Fortress Rabaul (65 page)

Walker’s request to change takeoff time: Ibid.

Noon attack vs. dawn attack rationale: Byrd, p. 108.

Kenney repeats orders for a dawn attack:
General Kenney Reports
, p. 176.

full-scale bomber attack
: Ibid., p. 175.

You’re going to lose two airplanes
… : Quoted by Dieffenderfer, author interview.

Fine, we just won’t take your squadron
: Ibid.

Walker conducts mission briefing: Ibid.

When this was announced
… : Wesche, oral history. His statement contradicts biographer Martha Byrd, who wrote that Walker may have been motivated to delay the attack until noon because “most of the crews preferred a total daylight mission.”

Early mission on Jan. 5, 1943 to suppress fighters:
pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-17/41–24538.html
.

First interception by Ki-43 Oscars: Ichimura,
Ki-43 Aces
, p. 74.

Japanese “
infuriated
” by the shoot-down of a Ki-43: Quoted in Dunn, “Timing Factor,” p. 3.

Attack on Captain Jack’s B-17:
pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-17/41–24538.html
.

Start of main mission, crew of
San Antonio Rose: MACR 15359
.

Participation of B-24s on Jan. 5, 1943: Woods, p. 32.

at least three ships hit
… : Ibid.; also Alcorn,
The Jolly Rogers
, pp. 18–19.

Minor damage to B-24s: Alcorn, p. 18.

Downing of Ki-43 pilot Takagaki: Ichimura, p. 74.

We went over the target
… : Wesche, oral history.

Last observation of
San Antonio Rose: MACR 15359
.

Japanese losses:
Combinedfleet.com/tachik_t.htm
; also Ichimura, p. 74.

Walker off late
… : Kenney papers, Jan. 5, 1943.

Kenney’s intension to reprimand Walker:
General Kenney Reports
, p. 176.

If he doesn’t come back
… : Quoted in Griffith, p. 102; also Kenney papers, Jan. 5 1943.

quite disappointed
… : quoted by Dieffenderfer, correspondence with author. The remark was made by Colonel Jack when Dieffenderfer worked with him at Wright-Patterson AFB in the 1950s.

Downing of Rose’s B-24 on Jan. 6, 1943:
Pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/walker_search.html
.

Loss of Higgins’s B-24 and subsequent rescue of crew: Woods, p. 33.

MacArthur’s communiqué: Byrd, photo gallery
(Glendale News Press
image).

Kenney’s belief that Walker was dead:
General Kenney Reports
, p. 177.

The attacking planes
… : Scharmach,
This Crowd Beats Us All
, p. 120.

Information regarding Walker learned by Lieutenant Holguin:
Pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-17/41–24458/pow.html
.

We do not know
… : Scharmach, p. 120.

It is the considered opinion of Headquarters
… : Quoted in Byrd, p. 121.

Chapter 25: Blood in the Water

Eleventh Air Fleet’s attempted raid on Port Moresby: Asai,
History of Air Group 705
, p. 178.

Raid aborted due to weather: Ibid.

Attacks on the Lae convoy and successful landings:
USAF Study 113
, p. 73.

Skepticism of Japanese: Diary of Igarashi quoted in Asai, p. 178.

Symbol conference and allocation of resources: Morison,
Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier
, pp. 4–5.

withdrawing from commitments
… : Ibid., p. 5.

MacArthur’s appreciation of air power:
USAF Study 113
, p. 25.

Joint Directive: Kenney papers, July 2, 1942.

Kenney’s expectations for Ramey:
General Kenney Reports
, p. 182.

Loss of Major Benn:
Pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-25/41–12485.html
.

Status of Fifth Air Force units:
USAF Study 113
, p. 7.

an elevator shot out
… : 63rd Bomb Squadron war diary, Jan. 26, 1943.

Night patrols by Zeros of Air Group 204: Mikesh,
Moonlight Interceptors
, p. 37.

the weather was generally bad
… :
USAF Study 113
, pp. 74–75.

Descriptions and assessments of combat stress: King, “Some First Hand Observations,” pp. 2–5.

They just went out and that was the end of it
… : DeLoach, appearing in “Black Jack” documentary.

We lost a lot of airplanes
… :Harcrow, interview with author.

I had to have seven airplanes available
… : Dieffenderfer, interview with author.

really take Rabaul apart
and
burn down the town
: Kenney, p. 191.

Rabaul mission on Feb. 14, 1943:
USAF Study 113
, p. 82; also 63rd Bomb Squadron war diary. Japanese assessment of damages:
SWPA Intelligence Summary 146
.

loud sound of antiaircraft
guns … : Asai, p. 191.

Praise from Colonel Ramey: 63rd Bomb Group war diary, Feb. 15, 1943.

I had a terrible headache
… : Asai, p. 191.

less than satisfactory
record against shipping:
USAF Study 113
, p. 84.

Background of Paul Gunn: Henebry,
The Grim Reapers
, pp. 52–55.

Kenney’s recommendations for B-25 mods:
General Kenney Reports
, p. 144.

help Pappy with testing
… : Ibid., p. 169.

Larner assigned to 90th Bomb Squadron: Ibid., p. 173.

Successful Japanese convoys: Frank, p. 595; also Morison, pp. 54–55.

Intel on Lae convoy:
General Kenney Reports
, p. 197.

Kenney and Whitehead plot the convoy route: Ibid.

tsubo
system and
chomansai
: Cundall, correspondence with author, Feb. 4, 2004.

Higgins finds the convoy: Wood, p. 43.

Allied aircraft availability:
USAF Study 113
, p. 86.

