CONFIDENTIAL

MARINE FIGHTING SQUADRON 222, MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 14
FIRST MARINE AIRCRAFT WING, Navy No. 140 (One Four Zero)
C/O FLEET POST OFFICE, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

WAR DIARY

from

No activity this date all preparations were made to move up from Marine Aircraft Group TWELVE at Quoin Hill, Efate, to Marine Aircraft Group TWENTY FOUR, Piva, fighter strip, Bougainville.

The following officers left via "SCAT" for Bougainville. this morning: GORDON, SAPP, MORRIS, REID, TURNER, WILSON, YEAGER, BEKINS, DINGFELTER, FOSTER, HOBBS, HUGHES, HUIDEKOPER, LEVINE, TEETER, WALLEY, JONES, LASSITER, and BRITTINGHAM. They arrived at Bougainville and, after being quartered, attended a briefing on operations from this base. This squadron relieved Marine Fighting Squadron TWO TWENTY-THREE and started operations with their aircraft on 3 February 1944, and a switch of ground crews was made enabling us to have our own.

GORDON, leading WILSON, HUGHES, and BEKINS and SAPP, leading TURNER, HOBBS, and JONES; YEAGER, leading LEVINE, and LASSETER, took off from medium cover for a combined TBF strike on Tobera Airfield. Seven completed the mission when MORRIS, BEKINS, JONES, TURNER, and YEAGER were forced to return early. No observation of the bombing was made because of a fight with fifteen to twenty enemy fighter planes. SAPP shot down one Zeke for sure and another probable. WILSON destroyed one Zeke; GORDON was credited with a probable Hamp, and LEVINE a probable Zeke in the fighting that followed. The flight landed at 1320.

The following officers of the flight echelon departed Marine Aircraft Group TWELVE, Quoin Hill, Efate via "SCAT" and arrived Marine Aircraft Group TWENTY-FOUR, Piva, Bougainville. NEWLANDS, McLEAN, HAZLETT, KOETSCH, LANGLEY, MACK, NUGENT, PERINO, WITT, and CARRELL. After being quartered at Acorn FIFTEEN, with the pilots that arrived yesterday, they were briefed on operations from this base.

McLEAN and CARRELL, took off to escort Dumbo to Sarime Plantation, Bougainville, where the PBY was used for spotting as destroyers shelled shore installations. Shelling continued for thirty minutes then the PBY dropped bombs and strafed and the fighters made one strafing run over the area. Damage could not be evaluated because of the heavily wooded area. They landed at 0745.

NEWLANDS, leading NUGENT, WITT, and PERINO; REID leading WALLEY, HUIDEKOPER, and TEETER took off to form close cover for two squadrons of B-24s striking Tobera Air field. There were forty-eight fighters in all assigned as cover. Only two of our fighters got over target, six being forced to return, WALLEY, TEETER, WITT, NEWLANDS, NUGENT, PERINO, with mechanical failures. REID, and HUIDEKOPER escorted the bombers through weather, which forced a lower bombing level, 18,000 feet, then originally intended and was unobserved because of dropping through heavy cumulus. Moderate accurate, heavy, AA was encountered but the enemy aircraft observed, at least fifteen, were content to circus and pressed home no attacks. The flight landed at 1245.

TURNER, leading LEVINE, LANGELY, and FOSTER, took off and performed a negative local patrol, landing at 1845.

GORDON, leading HUGHES, WILSON, and BEKINS, took off to form four, at medium altitude, of the twelve fighters escorting Dumbo to cover the Rabaul strikes. They circled just off Cape St. George for thirty minutes and then saw the strike returning. They saw one plane hit the water three miles West of the Cape but located no survivors. They searched for a pilot lost over Adler Bay yesterday, negative. A message was received that a pilot was in the water on a bearing of 300 degrees, six miles from Torokina. Plenty of dye marker around the man in the water made spotting and the pick up easy. They landed at 1330.

