Not taking a position on this. Here's an "after action" report on the 345th BG attacking shipping around New Hanover and Western New Ireland in the Pacific. Enjoy.
From "Warpath Across The Pacific" by Lawrence Hickey
A Shipping Finale: February 21, 1944The successful attacks against shipping around New Hanover and Western New Ireland were brought to a close on the 21st when a large attack force was launched against two Japanese light cruisers reported off the northwest coast of New Hanover. Shortly after take-off, the objective was changed to a convoy in the same area. Both the 38th and the 345th Bomb Groups set out on the mission, but bad weather turned back the fighter cover and all but 15 strafers from the 500th and the 501st Squadrons.
Searching through the mist and rain off the northwest coast of the island, eight of the planes found an opening in the weather and sighted a small convoy consisting of two freighters and three escort vessels. The 500th Squadron, flying in pairs, made a wide circle to the left and 1/Lts. William A. James and George C. Marshall roared in first, attacking a patrol craft and what appeared to be a destroyer.
Next came 1Lts. George Davis and Richard B. Fritzshall. They singled out a patrol craft for attack, and one of their bombs caused an explosion and fire aboard the vessel. Immediately after passing the target, Lt. Fritzshall turned to the right, passing below Davis to attack the destroyer. Davis continued straight ahead into the flash of the forward deck gun of the 3871 ton Kokai Maru, strafing all the way in. Two of his bombs exploded on or near the ship and two others threw up large geysers as they exploded in the water nearby. Flames and dense black smoke began pouring from the ship.
Davis then saw Lt. James attacking one of the escorts and followed him in strafing to cover the B-25 as it pulled away from its target. As he passed over the gunboat, Davis heard the sound of its machine guns blazing away at him. A shell penetrated the bottom of the cockpit and shattered against the radio equipment, peppering 2/Lt. Clifford H. Blake, the co-pilot, with fragments of hot metal. Although Blake was not seriously injured, the shells knocked out all of the cockpit instruments and put large holes through the right wing and rudder. Davis pulled BUGGER OFF out of the fight and waited to join up with the other planes for the return flight home..
After hitting the patrol craft with one of his bombs, Mitchell had swung around to attack the Kowa Maru which directed a steady stream of fire at him as he attacked. Two bombs skipped into the ship and exploded, spreading flames along the entire superstructure. The ship was finished off by 1/Lt John M. Kirmil of the 501st who dropped two 1000 pounders on it, scoring a direct hit. A terrific explosion followed and the ship was last seen listing an aflame from bow to stern.
Another 501st pilot, 1/Lt. Charles E. Coffman, went after one of the escorts and watched Jap seaman jump overboard as his tracers splattered the decks. His bombs were near misses, buckling the hull and lifting the submarine chaser in the water. Although damaged, it escaped. The B-25’s continued orbiting over the scene, bombing and strafing the burning an sinking vessels for several minutes. Intelligence later confirmed that only the largest escort, probably the subchaser seen below rather than a destroyer, escaped destruction.
Lt. Davis Ditches
The strafers did not escape unscathed. Three of the 501st planes flew home with damage from the vicious AA fire, while five planes from the 500th limped back towards base. Lts. James and Mitchell both turned out of a three-plane formation and landed at Finschafen with major battle damage. Davis, however, figured he could land without instruments just as easily at Dobodura and headed south alone across the Huon Gulf.
Minutes later, the left engine backfired several times and stopped. The propeller went to a flat pitch and ran away; the entire aircraft began to shake. Davis pressed the feathering button several times but nothing happened. From 700 feet the plane began a slow descent towards the sea."
<they were picked up the next day by a launch from the H.M.A.S. Paluma.>
[This message has been edited by Toad (edited 02-10-2001).]