November, 1942

Monday, 2 November, 1942
B-26s bomb Dili, Timor Island, Lesser Sunda Islands. B-17s attack shipping Northeast of Buna, New Guinea while B-25s strike at a convoy South of New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago. In New Guinea, Australian ground forces seize Kokoda in the Owen Stanley Range with its airfield after long days of fighting; this will greatly facilitate supply and reinforcement of troops in this area as they push over the mountains toward the Buna-Gona area.

Tuesday, 3 November, 1942
B-26s bomb Dili, Timor Island. B-17s bomb the airfield and wharf at Lae, New Guinea, and attack a ship South of Gasmata Island off the S coast of New Britain Island.

Wednesday, 4 November, 1942
B-26s bomb Aileu on Timor Island. In New Guinea, B-17s and B-25s bomb the town and harbor of Salamaua; A-20s hit troop concentrations at Oivi, where an Australian attack meets firm resistance; transports fly most of the remainder of the 128th Infantry Regiment, 32d Infantry Division, to Wanigela. HQ 90th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and the 319th, 320th, 321st and 400th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) arrive at Iron Range, Queensland, Australia from Hawaii with B-24s (first mission is 13 November).

Thursday, 5 November, 1942
B-25s unsuccessfully attack a schooner near Arawe, New Britain Island.

Friday, 6 November, 1942
A single B-25 attacks a destroyer off the S tip of New Ireland Island, Bismarck Archipelago; no hits are scored. General Douglas MacArthur arrives in Point Moresby, New Guinea, where the Advanced Echelon of GHQ opens to direct operations.

Saturday, 7 November, 1942
In New Guinea, A-20s bomb and strafe forces at Kakandeta in the Owen Stanley Range; B-25s attack seaplanes at Lasonga Island and shipping at Maklo Island in the Bismarck Archipelago. The 65th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Iron Range to Mareeba, Australia with B-17s (first mission is 12 November).

Sunday, 8 November, 1942
B-25s bomb the radio station and airfield on Gasmata Island. In New Guinea, A-20s hit forces in the Oivi area in the Owen Stanley Range as Australian ground forces push over the mountains toward the Gona-Buna area; Fifth AF transports fly the final elements of the 128th Infantry Regiment, 32d Infantry Division, from Port Moresby to Wanigela; the 80th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, moves from Port Moresby to Milne Bay with P-39s and P-400s. The 64th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Iron Range to Mareeba, Australia with B-17s.

Monday, 9 November, 1942
In New Guinea, A-20s hit troops at Oivi in support of an Australian offensive in the Owen Stanley Range; B-26s bomb Buna while B-25s score hit on a merchant vessel off the South tip of New Ireland Island and attack a schooner off Salamaua; airlift of elements of the 126th Infantry Regiment, US 32d Infantry Division, from Port Moresby to forward areas begins; the first elements are flown to Abel's Field and moved overland to Pongani.

Tuesday, 10 November, 1942
In New Guinea, B-26s bomb AA positions and supply dumps along the Sanananda-Soputa trail; A-20s hit positions at Soputa as Australian ground forces push the Japanese from Oivi toward the mouth of the Kumusi River. The 30th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 19th Bombardment Group (Heavy), begins a movement from Mareeba, Australia to the US (the squadron will convert to B-29s and return to the Pacific in January 1945).

Wednesday, 11 November, 1942
B-17s attack shipping off the South coast of Bougainville Island. In New Guinea, A-20s bomb and strafe targets n the Wairopi area; HQ, 126th Infantry Regiment, US 32d Infantry Division, is flown from Port Moresby to Pongani. HQ V Fighter Command arrives in Australia from the US; Brigadier General Paul B. Wurtsmith is named Commanding General.

Thursday, 12 November, 1942
B-17s bomb shipping at Tonolai harbor on Bougainville Island. In New Guinea, the 3d Battalion of the 126th Infantry Regiment, US 32d Infantry Division, is airlifted from Port Moresby to Pongani; the troops immediately start overland toward Natunga; the 2nd Battalion, flown in earlier, reaches Bofu. HQ 374th Troop Carrier Group is activated at Brisbane, Australia.

Friday, 13 November, 1942
On Bougainville Island, B-17s bomb shipping off Tonolai-Komaleai Point and the airfield at Kahili. A B-17 strafes a schooner in Lorengau harbor on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands.

Saturday, 14 November, 1942
In New Guinea, 1 B-25 bombs and strafes the track North of Soputa; Fifth AF aircraft drop bridging equipment at Wairopi on the Kokoda trail where the Australian 25 Brigade is crossing on improvised bridge; US and Australian forces are consolidating at Natunga and in the Oro Bay-Embogu-Embi areas. 2 B-17s attack transport in the Solomon Islands.