SAPP, leading JONES, TURNER, and DINGFELTER; and McLEAN, leading, CARRELL, KOETSCH and HAZLETT, took off as high cover for a total of seventy-two fighters covering forty-eight SBDs and eighteen TBFs striking Lakunai. TURNER and CARRELL returned early because of plane trouble. Fairly intense, accurate, heavy caliber AA was received just before and after the bombing run. Fighters were too busy with enemy planes, thirty Zekes, Hamps, and Tonys were observed, to see the results of the bombing. A need for a high roving cover was proven when our high cover at 18,000 was attacked at will by Jap planes with altitude advantage, of these, JONES shot down in flames one Zeke and SAPP was credited with one Zeke probable. The flight landed at 1220.

The following officers departed from Marine Aircraft Group TWELVE, Quoin Hill, Efate, for Marine Aircraft Group TWENTY-FOUR, Piva, Bougainville.; PANKHURST, WILLIAMS, CRAIG, GHER, JOHNSTON, MOORE, SCHAEFFER, and YORK. They arrived the same date.

GORDON, loading, HUGHES and BEKINS; and MORROS, leading FOSTER, YEAGER, and LEVINE and WILLIAMS, leading CRAIG, LEACH, and JOHNSTON, took off to form close cover for two squadrons of B-24s striking Lakunai Airfield. Fifty-two fighters were scheduled but one of ours, WILLIAMS, was unable to take off and two were forced to return early, BEKINS and FOSTER. They rendezvoused over Torokina at 1015, 17,000 feet, and after approaching over Cape Gazelle and Tobera Airfield; they turned north and arrived over Lakunai at 1125. They received intense, accurate, heavy AA fire from, Tobera, Vunapope, and Lakunai, GORDON was hit by shrapnel in the wing. Several enemy planes, thought to be Tonys, were seen to drop phosphorous bombs. No enemy aircraft attacked the low formation, although on the way, several P-38s, who were supposed to be high cover, came down under the bombers for protection. Only bombs hitting the water were observed. Between fifteen and twenty enemy planes, Tonys and Zekes, were seen after leaving target and at one of these GORDON got a snap shot possibly damaging the Tony's tail surface. The flight landed at 1300.

NEWLANDS, leading NUGENT, WITT, and PERINO; and REID, leading DINGFELTER, HUIDEKOPER, and WALLEY, took off to form low cover as part of an eighty plane fighter cover for sixty SBDs and twenty-four TBFs striking Vunakanau. NEWLANDS, SCHAEFFER, GHER, and MOORE returned early because of technical failures with their planes. The strike was against the alternate target, Tobera, because of cloud conditions over Vunakanau, The primary target. Intense, accurate, AA of all calibers was received and several phosphorous bombs observed. At least fifteen Zeros were seen before the run on the target was made, but they did not attack. The bombing was excellent of revetment area and AA emplacements. No enemy planes penetrated to the low cover if they attacked the strike. They landed at 1145.

NEWLANDS, leading, LANGLEY, WITT, and PERINO; REID leading WALLEY, HUIDEKOPER, and DINGFELTER and PANKHURST leading GHER, MOORE, and YORK, took off to form high cover as part of a seventy-two plane fighter cover for sixty SBDs and twenty-four TBFs striking Vunakanau. The flights took high cover at 19,000 feet over target. They encountered moderate. Inaccurate, heavy AA just before reaching target and it was more intense and of all caliber as they came down following the bombers to 13,000 feet. Only five to ten enemy planes were observed before reaching target but after dropping, while heading toward the rally point, they received AA from Rapopo, moderate, accurate 37 MM and were attacked by at least twenty fighters. NEWLANDS shot at two of them, driving them away but reported no hits. PERINO picked up one of these after he rolled away from NEWLANDS but could not stay on him long enough while WITT picked up another, which had split "Sed" following him down, shooting, but could not hit him. The fighter drove off all attacking Zekes as they followed the strike down the Channel and they arrived on deck at 1400.

PANKHURST, leading GHER, MOORE, and YORK, took off to cover Dumbo as it took station twenty miles east of Cape St. George during strike in the Rabaul area, GHER was unhurt when he was forced to make a crash landing when his motor cut out after take off. There were no calls for Dumbo from the strike and upon returning, the fighters spread out in a scouting line and PANKHURST found a pilot in his rubber boat fifteen miles west of Buka. Dumbo picked him up and found he had been on the water twelve days. They landed at 1720.

