| 27 October 1943 U.S. Forces Land on Bougainville |
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| The American conquest of New Georgia in August left
Bougainville as the only major Japanese-held in the Solomons. Its capture, combined with continuing
Allied successes on New Guinea (see location #18) would leave the Japanese base at Rabaul isolated—it
could then, Allied military planners hoped, be rendered ineffective through air attacks. However,
the attack on Bougainville would not be easy, as it was defended by 33,000 Japanese soldiers.
The campaign against Bougainville began on October 27 with a diversionary operation, as paratroopers landed on the nearby island of Choiseul. On November 1 the 1 st Marine Corps landed at Torokina, on the western side of the island. The next several months saw intense fighting for control of the island, as the Japanese repeatedly launched counterattacks against U.S. positions near the coast. In late March 1944, however, Japanese forces retreated into the interior of the island, and while there was sporadic fighting on Bougainville thereafter, the remaining Japanese there were largely ignored, as MacArthur no longer considered them a threat. Histories: Campaign Maps: Personal Accounts: Photographs: |
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