THE PILOT REPORTS:"A scene of utter destruction ..."
In the right background, a cone of smoke rises from the stern of a 3,800-ton freighter (12). "We came low over the hills in a formation of planes echeloned slightly to the rear. Before us was spread a scene of utter destruction. Flame and smoke, exploding bombs, fire from ship, shore, and aircraft were everywhere ..." (From narrative report by Lt. Henry B. Rust.) DESTRUCTION - AND DEFENSE: While two ships blaze in the background, a heavy cruiser of the powerful Nachi class "I moved into close formation with Major Henebry as we started our run on a 10,000-ton transport. We dropped two 1,000-pound bombs on this vessel, one of which the gunner reports landed in number 2 hold. The whole side of the vessel appeared to blow out and fire could be seen to spread over the ship and water." (From narrative by Flight Officer Harold Prince.)
"On this run I crossed the bow of a cruiser that was firing salvos at the second wave of airplanes. Fire from the tender was heavy and accurate. My right engine was hit by a 20-millimeter shell." (From narrative report by Capt. Richard Ellis.) ATTACK IN PERSPECTIVE: with two more echelons yet to come in, lead elements of the striking force recorded this "To me, the whole harbor seemed to suddenly catch fire. I could see debris from vessels already attacked flying all over the sky. The heavy cruiser was firing repeated salvos at the bombers." (From Maj. Gerald Johnson, commander of fighter squadrons.) |
  
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TWO VESSELS ABLAZE: From the tail camera of a Mitchell bomber flying at mast-height the blasting of two Japanese merchantmen is brought into sharp focus. Scoring a direct hit on a 10,400-ton transport of the Hakone Maru class (24) the attackers have left it listing and burning.
(25) maneuvers in the foreground. The cruiser, later damaged and possibly sunk, was one of mare than a dozen war vessels assembled in Simpson Harbor.
BOMB BLASTED HARBOR: Debris from the 6,800-ton destroyer tender Yamabiko Maru (26), hit amidships by a 1,000-pound bomb, hurtles high above the masts. In the background, a heavy cruiser (25) is almost hidden by geysers from exploding bombs.
photograph of Rabaul as they made their escape over Vulcan volcano. Four vessels (26, 24, 12, and 10) can be seen burning, while the Nachi class cruiser (25), as yet
untouched by bombs, maneuvers between two flaming ships (26 and 24).