GORDON, leading WILSON, HUGHES, and BEKINS; McLEAN, leading VARRELL, HAZLETT, and MACK; and WILLIAMS leading JOHNSTON, CRAIG, and LEACH, took off to form medium and low cover for TBF as part of a seventy-two plane fighter cover for sixty SBDs and twenty-four TBFs striking Vunakanau. They rendezvoused at 0755, 6,000 feet, 10 miles West of Taiof Island. They received moderate, inaccurate, heavy AA from Vunakanau. Between twenty-five and thirty Zekes and Tonys were seen and of the 10-contacted GORDON and HAZLETT destroyed one Zeke each. CARRELL and JOHNSTON were credited with probables each. CRAIG failed to return from the flight and is listed as missing in action. The bombing seemed to do maximum destruction to the airfield and three or four large black smoke fires were observed. The flight landed at 1020.

SAPP, leading, JONES, TURNER, and HOBBS; and NEWLANDS, leading LANGLEY, WITT, and PANKHURST, leading GHER, SCHAEFFER, and YORK, took off to form two divisions of median and one of close cover for one squadron of B-24s striking Vunakanau, thirty-two fighters were used to cover two squadrons of B-24s. There were heavier patches of AA below but it was moderate, accurate, and heavy at 13,000 feet. Twenty to thirty enemy aircraft ware observed. SAPP destroyed a Zeke, which was attacking the retiring bombers from the stern and he damaged a second one. JONES also damaged a Zeke. The flight landed, after observing good hits on the strip by the bombers, at 1230.

McLEAN, leading CARRELL, KOETSCH, and HAZLETT, took off on local dawn patrol. This was a negative flight and they leaded at 0800.

SAPP, leading JONES, TURNER, and H0BBS; and GHER, leading YORK, MOORE, and SCHAEFFER, took off to form low cover in a total of thirty-two fighter cover for two squadrons of B-24s striking Lakunai. They had two planes return, SCHAEFFER and MOORE, because of mechanical failure. Scattered AA was received running from meager to moderate, accurate, heavy fire 23,000 to 17,000 feet. No enemy planes intercepted although some were seen following the strike after a very good bombing had been observed. The revetment area and strip were completely covered with bomb hits. HOBBS, who had turned back because of engine trouble, again turned to catch the strike when the plane seemed to be going all right, lost his division and joined the SBD cover at 17,000 feet over Vunakanau. They went dawn to 3,000 feet in the dive-bombing and were attacked by a large number of Zeros who were trailing the strike. Of the ten Tonys seen, HOBBS shot down one as it was attacking another Corsair. HOBBS landed at 1230, which is the time, the others landed.

REID, leading WALLEY, HUIDEKOPER, and DINGFELTER, took off to form half of the low cover on one squadron of B-25s, which were in that striking force against Tobera. They received meager, accurate but scattered, medium AA from Tobera and Ulu Island on retirement. Several enemy aircraft were sighted but none of them closed as the fighter cover weaved above the bombers. The bombs seemed to all hit in a wooded section west of the strip. The flight landed at 1220.

GORDON, leading HUGHES, WILSON, and BEKINS; MORRIS, leading LEVINE, YEAGER, and FOSTER; and McLEAN leading CARRELL, KOETSCH, and HAZLETT, took off to form high and one division of low cover for TBFs of a total of sixty-four fighters covering striking force on Tobera. Bombers started several big fires on the field. The AA was meager, inaccurate, medium, and heavy, bursting from 5 to 10,000 feet but some intense accurate light was delivered as they dove low over the field. KOETSCH destroyed one Zeke and LEVINE damaged one of the estimated ten to fifteen enemy planes that pressed attack from over the target to fifteen miles beyond the coast of Warangoi River Mouth. LEVINE and MORRIS received 7.7 MM holes from a Zeke. MORRIS, hit in the canopy, was treated for Plexiglas shrapnel in scalp, neck, and face. The flight landed at 1245.

