_While Marine antiaircraft artillery dealt with air raids, 155mm
Long Toms were fired at targets some eight miles or more away
round-the-clock, in all weather, taking a toll of the defenders._]
On 5 July, a detachment of 52 men with four 40mm guns and four
.50-caliber machine guns under the command of First Lieutenant John R.
Wismer moved to Zanana Beach on New Georgia to provide antiaircraft and
beach defense protection for the 43d Infantry Division which had landed
in that area.
[Illustration: _A fire direction center processed target information
from observation posts and air spotters, which group commander LtCol
Archie E. O’Neil and executive officer Maj Robert C. Hiatt translated
into firing data on Rendova._
Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 60596
]
Major naval surface actions occurred on 12 July as the U.S. Navy
intercepted Japanese destroyers and cruisers attempting to resupply
forces on Vila and Munda. The ships’ gunfire, sounding like massive
thunder and looking like a lightning storm, permitting little sound
sleep, was observed from Rendova. The next day, a 90mm battery, three
searchlights, and a light antiaircraft detachment arrived from the
11th Defense Battalion. The 90mm battery was staged on Kokorana until
the 9th Defense Battalion displaced to New Georgia, then it went into
firing positions. Light antiaircraft guns were positioned on both
Kokorana and Rendova. Marines from the 11th Defense Battalion assisted
the 9th in manning the radars and the 11th’s sound locator supported
Battery E.
[Illustration: