|
|
VP-54 / VPB-54 War Diary
Part Three 
November, 1943 War Diary
1 Designation of Unit: ------------------------ Patrol Squadron FIFTY-FOUR
2. Commanding Officer: ------------------ Lt. Comdr. C. W. Schoenweiss, USN
3. Composition of Unit:
a. Planes ---------------------------------- 8 PBY-5As (Black
Cats)
b. Flight Crews --------------------------- 14
c. Pilots (officers) ---------------------- 48
d. Pilots (enlisted) ----------------------- 8
e. Crew members (enlisted) --------------- 109
f Ground officers (A-V(S) ----------------- 2
g. Flight surgeon -------------------------- 1
h. Yeoman ---------------------------------- 1
4. Location of Unit: Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
5. Summary of Operations:
November marked the beginning of the Bougainville Campaign in the Solomon Islands area. Black Cat operations increased in scope and number with search areas extending as far as Rabaul on New Britain. Six Black Cats spotted and searched for the Task Force that shelled Buka, Bonis, Kahili and the Shortland-Faisi area and the planes of VP-54 contacted a number of Jap task forces dispatched to oppose Allied landings on Treasury Island and at Empress Augusta Bay. The Cats also provided air cover for the numerous large convoys which carried men and equipment to advanced Allied positions, and served as transports for officers and urgently needed supplies. Many searches during this period were flown from Munda but despite this, patrol missions often required 14-17 hours of continuous flying.When the crews of SV-24 unit were grounded because of pilot fatigue the Black Cats took over a portion of their night patrols in the St. George's Channel area between New Britain and Rabaul.
On November 6th four pilots and four enlisted crew members were lost as the result of what is presumed to be an operational accident. The two enlisted survivors reported that during a night search in very bad weather a down draft forced one wing tip into the water causing the plane to cartwheel It later burned and sank.
6. Operating Statistics - November. 1943:
a. Total number of missions --------------------- 78
b. Total hours --------------------------------- 663
c. Types of missions:
(1) Search ----------------------------------- 55
(2) Rescue ------------------------------------ 1
(3) Transportation, officers ------------------ 8
(4) Convoy ----------------------------------- 12
(5) Misc -------------------------------------- 2
d. Search contacts : ---------------------------- 11
(1) CLs --------------------------------------- 2
(2) DDs --------------------------------------- 6
(3) AKs and APs ------------------------------- 3
Page - 43
e. Strafing actions ------------------------------- 1
(1) Vessels ------------------------------------ 1
50-100' Aux.
(2) Results ------------------------------------ Ship
damaged & beached
f Rescue missions --------------------------------- 1
(1) Persons rescued ----------------------------- 1
g. Personnel losses: ------------------------------ 8
(1) Officer pilots ----------------------------- 4
(2) Enlisted crew members ---------------------- 4
Narrative summaries of Combat missions:
November 1:
Lt. Goodrich furnished anti-submarine cover for the convoy carrying troops to Empress Augusta Bay. His search was negative but on landing at Henderson a tire blew out and the resulting crash damaged the plane beyond repair. No injuries to personnel resulted Lt. Engemann also furnished anti-submarine cover for the Empress Augusta Bay convoy.
Lt.(jg) Sharp returned the cruiser spotters to their ships at Halavo.
Lt. Schall searched from Cape Alexander to Timputs Harbor with negative results.
November 2:
Lt. Marsh, assigned the southwestern coast of Bougainville, was turned back by bad weather.
Lt. Apgar attempted to penetrate the weather on the northeast side of Bougainville but could not get through.
Lt. Gage searched off the northeast coast of Bougainville for the crew of a B-24 reported down in this area. Weather prevented him from reaching the reported position.
November 4:
Lt. Marsh searched the southwest coast of Bougainville with results negative except for a radar contact with a plane off Empress Augusta Bay. Bad weather made it necessary for him to land at Munda and wait for daylight to return to Henderson.
