April, 1943

Friday, 2 April, 1943
In New Guinea, A-20's hit the Kitchen Creek area and the Labiabi-Duali area. Single B-24's attack Salamaua, Finschhafen and the bridge at Rempi. In the Bismarck Archipelago, single B-24's hit the airfields at Gasmata and Cape Gloucester.

Saturday, 3 April, 1943
In New Guinea, A-20's hit Kitchen Creek while single B-24's bomb Korindindi. In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-17's pound shipping and the airfield at Kavieng while single B-24's bomb Kavieng.

Sunday, 4 April, 1943
In New Guinea, B-25's and A-20's pound areas along the Huon Gulf, around Kitchen Creek and the Heaths and Lane Plantations. Single B-17's bomb Salamaua. In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-17's bomb the town area and airfield at Kavieng. Single B-17's bomb Cape Gloucester.

Monday, 5 April, 1943
In New Guinea, single B-17's attack occupied areas at several points along the Huon Gulf coast, hit Finschaffen on the Huon Peninsula, bomb Madang and other points on the North coast of New Guinea and hit Cape Gloucester on New Britain Island in the Bismarck Archipelago.

Tuesday, 6 April, 1943
In New Guinea, B-25's bomb the town area and AA positions at Salamaua. Single B-17's bomb Finschhafen. In the Bismarck Archipelago, single B-17's bomb Gasmata while another strafes Cape Gloucester.

Wednesday, 7 April, 1943
In New Guinea, B-25's hit areas along the Northeast coast from Mur to Singor. B-24's bomb the landing ground at Babo and town area of Fak Fak. Single heavy bombers attack shipping and coastal targets at Lae, Salamaua, Finschhafen and Wewak; Cape Gloucester and Kavieng in the Bismarck Archipelago; and off Lorengau, in the Admiralty Islands.

Thursday, 8 April, 1943
In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-17's and B-24's carry out small harassing strikes, bombing Ulamoa, Finschhafen, and the airfield at Kavieng.

Friday, 9 April, 1943
In New Guinea, B-25's bomb and strafe the airfield and town and dock areas of Madang. A-20's hit the Kitchen Creek-Mubo area. Single B-17's attack barges at Bogia, Alexishafen and Finschhafen and hit the town of Wewak. In the Admiralities, vehicles at Lorengau on Manus Island are strafed.

Saturday, 10 April, 1943
In New Guinea, B-17's and B-24's pound the town and dock area of Wewak.Some of the B-17's also bomb Cape Boram and Kairiru Island while some of the B-24's hit Alexishafen and shipping off Wewak. B-25's pound the harbors at Bobia and Uligan. A lone B-17 strafes barges SE of Bogia and trucks at Cape Croisilles while another bombs the airfield at Arawe. The 8th Bombardment Squadron (Dive), 3rd Bombardment Group (Dive) with A-20's transfers from Port Moresby, New Guinea to Dobodura, New Guinea. On 25 May 43, the group and it's 4 squadrons will be redesignated Bombardment Group/Squadron (Light) to reflect it's true mission.

Sunday, 11 April, 1943
In New Guinea, B-17's bomb Lae and Finschhafen. Single B-24's bomb Finschhafen 3 times and hit Madang once. Enemy airplanes attack Oro Bay and destroy 2 merchant vessels. In Timor, B-25's hit Vila Salazar and another village.

Monday, 12 April, 1943
In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-24's and B-17's pound the airfields at Rabaul and Gasmata, shipping in the Saint George Channel, and targets of opportunity in the Ubili and Talasea areas. In New Guinea, B-24's and B-17s hit shipping in Hansa Bay, the airfields at Lae and Nubia and Bogia harbor. B-24's, operating individually, attack several targets, scoring hits on the Madang dock area and at Toeal. Japanese planes attack Port Moresby. 43rd Bomb Group's Captain Ken McCullar's B-17 crashes, killing him and crewmates Sergeants Mike Paz and Pierre O'Grady.

Tuesday, 13 April, 1943
In New Guinea, A-20's bomb and strafe the Labiabi area while a single B-l7 bombs the runway at Finschhafen.

