 Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Bunker Hill yakabva kuPearl Harbor pana October 19 ichienda kuSouthwest Pacific. Boka renhandare yendege rakabatanidzwa mukurwisa kwemhepopane chikuru Imperial Japanese Navy base paRabaul, pamwe chete uye musi wa11 Mbudzi 1943. Panguva basa vatakuri varwi VF-18 escorted vabhomba kuna Rabaul, uye CV-17 akanga akabatanidzwazve VF-17, ipapo panyika yakavakirwa Ondonga Airfield muna Solomon Islands. Ma tailhook akaiswazve pa Corsair dzechikwata ichi, achivagonesa kumhara uye kuzadza motokari yavo yechikepe chepakutanga uku vachipa kufukidzwa kwemhepo kuchikwata chebasa sezvo ndege dzayo dzaiperekedza kurwisa kweRabaul. Musi wa14 November, ngarava yacho yakaenda kuzvitsuwa zveGilbert kuti inoparidza nezvokupinda kwevanhu muTarawa. 