began searching for his crewmen. No trace of them was found, and it is believed that all three perished in the Hudson’s fiery fuselage before they could jump. Moving deeper into the bush, Lerew lived off the land for several days while evading the Japanese. He finally encountered friendly natives and was led to a coastwatcher, who arranged for a sailing schooner to take him to Port Moresby. Ten days after being shot down, Lerew rejoined his squadron.
The daring attack had cost the RAAF two Hudsons and the lives of seven men, but for once the lightweight bombers gave as good as they got. Japanese records revealed that two transports, the 4,390-ton Kinryu Maru and 7,072-ton Kizui Maru , were damaged by direct hits at Gasmata on February 11. Although both vessels eventually returned to service, dozens of Japanese had been killed or wounded.
CHAPTER 7
Stronghold
C ONSIDERING THE RAAF’S almost-embarrassing lack of resources, the long-range attacks against New Britain were nothing less than heroic. To the Japanese, however, the raids were nothing more than a minor harassment—too insignificant to affect the development of Rabaul. Indeed, as ship after ship offloaded troops and supplies onto the busy wharves and jetties, the town experienced a population explosion.
During the first hours of occupation, the Japanese grabbed everything they could lay their hands on, ransacking stores and gorging themselves on foodstuffs and liquor, but once the pickings were gone the South Seas Force was left to deal with severe overcrowding. Conditions grew worse as more personnel came ashore, and the combat troops were eventually outnumbered by support units. Temporary encampments helped relieve the housing shortage, but the Japanese also erected hundreds of hastily built wooden buildings.
Prior to the invasion, Rabaul consisted of about 330 structures of all types, including warehouses and commercial buildings. Over the next few months the Japanese tripled that figure, constructing more than 600 wooden structures for an aggregate of 2.8 million square feet of floor space. The army and navy revamped or constructed twenty-nine sawmills, mostly using native labor, which together generated an output of more than seven hundred thousand board feet of lumber per month.
Everywhere around Rabaul, engineers began enlarging and improving the military complex. Simpson Harbor could already handle three hundred thousand tons of shipping, but the Imperial Navy made it even better, adding anchorages in Keravia Bay and Matupit Harbor. Vice Admiral Inoue, the commander of the Fourth Fleet, officially dispersed the invasion fleet on January 29 and established the Rabaul Area Force. Subordinate commands included the 8th Special Base Force, the 6th Torpedo Squadron, the 14th Minesweeper Flotilla, floatplane units, a naval construction detachment, and the Special Naval Landing Force antiaircraft batteries.
Air power received similar attention. Lakunai airdrome, which the Japanese called Rabingikku , was established as the main base for Imperial Navy fighters, primarily because a low area near the midpoint of the runway was deemed unsuitable for constant use by heavy aircraft. Engineers added approximately one hundred revetments and planned to resurface the runway, but periodic flooding prevented that from becoming a reality. The field conditions remained substandard throughout much of 1942 thanks to the steady fall of ash from Tavurvur, only a mile from the end of the runway on the opposite side of Matupit Harbor.
Vunakanau airdrome was greatly expanded as the main base for Imperial Navy land attack aircraft as well as fighters. The runway, extended to a length of 5,200 feet and widened to 135 feet, was paved with a four-inch-thick layer of concrete. Protective revetments for sixty bombers and ninety fighters were added, along with numerous wooden buildings for storage, administration, and housing. New barracks space alone totaled some 70,000 square feet,
The daring attack had cost the RAAF two Hudsons and the lives of seven men, but for once the lightweight bombers gave as good as they got. Japanese records revealed that two transports, the 4,390-ton Kinryu Maru and 7,072-ton Kizui Maru , were damaged by direct hits at Gasmata on February 11. Although both vessels eventually returned to service, dozens of Japanese had been killed or wounded.
CHAPTER 7
Stronghold
C ONSIDERING THE RAAF’S almost-embarrassing lack of resources, the long-range attacks against New Britain were nothing less than heroic. To the Japanese, however, the raids were nothing more than a minor harassment—too insignificant to affect the development of Rabaul. Indeed, as ship after ship offloaded troops and supplies onto the busy wharves and jetties, the town experienced a population explosion.
During the first hours of occupation, the Japanese grabbed everything they could lay their hands on, ransacking stores and gorging themselves on foodstuffs and liquor, but once the pickings were gone the South Seas Force was left to deal with severe overcrowding. Conditions grew worse as more personnel came ashore, and the combat troops were eventually outnumbered by support units. Temporary encampments helped relieve the housing shortage, but the Japanese also erected hundreds of hastily built wooden buildings.
Prior to the invasion, Rabaul consisted of about 330 structures of all types, including warehouses and commercial buildings. Over the next few months the Japanese tripled that figure, constructing more than 600 wooden structures for an aggregate of 2.8 million square feet of floor space. The army and navy revamped or constructed twenty-nine sawmills, mostly using native labor, which together generated an output of more than seven hundred thousand board feet of lumber per month.
Everywhere around Rabaul, engineers began enlarging and improving the military complex. Simpson Harbor could already handle three hundred thousand tons of shipping, but the Imperial Navy made it even better, adding anchorages in Keravia Bay and Matupit Harbor. Vice Admiral Inoue, the commander of the Fourth Fleet, officially dispersed the invasion fleet on January 29 and established the Rabaul Area Force. Subordinate commands included the 8th Special Base Force, the 6th Torpedo Squadron, the 14th Minesweeper Flotilla, floatplane units, a naval construction detachment, and the Special Naval Landing Force antiaircraft batteries.
Air power received similar attention. Lakunai airdrome, which the Japanese called Rabingikku , was established as the main base for Imperial Navy fighters, primarily because a low area near the midpoint of the runway was deemed unsuitable for constant use by heavy aircraft. Engineers added approximately one hundred revetments and planned to resurface the runway, but periodic flooding prevented that from becoming a reality. The field conditions remained substandard throughout much of 1942 thanks to the steady fall of ash from Tavurvur, only a mile from the end of the runway on the opposite side of Matupit Harbor.
Vunakanau airdrome was greatly expanded as the main base for Imperial Navy land attack aircraft as well as fighters. The runway, extended to a length of 5,200 feet and widened to 135 feet, was paved with a four-inch-thick layer of concrete. Protective revetments for sixty bombers and ninety fighters were added, along with numerous wooden buildings for storage, administration, and housing. New barracks space alone totaled some 70,000 square feet,
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