SAPP, leading JONES, TURNER and HOBBS; NEWLANDS, leading LANGLEY, WITT, and NUGENT; REID leading WALLEY, HUIDEKOPER, and TEETER; and PANKHURST, leading YORK, MOORE, and SCHAEFFER, took off to form medium and close cover for one squadron of B-24s striking Vunakanau Airfield. TURNER, NUGENT, and YORK returned early because of various airplane failures. The medium cover received moderate, inaccurate, heavy AA while the close received moderate to intense, accurate, and heavy AA, which started at the Keravat Experimental Station and increased over target. The fighters were busy with Interceptors from Keravat to ten miles east of New Britain. JONES shot down two of the twelve Zekes observed and SCHAEFFER was credited with a probable. The flight landed at 1100.

SAPP, leading JONES, TURNER, and HOBBS; and REID, leading DINGFELTER, HUIDEKOPER, and TEETER, took off to patrol Green Island, the weather was very bad but they patrolled over a Task Group of twelve LSTs and five or six destroyers. JONES and SAPP returned early with mechanical failures. REID's division remained on station until 1915 over Green Island and landed at 2010 after making another check on the Task Group.

McLEAN, leading CARRELL, KOETCH, and HAZLETT; MORRIS, leading LEVINE, FOSTER, and YORK; and WILLIAMS, leading MACK, and LEACH, took off to patrol Green Island. CARRELL and LEVINE returned early because of engine trouble. JOHNSTON was scheduled but taxi-looped his plane on the dark taxiway damaging the tail and blew out a tire. The patrol was negative and landed at 0930.

GORDON, leading HUGHES, WILSON, and BEKINS; and WILLIAMS, leading LEACH, JOHNSON, and our former skipper Major M. J. VOLCANSEK; and MORRIS, leading LEVINE, FOSTER, and YORK, took off to patrol Green Island. BEKINS, WILSON, LEVINE, and YORK returned early because of mechanical failures. The patrol was negative and they landed at 1450.

SAPP, leading JONES, TURNER, and HOBBS; NEWLANDS, leading LANGLEY, WITT, and PERINO; REID, leading WALLEY, HUIDEKOPER, and TEETER, took off to form low cover for SBDs out of a total of seventy-six fighters escorting a striking force on shipping in Simpson Harbor. LANGLEY returned early with engine trouble. Moderate inaccurate heavy AA received from Rapopo and meager accurate heavy and medium received from Lakunai. Trouble with enemy aircraft started over Blanche Bay and continued to fifteen miles east of Cape Gazelle. There were fights all over the sky and at least thirty enemy fighters, Zekes and Tonys observed. SAPP destroyed two Zekes and scored a probable Zeke. WALLEY destroyed a Zeke, TURNER shot down an Oscar, while JONES scored a probable Zeke. Near misses were observed on small shipping in the harbor and barges and warehouses along the shore were hit. A large black explosion in Rabaul Town was thought to be started by TBF rockets used for the first time in this area. The flight landed at 1030.

PANKHURST, leading GHER, MOORE, and SCHAEFFER; and MORRIS, leading LEVINE and FOSTER took off to patrol Green Island. PANKHURST was forced to return immediately with hydraulic trouble but the others were over station on a negative patrol. LEVINE observed a barge at the north end of Queen Carola Harbor, Buka, and even though visibility was only 400 yards, he made six passes at the thirty foot uncamouflaged barge using 1200 rounds of fifty caliber ammunition and left it burning fiercely. The flight landed at 1050.

WITT leading LANGLEY, and NUGENT; and McLEAN, leading CARRELL, KOETCH, and HAZLETT, took off to patrol Green Island. One division was on station from 1400 to 1605 but the others got caught in some bad weather, which had to be skirted, and were not on station until 1500. Negative patrol and they landed at 1700.

SAPP, leading DINGFELTER, TURNER, and HOBBS, took off, pre-dawn, on a negative patrol of Green Island. They landed at 0910.

