“Button,” Espiritu Santo

Went over to ComAirSoPac this afternoon to talk to a friend of Wendy Suydam about a job on the staff. He was damn helpful and giving me all the dope. Seems that anything under a full commander hasn’t much say on anything, despite the amount of experience he has. Full lieutenants are merely glorified office boys or file clerks. The only advantage they have is a pretty up-to-date knowledge of operations. The only job that sounds the least bit good is Flag Pilot position, which I think I shall look into, although I have my doubts.

Would like to fly one of the new PVs (Vega Venturas) one of these days. They have all the maneuverability of the Hudson without its ground-looping tendency. They’re damn fast – over 300 at altitude under 10,000. Martin turret on top, tunnel gun (twin fifties) and 6 fifties firing forward two in the fuselage and four in the wing. Also carries a torpedo. What a wonderful plane for anti-shipping work. It could also make hash of anything but a Zero.

The big push begins tonight with a rate by VP-44 (out of Vanikoro) and Army B-24’s out of Cactus on Nauru. More Army planes are raiding the Gilberts (out of Funafuti). This however is merely the initial distraction. The rest follows.

Intelligence reports say that the Japs are withdrawing troops from Northern Solomons. Bougainville supposedly has only 6000 troops on it now. Sounds phony to me.

The many rumors we’ve heard in the past about landings on Bougainville are true in the sense. They were Marine Raider landings from subs and lasted only a few days each.