Wednesday, 14 April, 1943
In New Guinea, heavy and medium bombers carry out widespread but unsuccessful attacks on individual enemy vessels. Japanese aircraft carry out a heavy attack on the Milne Bay area, severely damaging 1 vessel, beaching 1 vessel, and hitting 2 others, but doing very little damage to USAAF facilities in the area. AA defenses and the 40+ P-40's and P-38's that intercept the enemy strike claim 14 airplanes shot down. Dick Bong becomes a Double Ace when he gets his 10th kill, a Betty.

Thursday, 15 April, 1943
In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-17's bomb the airfields at Rabaul and Gasmata. In New Guinea, B-17's bomb the airfield at Lae. The 7th and 8th Fighter Squadrons, 49th Fighter Group with P-40's transfer from Port Moresby, New Guinea to Dobodura, New Guinea.

Friday, 16 April, 1943
In New Guinea, B-24's bomb Kaimana, Wewak, Madang, and Lae. B-17's pound shipping at Wewak, leaving 3 vessels sunk or in sinking condition. In Timor, B-25's bomb Vila Salazar.

Saturday, 17 April, 1943
In the Moluccas, B-24's bomb Amboina. In New Guinea, a single B-24 scores hits on the Northwest shore of Hollandia Bay.

Sunday, 18 April, 1943
In Timor, B-25's bomb the airfield at Penfoei. In New Guinea, single B-24's hit the Finschhafen and Saidor areas. A detachment of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron, 15th Fighter Group based at Kipapa, Territory of Hawaii begins operating from New Guinea with P-70's.

Monday, 19 April, 1943
Single medium or heavy bombers bomb airfields at Hollandia and Lae, New Guinea and Cape Gloucester and Gasmata in the Bismarck Archipelago.

Tuesday, 20 April, 1943
In New Guinea, B-17's bomb Wewak, Nubia, and Boram Airfields and shipping off Wewak. B-24's bomb Kaimana and targets of opportunity on Kendari Island in the Celebes.

Wednesday, 21 April, 1943
In New Guinea, B-25's bomb Kaimana and Laga. Single B-17's attack coastal villages in Northeast New Guinea and hit Ubili and Gasmata in the Bismarck Archipelago.

Thursday, 22 April, 1943
In New Guinea, A-20's and B-25's pound the Lababia-Duali area on Nassau Bay. Single B-17's bomb the Dobo and Nubia area, and strafe Ubili in the Bismarck Archipelago.

Friday, 23 April, 1943
In New Guinea, single B-24's bomb the airfield and town area at Finschhafen and score a direct hit on a cargo vessel Southeast of Kavieng in the Bismarck Archipelago.

Saturday, 24 April, 1943
In the Bismarck Archipelago, single B-24's bomb the runway at Cape Gloucester. In the Celebes, B-24's bomb Kendari Airfield.   In New Guinea, A-20's bomb and strafe positions in the Mubo area. Single B-24's attack Lae, Gumbi, and Singor. In Timor, B-25's pound Dili Airfield.

Sunday, 25 April, 1943
In New Guinea, B-17's bomb Wewak Airfield and the towns of Madang and Saidor. A-20's bomb and strafe positions at Green's Hill. Single B-24's hit airfields at Madang and Finschhafen.

Tuesday, 27 April, 1943
In the Bismarck Archipelago, heavy bombers, operating individually, attack vessels off Cape Gloucester, Cape Goltz and Gasmata. In New Guinea, A-20's bomb and strafe forces in the Green's Hill-Mubo area. B-25's bomb a village near Beru. Heavy bombers, operating individually, attack vessels North-Northwest of Dobo and Nabire and small vessels and targets of opportunity in the Marienberg, Wewak, and Finschhafen areas.

Wednesday, 28 April, 1943
In New Guinea, B-25's attack 2 vessels North-Northwest of Dobo. Single B-17's hit buildings North of Finschhafen Airfield, Wilwilan village, and targets of opportunity along the coast of Northeast New Guinea from the Nankina River to Mur. HQ 380th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and it's 528th, 529th, 530th and 531st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) arrive in Australia from the U.S. Group HQ, and the 528th and 530th Squadrons are based at Fenton; the 529th and 531st are at Manbulloo. The group is assigned to the Fifth Air Force but will be attached to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) until January 1945. One of it's primary missions is the training of RAAF crews in operating the B-24. The group will fly it's first mission on 21 May 43.

Friday, 30 April, 1943
In the Bismarck Archipelago, single B-24's bomb Lae and airfields at Cape Gloucester and Gasmata.