NEWLANDS, leading LANGLEY, NUGENT, and PERINO; PANKHURST, leading GHER, MOORE, and SCHAEFFER, took off t be medium cover for TBFs on a combined SBD and TBF strike on Simpson Harbor shipping. LANGLEY and PERINO returned early because of technical failures. The AA was meager, inaccurate, heavy and medium from Rabaul City. Bombs were dropped on the west and east sides of Simpson Harbor and at the end of Rabaul City. A force of at least twenty enemy fighters was observed. GHER destroyed a Zeke and so did SCHAEFFER before he was forced to bail out of his own plane. Severely burned from the explosion of a 20 MM shell in his cockpit fried by a Zeke. SCHAFFER landed one mile from Cape Gazelle and was picked up twenty hours later and taken to Treasury Island where he was admitted to the hospital aboard the U.S.S. Coos Bay. His plane exploded upon hitting the water. The flight landed at 1140.

REID, leading WALLEY, HUIDEKOPER, and TEETER, took off on a negative patrol of Green Island. They landed at 1455.

The following officer received and accepted appointment as Captain in the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve for Temporary service dated 1 February, 1944 with rank from 1 January, 1944: HOBBS, Richard L. Captain (016554) USMCR.

GORDON, leading HUGHES, WILSON, and BEKINS; MORRIS, leading LEVINE, FOSTER, and LANGELEY; WILLIAMS, leading MACK, and LEACH; and McLEAN, leading CARRELL, KOETSCH, and HAZLETT, take off to for medium and close cover for one squadron of B-25s out of a total of sixty fighters covering three squadrons of B-25s striking Lakunai Airdrome. AA encountered by the medium cover between 15,000 and 17,000 feet was moderate, accurate, heavy and the close cover at 12, 000 found it intense, accurate, heavy and medium. No enemy aircraft encountered but AA hit one B-25 and the survivors were circled by GORDON and HUGHES in the center of the Channel east of Palliser Cape until Dumbo arrived. Bombing seemed only fair with most of the hits being concentrated on the northeast end of the runway. The flight landed at 1100.

McLEAN, leading KOETCH, CARRELL, and HAZLETT; and GORDON, leading HUGHES, WILSON, and BEKINS, took off to perform a negative patrol over Green Island. HUGHES was forced to return early because of a vapor lock obtained in his engine. They landed at 1905.

SAPP, leading JONES, TURNER, and DINGFELTER, took off to cover Dumbo with four P-39s. SAPP was the only one to complete the flight when the others returned from flight with mechanical failures. SAPP ran into very bad weather and returned with Dumbo, after a negative flight, at 1215.

NEWLANDS, leading NUGENT, WITT, and PERINO; and REID, leading WALLEY, HUIDEKOPER and TEETER, took off to form high cover for SBDs in a combined strike of sixty SBDs and twenty-four TBFs on Vunakanau. NUGENT was forced to return early with engine vibrations. The whole strike was forced back when close to Cape Gazelle because of weather and they landed at 1130.

PANKHURST, leading GHER, MORE, and YORK, took off to escort Dumbo on a search for a rubber boat reported in the water off Cape St. George. They performed a square search but had no luck and landed at 1645.

GORDON, leading HUGHES, WILSON, and BEKINS; MORRIS, leading LEVINE, YEAGER, JOHNSTON; and WILLIAMS, leading MACK, LEACH, and FOSTER, took off to cover one squadron of B-24s out of a total of two squadrons striking Vunakanau. JOHNSTON returned early with a bad fuel pump. The weather was bad over the original target so the bombers dropped bombs over Jalu River and were unobserved by the fighters. There was no AA observed or fighter interception. LEACH became separated and said he was having engine trouble. Next heard his engine had quit and he was making a water landing but he did not say where. The rest of the flight landed at 1300.

McLEAN, leading HUGHES, WILSON, and BEKINS, took off to search for LEACH.

GORDON, leading CARRELL, KOETSCH, and HAZLETT, took off to search for LEACH.

MORRIS, leading WILLIAMS, YEAGER, and FOSTER, took off to search for LEACH. All three divisions searched and LEACH was found in his rubber boat in the middle of the Channel southeast of Duke Of York at approximately 1645. His location was immediately sent to Torokina and request for Dumbo made. An escort for Dumbo was airborne and Dumbo was over Torokina about 1700. Dumbo refused to attempt the rescue because he would have to make a night landing upon returning and he had a rule, which would not allow after dark landings so he returned to base. Our planes maintained patrol over LEACH until dark and landed at 1850. McLEAN's division left early and found two barges, one of which burned and the other was left smoking, after two strafing, runs. The barges were about 60 feet long and were camouflaged with leaves and were at Kabakados and near Mt. Konogaiang.

