War in the Western Pacific Prime Objective: RABAUL Bougainville is the northernmost and largest island of the Solomon Islands chain Solomon Islands. And about 200 miles northwest of Bougainville, off the eastern mainland of Papua New Guinea is the island of New Britain and on its eastern end, the large natural harbor of Rabaul. In February, 1942, the Japanese overran a small contingent of Australian defenders, Lark Force to take advantage of the harbor's stragic location to close the final route for allies to supply Australia, New Zealand, and nearby islands, assuring Japan's dominance of the entire of Asia. Within weeks of Rabaul's capture by the Japanese, bombers began flying missions to Rabaul from Port Moresby and other nearby airfields in attampts to keep Japan from establishing a strength in the area. However, without fighter escorts, the bombers were left vulnerable to attacks by the premier figher of the Japanese air force, the Zero. By late 1943, Rabaul stood as a seemingly impregnable naval and air base, a haven for a large contingent of Japanese ships, troups, along with Rapopo, Keravat, Vunakanau, Tobera, and Lukunai air fields filled with fighters and bombers.Fortress Rabaul was fully equipped to supply the forces needed to take full control of the Solomon Islands. When Japan's offensives began a decade earlier, in September, 1931, they first invaded Manchuria from the north, moving further south into China in 1937. By 1941, Japan had invaded Burma, and in quick succession, southern Thailand, Dutch East Indies, Borneo, New Guinea, Guam, Wake Island, the Philippines. In early 1942, Burma, the Dutch East Indies, northern Borneo, Rabaul and Bougainville fall to the Japanese. They were poised to take Australia and New Zealand by capturing and controlling the Solomon Islands and effectively cut off all shipping from the U.S. and their allies. But with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the U.S. declaration of war on Japan, the U.S. and its Allies committed themselves to stop the Japanese advances at the Solomons. In July, 1942, the Japanese began to finalize their foothold throughout the Solomon Islands by constructing an airfield on Guadalcana near the eastern end of the Solomon Islands. Blostered by their recent naval victores at Midway and Battle of the Coral Sea, the U.S. quickly devised a plan to draw a defensive line at Guadalcanal, secure it, and use the new Japanese airfield as a staging point that would lead to Rabaul. In August, 1942, Operation Watchtower was launched to take Tulagi and Guadalcanal. For the next five months, the Japanese sen massive numbers of soldiers, ships and planes from their stronghold at Rabaul in an attempt to throw back allied forces. This result in intensive air and sea battles on and around Guadalcanal, but U.S. and allied forces on land, sea, and air held fast, and forced the Japanese to abandon the eastern Solomons on 7February1943. The former Japanese airfield was then named for Marine Major Lofton Henderson, C.O. of VMSB-241, killed at the Battle of Midway, 14Jan1942. When Henderson Field was finally won and Japanese forces left Guadalcanal, allied forces quickly established a firm foothold, but Rabaul was still nearly 600 nautical miles away; a convenient distance for allied bombers to reach, but not for any of their fighter escorts. Therein began the march up the Solomon Island's "ladder" with allies seizing control or completely isolating Japanese bases along the way. Although allies had Rabaul under regular bombing attacks attacks from early 1942, Rabaul's fortifications, ships, planes, and personnel only grew larger, putting the invasions of Australia and New Zealand more eminent. This was the allies last push to neutralize the Japanese, a battle lasting 44 months and the longest of WWII.**
War in the Western Pacific Prime Objective: RABAUL
In July, 1942, the Japanese began to finalize their foothold throughout the Solomon Islands by constructing an airfield on Guadalcana near the eastern end of the Solomon Islands. Blostered by their recent naval victores at Midway and Battle of the Coral Sea, the U.S. quickly devised a plan to draw a defensive line at Guadalcanal, secure it, and use the new Japanese airfield as a staging point that would lead to Rabaul. In August, 1942, Operation Watchtower was launched to take Tulagi and Guadalcanal. For the next five months, the Japanese sen massive numbers of soldiers, ships and planes from their stronghold at Rabaul in an attempt to throw back allied forces. This result in intensive air and sea battles on and around