HyperWar: US Army in WWII: CARTWHEEL--The Reduction of Rabaul

Chapter Page Foreword vii Author viii Preface ix   I. THE STRATEGIC BACKGROUND 1        Early Pacific Strategy 1        The Casablanca Conference 6 II. SELECTING OBJECTIVES 9        Preliminary Theater Planning 9        The Pacific Military Conference 11        Preparation of the Directive of 28 March 1943 15 III. ELKTON III: THE PLAN FOR CARTWHEEL 20        The Southwest Pacific Area 20        The Plan of Maneuver 25 IV. THE JAPANESE 32        Japanese Command and Strategy 32        Japanese Offensives, January-June 1943 36        Japanese Strength and Dispositions, 30 June 1943 45 V. CARTWHEEL BEGINS: THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC 49        CHRONICLE 49        Nassau Bay 59 VI. TOENAILS: THE LANDINGS IN NEW GEORGIA 67        South Pacific Organization 67        Preparations and Plans 70        Secondary Landings 78        Rendova 85        The Move to Zanana 92        Rice Anchorage 94 VII. THE OFFENSIVE STALLS 97        Japanese Plans 97        Operations of the Northern Landing Group 99        Operations of the Southern Landing Group 106        Casualties 120        Command and Reinforcements 122 VIII. GRISWOLD TAKES OVER 127        The Attack on Bairoko 127        Pressure on the Japanese 132        Preparations for the Corps Offensive 137 IX. XIV CORPS OFFENSIVE 143        Plans 143        Ilangana and Shimizu Hill: The 43d Division 146        The Attack Against the Ridges: The 37th Division 149        Capture of the Airfield 158 X. AFTER MUNDA 165        The Airfield 165        Reinforcements 167        The Cleanup 169        Vella Lavella: The Bypass 171        Final Operations 184 XI. THE MARKHAM VALLEY AND THE HUON PENINSULA 189        Plans 189        Allied Air and Naval Preparations 195        Lae: The Seaborne Invasion 202        Nadzab: The Airborne Invasion 207        Strategic Reconsideration 212        Advance Through the Ramu Valley 216        The Coastal Advance 217 XII. THE INVASION OF BOUGAINVILLE 222        The Decision To Bypass Rabaul 222        The General Plan 225        Air Operations in October 229        Forces and Tactical Plans 234        Preliminary Landings 239        Seizure of Empress Augusta Bay 241 XIII. EXPLOITING THE BEACHHEAD 251        Air and Surface Action, 1-11 November 251        Operations Ashore 255        December Attacks Against Rabaul 269 XIV. CROSSING THE STRAITS 272        Plans and Preparations 272        Arawe 282        Cape Gloucester 289        Saidor 295 XV. EXPANDING INTO THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO 306        General Plans 306        Reducing Rabaul and Kavieng 309        Seizure of the Green Islands 312 XVI. ACTION IN THE ADMIRALTIES 316        The Decision 316        The Reconnaissance in Force 321        To the Shores of Seeadler Harbour 332        Lorengau 339 XVII. BOUGAINVILLE COUNTERATTACK 351        Preparations 351        Hill 700 358        Hill 260 364        Action by the Creeks 371 XVIII. FINALE: EMIRAU 379 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE 383 GLOSSARY 390 BASIC MILITARY MAP SYMBOLS 395 INDEX 399

General Douglas MacArthur 4 Some Pacific Planners in Conference 17 Vice Adm. Jinichi Kusaka 35 General Hitoshi Imamura 35 Lt. Gen. Hatazo Adachi 36 Lt. Gen. Haruyoshi Hyakutake 38 Japanese Troop Transport Under Attack 40 Brig. Gen. Nathan F. Twining 51 Troops Disembarking From LCI 57 Natives Carrying Luggage 58 Jeep and Trailer Leaving an LST 59 Clearing Airfield Site With Hand Tools 60 Airfield at Segi Point 82 Men of 152d Field Artillery Battalion 84 Ships Moving Toward Rendova 86 Aboard the Transport McCawley 87 Men of 43d Signal Company Wading Ashore 89 Truck Towing a 155-mm. Howitzer Over Muddy Trail 93 Maj. Gen. Noboru Sasaki 98 Troops of the 172d Infantry Wading Across a Creek 111 Evacuating Casualties, 12 July 1943 113 Jeep Trail From Zanana 115 Infantry Loading on LCP(R)'s 116 LCM's Approaching Laiana, New Georgia 117 Rear Adm. Theodore S. Wilkinson 125 Japanese Prisoners Captured Near Laiana Beach 128 Pillbox Made of Coconut Logs and Coral 133 Soldiers of the 161st Infantry 138 Bombing of Munda Airfield, Early Morning 141 Munda Airfield 160 Reducing an Enemy Pillbox With a Flame Thrower 162 Light Tanks M3 of the 9th Marine Defense Battalion 164 Munda Airfield in Operation 168 4-Ton Truck Stuck in the Mud 170 37th Division Troops Carrying Weapons and Ammunition 171 Warship Firing at Japanese Destroyers 182 14th New Zealand Brigade Group 185 Maj. Gen. J. Lawton Collins 188 B-24 Over Salamaua 197 Enemy Aircraft Destroyed on the Ground 198 B-25 Medium Bombers 199 Salamaua 202 Crossing Rain-Swollen Francisco River 203 Australian Troops Debarking From LST's 206 C-47 Transport Planes Loaded With Parachute Troops 208 Airdrop at Nadzab, Morning of 5 September 1943 209 Bombing Rabaul [1] [2] [3] 231 B-25's Leaving Bougainville 233 Lt. Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift 237 Maj. Gen. Allen H. Turnage 243 Mount Bagana 245 3d Marines Landing on Cape Torokina 247 LCVP's on the Beach at Empress Augusta Bay 249 Aircrewman Wounded in Strike on Rabaul 254 Amphibian Tractors LVT(1) 256 Tractor and Trailer in Mud 257 Soldiers of the 148th Regimental Combat Team 259 Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr 262 37th Division Troops 263 Results of Japanese Bombing of Puruata Island [1] [2] [3] 264 105-mm. Howitzer 266 4.2-Inch Chemical Mortar 267 Lt. Gen. Millard F. Harmon 268 C-47 Air-Dropping Supplies 270 B-25's Over Wewak 281 Alligator Returning to Beach on Arawe 289 Early Morning Bombardment 291 7th Marines Landing on Narrow Beach 293 Rear Adm. Daniel E. Barbey 297 M10 Motor Carriage Mounting 3-Inch Gun 301 Japanese Ships Burning at Rabaul 310 Aboard the Cruiser Phoenix [1] [2] 325 First Wave of Landing Craft Unloading 327 2d Lt. Marvin J. Henshaw 328 Digging a Foxhole Through Coral Rock 329 Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger 337 LST's Loaded With Troops and Equipment 339 Men of the 8th Cavalry 346 Crossing the Lorengau River 348 Troop G, 8th Cavalry, Near Number 1 Road 349 60-mm. Mortar Emplacement 354 155-mm. Guns of the 3d Marine Defense Battalion 357 37th Division Men Carrying 5-Gallon Cans of Water 360 Two Light Tanks M3 of the 754th Tank Battalion 363 "OP Tree" on Hill 260 365 South Knob, Hill 260 370 North Knob, Hill 260 371 Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beightler 376 Tank-Infantry Attack 377 Japanese Pillbox on Fire 378