CONFIDENTIAL

MARINE FIGHTING SQUADRON 222, MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 21
FIRST MARINE AIRCRAFT WING, Navy No. 140 (One Four Zero)
C/O FLEET POST OFFICE, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

WAR DIARY

from

Oct. 1

SAPP's second division takes off for Vella Lavella patrol over Kundurumbangara Point at 11,000 feet. HOBBS returned early and set fire to two barges on Kolombangara, one at Okoko River and the other near Waugh Rook, The rest of the flight made no contact and pancaked at 0800.

At 0555,

McLEAN's third division takes off to patrol Vella Gulf at 10,000 feet. No contact made and they pancaked at 0800.

CARNAGEY's fifth division patrols over north end of Vella Lavella at 18,000 feet. No contact and pancaked at 0800.

GORDON’s fourth division takes off to patrol over Kundurum Point at 20,000 feet. No contact and pancaked at 1080,

VOLCANSEK’s first, SAPP's second, CARNAGEY's fifth and NEWLANDS' sixth divisions all take off to patrol over North West tip of Vella Lavella at altitude from 10,000 to 25,000 feet. No contact by any and they all pancaked by 1250.

McLEAN's third division takes off to patrol North West tip of Vella Lavella, no contact, pancaked 1425

CARNAGEY leading LEACH, SCHAEFFER, and FOSTER take off for patrol over Vella Lavella. They were vectored toward a Bogey, but found none. CARNAGEY gave over the lead to LEACH and had to break away from the division. He heard of a reported Bogey over Barakoma and joined three other F4Us attacking a force of Vals and Zekes. He shot two Zekes and was credited with probables as both of then smoked after his runs on them. He was forced to dive away from a Zero on his tail and could not find Vals below or Zeros above after coming back, so pancaked at 1550. FOSTER, in the meantime, became separated from the others and came back over Kolombangara where he set fire to one barge and left another smoking, The others made no contact and pancaked at 1610.

MOORE and GHER takes off to escort DC-3 from Segi to Munda, pancaked 1600.

GORDON's fourth and NEWLANDS' sixth divisions take off to patrol North West tip of Vella Lavella at 18,000 feet. No contact and pancaked 1730.

SAPP's second and McLEAN's third divisions take off on patrol over returning Task Force near Wana Wana. No contact and pancaked at 1850,

NEWLANDS' sixth and McLEAN’s third divisions take off to patrol over Task Force to Barako. No contact and pancaked at 0900.

Carnagy's fifth division takes off on local patrol over Munda at 26,000 feet. Investigate a Bogey, negative, pancaked at 0800.

VOLCANSEK's first division patrol over Barakoma at 26,000 feet, no contact, pancaked 1220. Patrolled and returned with DC-3s pancaked at 1210,

GORDON's fourth division patrol at 10,000 feet over Barakoma. No contact and pancaked at 1830.

VOLCANSEK's first division locates a three Destroyer Task Force in very bad whether. Patrols over force down to near Barako and pancaked 0845.

SAPP's second division takes off but unable to locate Task force. Pancaked 0750,

NEWLANDS leads NUGENT, PANKHURST, and WITT and McLEAN leading CARRELL, KOETSCH, and HAZLETT are scrambled over Vella Lavella where at 20,000 feet at 0800, seven of them, CARRELL having returned early, made contact with fifty to sixty Zekes. WITT shot down in flames two and one-half (2 1/2) Zekes, PANKHURST, HAZLETT, and KOETSCH each got one Zeke sure. NEWLANDS shared in the kill with WITT for one-half Zeke sure, and he also got a "smoker" for a probable. McLEAN and NUGENT also got a probable each. KOETSCH was forced to bail out of his plane over Munda as his hydraulics and emergency CO2 system had been shot away, The score for the engagement, six Zekes destroyed and three probables while we lost one Corsair with the pilot being unhurt. Pancaked 0845.

SAPP's second division takes off on Vel1a Lavella patrol. Investigated Bogeys from Choiseul to Ballale at 17,000 feet, no contact. On return, HOBBS observes barge targets on Kolombangara and asks permission to strafe. Pancaked 1030.

HOBBS is granted permission to strafe barges and tales off leading McLEAN, CARRELL, and HAZLETT. They sunk and burned two gunboats, pancaked at 1220.

GORDON's fourth division takes off to cover P-39s strafing Choiseul from the northern tip of the island and back. Results of strafing unobserved. Pancaked at 1600.

At 1655,

McLEAN's third division takes off for local patrol at 15,000 feet with no contact of investigated Bogey. Pancaked at 1835.

CARNAGEY's fifth division takes off on local patrol; no contort at 18,000 to 26,000 feet with two reported Bogeys. Investigated and pancaked 0730.

VOLCANSEK's first division scrambled and reported over Vella Lavella at 26,000 feet to investigate a bogey, no contact. Pancaked at 0845.

SAPP's second division also scrambled but made no contact at 23,000 feet over Baga Island. Pancaked at 0845.

SAPP's second division takes off on strafing mission off Choiseul In which eight barges are sunk or burned and four others left smoking, Pancaked at 1350.

NEWLANDS’ sixth division scrambled but makes no contact over Baga at 28,000 feet. Pancaked at 1415.

SAPP's second division escorts Dumbo to search for mission pilot in water near Kolombangara. Pilot not found and they pancaked at 1300.

VOLCANSEK's first division takes off to strafe targets on Choiseul. One sailboat 30 feet and one barge strafed. Pancaked 1810.

