Battle of the Green Islands

Troops from New Zealand disembark from U.S. Landing Craft Infantry ship LCI-444 to occupy Green Island on February 16, 1944.

Date	January 29 - February 27, 1944
Location	Green Islands in the South Pacific
Result	Allied victory

Combatants

Commanders

H.E. Barrowclough

Hitoshi Imamura

Strength

5,806^[1]

120-150^[2]

Casualties

13 killed^[3]

120 killed,
12 aircraft destroyed^[4]

Solomon Islands campaign
1st Tulagi – Guadalcanal – Blackett Strait – Cartwheel – Death of Yamamoto – New Georgia – Kula Gulf – Kolombangara – Vella Gulf – Horaniu – Vella Lavella – Naval Vella Lavella – Treasury Is. – Choiseul – Bougainville – Rabaul carrier raid – Cape St. George – Green Is.

The Battle of the Green Islands was fought from January 29 to February 27 of 1944 between Allied forces from New Zealand and the United States (U.S.) and Japan. The Green Islands are located in North Solomons Province, Papua New Guinea, between the Solomon Islands and New Ireland. The allied forces invaded several islands that had been occupied by the Japanese. The Allies successfully recaptured those islands.

[edit] References

^ Gillespie, Official History, p. 173. Troops included 4,242 New Zealanders and 1,564 U.S.
^ Gillespie, Official History, p. 178.
^ Gillespie, Official History, p. 188. Breakdown of deaths: New Zealand- 10, U.S.- 3.
^ Gillespie, Official History, p. 188. A few members of the Japanese garrison may have escaped to Rabaul.

Morison, Samuel Eliot (1958). Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, vol. 6 of History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Castle Books. 0785813071.

Chapin, John C. (1997). TOP OF THE LADDER: Marine Operations in the Northern Solomons (English). World War II Commemorative series 1. Marine Corps History and Museums Division. Retrieved on August 30, 2006. Also available at: [1]
Gillespie, Oliver A. (1952). The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War, 1939–1945: IV: The Capture of the Green Islands. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.
Hughes, Warwick; Ray Munro. 3rd NZ Division in the Pacific. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.
Miller, John, Jr. (1959). CARTWHEEL: The Reduction of Rabaul (English). United States Army in World War II: The War in the Pacific 418. Office of the Chief of Military History, U.S. Department of the Army. Retrieved on Oct 20, 2006.
Rentz, John M. (1946). Bougainville and the Northern Solomons (English). USMC Historical Monograph. Historical Branch, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. Retrieved on October 18, 2006.