PANKHURST, leading GHER, MORE, and YORK, took off and performed a negative local patrol and landed at 0730.

REID, leading WALLEY, HUIDEKOPER, and TEETER; and WITT, leading NUGENT and PERINO, all took off to patrol over LEACH in his rubber boat in St. George Channel. They searched thoroughly for him but could not find the boat. After a five-hour flight they landed at 1140.

SAPP, leading JONES, and TURNER, and HOBBS; and PANKHURST, leading GHER, MOORE, and YORK, took off to patrol Green Island. They performed a negative patrol from 1220 until 1430. On the return they found and strafed a fifty to sixty foot flat topped lighter with square ends at Buka. It did not burn. They landed at 1500.

GORDON, leading HUGHES, WILSON, and BEKINS, took off to search St. George Channel for LEACH. They had been over him the day before so knew the area to search. They concentrated here and along the shore of New Ireland but the search was negative. They reluctantly gave up the search and landed at 1730. First Lieutenant Jesse M. LEACH, USMCR, (016454), officially listed as missing in action this date.

YEAGER, leading LEVINE, MORRIS, and LANGLEY; and McLEAN, leading CARRELL, KOETSCH, and HAZLETT, took off to patrol Green Island. Patrol was negative and they landed at 1300.

WILLIAMS, leading MACK, DINGFELTER, and JOHNSON, took off to escort Dumbo. They rendezvoused over the field at 1040 and proceed to a point three miles east of Cape Gazelle where they orbited without call. They landed at 1400.

MORRIS, leading YEAGER and FOSTER; and WILLIAMS, leading MACK, DINGFELTER, and JOHNSON, took off on a negative patrol of Green Island. MORRIS' division investigated and found a raft twenty miles southeast of Buka Passage. They remained over the pilot in the water until at 1800 he was picked up by Dumbo. They landed at 1900.

SAPP, leading JONES, TURNER, and HOBBS: and NEWLANDS,, leading LANGELY, WITT, and PERINO; and PANKHURST, leading GHER. MOORE, YORK; and REID and WALLEY, took off on a fighter sweep of Rabaul, The purpose of which was to intercept possible enemy fighters, which had reported at high altitudes during the period our strikes were being carried out. The flight divided and straddled the clouds to leave the Japs no chance to remain unseen except in the clouds. No enemy aircraft were encountered by any of the fighter sweep as they patrolled the entire area from 1100 to as late as 1215 at which time SAPP's division dropped down to conduct a further search for LEACH. REID and WALLEY caught a thirty-foot boat off shore, apparently drifting, at Cape Ligagh and left it smoking after two passes. The flight landed at 1330.

WILLIAMS, leading MACK, DINGFELTER, and JOHNSTON; and McLEAN, leading JONES, KOETSCH and HAZLETT, took off to cover one squadron of B-25s on a strike on Rabaul City. Moderate, accurate, heavy and medium AA received from Rabaul. Bombing was good and three big blazes started in the city. No enemy aircraft were encountered and after escorting the bombers beyond Cape St. George the cover had permission to strafe targets of opportunity. Two forty to fifty foot barges were left smoking. The staffers received 20 MM from guns mounted aft in the barges. KOETSCH strafed three thirty-foot barges at Owen Point; two appeared serviceable but were not underway. One sank and the other smoked as he fired from two strafing runs. The flight landed at 1315.

GORDON, leading HUGHES, WILSON, and BEKINS; and MORRIS, leading LEVINE, YEAGER, and FOSTER, took off on a negative Green Island patrol.

PANKHURST, leading GHER, MOORE, and YORK; and REID, leading WALLEY, HUIDEKOPER, and TEETER, took off on a negative Green Island patrol.

NEWLANDS, leading NUGENT, WITT, and PERINO, took off to cover Task Group of eleven LSTs, six destroyers, one minesweeper, and one tug. Negative patrol and they landed at 0920.