Then, on 5 November, in response to reports of Japanese cruisers concentrating at Rabaul to counterattack the Allied landing forces, Saratoga conducted perhaps her most brilliant strike of the war. Her aircraft penetrated the heavily defended port and disabled most of the Japanese cruisers, ending the surface threat to Bougainville. Saratoga, herself, escaped unscathed and returned to raid Rabaul again on 11 November. (DANFS, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. 6, page 341). Saratoga's Air Group 12 was led by CDR Caldwell, whose Avenger returned badly shot up.