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Northern Solomon Islands Campaign (1943-44)/Battle of Bougainville
From Month/Year
November / 1943
To Month/Year
January / 1944
Description After New Georgia, the next major operation was an invasion of the island of Bougainville, which was approached by landings at Mono and Stirling in the Treasury Islands on October 25-27, 1943. A Marine division landed on the west coast of Bougainville at Empress Augusta Bay on November 1, 1943. The Marines were followed within the month by an Army division and replaced in the next month by another Army division.
It was late November before the beachhead at Empress Augusta Bay was secure. This beachhead was all that was needed, and no attempt was made to capture the entire island. Allied planes neutralized enemy airfields in the northern part of the island, and the Allied command made use of its naval and air superiority to contain the Japanese garrison on Bougainville and cut its supply line to Rabaul by occupying the Green Islands (February 14, 1944).
Despite these measures, the Japanese maintained pressure against the beachhead, mounting an especially heavy but unsuccessful counterattack as late as March 1944. Success at Bougainville isolated all Japanese forces left in the Solomons. The Japanese sustained comparatively heavy air and naval losses during the campaign, which further crippled the Japanese Combined Fleet and had a vital effect on the balance of naval power in the Central Pacific.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
November / 1943
To Month/Year
January / 1944
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember Rusty Tratebas, Thor Thostenson, Norm Korsmeyer, R.D. McDowell, Ray Strohmeyer, Bill Carroll, Stuart Campbell, Kenneth Frantz, Richie Spath. Our ten man squad, four of us still living and we get together two or three times a year. Capt. Burnett, Lt. Daly
Memories November 1st, 1943 we made the beachhead at Empress Augusta Bay Bougainville. We hit the beach at 7 a.m. Col. Joe McCaffery and several others were killed on the beach. We pulled in 300 yards. Rev. William McCorkle was hit on the helmet, but wasn't injured. The bullet went through the helmet and lining and grazed his head just a little. He wanted to keep the helmet, so the Seabees welded the holes shut. The next day we pushed in 500 more yards. November 4th a friend (Work) was shot in the leg. It was a worrisome night . We held the beachhead the next four days, then went to the Piva Trail road block. We went up the trail early in the day. About 3p.m. The corporals and lieutenants wanted us to dig new foxholes, but some of the old Raiders said "We better get our ass in gear before the Japs hit" The Japs hit us about 4:p.m. We had a hot fire fight. I was carrying a BAR. It started to rain and rained all night. It filled our foxholes. We were in the water filled foxholes 16 hours. When the Japs fired their knee mortars, we would duck under the water.
"LCol Joseph P. McCaffery, Commanding Officer of the 2nd Raider Bn. moved under fire from mortars and automatic weapons, from unit to unit in order to dispose them for maximum effectiveness. McCaffery was felled by enemy fire and died aboard USS Clymer as a result of his wounds. His valiant and inspiring leadership was an inspiration given to his men. Over 200 enemy troops were destroyed".
