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23 Jan 1942

Australian Papua
  • Australian Catalina aircraft were launched from Port Moresby, British Territory of Papua to attack Rabaul, New Britain on the very first night of Japanese occupation; severe weather in the Solomon Sea forced the aircraft to abandon the mission, however. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
3 Feb 1942

Australian Papua
  • Six Japanese flying boats from Rabaul, New Britain bombed the Seven Mile airfield near Port Moresby, British Territory of Papua at 0300 hours, killing 1 Australian Army sergeant; the damage done to the airfield was minor. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
4 Feb 1942

Australian Papua
  • 9 Japanese flying boats from Rabaul, New Britain attacked Port Moresby, British Territory of Papua, destroying one house and two commercial buildings. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
24 Feb 1942

Australian Papua
  • 9 Japanese Type 1 aircraft of 4th Air Group, escorted by 9 Zero fighters, attacked Seven Mile Airfield near Port Moresby, Australian Papua, destroying 1 Hudson aircraft and 1 civilian aircraft, destroying many buildings, destroying a few vehicles, and killing 1 person; Australian fighters did not scramble to intercept. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
28 Feb 1942

Australian Papua
  • 7 Japanese Type 1 bombers of the 4th Air Group, escorted by 6 Zero fighters, attacked Port Moresby, Australian Papua, destroying 3 Catalina aircraft, damaging 1 Catalina aircraft, and damaging seaplane base facilities. The Japanese lost one fighter to anti-aircraft fire; the downed pilot, Flying Petty Officer 1st Class Katsuaki Nagatomo, was captured. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
1 Mar 1942

Australian Papua
  • The first four of No. 75 Squadron RAAF's Kittyhawk fighters arrived at Port Moresby, Australian Papua. Two of them would see combat later on the same day, with Flight Officer Barry Cox and Flight Officer Wilbur Wackett shooting down one Ki-21 bomber flying a reconnaissance mission over Port Moresby. ww2dbase [P-40 Warhawk | Port Moresby | CPC]
10 Mar 1942

Australian Papua
  • 18 Japanese aircraft bombed Port Moresby, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
13 Mar 1942

Australian Papua
  • Five Japanese Zero fighters strafed military installations at Port Moresby, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
17 Mar 1942

Australian Papua
  • Several US B-17 bombers flew from Australia to Port Moresby, Australian Papua in preparation for an attack on Rabaul, New Britain on the following day. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
18 Mar 1942

Australian Papua
  • Japanese aircraft attacked Port Moresby, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
19 Mar 1942

Australian Papua
  • Japanese bombers attacked Port Moresby, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
20 Mar 1942

Australian Papua
  • Japanese bombers attacked Port Moresby in Australian Papua while four fighters strafed the nearby Seven Mile airfield. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
21 Mar 1942

Australian Papua
  • Four US Kittyhawk fighters arrived over Port Moresby, Australian Papua as reinforcement at 1400 hours, but nervous anti-aircraft gunners fired on them, damaging all four. Later in the day, a lone Japanese bomber attacked Port Moresby, and one of the newly arrived Kittyhawks was able to scramble and shoot down the attacker. Later in the day, 14 additional Kittyhawk fighters arrived. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
23 Mar 1942

Australian Papua
  • 19 Japanese Type 1 bombers from Rabaul, New Britain attacked Seven Mile airfield near Port Moresby, Australian Papua at 1330 hours (Kittyhawk fighters failed to scramble in time to intercept the bombers), followed by strafing by four Zero fighters at 1420 hours (one shot down by anti-aircraft fire). ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
31 Mar 1942

Australian Papua
  • Eight A-24 Banshee aircraft under US Army Captain Floyd Rogers arrived at Port Moresby, Australian Papua; it was the first US squadron to be based at Port Moresby. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
5 Apr 1942

Australian Papua
  • Seven Japanese Type 1 bombers, escorted by 4 Zero fighters, attacked Seven Mile airfield near Port Moresby, Australian Papua. Stores of fuel and ammunition were destroyed at the cost of one Zero fighter, which was shot down by Kittyhawk fighters. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
9 Apr 1942

Australian Papua
  • In the morning, eight Zero fighters attacked Seven Mile airfield new Port Moresby, Australian Papua, damaging one Hudson aircraft and one Kittyhawk aircraft on the ground. In the afternoon, Type 1 bombers escorted by four Zero fighters attacked Seven Mile once again; Australian fighters failed to scramble fighters. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
21 Apr 1942

Australian Papua
  • Japanese aircraft based in Rabaul, New Britain attacked Port Moresby, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
24 Apr 1942

