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A Japanese Betty bomber passes over the bow of the USS Chicago
as it tries desperately to evade a pursuing F4F Wildcat fighter
from the USS Wasp. On August 8th, 1942, 23 Japanese Betty Bombers
from the 4th Kokutai on the island of Rabaul set out to attack
Rear Admiral Kelly Turner’s screening force of cruisers
and destroyers supporting the US Marine 1st Division that had
landed the day before. The anti-aircraft fire from the fleet,
as well as the dogged defence mounted by the covering Wildcats
devastated the Japanese, with only five severely damaged Betty’s
making it back to Rabaul. Only one Japanese torpedo found it’s
mark, damaging the destroyer USS Jarvis and another ship, the
transport USS George Elliott was set afire by a crashing enemy
bomber. |