Fortress Rabaul (58 page)

The first American raid on Rabaul was conducted February 22-23, 1942, by B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 14th Reconnaissance Squadron, temporarily assigned to the U.S. Navy. The author’s uncle, Lt. John Steinbinder, flew forty-three combat missions as a navigator in the squadron (later redesignated the 435th RS), including a dozen missions over Rabaul.
Margaret Gamble Steinbinder

Workhorse of the RAAF, the Catalina flying boat was slow and ungainly but could carry 4,000 pounds of bombs over great distances. Less than twenty-four hours after Rabaul fell, Catalinas of 11 and 20 Squadrons made the first of many night raids on Simpson Harbor.
Michael Claringbould

Fast and well armed, the Navy Type 1 land attack aircraft (Mitsubishi G4M “Betty”) saw action throughout the Pacific. In combat the Betty caught fire easily, and the units at Rabaul suffered devastating losses. Elements of Air Group 705 are pictured here over Simpson Harbor in 1943.
Maru

Long stretches of boredom were common during reconnaissance flights and even attack missions, which took many hours to complete. Here, the starboard-side gunner in a Betty uses chopsticks to eat a boxed “aero lunch” while keeping watch on the world outside.
Osaka Mainichi

When two waves of Bettys attacked the USS
Lexington
task force almost four hundred miles from Rabaul on February 20, 1942, Lt. Edward “Butch” O’Hare singlehandedly thwarted the second wave, earning the Pacific war’s first Medal of Honor. He is pictured (left) shaking hands with his CO and mentor, Lt. Cmdr. John “Jimmy” Thach, in front of an F4F Wildcat.
National Archives

Dead heroes. Commander Takuzo Ito (top, left) directed the 4th Air Group’s attack on
Lexington
. After O’Hare damaged his bomber, Ito and his crew died in a failed attempt to crash into the carrier. Also aboard the plane was Lt. Cmdr. Yogoro Seto (top, right). A separate suicidal ramming attempt by Lt. Cmdr. Masayoshi Nakagawa (bottom, left) likewise failed to hit the ship. The Betty piloted by Lt. Akira Mitani (bottom, right) fell in flames to O’Hare’s guns.
Osaka Mainichi

With its two outboard engines idling, a B-17E of the 19th Bomb Group waits to taxi while P-39 Airacobra fighters take off from Seven Mile airdrome in mid-1942. Throughout the war, Port Moresby served as the primary staging base for Allied air groups in the Southwest Pacific.
Michael Claringbould

Fighter pilots of RAAF 75 Squadron wear a casual assortment of combat gear. For a critical span of forty-four days, the lone squadron held off relentless Japanese attacks against Port Moresby. In the process, virtually all of their Kittyhawk fighters were destroyed or put out of commission.
David Wilson

Allied antiaircraft guns were sparse at Port Moresby during the early months of the war. Eventually, large-bore guns, such as this 3-inch weapon of the 94th Coastal Artillery, were installed in protected emplacements to defend against Japanese bombers.
MacArthur Memorial

Built for speed, the streamlined B-26 featured the most powerful radial engines then available. This Marauder of the 22nd Bomb Group was photographed at Townsville, Queensland, in the spring of 1942, when American planes wore highly visible red and white rudder stripes.
Michael Claringbould