History of U.S. Marine Corps
Operations in World War II

Volume II:
Isolation of Rabaul

by
Henry I. Shaw, Jr.
and
Major Douglas T. Kane, USMC.

Historical Branch, G-3 Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
1963

 

. . . For Those Who Served

Contents

PART I: Strategic Situation--Spring 1943
Chapter Page
1. Setting the Stage 3
2. The Opening Moves 18
3. Order of Battle 32
PART II: TOENAILS Operation
1. Objective: New Georgia 41
2. ELKTON Underway 59
3. Munda Victory 89
4. The Dragons Peninsula Campaign 119
5. End of the Campaign 148
PART III: Northern Solomons Operations
1. Continuing the Pressure 167
2. Diversionary Assaults 188
3. Assault on Cape Torokina 205
4. Holding the Beachhead 225
5. Advance to Piva Forks 247
6. End of a Mission 270
PART IV: The New Britain Campaign
1. New Britain Prelude 297
2. The Enemy: Terrain and Troops 319
3. DEXTERITY Landings 334
4. Capture of the Airfields 357
5. The Drive to Borgen Bay 374
6. Eastward to Iboki 391
7. Talasea and Beyond 411
8. Conclusion 428
PART V: Marine Air Against Rabaul
1. Target: Rabaul 441
2. Approach March 455
3. Knockout by Torokina 478
PART VI: Conclusion
1. Encirclement 507
2. Appraisal 537
 
Appendices
A. Bibliographical Notes 543
B. Guide to Abbreviations 552
C. Military Map Symbols 556
D. Chronology 557
E. Fleet Marine Force Status--30 April 1943 562
F. Table of Organization E-100--Marine Division 571
G. Marine Task Organization and Command List 574
H. Marine Casualties 587
I. Unit Commendations 588
 
Index 597

Illustrations

  Page
Simpson Harbor and Rabaul 22
Marines of the 3d Raider Battalion 22
Burial Ceremony at Viru Harbor 66
155mm Guns of the 9th Defense Battalion 66
Gun Crew of the 9th Defense Battalion 86
Avenger Torpedo Bombers 96
Marine Light Tank on New Georgia 96
Casualties Evacuated by PBY 127
Column of Marine Raiders Near Enogai 127
New Zealand Troops Land on Vella Lavella 159
Munda Airfield 159
Landing Craft Readied for Bougainville D-Day 209
Marines Wading Ashore at Bougainville 215
Puruata Island and Torokina Airfield 215
Mud Clings to Ammunition Carriers 231
Admiral Halsey and General Geiger 231
Field Telephone Lines Are Laid 250
Numa Numa Trail Position of 2/21 268
Marine Wounded Are Carried From Hill 1000 268
Piva Airfields 282
Field Artillery Fires by Marine 155mm Guns 282
Troopers of the 112th Cavalry Land at Arawe 341
Marines Move Ashore at Cape Gloucester 341
Shore Party Marines Build a Sandbag Ramp 351
105mm Howitzers of 4/11 Support the Attack 351
Marine Riflemen Attack Toward the Airfield 368
Medium Tank Crosses Suicide Creek 368
75mm Half Track and 37mm Gun at Hill 660 390
Japanese Flags Captured by Marines 390
Patrol of Marines Near Borgen Bay 405
Army Amphibian Engineers and Marines at Iboki 405
Captured Japanese Zero 452
Japanese Val Dive Bombers 452
Japanese Antiaircraft Crews During a B-25 Attack 480
Parafrag Bombs Drop on Vunakanau Airfield 480
Mechanics of VMF-211 Repair a Corsair 495
Marine TBFs Loaded for a Rabaul Strike 500
Marine SBDs Headed for Vunakanau 500
Seabee Equipment Unloaded on Green Island 513
First Wave Ashore on Los Negros 513
Town of Rabaul on 22 March 1944 525
Corsairs at Emirau Airfield 525
Leyte Invasion Fleet in Seeadler Harbor 534
Marine Mitchells Fly Over Crater Peninsula 534

Maps

No.   Page
1. Seizure of the Russell Islands, 21 February 1943 25
2. Kiriwina and Woodlark Islands, Showing CHRONICLE Landings 61
3. Seizure of Viru Harbor, 28 June--1 July 1943 68
4. Seizure of Wickham Anchorage, 30 June--3 July 1943 75
5. Munda Campaign, XIV Corps, 2-15 July 91
6. Munda Campaign, XIV Corps, 25-30 July 109
7. Munda Campaign, XIV Corps, 2-4 August 115
8. Dragons Peninsula, Northern Landing Group, 4-19 July 122
9. The Attack on Bairoko, Northern Landing Group, 20 July 137
10. Vella Lavella Bypass and Mop-up on Arundel 151
11. Bougainville 169
12. Treasury Islands Landing, I Marine Amphibious Corps, 27 October 1943 190
13. Choiseul Diversion, 2d Parachute Battalion, 28 October--3 November 1943 196
14. The Landing at Cape Torokina, I Marine Amphibious Corps, 1 November 1943 212
15. Expansion of the Beachhead, I Marine Amphibious Corps, 1 November--15 December 1943 227
16. Japanese Counterlanding, Laruma River Area, 7 November 1943 233
17. Battle for Piva Trail, 2d Raider Regiment, 8-9 November 238
18. Coconut Grove, 2d Battalion, 21st Marines, 13-14 November 242
19. Battle of Piva Forks, First Phase, 19-20 November 258
20. Battle of Piva Forks, Final Phase, 21-25 November 260
21. Hellzapoppin Ridge, Nearing the End, 6-18 December 274
22. BACKHANDER Staging Area, 1st Marine Division Dispositions, 18 December 1943 302
23. BACKHANDER Objective Area, Showing Japanese Dispositions, 26 December 1943 320
24. Arawe Landing, 15 December 1943 337
25. Sketch Map of the STONEFACE Trail Block, 30 December 1943 347
26. Advance to Suicide Creek 378
27. Capture of Aogiri Ridge 383
28. Capture of Hill 660 387
29. Japanese Withdrawal Routes, January--March 1944 396
30. Volupai-Talasea Operations, 6-11 March 1944, 5th Marines Route of Advance 415
31. Rabaul and Kavieng 443
32. Seizure of the Green Island, Showing Landing Plan at Nissan, 15 February 1944 509
33. Principal Landings in the Admiralties, 24 February--15 March 1944 517
34. Kavieng and Emirau 520
 
I. Rabaul Strategic Area Map Section
II. The New Georgia Group Map Section
III. Western New Britain, Showing Major Rivers and Mountain Ranges Map Section
IV. Seizure and Defense of the Airdrome Map Section
V. Rabaul and Its Airfields, November 1943 Map Section
VI. Pilots' Strip Map, New Georgia to New Ireland Map Section

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