Looking east from the Solomon Sea toward islands and shoals west of Buka Passage, 7 April 2005. Buks is at left; Madehas Island is at right center with the north channel to the passage between them and Matchin Bay beyond to the right. From this vicinity, in deep water outside a mined area, Rear Admiral Merrills cruisers and destroyers of DesRon 23 bombarded the Buka and Bonis airfields as a diversion before the landings at Cape Torokina on 1 November 1943.