Wewak and Rabaul (New Guinea) air combat wins and losses (claimed) Jan 1944

[MiTasol]

Searching for something else and came upon this. It would be nice to know what history shows for the number of aircraft shot down on both sides. Source is NZ Herald 1944-01-22

 

[K5083]

The RN submarine was HMS Tally-Ho, and the sunk cruiser was the Kuma.

 

[MiTasol]

Thank you

 

[Port Moresby]

The best source for fighter claims vs. actual losses over Rabaul is Richard L. Dunn's article "Shootout at Rabaul" which was published in Air Power History vol. 59, no. 3 (Fall 2012), p. 14-27 (14 pages)

Spoiler - The P-38 pilots lost. Due to combat and operational losses during the Rabaul campaign two P-38 Squadrons (the 9th and 39th) had to convert to P-47s while their planes were reassigned to the 80th Squadron and the three squadrons of the 475th FG to make good their losses.

The research is also included in Dunn's most recent book, South Pacific Air War : The Role of Airpower in the New Guinea and Solomon Island Campaigns, January 1943 to February 1944 (Schiffer Publishing - April 28, 2024) - 608 pages - hardback
Highest recommendation

South Pacific Air War

An illuminating new look at the New Guinea and Solomon Island campaigns of World War II In 1943 the Allies chipped away at the defensive outer barrier of the Japanese Pacific empire, particularly in the Solomon Islands. US Marine and Army infantry trudged through bloody jungle fighting on...

schifferbooks.com

 

[EwenS]

Thank you

Details of Tally Ho's war patrols can be found here

HMS Tally-Ho (P 317) of the Royal Navy - British Submarine of the T class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net

The U-boat War in World War Two (Kriegsmarine, 1939-1945) and World War One (Kaiserliche Marine, 1914-1918) and the Allied efforts to counter the threat. This section includes over 21.000 Allied Warships and over 11.000 Allied Commanders of WWII, from the US Navy, Royal Navy, Royal Canadian...

uboat.net

It was on her 6th war patrol 28th Dec 1943 - 18th Jan 1944 that she sank Kuma. On her next patrol she was almost sunk by an IJN sub-chaser, that ran down her side, chopping up her ballast tanks with its prop.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205155033

Her story was told in this book.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hunting-Submarine-Fighting-Life-Tally-Ho-ebook/dp/B00889O6OQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?crid=KKP7YA7LWTJ1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.T_dQobN7ApMyv1l2r6irqjBdDO78QdhdWMNXuI330hnxGb0IvbjJvtWwA8HMyfYP17Re31jcYf4S07gna8g1PYeIG9WtCeyx_VUJaVsEm7e3af_esUS6eOH4T5jc3bL2hWG22-OZC4T6QeTncvDkSeOAciu8wLia9UfqxSVkYf7E8A23TV2ESX1KzDV2H_ZFMsPIX0nMpRWBZMvn_h127Q.jq1K_IbH_Xxf0soC_g7RR7Q6BpX_N8NCsUrCEWqnAyk&dib_tag=se&keywords=tally+ho&qid=1743085594&sprefix=tally+ho%2Caps%2C237&sr=8-15

 

[MiTasol]

Thanks for the Kindle link.