Guadalcanal, but U.S. and allied forces on land, sea, and air held fast, and forced the Japanese to abandon the eastern Solomons on 7February1943. The former Japanese airfield was then named for Marine Major Lofton Henderson, C.O. of VMSB-241, killed at the Battle of Midway, 14Jan1942. When Henderson Field was finally won and Japanese forces left Guadalcanal, allied forces quickly established a firm foothold, but Rabaul was still nearly 600 nautical miles away; a convenient distance for allied bombers to reach, but not for any of their fighter escorts. Therein began the march up the Solomon Island's "ladder" with allies seizing control or completely isolating Japanese bases along the way. Although allies had Rabaul under regular bombing attacks attacks from early 1942, Rabaul's fortifications, ships, planes, and personnel only grew larger, putting the invasions of Australia and New Zealand more eminent. This was the allies last push to neutralize the Japanese, a battle lasting 44 months and the longest of WWII.**
U.S. Strategy
With Guadalcanal secured, allied forces began moving westward with a Operation Cartwheel. The plan was to secure as many of the Solomon Islands as possible and to isolate any Japanese resistance by cutting off their supply sources, rather than defeating all the forces on each island. Island Hopping is an apt description. Operation Cleanslate - (23Feb1943) - Russell Islands just west of Guadalcanal with its Japanese Banika airfield Operation Chronicle (30June43) - Woodlark Island and Kiriwina (Trobriand Islands), Operation Toenails, (15Aug1943) - New Georgia Islands, Rendova, Vella Lavella, Operation Goodtime (27Oct1943) - Treasury Islands (including Sterling Island), Operation Blissful (28Oct1943) - Choiseul Island and the last major objective, Torokina area of Bougainville. Operation Cherry Blossom (1Nov1943) - Put allied forces just 220 nautical miles from Rabaul, easily within range of allied fighter escort squadrons. On 1Nov43, the 3rd Marines and Seabees from the 25th, 53rd, and 71st Naval Construction Battalions landed and immediately began construction of the Torokina air strip. For the next eight weeks, Seabees, often under fire from the defending Japanese at Empress Augusta Bay, cleared the dense jungle and constructed the final details of the airstrip, even after the airstrip was operational on 10Dec43. Two additional strips were completed-- Piva No. 1 and 2 (also known as Piva Uncle and Piva Yoke) were built inland, about 2 miles north of Torokina, to handle bombers and fighter. The new bomber strip, Piva 1 (Uncle), began flight operations on 19Dec43 and the new fighter strip, Piva 2 (Yoke) began operations on 3Jan44.When VMF-216 deployed to the Solomon Islands in November, 1943 allied land, sea, and air forces were poised for the final push to Rabaul's front door. Here's the story, as we know it so far, of Marine Corps Fighting Squadron Two Sixteen. **See Bruce Gamble's book, "Fortress Rabaul: The Battle for the Southwest Pacific, January 1942-April, 1943.
Operation Cleanslate - (23Feb1943) - Russell Islands just west of Guadalcanal with its Japanese Banika airfield Operation Chronicle (30June43) - Woodlark Island and Kiriwina (Trobriand Islands), Operation Toenails, (15Aug1943) - New Georgia Islands, Rendova, Vella Lavella, Operation Goodtime (27Oct1943) - Treasury Islands (including Sterling Island), Operation Blissful (28Oct1943) - Choiseul Island and the last major objective, Torokina area of Bougainville. Operation Cherry Blossom (1Nov1943) - Put allied forces just 220 nautical miles from Rabaul, easily within range of allied fighter escort squadrons. On 1Nov43, the 3rd Marines and Seabees from the 25th, 53rd, and 71st Naval Construction Battalions landed and immediately began construction of the Torokina air strip. For the next eight weeks, Seabees, often under fire from the defending Japanese at Empress Augusta Bay, cleared the dense jungle and constructed the final details of the airstrip, even after the airstrip was operational on 10Dec43. Two additional strips were completed-- Piva No. 1 and 2 (also known as Piva Uncle and Piva Yoke) were built inland, about 2 miles north of Torokina, to handle bombers and fighter. The new bomber strip, Piva 1 (Uncle), began flight operations on 19Dec43 and the new fighter strip, Piva 2 (Yoke) began operations on 3Jan44.When VMF-216 deployed to the Solomon Islands in November, 1943 allied land, sea, and air forces were poised for the final push to Rabaul's front door. Here's the story, as we know it so far, of Marine Corps Fighting Squadron Two Sixteen.