History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II
Volume 2: Isolation of Rabaul
by
Henry I. Shaw, Jr.,
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
Part II: TOENAILS Operation
Chapter 1: Objective: New Georgia
Chapter 4: The Dragons Peninsula Campaign
Chapter 5: End of the Campaign
Part III: Northern Solomons Operations
Chapter 1: Continuing the Pressure
Chapter 2: Diversionary Assaults
Chapter 3: Assault on Cape Torokina
Chapter 4: Holding the Beachhead
Chapter 5: Advance to Piva Forks
Part IV: The New Britain Campaign
Chapter 1: New Britain Prelude
Chapter 2: The Enemy: Terrain and Troops
Chapter 4: Capture of the Airfields
Chapter 5: The Drive to Borgen Bay
Part V: Marine Air Against Rabaul
Chapter 3: Knockout by Torokina
Part VI: Conclusion
Appendices
Appendix A: Bibliographical Notes
Appendix B: Guide to Abbreviations (omitted)
Appendix C: Military Map Symbols (omitted)
Appendix E: Fleet Marine Force Status, 30 April 1943
Appendix F: Table of Organization E-100—Marine Division
Appendix G: Marine Task Organization and Command List
Appendix I: Unit Commendations
I. Rabaul Strategic Area
II. The New Georgia Group
III. Western New Britain, Showing Major Rivers and Mountain Ranges
IV. Seizure and Defense of the Airdrome
V. Rabaul and Its Airfields, November 1943
VI. Pilots’ Strip Map, New Georgia to New Ireland
Inline Maps
1. Seizure of the Russell Islands, 21 February 1943
2. Kiriwina and Woodlark Islands, Showing CHRONICLE Landings
3. Seizure of Viru Harbor, 28 June–1 July 1943
4. Seizure of Wickham Anchorage, 30 June–3 July 1943
5. Munda Campaign, XIV Corps, 2-15 July
6. Munda Campaign, XIV Corps, 25-30 July
7. Munda Campaign, XIV Corps, 2-4 August
8. Dragons Peninsula, Northern Landing Group, 4-19 July
9. The Attack on Bairoko, Northern Landing Group, 20 July
10. Vella Lavella Bypass and Mop-up on Arundel
11. Bougainville
12. Treasury Islands Landing, I Marine Amphibious Corps, 27 October 1943
13. Choiseul Diversion, 2nd Parachute Battalion, 28 October–3 November 1943
14. The Landing at Cape Torokina, I Marine Amphibious Corps, 1 November 1943
15. Expansion of the Beachhead, I Marine Amphibious Corps, 1 November–15 December 1943
16. Japanese Counterlanding, Laruma River Area, 7 November 1943
17. Battle for Piva Trail, 2nd Raider Regiment, 8-9 November
18. Coconut Grove, 2nd Battalion, 21st Marines, 13-14 November
19. Battle of Piva Forks, First Phase, 19-20 November
20. Battle of Piva Forks, Final Phase, 21-25 November
21. Hellzapoppin Ridge, Nearing the End, 6-18 December
22. BACKHANDER Staging Area, 1st Marine Division Dispositions, 18 December 1943
23. BACKHANDER Objective Area, Showing Japanese Dispositions, 26 December 1943
24. Arawe Landing, 15 December 1943
25. Sketch Map of the STONEFACE Trail Block, 30 December 1943
26. Advance to Suicide Creek
27. Capture of Aogiri Ridge
28. Capture of Hill 660
29. Japanese Withdrawal Routes, January–March 1944
30. Volupai-Talasea Operations, 6-11 March 1944, 5th Marines Route of Advance
31. Rabaul and Kavieng
32. Seizure of the Green Island, Showing Landing Plan at Nissan, 15 February 1944
33. Principal Landings in the Admiralties, 24 February–15 March 1944
34. Kavieng and Emirau
Illustrations
Simpson Harbor and Rabaul—Marines of the 3rd Raider Battalion—Burial Ceremony at Viru Harbor—155-mm Guns of the 9th Defense Battalion—Gun Crew of the 9th Defense Battalion—Avenger Torpedo Bombers—Marine Light Tank on New Georgia—Casualties Evacuated by PBY—Column of Marine Raiders Near Enogai—New Zealand Troops Land on Vella Lavella—Munda Airfield—Landing Craft Readied for Bougainville D-Day—Marines Wading Ashore at Bougainville—Puruata Island and Torokina Airfield—Mud Clings to Ammunition Carriers—Admiral Halsey and General Geiger—Field Telephone Lines Are Laid—Numa Numa Trail Position of 2/21—Marine Wounded Are Carried From Hill 1000—Piva Airfields—Field Artillery Fires by Marine 155-mm Guns—Troopers of the 112th Cavalry Land at Arawe—Marines Move Ashore at Cape Gloucester—Shore Party Marines Build a Sandbag Ramp—105-mm Howitzers of 4/11 Support the Attack—Marine Riflemen Attack Toward the Airfield—Medium Tank Crosses Suicide Creek—75-mm Half Track and 37-mm Gun at Hill 660—Japanese Flags Captured by Marines—Patrol of Marines Near Borgen Bay—Army Amphibian Engineers and Marines at Iboki—Captured Japanese Zero—Japanese Val Dive Bombers—Japanese Antiaircraft Crews During a B-25 Attack—Parafrag Bombs Drop on Vunakanau Airfield—Mechanics of VMF-211 Repair a Corsair—Marine TBFs Loaded for a Rabaul Strike—Marine SBDs Headed for Vunakanau—Seabee Equipment Unloaded on Green Island—First Wave Ashore on Los Negros—Town of Rabaul on 22 March 1944—Corsairs at Emirau Airfield—Leyte Invasion Fleet in Seeadler Harbor—Marine Mitchells Fly Over Crater Peninsula