Multiple columns of smoke mark a coordinated 312th Bomb Group strike against Japanese vessels sheltering in a Pacific harbor, as a B-25 Mitchell banks overhead. Missions against harbor anchorages often involved several aircraft attacking in sequence, overwhelming a target's defenses and destroying as much enemy shipping as possible in a single pass. Such raids were central to the Fifth Air Force's campaign to isolate Japanese garrisons across New Guinea and the surrounding islands. Project: 218558