The story
As 15 US B-24 and 6 B-17 bombers began to take off from Port Moresby, Australian Papua to attack the Japanese base at Rabaul, New Britain, one of the bombers crashed at the end of the runway, blocking many of the bombers from launching. The aircraft that took off prior to the crash reached Rabaul and sank Italy Maru near Lakunai airfield, sank Tsurugisan Maru, and damaged destroyer Tachikaze (killing destroyer commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Yasumi HIrasata).
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.