Bombing of Rabaul (November 1943) - Carrier Attacks

Carrier Attacks

With the invasion of Bougainville on 1 November, Rabaul came under threat from another direction. A hasty attempt to drive Allied forces off Bougainville had been defeated in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay. Now Admiral Mineichi Koga, commander-in-chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, planned to reinforce Rabaul and overwhelm the limited Allied forces around Bougainville while most of the U.S. Navy was involved in preparations for the invasion of Tarawa.

Rear-Admiral Frederick Sherman planned to pre-empt this threat by a carrier raid from Task Force 38 (TF 38). The aircraft carriers Saratoga and Princeton headed for New Britain under cover of a weather front and launched 97 aircraft against Rabaul on 5 November.

While no ships were sunk in the raid, six cruisers were damaged, four heavily. Atago was near-missed by three 500 lb (230 kg) bombs that caused severe damage and killed 22 crewmen, including her captain. Maya was hit by one bomb above one of her engine rooms, causing heavy damage and killing 70 crewmen. Mogami was hit by one 500 lb bomb and set afire, causing heavy damage and killing 19 crewmen. Takao was hit by two 500 lb bombs, causing heavy damage and killing 23 crewmen. Chikuma, was slightly damaged by several near-misses. Agano was near-missed by one bomb which damaged one anti-aircraft gun and killed one crewman. Three destroyers were also lightly damaged. Most of the Japanese warships returned to Truk the next day for repairs and to escape further Allied airstrikes.

Fifth Air Force followed up the carrier strikes an hour after they ended with a raid by 27 B-24 Liberator heavy bombers escorted by 58 P-38s.

An additional carrier unit—Task Group 50.3 (TG 50.3) of the U.S. 5th Fleet—reached Halsey on 7 November. Commanded by Rear Adm. Alfred L. Montgomery, it consisted of the carriers Bunker Hill, Essex and Independence. Halsey used Montgomery's ships as well as TF 38 in a double carrier strike against Rabaul on 11 November. Sherman launched a strike from near Green Island, northwest of Bougainville, which attacked in bad weather at about 08:30. After its return, TF 38 retired to the south without being detected. Montgomery launched from the Solomon Sea 160 mi (140 nmi; 260 km) southeast of Rabaul.

Agano—which had remained at Rabaul after the 5 November strike—was torpedoed in these attacks and was heavily damaged. The Japanese launched a series of counterattacks involving 120 aircraft against the U.S. carriers, but the force was intercepted and lost 35 planes without inflicting damage on Montgomery's ships.