The Hermit Islands are a group of 17[1] islands within the Western Islands of the Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea. Their coordinates are 1°30′S 145°4′E / 1.500°S 145.067°E / -1.500; 145.067.[1]
The first sighting by Europeans of Hermit islands was by the Spanish navigator Iñigo Órtiz de Retes on 29 July 1545 when on board of the carrack San Juan tried to return from TidoretoNew Spain. He charted them as La Caimana (a female caiman in Spanish).[2] When passing by, Ortiz de Retes reported that some negroes got near the ship who flung arrows by hand without bows, that were made of flint suitable for striking fire.[3] These islands belong to Micronesian outliers.
On 17 June 1944, after returning from a bombing mission, 11 aircrew were bailed out from the B-24 Liberator Dropsnoot over the Hermit Islands and landed in rough seas approximately two miles from the southeast of Jalun Island. Four drowned, while the other seven were cared for by natives until being rescued.
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