Air-Ground Cooperation
Our victory at Buna was the fruit of cooperation between ground and air forces. Either without the other would have failed. The Australian and American units of the U. S. 5th Air Force, under Lt. Gen. George C. Kenney, met all demands, strategic, tactical, and logistic. Though our squadrons were often outnumbered and always short of pilots, planes, and supplies, they were stronger than the forces which the Japanese could spare from their major effort in the Solomons. The skill and courage of Allied fliers, in combination with the superiority of our planes, won aerial mastery over the southeastern end of New Guinea. Our control of the air made large-scale reinforcement of the enemy troops in the area cost more than the Japanese were willing or able to pay in terms of losses. At the same time, we were able to bring in the soldiers and supplies to drive the enemy from Buna and Sanananda.
Our control of the air was won by constant patrolling, armed reconnaissance, and aggressive fighter operations.[1] Yet we could not monopolize the air and considerable numbers of hostile planes from time to time succeeded in breaking through to bomb and strafe our troops and rear areas. For example, on 7 December, 3 Japanese navy dive bombers and 18 Zero-escorted high-level bombers attacked the 2d Field Hospital at Simemi, causing heavy casualties. As late as 27 December, when the enemy was withdrawing toward the sea for his last stand, 41 Zeros and dive bombers attempted to raid our positions but were intercepted by 8 of our P–38's. Two enemy planes were shot down, and the 3 bombs dropped did no damage. However, the
- ↑
Tabulation of cooperation by the 5th Air Force in the New Guinea area, 1 November 1942–23 January 1943:
NUMBER OF MISSIONS ASSIGNED Type of plane Aerial reconnaissance and observation Armed reconnaissance, escort, and patrol Attack on enemy aircraft Bombing and strafing Total Heavy Bomber 116 1 47 164 Medium Bomber 45 88 133 Light Bomber 28 74 102 Fighter 35 38 3 63 139 Miscellaneous. 73 73 Total 35 300 4 272 611
18