Initial attack by B-17s on Mar. 2: JANAC (Part VIII), p. 18; also McAulay,
Battle of the Bismarck Sea
, p. 47.

Nighttime surveillance of the convoy: Riddell, p. 41; also 63rd Bomb Squadron war diary, Mar. 2, 1943.

Dawn attack by 100 Squadron:
USAF Study 113
, pp. 90–91.

Subsequent attack by B-17s: Ibid., p. 92.

Dammit, get the hell off my wing
… : Quoted in Birdsall, p. 57.

Low-level attacks on Mar. 3: MacAulay, pp. 63–97.

Scattering of convoy over fifteen miles: 63rd Bomb Squadron war diary, Mar. 2, 1943.

Details of B-17 attack:
USAF Study 113
, p. 93; 63rd Bomb Squadron war diary, Mar. 3, 1943.

Account of Warrent Officer Iwai: Tagaya, correspondence to Edward Rogers, June 20, 2007.

Reaction of Sergeant Manuel to strafing: Reynolds,
70,000 to One
, p. 60.

Positioning of destroyers, afternoon of Mar. 3: McAulay, pp. 102–3.

Details of B-17 attacks and strafing: McAulay, pp. 114–16; 63rd Bomb Squadron war diary, Mar. 3, 1943.

We’d come back and refuel
… : Harcrow, interview with author.

Details of Mar. 4 attacks: 63rd Bomb Squadron war diary; McAulay, p. 149.

Every man in the squadron
… : 63rd Bomb Squadron war diary, Mar. 3, 1943.

RAAF pilots’ opinion on strafing: Griffith, p. 107.

Claims reported to MacArthur:
General Kenney Reports
, pp. 205–6.

Congratulations on that stupendous success
… : Kenney, quoted in 63rd Bomb Squadron war diary, Mar. 5, 1943.

Our decisive success
… : MacArthur, quoted in
Time
, Mar. 15, 1943.

Estimates of casualties: McAulay, p. 164.

Kenney’s refusal to modify claims: Griffith, pp. 110–11.

about ten Jap fighters
… :
General Kenney Reports
, p. 204.

The fact that counts
… : Craven & Cate,
Vol. IV
, p. 146–47.

Chapter 26: Operation I-Go: Yamamoto’s Last Offensive

Yamamoto
greatly incensed
: Yoshihara, “Attitudes to the War” (accessed Feb. 6, 2004).

gradually mollified
: Ibid.

The land-based air groups
… : quoted in Prados, p. 449.

We cannot expect much
… : Ugaki, p. 316.

Health of Admiral Kusaka: United States Strategic Bombing Survey, pp. 33–34.

I had a mysterious fever
… : Quoted in Asai, p. 205.

Their present skill
… : Ugaki, p. 316.

Shortening of Imperial Japanese Navy training syllabus: Prados, p. 540.

They used to say
… : Agawa, p. 342.

Narrative of Petty Officer Matsunaga: Tsunoda, pp. 159–62.

Health concerns of Igarashi: Asai, pp. 178–79.

Joint Army-Navy Central Agreement (Japanese): Morton, p. 637.

American build-up on Guadalcanal: Craven & Cate, p. 212; also Dunn, “X Attack,” pp. 4–5.

Admiral Ozawa’s reluctance to contribute carrier planes: Prados, p. 452.

Transfer of Combined Fleet Headquarters to Rabaul: Agawa, p. 339.

Outcome of Apr. 1 fighter sweep: Hata & Izawa, p. 428; also Dunn, p. 11.

Exaggerated claims: Morison, p. 118; Monograph No. 122, p. 47.

Yamamoto confides in liaison officer: Agawa, p. 340.

Yamamoto’s relationship with Chiyoko Kawai: Ibid., pp. 59, 341.

Possibility that Yamamoto had beriberi: Prados, p. 458.

Preliminary plans for
I-Go
: Ugaki, p. 321.

Yamamoto adds strikes to the original plan: Morton, p. 636.

Statistics of Japanese participation, Apr. 7: Dunn, p. 20; also Morison, p. 120.

Warnings and alerts to Guadalcanal: Dunn, p. 21.

Feat of Lieutenant Swett: Tillman,
Above and Beyond
, pp. 165–66.

Analysis of Swett’s victories: Dunn, pp. 26–27, 32, 43.

Actual Japanese losses: Monograph No. 122, p. 47.

Claims by Imperial Japanese Navy dive-bomber units: Dunn, p. 42.

Exaggerated coverage in Japanese media:
Mainichi Daily News
, May 1, 1943.

Operation Y attacks, Apr. 11, 1943: Ugaki, p. 329; Morison, p. 125.

Medium bomber attacks, Apr. 12, 1943: Tagaya, p. 70.

Details of attacks on New Guinea:
General Kenney Reports
, p. 227; also AWM52 (1/5/51–0335),
Air Operations Daily Review
, Apr. 11, 1943, p. 2.

flying in excellent mass formation:
General Kenney Reports
, p. 227.

Results of Japanese attacks on Apr. 12, 1943: Gillison, p. 701; also 43rd Bomb Group war diary.

Interception by American fighters and comparison of claims: Monograph No. 122, p. 47; also Tagaya, p. 70.

Improved mood at Rabaul: Agawa, p. 344.

The carrier-based pilots
… : Igarashi, p. 209.

Chapter 27: Death of a Warrior God

Yamamoto’s decision to tour forward areas: Agawa, p. 346.

Outline of Yamamoto’s itinerary: Davis,
Lightning Strike
, p. 222; also Agawa, p. 346.

What a damn fool thing to do
… : Agawa, p. 347.

If he insists on going
… : Ibid., p. 346.