23 January 1942
Japanese Forces land on New Britain and the Solomon Islands
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:
Japanese Centrifugal Offensive, Southwest Pacific