Sunday, 15 November, 1942
In New Guinea, A-20s strafe targets near Gona while B-25s and B-26s pound AA positions at Buna and Soputa as US and Australian ground forces prepare to move against the Buna-Gona beachhead. B-17s hit shipping at Rabaul, New Britain Island. The 435th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 19th Bombardment Group (Heavy), begins a movement from Townsville, Australia to the US (the squadron will re-equip with B-29s and return to the Pacific in August 45).

Monday, 16 November, 1942
In New Guinea, B-26s, B-25s, and A-20s pound the areas around Buna, Gona, Soputa, Sanananda, and Giruwa, hitting AA positions, buildings, barges, and troop concentrations as the Australian 7 Division and US 32d Infantry Division move forward against the Buna-Gona beachhead.

Tuesday, 17 November, 1942
In New Guinea, B-26s hit Gona Mission as the US 32d Infantry and Australian 7 Divisions continue to move toward the Buna-Gona beachhead. B-25s bomb airfields at Lae, New Guinea and Gasmata Island. A lone B-24 bombs the wharf area at Rabaul, New Britain Island

Wednesday, 18 November, 1942
In New Guinea, B-25s bomb them airfields at Lae and Salamaua; B-17s attack warships 50 miles (80 km) Southwest of Gasmata Island located off the South coast of New Britain Island, 17 miles (27 km) North of Buna, and between Gona and Cape Ward Hunt; B-26s bomb and strafe the area between Cape Endaiadere and Buna. The 28th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), begins a movement from Mareeba, Australia to the US (squadron will return to Guam in January, 1945 with B-29s).

Saturday, 21 November, 1942
In New Guinea, A-20s and B-25s pound the airfield, AA positions, and bridge at Buna and hit the village of Sanananda in support of Allied ground forces; the Australian-US force is advancing from Soputa toward Sanananda; US forces driving on Buna are halted by strong bunker positions at The Triangle where trails to Buna mission and Buna village meet.

Sunday, 22 November, 1942
In New Guinea, A-20s pound trails around Sanananda while B-26s hit the Buna area; B-17s and B-25s hit the airfield at Lae and barges between Lae and Salamaua, and attack warships 68 miles (109 km) SW of Arawe, New Britain Island and elsewhere in the Solomon Sea

Monday, 23 November, 1942
In New Guinea, A-20s and B-26s pound Sanananda Point E as Australian forces begin their assault on Gona and US forces approach Sanananda; the 403d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Iron Range, Australia to Milne Bay.

Tuesday, 24 November, 1942
In New Guinea, A-20s, B-25s, B-26s, B-17s, P-40s, P-39s, and P-400s hit Sanananda Point, the Buna area, the Sanananda-Soputa trail S of Sanananda, and the area between Cape Killerton and Sanananda Point as Allied forces launch a ground assault on The Triangle; the attack is repelled by fierce resistance; B-17s also bomb 2 destroyers and a light cruiser between Lae and Finschhafen.

Wednesday, 25 November, 1942
In New Guinea, P-38s hit the airfield at Lae; a lone B-25 scores a hit on a cruiser off Tami Island.

Thursday, 26 November, 1942
In New Guinea, US and Australian ground forces carry out limited attacks on the Buna front, making little progress; in an effort to break Japanese air superiority over Buna, P-40s, A-20s, and B-25s pound airfields and AA positions in the area; B-26s strike the Salamaua area.

Friday, 27 November, 1942
In New Guinea, B-26s pound the Buna area, hitting buildings, the airfield, and other targets, as Allied ground forces prepare to renew attacks in the Buna-Gona area.

Saturday, 28 November, 1942
In New Guinea, B-26s bomb the airfields at Lae and Buna; elements of the 126th Infantry Regiment, US 32d Infantry Division arrive on the Sanananda front from Wairopi.

Sunday, 29 November, 1942
In New Guinea, B-17s, P-40s, and A-20s pound the Gona area while B-25s and a single A-20 bomb the airfield at Lae; B-17s intercept a force of 4 troopcarrying destroyers proceeding through Vitiaz Strait between New Britain Island and New Guinea without air cover; the B-17s damage 2 vessels and cause the others to turn back, thus preventing reinforcement of Gona with fresh troops from Rabaul on New Britain Island.

Monday, 30 November, 1942
In New Guinea, B-25s and B-26s pound the airfield, AA positions, and defenses in the Buna area; 3 attempts by Allied ground forces to take Buna fail; US forces establish a block behind enemy forces on the Soputa-Sanananda trail but frontal and flanking assaults make little headway.