FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
syscom3 said:B17's and B24's were based on New Caledonia, Townsville, Port Moresby, Guadalcanal, and Canton island and Howland/Baker islands.
They had plenty of bases to operate from. It was just a matter of deploying the bomb groups. Only one beat up and under strength B17 group was operational through the start of the Guadalcanal operation, and two more bomb groups arrived in the SW Pacific by the end of the year. The heavy bomber groups in Hawaii didnt have the range to hit any targets so they were used only for scouting patrols.
5 Islands? Guadalcanal was secured and used by B-24s way later. Port Moresby was the only base close enough in the slot where targets like Rabual and New Britain could be hit.
From new Caledonia to the Solomons was just under 2000 miles, a one way trip?!?
Howland/ Baker? Look at where they on on a map!
![baker_island.jpg](/forum/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.banknotes.se%2Fbaker_island.jpg&hash=45a558f16a1f8893bd15ee6443b192b8)