Australian Papua
  • Zero fighters of the Japanese Navy Tainan Air Group (based in Rabaul, New Britain) attacked Seven Mile airfield near Port Moresby, Australian Papua, shooting down 3 Kittyhawk fighters in combat and destroying 1 PBY Catalina and 2 B-26 Marauder aircraft on the ground. Later in the day, four B-17E Flying Fortress bombers of US 30th Bomb Squadron arrived at Seven Mile in preparation for a raid on Rabaul, New Britain on the next day. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
25 Apr 1942

Australian Papua
  • Four B-17E Flying Fortress bombers of US 30th Bomb Squadron were launched from Seven Mile airfield near Port Moresby, Australian Papua at 0300 hours to attack Rabaul, New Britain; one of them would ran off the runway in the darkness and became stuck in thick mud, while another crashed into Mount Obree. At 0800 hours, Zero fighters attacked Seven Mile and destroyed the stuck bomber. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
27 Apr 1942

Australian Papua
  • 9 Japanese Type 1 bombers and 11 Zero fighters attacked Seven Mile airfield near Port Moresby, Australian Papua, destroying 3 A-24 and 1 B-26 aircraft. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
28 Apr 1942

Australian Papua
  • At 1100 hours, Coast Watchers reported incoming Japanese aircraft flying south from the Lae, New Guinea area. Shortly after, 8 Japanese Type 1 bombers and 11 Zero fighters attacked Port Moresby, Australian Papua. In the ensuing combat, two of the Kittyhawk fighters attempted to engage in dogfights with Zero fighters at a high altitude, which caused their engines to stall, leading to the two fighters' crash. After the attack, Port Moresby personnel discovered one of the Japanese bombers had delivered a bag containing 395 letters written by prisoners of war kept in Rabaul, New Britain; actually two khaki bags of mail were dropped, but one of them fell in the water. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 2 | Port Moresby | CPC]
30 Apr 1942

Australian Papua
  • A group of P-39D Airacobra fighters arrived to reinforce Port Moresby, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
2 May 1942

Australian Papua
5 May 1942

Australian Papua
  • A B-25 Mitchell bomber spotted Shoho during the day. After dark, 3 B-17 Flying Fortress bombers were brought up from Australia to Port Moresby, Australian Papua and were loaded up with 600-pound bombs for an attack on Shoho. ww2dbase [Battle of Coral Sea | Port Moresby | CPC]
18 May 1942

Australian Papua
20 Jul 1942

Australian Papua
  • 24 Japanese G4M bombers and 15 A6M fighters attacked Port Moresby, Papua on the island of New Guinea. Meanwhile, at Rabaul, New Britain, 5th Sasebo Special Naval Landing Force of the Japanese Navy and Yokoyama Detachment of the Japanese 17th Army departed on three transports. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 2 | Port Moresby | CPC]
30 Jul 1942

Australian Papua
  • George Kenney arrived at Seven Mile airfield near Port Moresby, Australian Papua by a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber at 0700 hours. ww2dbase [George Kenney | Port Moresby | CPC]
6 Aug 1942

Australian Papua
  • In the afternoon, 16 US B-17 Flying Fortress bombers were moved from Mareeba airfield near Cairns, Australia to Port Moresby, Australian Papua for a planned attack on Rabaul, New Britain on the following day. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
14 Aug 1942

Australian Papua
  • The B-17E Flying Fortress aircraft "Chief Seattle from the Pacific North West" was launched from Port Moresby, Australian Papua for a reconnaissance mission over Rabaul, New Britain, but the aircraft became missing shortly after launch and was never found. This aircraft was paid for by donations from civilians of the state of Washington in northwestern United States. ww2dbase [B-17 Flying Fortress | Port Moresby | CPC]
14 Sep 1942

Australian Papua
  • Japanese troops attacked the Australian line at Ioribaiwa Ridge along the Kokoda Track in Australian Papua; the ridge was 25 miles north of Port Moresby. To the east, the Gili Gili airfield on the coast of Milne Bay was renamed Gurney Field in memorial of RAAF Squadron Leader C. R. Gurney. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 2 | Port Moresby | CPC]
  • US 7th Pursuit Squadron, flying P-40 fighters, arrived at 14-Mile Airfield at Port Moresby, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
15 Sep 1942

Australian Papua
  • Both the Japanese and the Australians brought up reserve units in the engagement at Ioribaiwa Ridge along the Kokoda Track in Australian Papua, 25 miles north of Port Moresby. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 2 | Port Moresby | CPC]
16 Sep 1942

Australian Papua
  • Australian troops pulled back from the Ioribaiwa Ridge along the Kokoda Track in Australian Papua, 25 miles north of Port Moresby in preparation for a counterattack. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 2 | Port Moresby | CPC]
17 Sep 1942

Australian Papua
  • Australian troops fell back from Ioribaiwa Ridge to Imita Ridge along the Kokoda Track in Australian Papua, 25 miles from Port Moresby; the Australians were surprised that the Japanese did not pursue in force. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 2 | Port Moresby | CPC]
21 Sep 1942

