VMD-154 Report On Sorties

November 1942

SECRET

Forward Echelon - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - AIR - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - VMD-154 BUTTON
November 26, 1942.

From: The Commanding Officer.
To: The Commanding General, Headquarters,
First Marine Aircraft Wing, White Poppy.

Subject: Sorties, report on.

1. On arrival at Button, November 11, the commanding Officer this unit reported to ComAirSoPac for duty and further reported to General Woods and Colonel Bulkely at Cactus for orders. Upon receiving same, this officer reported back at Button, established an operational area, and camp at transient officers area.

2. General Rose appointed this officer as camp commander to clean up conditions of the camp, which have been completed.

3. Flights made and areas covered in nine flights to date totaling 81 hours flying time of two (2) planes are as follows:

Sortie One - Vertical and oblique photographs taken of all fields on Button Bomber #1 - Bomber #2 - Fighter Strip.

Sortie Two - Northwest shore of Guadalcanal Simmonds Bk - W to Cape Esperance. Impossible to lay mosaic due to heavy cloud formations.

Sortie Three - Retake of field areas on Button to give larger scale and cover greater area.

Sortie Four - Aola Bay shore line - Depth 3 miles Cactus.

Sortie Five - West Cactus - From Bomber strip on north shore to Itina River on south shore from - Cape Beaufort on south shore to Doma Reef on north shore.

Sortie Six - Savo Island. Fill in strip for Comdr Quackenbush run at Simmonds Bank.

Sortie Seven - Tulagi Harbor area.

Sortie Eight - South western shore - New Georgia group - Lambeti area.

Sortie Nine - North shore of Santa Ysabel near Rekata Bay on inhabited area, Bay overcast.

Sortie Ten - Completion of West Cactus mosaic area covered from Doma Reef to Cape Beaufort - Cheetah Shoals - Cape Esperance.

4. The following areas are on schedule to be mapped as soon as possible southeast corner of Button, Russel Island Area, Tumminbuki area, Santa Isabel Island, Outang Java, and the Buin Area of Bouganville Island.

5. At the present time, all processing and map laying is being done by the U.S.S. Curtiss and will continue to be done there until the arrival of the ground echelon of VMD-154.

E. E. Bard