Battle Of Kula Gulf Begins

MON 5 JUL 1943
Pacific
TG 36.1 (Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth) bombard Vila, Kolombangara, and Bairoko Harbor, New Georgia, Solomons. That night, shortly before midnight, Rear Admiral Ainsworth's ships engage a force of Japanese destroyers (Rear Admiral Akiyama Teruo) in the Battle of Kula Gulf. Destroyer Strong (DD-467) is sunk by Japanese destroyer torpedo (fired by either Niizuki, Yunagi or Nagatsuki) 08°05'S, 157°15'E.

Marines (1st Marine Raider Battalion) and Army troops land at Rice Anchorage, New Georgia, Solomons.

RAAF Beaufighters sink Japanese auxiliary sailing vessel No.12 Koyo Maru chartered to carry fuel, 35 miles west of Dobo, en route to Ambon.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter Maltran, in convoy GTMO 134 and en route from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Ponce, Puerto Rico, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-759 at 18°11'N, 74°57'W; submarine chaser SC-1279 rescues all hands (35 merchant sailors and the 12-man Armed Guard).

Motor torpedo boat PT-250 is damaged when accidentally grounded off Looe Key, Florida, 24°33'N, 81°25'E.

Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Alcoa Prospector, in convoy PA 44 and en route from Abadan, Iran, to Montevideo, Uruguay, is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-27 at 24°26'N, 58°20'E; Royal Indian Navy minesweeper RINS Bengal takes on board the survivors (see 6 July 1943).