8-Mile) Drome – The Buna Area – Buna Mission – Sanananda Track – Papua Airstrips – Kokoda, July 1942 – Dobodura, February 1943 – Hit ‘em High, Hit ‘em Low – Direct Hit by B-24 – A-20 at Mast Height – Battle of the Bismarck Sea – Wounded Destroyer – Low-Level Attack on Freighter – Kenney’s B-25’s Get a Japanese Corvette – First Pass – On the Mark – Death of a Sally, Bismarck Sea – Enemy Bases Under Attack – Salamaua – Wewak – Nadzab: Paratroop Landing, 5 September 1943 – Fifth Air Force Maintenance – Sheet Metal Shop, Port Moresby – B-25 “Strafer” – New Guinea Manpower – As Tractor – As Steamroller – Bougainville – Pre-invasion Bombing – Beachhead – Airfield Development at Bougainville – Air Evacuation of Casualties – By Thirteenth Air Force C-47 – By Liaison Plane in New Guinea – Seventh Air Force: “One Damned Island After Another” – Nauru – Wotje – Rabaul: Revetments, Vunakanau Airfield – Rabaul, 2 November 1943 – Parafrags along the Docks – One Maru Down – Direct Hit – Phosphorus Bombs on Airfield – Isolation of Kavieng – Attack on Convoy off Kavieng – Direct Hit on Destroyer off Kavieng – Maintenance: Heavy Bombers – Ladd Field, Alaska – Los Negros – Fighters for China – Flying Tiger over China – Chinese and American Pilots – Airlift to China – C-87 Returns from China to Texpur – C-46 over the Hump – General Stratemeyer’s Bosses – Airfield Construction, CBI – Cheng-kung, China – India Base – Control Towers, CBI – Kunming, China – Jorhat, India – Enemy Communications in Burma – Attack on Train, Mandalay-Yeu Railway – Bombing Meza Bridge, 30 January 1944 – 7th Bombardment Group En Route to Burma Target – Supply in Forward Areas – Open Dumps, Bougainville – Engineer Supplies, Los Negros – Hollandia: Knockout of Enemy Air Power, 30 March–3 April 1944 – Hollandia: Knockout of Enemy Air Power, 30 March-3 April 1944 – Camp Areas – Mud at Finschhafen – Laundry and Shower at Hollandia – D-Day for Green Islands; B-25’s En Route to Rabaul Pass Invasion Fleet – AAF Fighters – P-39 Airacobras, Makin – Refueling P-38 Lightning, Middelburg – Defensive Measures – Lookout on New Caledonia – Portable Radar, Noemfoor – Dispersal, Espiritu Santo – Antiaircraft Emplacement, Sansapor – Postholing Enemy Airstrips – But, New Guinea – Wotje Atoll – Rescue Operations – By PBY, Hermit Island – By Submarine, off Los Negros – P-47 Pilot, Noemfoor – Air Supply by C-47 – Advance Strip, New Guinea – Airtrain to Finschhafen – Cargo Loading, Stirling Island – Supply Drop, Bougainville – Noemfoor: Paratroop Landing – High-Altitude Bombing – Thirteenth Air Force, Biak – 5th Bombardment Group, Yap – Kwajalein as an American Base, April 1944 – Seventh Air Force over Truk – The Enemy Scores – A-20 Hit by Flak, Kokas – B-24 Hit by Bomb, Funafuti

Army Air Forces in World War II: Volume 4

The Pacific: Guadalcanal to Saipan, August 1942 to July 1944

Prepared under the editorship of

Wesley Frank Craven, Princeton University,

James Lea Cate, University of Chicago.

By Air Historical Group United States Air Force

Wilfred J. Paul, Col, USAF, Director

Albert F. Simpson, Air Force Historian

Contents

List of Maps and Charts

List of Illustrations