GORDON's fourth division takes off on local patrol. No contact at 10,000 feet. Pancaked 0705.

McLEAN's third division takes off on barge strafing mission off Choiseul area. No good targets observed as some old ones are sunk and a few possibly new ones left smoking. Pancaked at 0815.

SAPP's second and NEWLANDS' sixth divisions scrambled over Vella Lavella at 25,000 feet. No contact and they pancaked at 1220.

VOLCANSEK’s and CARNAGEY's fifth divisions are scrambled over Vella Lavella at 28,000 feet. No contact and they pancake at 1220.

McLEAN's third division takes off to patrol over Vella Lavella at 20,000 feet. No contact and pancaked at 1415.

GORDON’s fourth division patrols over Baga Island at 10,000 feet. No contact, and pancaked at 1515.

CARRELL ferries a plane from Munda. Pancaked at Cactus 1830.

CARRELL takes off from Guadalcanal and pancakes at Munda at 0700.

CARNAGEY's fifth and NEWLANDS' sixth divisions are scrambled over Vella Lavella at 23,000 feet. Searched to within 10 miles of Shortlands Island for Bogey. No contact and pancaked at 0940,

SAPP's second and McLEAN's third divisions also scrambled over Vella Lavella at 26,000 feet. Searched close to Shortlands Island, no contact and pancaked at 1010

WILLIAMS leading VOLCANSEK's first division is scrambled over Gizo at 20,000 feet, and then over Ganongga Island, no contact and pancaked at 1030.

GORDON's fourth and NEWLANDS' sixth division take off to cover task force of four destroyers, one in distress and moving very slowly South East toward Gizo Island. They patrol north and west of the force at 22 to 20,000 feet but make no contact. Pancaked at 0745.

WILLIAMS leading the first division, VOLCANSEK still sick, takes off on task force cover, at 10,000 feet. No contact and pancaked 0815.

McLEAN's third division takes off to cover task force five miles West of Ganongga at 21,000 feet. No contact and pancakes at 1000.

CARNAGEY's fifth and SAPP's second division take off on task force cover. They patrol at 22,000 feet over Force, which is thirty miles West of Rendova, No contact and they pancaked at 1130.

GORDON's fourth division takes off on task force cover at 20,000 feet over Simbo Island, No contact and they pancaked at 1840.

CARNAGEY's fifth division takes off on Vella Lavella patrol at 20,000 feet. No contact and they pancaked at 0800.

SAPP's second, NEWLANDS' sixth, and McLEAN's third divisions take off to patrol over Vella Lavella at 26,000 feet. No contact and they pancaked at 0810.

NEWLANDS' sixth division, LEACH substituting for PANKHURST, takes off to patrol Vella Lavella at 18,000 feet. No contact and they pancaked at 0750.

VOLCANSEK, again leading his division, takes off to patrol over Baga Island at 20,000 feet. No contact made and they pancake at 1115.

GORDON's fourth division, HUGHES substituting for YEAGER, and NEWLANDS' sixth division, LEACH still for PANKHURST, takes off to patrol Vella Lavella, GORDON at 26,000 feet over North West tip, and NEWLANDS over Barakoma at 15,000 feet. No contact and they pancaked at 1410.

the second division without SAPP, who had to down his plane and the third division without McLEAN who had the same trouble, took off to patrol over Kundurumbangara Point at 26,000 feet. No contact and they pancaked at 1600.

CARNAGEY's fifth division takes off to cover ask force near Ganongga Island at 20,000 feet. Nothing observed above Force or on sea around it and they pancaked at 1530.

McLEAN's third division takes off on local patrol and circle over the field at 10,000 feet. No contact, and they pancaked at 0745.

GORDON's fourth division, HUGHES for YEAGER, and CARNAGEY's fifth division take off to cover P-39s strafing Poporang. Staffers mistake Fauro Island for the Shortlands Islands and miss target. No intercepting planes, and they pancaked at 0740.

GORDON's fourth division again takes off to cover P-39 staffers and this time the mission is successful. The cover observes a fire started in target area but no intercepting aircraft is encountered although some accurate heavy caliber AA is seen. They pancake at 1030.

SAPP's second division is scrambled. No contact with reported bogeys at 17,000 feet and they pancaked at 1230.

VOLCANSEK’s first division takes off to escort Dumbo Northwest of Vella Lavella at 7,000 feet. No contact made and they pancaked at 1700.

Marine Fighting Squadron TWO-FOURTEEN arrives at Munda to relieve Marine Fighting Squadron TWO TWENTY-TWO for reporting to Marine Aircraft Group TWENTY-ONE for temporary duty and are quartered at the fighter strip, Russell Islands.

SAPP leading JONES, TURNER, and HOBBS rendezvoused with B-24s and escort them in a Kahili strike. They receive heavy caliber AA of heavy intensity over target and as they pass over at 26,000 feet, the bombers at 24,000 feet, SAPP observes two Zekes below at about 21,000 feet. SAPP fires at the first one, which burns and then explodes, JONES hits the second one, which he observes to go in the sea. They pancaked at 1050.

McLEAN’s third division plus WILSON, TURNER, and HOBBS take off at 0615 for Munda. They pancaked at Munda at 0700. At 1030 they take off on Vella Lavella patrol at 20,000 feet. No contact and they pancaked at 1300. Take off at 1450 from Munda and Pancaked at Russell Island at 1530. Marine Fighting Squadron TWO TWENTY-TWO Ground Echelon arrives at Vella Lavella this date.

No operations.

Entire squadron arrives Sydney.

Sydney

Sydney

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