Bombing of Wewak

13 August 1943, a pair of B-25 Mitchells bombs the Wewak area, in the lead-up to the devastating raids of 17 and 18 August.

Date	17–21 August 1943
Location	Wewak, Territory of New Guinea
Result	Decisive Allied victory

Belligerents

United States

Australia

Japan

Commanders and leaders

George Kenney

Kumaichi Teramoto

Strength

47 heavy bombers;
53 medium bombers;
80 fighters

130 aircraft

Casualties and losses

10 destroyed

~100 destroyed

The Bombing of Wewak was a series of air raids by the USAAF Fifth Air Force, on 17–21 August 1943, against the major air base of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force on the mainland of New Guinea, at Wewak. The four raids, over a five-day period, represented a decisive victory for the Allies: the Japanese Fourth Air Army lost about 100 planes on the ground and in the air, reducing its operational strength to about 30 planes. Ten aircraft from the U.S. Fifth Air Force were lost.

By August 1943, the Fourth Air Army—which had been formed in June for the New Guinea campaign—had 130 operational aircraft. This was one third of its full complement of planes and represented an operational strength of 50%. According to Japanese historian Hiroyuki Shindo: "...the major causes of this low operational rate were widespread illness among the aircrews, along with ... the lack of aircraft replacements." Nevertheless, the planes included state-of-the-art fighters like the formidable Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa ("Oscar"), the new in-line-engined Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien ("Tony"), and the twin-engined Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu ("Nick") ground attack/night fighter.

During the U.S. and Australian Armies' Lae campaign, the Fourth Air Army moved a large number of aircraft out of range of Allied fighters, to a cluster of airfields near Wewak, some 400 miles (650 km) west of the Huon Peninsula. Escort fighters did not have the range to reach Wewak from existing Allied air bases, and the Allies considered large-scale, long-range raids by unescorted heavy bombers to be at risk of heavy losses.

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