Australian Papua
12 Oct 1942

Photo(s) dated 12 Oct 1942
Frank Forde, Douglas MacArthur, Thomas Blamey, George Kenney, Cyril Clowes, and Kenneth Walker at Seven Mile Drome, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 12 Oct 1942
14 Nov 1942

Australian Papua
  • Three squadrons of US B-24 bombers moved from Iron Range airfield in northern Queensland, Australia to Port Moresby, Australian Papua and prepared for a strike on the under-construction airfield at Munda Point, Bougainville, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Solomon Islands Campaign | Port Moresby | CPC]
26 Feb 1943

Australian Papua
  • George Kenney arrived at Port Moresby, Australian Papua to personally take charge of organizing an attack on Japanese convoy Operation 81; this intelligence was provided by cryptanalysis. ww2dbase [George Kenney | Port Moresby | CPC]
12 Apr 1943

Australian Papua
  • Isoroku Yamamoto personally observed the launch of a strike at Vunakanau field near Rabaul, New Britain, which ultimately consisted of 17 G4M bombers of 751 Air Group and 26 G4M bombers of 705 Air Group with 130 fighters in escort. At 0945 hours, the attack was detected by the radar station at Dona on the coast of Australian Papua. The attack destroyed 3 B-25 bombers and 1 Beaufighter at Schwimmer Airfield near Port Moresby, Australian Papua; nearby Berry Airfield suffered destroyed buildings and Ward's Airfield suffered 5,000 drums of gasoline destroyed. The Japanese lost 6 bombers and 2 fighters in combat; 2 additional bombers were lost after making crash landings. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 2 | Port Moresby | CPC]
  • B-17 bombers took off from Jackson Field (previously known as Seven Mile airdrome) near Port Moresby, Australian Papua. Pilot Kenneth McCullar's B-17 "Blues in the Nite" caught fire on takeoff, veered off, and crashed, killing all aboard. Those that took off successfully attacked the Japanese base at Rabaul, New Britain. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
27 Apr 1943

Australian Papua
  • George Kenney departed Port Moresby, Australian Papua for Brisbane, Australia. ww2dbase [George Kenney | Port Moresby | CPC]
12 May 1943

Australian Papua
  • Modified B-25 bombers of 13th Squadron of US 38th Bomb Group, based in Port Moresby, Australian Papua, began conducting strafing missions. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
22 May 1943

Photo(s) dated 22 May 1943
B-17E Fortress “Sally” at 7-Mile Aerodrome, Port Moresby, New Guinea, May 22 1943. This was the personal transportation aircraft for LGen George Kenney, commander of Allied Air Forces, Southwest Pacific Area.
24 May 1943

Australian Papua
  • From Port Moresby, Australian Papua, Ennis Whitehead sent George Kenney a request for setting up regular reconnaissance flights over Rabaul, New Britain using F-5 (P-38) aircraft. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
31 May 1943

Australian Papua
  • George Kenney arrived at Port Moresby, Australian Papua to temporarily relieve Ennis Whitehead, who was sent to Australia for treatment for a badly infected toe. ww2dbase [George Kenney | Port Moresby | CPC]
2 Jun 1943

Australian Papua
  • Five B-17 bombers were launched from Port Moresby, Australian Papua at 2330 hours to attack Rabaul, New Britain. All bombers would abandon their missions due to poor weather. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]
11 Jun 1943

Australian Papua
  • George Kenney returned tactical control of the bombers at Port Moresby, Australian Papua to Ennis Whitehead, who had returned from Australia after receiving medical treatment for a badly infected toe. Kenney departed Port Moresby for Brisbane, Australia later in the day. ww2dbase [George Kenney | Port Moresby | CPC]
5 Sep 1943

Photo(s) dated 5 Sep 1943
Gen Douglas MacArthur shaking the hand of his pilot, Col Harry Hawthorne, after observing the airborne paratroop drop at Nazdab, New Guinea from his B-17F “Talisman.” 5 Sep 1943 photo at 7-Mile Aerodrome, Port Moresby, New Guinea.B-17F Fortress “Talisman” warming up before take-off from Jackson’s Drome, Port Moresby, New Guinea, 5 Sep 1943. This plane carried Douglas MacArthur to and from the battle zones in New Guinea.C-47 Skytrain transports loaded with paratroopers bound for the raid on Nadzab, New Guinea, 5 Sep 1943 at the Port Moresby 7-Mile Aerodrome. Note General MacArthur and General Kenney standing at the lower left.
20 Sep 1943

Australian Papua
26 Oct 1943

Australian Papua

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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P-51 Mustang fighter under construction, North American Aviation plant, Los Angeles, California, United States, circa 1942


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