The New Georgia Islands:
Now that the fighting on Guadalcanal was done, it marked the beginning of a long series of grueling campaigns in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. General Douglas MacArthur led American and Australian forces to drive the Japanese from New Guinea. The US Navy, Army, and Marines moved West through the Solomons toward Bougainville. Their eventual objective was to neutralize the vital Japanese base at Rabaul. This made up what was called Operation Cartwheel.
An imperative step of this was to take the New Georgia island group, and the main objective of these islands was the Japanese airbase at Munda Point, located on the southwest tip of the main island. The still-inexperienced Americans endured a real test in taking this base.
There was great strategic value in taking an airbase such as this one, as it would allow the Americans to immediately begin using it for themselves, to support the campaign towards Japan. A base like this provides a lot of support in a war, and a major foothold in the area. The fighting here, like many other places in seemingly endless tropical islands of the Pacific, was brutal and unnerving.
The Japanese, in every confrontation, worked to confuse and unnerve the Americans, who sometimes ended up blindly shooting, stabbing, and throwing grenades into the dark at night, sometimes at their own men. This must have been taxing for the US troops, as they did not even know who or where they were shooting at so much of the time.
One can imagine the stress that this would cause American men, fighting a war in a strange place, far away from home. Not to mention, the strong determination of the enemy that they faced. Combat fatigue raged through the men, and the advance on Munda Point ground to a halt.
After a change in command, and a much-needed rest, the men were reinvigorated and ready to take on the Japanese. The Americans were beginning to become accustomed to battle. They had gotten used to the heat, and the jungle, and the way the enemy fought.
Despite vigorous defense from the more-seasoned Japanese, who were oftentimes hunkered down in bunkers, the US was coming up with better and more effective ways in which to wage war. They coordinated more efficiently with mortars and artillery to locate and batter Japanese bunkers and make room for the ground assault. Better attack strategies were developed for the tanks as well. The Japanese pulled back to their final offensive on Munda Point on July 29th. After intense fighting, the American forces overran the remaining Japanese defenders and took the base on August 5, 1943. They had it in operation within two weeks.
Arundel and Kolombangara
These battles were important in the combat campaign of the 25th Infantry Division. After they had taken Munda Airfield, and mopped up operations in western New Georgia, the Japanese evacuated, leaving nowhere to go but further into the islands of New Georgia. US high command decided to occupy Arundel Island so that they could use it as a base for artillery to fire upon the main concentration of Japanese troops on the adjacent island, Kolombangara.
A single regiment of three battalions landed on the southeastern tip of Arundel. They undertook a two-pronged advance up the eastern and western coasts. The Japanese men on the island were well reinforced, and the resistance was strong, so much so that the US regiment was heavily reinforced by parts of three others. They now totaled eight infantry battalions, with mortars, artillery, and tanks from the Marine Corps. After intense combat, the Japanese were pushed into a pocket on the norther coast around the Stima Peninsula. They proceeded to evacuated via barge to Kolombangara on September 20-21.
The Battle of Kolombangara was an unsuccessful attempt by the Americans to prevent the Japanese from getting reinforcements from their main base at Rabaul to Vila, on the south-eastern shore of Kolombangara. The battle was largely naval, and the American fleet was commanded by Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth. His flagship, the light cruiser Honolulu, was commanding the cruisers St. Louis and HMNZS Leander. The Leander was replacing the Helena, which was sunk a week earlier during the Battle of Kula Gulf.
Now that the fighting on Guadalcanal was done, it marked the beginning of a long series of grueling campaigns in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. General Douglas MacArthur led American and Australian forces to drive the Japanese from New Guinea. The US Navy, Army, and Marines moved West through the Solomons toward Bougainville. Their eventual objective was to neutralize the vital Japanese base at Rabaul. This made up what was called Operation Cartwheel.
An imperative step of this was to take the New Georgia island group, and the main objective of these islands was the Japanese airbase at Munda Point, located on the southwest tip of the main island. The still-inexperienced Americans endured a real test in taking this base.
There was great strategic value in taking an airbase such as this one, as it would allow the Americans to immediately begin using it for themselves, to support the campaign towards Japan. A base like this provides a lot of support in a war, and a major foothold in the area. The fighting here, like many other places in seemingly endless tropical islands of the Pacific, was brutal and unnerving.
The Japanese, in every confrontation, worked to confuse and unnerve the Americans, who sometimes ended up blindly shooting, stabbing, and throwing grenades into the dark at night, sometimes at their own men. This must have been taxing for the US troops, as they did not even know who or where they were shooting at so much of the time.
One can imagine the stress that this would cause American men, fighting a war in a strange place, far away from home. Not to mention, the strong determination of the enemy that they faced. Combat fatigue raged through the men, and the advance on Munda Point ground to a halt.
After a change in command, and a much-needed rest, the men were reinvigorated and ready to take on the Japanese. The Americans were beginning to become accustomed to battle. They had gotten used to the heat, and the jungle, and the way the enemy fought.
Despite vigorous defense from the more-seasoned Japanese, who were oftentimes hunkered down in bunkers, the US was coming up with better and more effective ways in which to wage war. They coordinated more efficiently with mortars and artillery to locate and batter Japanese bunkers and make room for the ground assault. Better attack strategies were developed for the tanks as well. The Japanese pulled back to their final offensive on Munda Point on July 29th. After intense fighting, the American forces overran the remaining Japanese defenders and took the base on August 5, 1943. They had it in operation within two weeks.
Arundel and Kolombangara
These battles were important in the combat campaign of the 25th Infantry Division. After they had taken Munda Airfield, and mopped up operations in western New Georgia, the Japanese evacuated, leaving nowhere to go but further into the islands of New Georgia. US high command decided to occupy Arundel Island so that they could use it as a base for artillery to fire upon the main concentration of Japanese troops on the adjacent island, Kolombangara.
A single regiment of three battalions landed on the southeastern tip of Arundel. They undertook a two-pronged advance up the eastern and western coasts. The Japanese men on the island were well reinforced, and the resistance was strong, so much so that the US regiment was heavily reinforced by parts of three others. They now totaled eight infantry battalions, with mortars, artillery, and tanks from the Marine Corps. After intense combat, the Japanese were pushed into a pocket on the norther coast around the Stima Peninsula. They proceeded to evacuated via barge to Kolombangara on September 20-21.
The Battle of Kolombangara was an unsuccessful attempt by the Americans to prevent the Japanese from getting reinforcements from their main base at Rabaul to Vila, on the south-eastern shore of Kolombangara. The battle was largely naval, and the American fleet was commanded by Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth. His flagship, the light cruiser Honolulu, was commanding the cruisers St. Louis and HMNZS Leander. The Leander was replacing the Helena, which was sunk a week earlier during the Battle of Kula Gulf.