Bougainville campaign (1943-45)

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Bougainville campaign (1943-1945)
Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II

United States Army soldiers hunt Japanese infiltrators on Bougainville in March, 1944.
Date November 1, 1943 – August 21, 1945
Location Bougainville in the South Pacific
Result Allied victory
Combatants
United States
Australia
New Zealand
Fiji		 Empire of Japan
Commanders
Roy Geiger
Theodore S. Wilkinson
Oscar Griswold
Stanley Savige		 Harukichi Hyakutake
Masatane Kanda
Strength
126,000 troops,[1]
728 aircraft[2]		 65,000 troops,[3]
154 aircraft[4]
Casualties
1,243 dead[5] 44,000 dead[6]
Bougainville campaign (1943-45)
Cape Torokina – Empress Augusta Bay – Koromokina – Piva Trail – Coconut Grove – Piva Forks – Hellzapoppin & Hill 600A – Counterattack – Pearl Ridge – Genga River – Slater's Knoll – Hongorai River

The Bougainville campaign, was a campaign of World War II that occurred from November 1, 1943 to August 21, 1945 on and around Bougainville Island in the South Pacific between the Empire of Japan and Allied forces. Bougainville, at that time, was part of the Australian territory of New Guinea, although geographically part of the Solomon Islands chain. The Bougainville campaign was, therefore, part of both the Allied New Guinea and Solomon Islands campaigns. Bougainville was occupied by Japanese forces in 1942, who constructed naval air bases at Buka in the north and Buin in the south, as well as a naval ship base in the nearby Shortland Islands. The Japanese bases provided security for their major base at Rabaul, New Britain and supported their forces operating at other locations in the Solomon Islands.

As part of the latter stages of Operation Cartwheel, Allied forces intended to establish air bases on Bougainville to assist in the isolation and neutralization of Rabaul. Thus, in November, 1943 United States (U.S.) Marine forces landed at Cape Torokina on Bougainville and established a beachhead within which the Allies constructed three airfields. The Marines were later replaced by U.S. Army soldiers in January, 1944. The U.S. Army was replaced by Australian Militia troops in October, 1944. The campaign ended with the surrender of Japanese forces in August, 1945.

Contents

[edit] The campaign

[edit] November 1943-March 1944

January 1944: U.S. Marine Raiders pose in front of a captured Japanese dugout at Cape Torokina on Bougainville.
January 1944: U.S. Marine Raiders pose in front of a captured Japanese dugout at Cape Torokina on Bougainville.

Allied operations to retake Bougainville from the Japanese 17th Army began with Landings at Cape Torokina by the U.S. Marine 3rd Division on November 1, 1943. The Allies intended to establish a beachhead around Cape Torokina, within which an airfield would be built. Allied forces didn't plan, at this time, to try to capture the entire island of Bougainville from Japanese forces. An attempt by the Japanese Navy to attack the U.S. landing forces was defeated in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, on November 1 and November 2, 1943. A subsequent attempt by Japanese land forces to attack the Allied beachhead was defeated in the Battle of Koromokina Lagoon.

Protracted and often bitter jungle warfare followed, with many casualties resulting from malaria and other tropical diseases. U.S. Marine operations to expand the Allied beachhead resulted in the battles of Piva Trail, Coconut Grove, Piva Forks, and Hellzapoppin Ridge and Hill 600A. The Marines were later replaced by the U.S. Army's Americal Division.

The U.S. Army defended the beachhead against a major Japanese counterattack from March 9-17, 1944, at Hill 700, Cannon Hill and Hill 260. The counterattack was defeated with heavy losses for the Japanese, who then withdrew the majority of their forces into the deep interior and to the north and south ends of the island. After the defeat of the Japanese counterattack, the forces of the two adversaries settled into an informal, but mutual truce in which neither side attempted major attacks against the other. The Japanese, isolated and cut off from outside assistance, primarily concentrated on survival, including the development of farms throughout the island. The Allies concentrated on constructing three airfields in the beachhead, from which they conducted fighter and bomber operations over Rabaul and other Japanese held islands in the South Pacific area. Air support over Bougainville itself was provided primarily by the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

[edit] November 1944-August 1945

Between October and December, 1944, the U.S. ground forces handed over operations on the island to an Australian Militia formation, II Corps, which was comprised of the 3rd Division and the 11th Brigade. The Fiji Infantry Regiment also took part. The Australian 23rd Brigade, which was also part of II Corps, garrisoned neighbouring islands.

The second phase of the Allied campaign developed into three separate drives: in the north, it was planned that Japanese forces would be forced into the narrow Bonis Peninsula and contained; in the centre the seizure of Pearl Ridge would give the Australians control of the east-west thoroughfares and protection against further counterattacks, while also opening the way for a drive to the east coast and; the main campaign in the south, where the bulk of the Japanese forces were concentrated.

Major battles for the Australians included the Battle of Genga River (in the north) and the Battles of Slater's Knoll and Hongorai River (in the south).

Corporal Reg Rattey (at Slater's Knoll) and Private Frank Partridge (at Ratsua) won Australia's last Victoria Crosses of World War II and the only VCs awarded to Militia soldiers.

Combat operations on Bougainville ended with the surrender of Japanese forces on August 21, 1945.

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[edit] See also

USS McKean (DD-90)

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Shaw, Isolation of Rabaul, p. 246, Lofgren, Northern Solomons, p. 27, & Gailey, Bougainville, p. 191. Number includes 96,000 U.S. and 30,000 Australian troops.
  2. ^ Shaw, Isolation of Rabaul, p. 185-186.
  3. ^ Gailey, Bougainville, p. 211
  4. ^ Shaw, Isolation of Rabaul, p. 185-186
  5. ^ Shaw, Isolation of Rabaul, p. 281, Lofgren, Northern Solomons, p. 32, and Gailey, Bougainville, p. 210. Breakdown of deaths by country: 727 U.S. and 516 Australia.
  6. ^ Gailey, Bougainville, p. 211. Figure includes deaths from all causes.

[edit] Books

  • Bergerud, Eric M. (1997). Touched with Fire : The Land War in the South Pacific. Penguin. ISBN 0-14-024696-7. 
  • Carey, John (2002). A Marine from Boston: A First Person Story of a Us Marine in World War II - Boot Camp-Samoa-Guadalcanal-Bougainville. Authorhouse. ISBN 1-4033-6720-5. 
  • Gailey, Harry A. (1991). Bougainville, 1943-1945: The Forgotten Campaign. Lexington, Kentucky, USA: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-9047-9. - neutral review of this book here:[1]
  • McGee, William L. (2002). The Solomons Campaigns, 1942-1943: From Guadalcanal to Bougainville--Pacific War Turning Point, Volume 2 (Amphibious Operations in the South Pacific in WWII). BMC Publications. ISBN 0-9701678-7-3. 
  • Morison, Samuel Eliot (1958). Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, vol. 6 of History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Castle Books. ISBN 0-7858-1307-1. 
  • Rottman, Gordon L.; Dr. Duncan Anderson (consultant editor) (2005). Japanese Army in World War II: The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942-43. Oxford and New York: Osprey. ISBN 1-84176-870-7. 

[edit] Web

Hill 260 being shelled by Americal Division artillery, on March 19, 1944.
Hill 260 being shelled by Americal Division artillery, on March 19, 1944.
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