After aircraft of US Task Force 38 attacked Rabaul in New Britain, the Japanese launched a counterattack against the carrier fleet. The 18 B5N2 aircraft failed to find the main fleet off Bougainville in the Solomon Islands, and instead attacked a convoy of three vessels (one LCI, one LCT, and one PT boat) nearby. They made two torpedo hits, both of which were duds, killing one. One B5N2 aircraft was shot down. Japanese propaganda claimed that this attack resulted in the sinking of 1 US carrier, 2 cruisers, and 2 destroyers.