Lt. Apgar conducted a negative search off the northwest coast of Bougainville.
November 5:
Lt. Smith contacted 1 large and 1 small AK 20 miles south of Green Island. He carried no bombs so made no attack but tracked the enemy vessels for two hours sending a contact report and several amplifying reports. Lt. Smith was fired on when he dropped flares but received no hits.
Page - 44
Lt. Gage searched the northeast coast of Bougainville with negative results.
November 6:
Lt. Johnson contacted 2 enemy CLs and 5 DDs thirty miles southwest of Buka Passage. Contact was first established by radar and the task force was tracked visually and by radar for two hours. No bombs were carried and no attack was made but the ships did reverse course when the presence of the Black Cat was discovered. Heavy AA was fired at the Cat and several pieces of shrapnel pierced the starboard wing.
Lt. Schall covered the withdrawal of convoys from Empress Augusta Bay and Treasury Island. He was also assigned the mission of providing air cover for Task Force 39. During this operation the Black Cat crashed at sea. The two survivors (after-station watch) reported that while at 200' the plane seemed to hit a down draft, fell off sharply on one wing and cart-wheeled as the wing struck the water. The plane broke at the forward engineering compartment bulkhead, caught fire and sank The two men in the after-station managed to release a rubber life raft and were later picked up by one of the destroyers of Task Force 39.
November 7:
Lt. Engemann was assigned the mission of circling Bougainville but due to bad weather was able to cover only the Northeast side.
Lt. Bruce attempted to provide air cover for a task force proceeding to Empress Augusta Bay. He was unable to find the convoy and since his radar and radio failed he returned to base.
Lt. Erhard searched for Lt. Schall and crew but with negative results.
Lt. McDonough provided air cover for one of the Empress Augusta Boy echelons. The search was negative.
November 8:
Lt. Smith flew to Munda and from there was assigned a convoy coverage mission out of Empress Augusta Boy. Many enemy night fighters were seen but the search was otherwise negative.
November 9:
Lt. Marsh was on standby at Munda but did not take off.
November 10:
Lt. Apgar provided air cover for southbound convoy. Aside from being fired on by friendly ships the flight was without incident.
November 11:
Lt. McDonough flew a 350-mile daylight patrol southwest of Guadalcanal with negative results.
Lt. Marsh covered a similar area to the south of Guadalcanal
Lt. Livingston covered a convoy from Munda to Empress Augusta Bay.
Page - 45
November 12:
Lt. Gage flew a 350 mile daylight patrol to the southwest of Guadalcanal Results negative.
Lt. Johnson searched to the west on a similar mission. He observed our carrier group withdrawing after the Rabaul attack but made no other contacts.
Lt. Goodrich landed at Munda and then covered a convoy proceeding to Empress Augusta Bay.
November 13:
Lt. Bruce carried passengers from Henderson to Empress Augusta Bay and return.
Lt. Engemann landed at Empress Augusta Bay and flew Admiral Halsey and members of his staff to Munda.
Lt. Erhard provided coverage for a convoy out of Empress Augusta Bay.
Lt. Apgar provided air coverage for the damaged CL Denver which was being towed to Tulagi.
November 14:
Lt. Marsh covered the Denver on her way down the "slot".
Lt Livingston was dispatched from Henderson to furnish night coverage for the Denver. When he discovered the presence of Lt. Marsh on the same mission he returned to base.
November 15:
Lt. Smith provided daylight air cover for a large convoy, from Guadalcanal to Empress Augusta Bay. Three Jap float planes were seen in the distance but did not close.
November 16:
Lt. Gage escorted a task force to Empress Augusta Flares and oil slicks were seen off Torokina during the search which was otherwise negative.
Lt. Goodrich flew the new search patrol, circling Bougainville. Results were completely negative. When plots of Army SB-24s were grounded because of pilot fatigue, Black Cats took over part of their searches to New Britain.
Lt. Johnson took off from Munda and covered St. George's Channel. The 16-hour flight was negative.
November 17:
Lt. McDonough's search of the St. George Channel area was negative. Extremely bad weather was encountered.
November 18:
Page - 46
Lt. Smith flew to Munda, transported three officers to Treasury and return and then took off on the "snooper" search in St. George's Channel Total flying time was 171/2 hours. Results were negative.
November 19:
Lt. Carter took off on a scheduled flight to Empress Augusta Bay. Closed in weather conditions prevented a landing at the base and on the return trip a cracked cylinder necessitated an emergency landing at Treasury. Spare parts were flown to Treasury and the plane returned to Henderson two days later.
Lt. Casey covered both sides of Bougainville to Green Island with negative results.
Lt. Anderson covered St. George's Channel No contacts resulted but in a heavy rain storm Anderson found himself directly above Rabaul at 600 feet On the return trip he landed at Munda for gas.
November 20:
Lt. McDonough flew spare parts to Treasury. A P-39 pilot who had crashed off Treasury was returned to Munda.
Lt. Engemann searched to St. George's Channel At 2020 the radar equipment failed forcing the plane to return to base.
Lt. Bruce flew the Bougainville circle with negative results.
November 21:
Lt. Erhard flew to Munda and returned with five critically injured Marines from the Torokina front.
Lt. Marsh covered the St. George's Channel area with negative results. During the search his main transmitter blew out.
Lt. Apgar attempted the Bougainville circle but was forced to return to Munda because of bad weather.
November 22:
Lt. Marsh conducted a negative search in the St. George's Channel-Wide Bay area.
Lt. Carter flew Lt Comdr. Schoenweiss and crew to Treasury.
Lt. Comdr. Schoenweiss flew the repaired Black Cat back to Henderson, stopping at Munda enroute.
Lt. Goodrich covered the southwest coast of Bougainville and Buka with negative results.
November 23:
Lt. Smith was prevented by bad weather from searching the northwest Bougainville area.
Lt. Casey provided air coverage for a Totokina bound convoy.
Lt. Anderson searched the Bougainville coast to Green Island with negative results.
Page - 47
November 24:
Lt. McDonough was unable to locate a 5-DD task group for which he was to furnish air cover.
November 25:
Lt. Bruce escorted a large convoy from Treasury to Empress Augusta Bay. No contacts resulted.
Lt. Erhard searched the northwest coast of Bougainville to Green Island with negative results.
November 26:
Lt. Apgar was turned back from the St. George's Channel area by over-heating of his port engine.
Lt. Carter was to escort a convoy from south of Treasury to Empress Augusta Bay. He was unable to find the convoy.
Lt. Marsh covered the Treasury-Bougainville area on report of a possible sub sighting. The search was negative.
November 27:
Lt. Engemann searched ahead of five DDs from south of Treasury to northwest Bougainville. No contacts resulted.
November 28:
Lt. Casey searched the northwest Bougainville area. He reported and dropped flares on an unidentified ship which later proved to be friendly. The ship was not showing ABK.
Lt. Anderson strafed a small (50-100') Jap vessel off Sujei, Bougainville The attack was made during an engagement between PT boats and the Jap ship. Anderson strafed for 3 hours leaving the scene only after the vessel had been beached and apparently severely damaged
Lt. McDonough concluded an anti-submarine search in the Treasury-Empress Augusta Bay area with negative results.
November 29:
Lt. Goodrich attempted to cover the St. George's Channel area but was turned back by very bad weather.
November 30:
Lt. Gage covered five destroyers northwest of Empress Augusta Bay. He was fired on and several shrapnel hits were received in the after-section of the plane.
Lt. Johnson covered Bougainville Straits with negative results. Excellent VHF communications were established with PT boats in the same area.
Lt. Bruce covered the St. George's Channel area with negative results.
Webpage created by Thomas
Doty
