Battle of the Green Islands

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

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

Belligerents

Commanders and leaders

H.E. Barrowclough

Strength

5,806^[1]

120–150^[2]

Casualties and losses

13 killed^[3]

120 killed,
12 aircraft destroyed^[4]

Solomon Islands campaign

Land 1st Tulagi Guadalcanal Cartwheel I-Go Vengeance New Georgia Vella Lavella Treasury Islands Choiseul Rabaul Bougainville Green Islands Naval Blackett Strait Kula Gulf Kolombangara Vella Gulf Naval Vella Lavella Empress Augusta Bay Horaniu Cape St. George Karavia Bay

The Battle of the Green Islands was fought from 29 January–27 February 1944, between Japan and Allied forces from the New Zealand 3rd Division and the United States. The Green Islands—located between Bougainville and New Ireland—were part of the Australian Territory of New Guinea. The Allied forces invaded several islands and recaptured them from heavily outnumbered Japanese forces.

Once secured, the Green Islands became a forward base for the U.S. South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command (SCAT), which supplied material and mail to combat soldiers and evacuated the wounded. It also became home to United States Marine Corps fighters and bombers which participated in the allied effort to isolate the Japanese bases on Rabaul and Kavieng.^[5] The base's first commander was Lt. Richard M. Nixon, later President of the United States.^[6]

Notes

↑ 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.
↑ Tillman, Corsair, p. 67.
↑ http://americanwarriorsfivepresidents.com

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.
Tillman, Barrett (2001). Corsair: The F4U in World War II and Korea. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-994-8.

Chapin, John C. (1997). "TOP OF THE LADDER: Marine Operations in the Northern Solomons". World War II Commemorative series. Marine Corps History and Museums Division. p. 1. Archived from the original on 13 October 2006. Retrieved August 30, 2006. Also available at:
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 2006-10-18.
Hughes, Warwick; Ray Munro. "3rd NZ Division in the Pacific". Archived from the original on 2006-10-15. Retrieved 2006-10-18.
Miller, John, Jr. (1959). "CARTWHEEL: The Reduction of Rabaul". United States Army in World War II: The War in the Pacific. Office of the Chief of Military History, U.S. Department of the Army. p. 418. Retrieved October 20, 2006.
Rentz, John M. (1946). "Bougainville and the Northern Solomons". USMC Historical Monograph. Historical Branch, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. Retrieved October 18, 2006.