| 23 January 1942 Japanese Forces land on New Britain and the Solomon Islands |
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| The occupation of these islands gave the Japanese
an excellent staging area for operations against New Guinea and Australia. New Britain was particularly
important, since the town of Rabaul, on the island’s northeastern tip, had an excellent natural
harbor. Rabault soon became the site for one of the largest Japanese air and naval bases in the
Pacific Theater—and the key to Japanese operations in the southwest Pacific.
Campaign Map: |
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