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Somebody back in Washington, D.C., had a bright idea to sow some mines in Simpson Harbor at Rabaul with the purpose of impeding Jap shipping by their nuisance value. Consequently, orders were received at Bouganville. At the briefing they were told, "Make it good, because Washington has its eye on us tonight." In the dark hours of February 14, 1944, the torpedo bombers of VMTB 233 and Major Roland F. Smith's VMTB 232 took off on the operation that was to result in tragedy for 233. The Commanding Officer of VMTB 233, Major Coln, found the Japs unusually interested in what was happening that night. For several previous nights the bombers had followed the prescribed route and altitude to drop their bombs, and the Japs were able to predict easily enough where the Americans would fly. The TBMs were to fly up in three groups of eight each. The first group lost one plane. As they headed back home the C.O. tried to radio the other TBFs to warn them to turn back but he couldn't make radio contact. The second group lost two planes. Before the third group arrived at its assigned interval of nearly an hour, the B-24 which had been harassing Rabaul to distract the attention of the Japs was shot down. The third group of planes found every searchlight and AA gun in the area pointed their way when they flew at 800 feet over the water at the slow speed of 160 knots to drop their parachute-mines, weighing 1,600 pounds apiece. Plane after plane disintegrated in mid-air and fell in flames. Only three of them got away. One pilot failed to be in the correct location on his first pass and had the nerve to turn around and go back to do it. He had the luck to escape. And the next night the Army wanted them to go up again! One of the majors was ready to give up his wings and his commission rather than have his boys try it again. There was such a stink that the high command thought it wise to drop the affair. My good friend and former classmate of cadet days, Cornelius, never came back from that mission. A total of six planes and eighteen men were senselessly lost that night. The military "chain of command" comes in handy in such untidy affairs. The bright idea originates from on high and is transmitted through the generals and the colonels to the majors who give the orders to the men who do the dying. It is all very impersonal, so that if a mistake has been made, few are the people who know where to place the heavy finger of responsibility - and the finger is rarely pointed.
FOWLER, James L, First Lieutenant, O-23232, USMC, from California, Manila American Cemetery + FOWLER, James Laurence, 23232, VMTB-233, MAG-11, 1st-MAW, FMF, New Britain, February 15, 1945, killed in action + FOWLER, James L., 1st Lieutenant, USMCR. Father, Mr. Laurence W. Fowler, 34 E. Mission St., Santa Barbara, Calif + FOWLER, James L, 1STLT, O-23232, USMC, from California, location New Britain Island, date of loss February 14, 1944
Body Not Recovered
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Northern Solomon Islands Campaign (1943-44)
From Month/Year
February / 1943
To Month/Year
November / 1944
Description The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942. The Japanese occupied these locations and began the construction of several naval and air bases with the goals of protecting the flank of the Japanese offensive in New Guinea, establishing a security barrier for the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain, and providing bases for interdicting supply lines between the Allied powers of the United States and Australia and New Zealand.
The Allies, in order to defend their communication and supply lines in the South Pacific, supported a counteroffensive in New Guinea, isolated the Japanese base at Rabaul, and counterattacked the Japanese in the Solomons with landings on Guadalcanal (see Guadalcanal Campaign) and small neighboring islands on 7 August 1942. These landings initiated a series of combined-arms battles between the two adversaries, beginning with the Guadalcanal landing and continuing with several battles in the central and northern Solomons, on and around New Georgia Island, and Bougainville Island.
In a campaign of attrition fought on land, on sea, and in the air, the Allies wore the Japanese down, inflicting irreplaceable losses on Japanese military assets. The Allies retook some of the Solomon Islands (although resistance continued until the end of the war), and they also isolated and neutralized some Japanese positions, which were then bypassed. The Solomon Islands campaign then converged with the New Guinea campaign.
