The greatest irony was the insignificance of the American effort: twelve bombers, no fighter escort.Only two days later, the Japanese launched more than eight times as many aircraft from Rabaul to attack Port Moresby. Considering the high costs of the recent battles for Guadalcanal and Buna, it was an astonishing show of force. The Eleventh Air Fleet put up sixty fighters and forty-four medium bombers in an attempt to knock out the Allied airdromes.But there was more irony to come. Halfway to Port Moresby, the armada was stymied by an impassable storm. The remarkable effort went for naught. Had the weather been favorable, a well-coordinated attack by 104 aircraft might have overwhelmed the defenses at Port Moresby, causing severe setbacks for Kenney and his air forces. As it was, the foul weather favored the Allies, and the Japanese returned to Rabaul in frustration.That same day, Allied bombers attacked the enemy convoy bound for Lae. During the clash, off the south coase of New Britain, dozens of fighters battled fiercely over the convoy.
