The Solomons--BOUGAINVILLE

CHOISEUL AND TREASURY ISLANDS

As a diversion for the Treasury Islands and Bougain-ville landings, the 2nd Marine Parachute Battalion, acting as infantry, made an unopposed landing on Voza on the southwest coast of Choiseul at 0045 on 28 October, 1943. On the 29th at 1800 the Marines met a strong force between Vagara and Voza. On the afternoon of the 30th they captured Sangigai, destroying installations and killing 72 Japanese. The enemy's attention was completely diverted from Bougainville. On 27 October five transport units arrived off Blanche Harbor, Treasury Islands and, preceded by a bombardment from destroyers, the initial wave of troops reached the beach at Falamai on Mono Island at 0626. The landing was opposed by some machine gun, mortar, and sniper fire but casualties were light. The landing on Stirling Island was unopposed. At the same time a party was put ashore without opposition at Soanotalu on the north side of Mono Island where a radar station was to be established. The 2nd echelon arrived 1 November and the 3rd on the 6th. In all 6315 personnel and 3870 tons of equipment were landed. The enemy were driven north to Woleai where they were either killed or evacuated. The Coast Guard manned LST-71 was in the 2nd echelon to arrive,

SELECTION OF EMPRESS AUGUSTA BAY

In September, 1943 plans were made to establish a base on Bougainville from which aircraft could strike at Rabaul. The choice narrowed to the Kieta area on the east coast and Empress Augusta Bay Area on the west coast. The latter was chosen after reconnaissance patrols had landed from submarines. Just off Cape Torokina, near the northern end of Empress Augusta Bay were two small islands, Puruata and Torokina. After a period of training at Efate and Guadalcanal the First Echelon, consisting of 8 attack transports, 4 attack cargo ships, 7 destroyers, 4 destroyer minesweepers and 2 fleet tugs, assembled south of Guadalcanal on 31 October.

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LEAPING FROM LANDING BARGES, U.S. MARINES RUSH FOR COVER AS THEY BEGIN THE AMERICAN INVASION OF EMPRESS AUGUSTA BAY

LEAPING FROM LANDING BARGES, U.S. MARINES RUSH FOR COVER AS THEY BEGIN THE AMERICAN INVASION OF EMPRESS AUGUSTA BAY

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LANDING ON BOUGAINVILLE

Keeping well to sea on the southwest side of the Solomon Islands, the First Echelon approached Cape Torokina early on the morning of 1 November. An hour and a half bombardment from surface vessels and bombing and straffing of the landing beaches by 31 TBF's preceded the first assault wave which reached the beach at 0726, Surf conditions were worse than had been previously observed and some 91 LCVP's and LCM's broached and were abandoned. Of the 12 beaches the three northernmost, were unusable. This necessitated doubling up on the next three. The beaches were narrow and steep affording considerable trouble in unloading cargo. There were only about 300 Japanese concentrated at Cape Torokina and on Puruata Island, but they resisted stubbornly with heavy machine gun fire. Northwest of Cape Torokina the landing was almost unopposed. By the end of the day 14,321 Marines and most of the supplies had been landed, at a cost of 70 killed and missing and 124 wounded. Half the enemy force was killed and the remainder fled inland. Our fighter cover of 34 planes from New Georgia airfields drove off most of the enemy planes in 2 enemy air attacks during the day. Bombs dropped in the transport area missed the transports which got under way and maneuvered during both attacks, shooting down 4 planes,

REINFORCEMENT AND SUPPLY

Eight more echelons, 3 of them consisting of attack transports and cargo ships, and 5 of high speed transports, LST's and LCT's were sent to Cape Torokina during November, 1943. Unloading of the LST's took longer than expected due to inadequate personnel and organization at the beaches. By the end of November, 44,430 officers and 40,338 tons of supplies and equipment were landed. Air harassment was constant and several of our craft were hit, including the LCI-70, PT-167, and the transports Fuller and President Jackson. The McKean (APD) was sunk, and a third of her complement and Marine Troop passengers lost. At least 26 enemy planes were shot down with only 8 of ours lost.

OBJECTIVE ATTAINED

There was no thought of carrying out a large scale campaign for the conquest of Bougainville. Our objective was to establish a firm foothold over an area, sufficient for use as an airstrip. By the end of the month, we had a beachhead 9,000 yards wide and 7,000 to 8,000 yards deep. Work on the airstrip began on the 9th and it was used for an emergency landing on the 24th. It was located near Piva, 2 1/2 miles north of Cape Torokina. During November there were 33 night bombing attacks with 600 bombs dropped on the occupied area and on our shipping.

COAST GUARD MANNED TRANSPORT AT FIRST LANDING

The flagship of the amphibious forces that landed at Bougainville was the Coast Guard manned attack transport Hunter Liggett. Coming in at dawn the Coast-guardsmen saw the blue-gray mountainous island of Bougainville, with an active volcano shrouding the peaks with smoke. From a mile out they could see the foam, white tossing against the shore and they knew it was going to be a tough landing. In the landing barges swinging from the davits along the

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FIRST WAVE GOES IN AT BOUGAINVILLE

FIRST WAVE GOES IN AT BOUGAINVILLE

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side of the ship, the Coast Guard coxswains and their crews waited silently for the signal to he lowered away. The Marines, huddled in their boats, looked strangely alike. Suddenly the signal came and the barges were lowered. As they touched the water, they scooted away with the boats from the other transports. The destroyers fanned out ahead shelling the beach. Our planes which had formed a protective umbrella peeled off and screamed down bombing and straffing the Jap's machine gun emplacements, which disintegrated into muddy holes on the beach. A flare went up from the shore and they knew that the first wave had made a landing. Three more waves went in before the enemy planes attacked. All the transports immediately got under way and headed for the open sea. Above, a dog fight was in progress. A bomber streaked for the Liggett coming in at mast-height, then suddenly banked away, losing altitude fast. Pour bombs bracketed a tiny destroyer and its guns flamed viciously. Two bombers immediately began smoking and plummeted into the sea. A little later the transport returned to the beach and the barges swarmed out to begin unloading supplies. Early in the afternoon all the ships again put to sea as bogies appeared high in the clouds. Bombs dropped and white geysers appeared around them but none of the ships were hit. One of the transports was aground and seven bombers poised over her for the kill, but a destroyer standing by sent shells into the sky so fast that the planes sheared away and left. Then nine new Jap night fighters, painted black, with the red ball insignia on their wings came out of a pass in the mountains and sped down the beach very low straffing our barges and men on the beach. After that there was no more opposition and unloading continued all that day and part of the next. Many barges were lost in the first landing when the heavy surf caught them, spilling out the men as they capsized.

BATTLE OF EMPRESS AUGUSTA BAY

On the night of 1-2 November a naval action took place in an area about 45 miles northwest of Empress Augusta Bay between our Task Force 39 consisting of four light

cruisers and eight destroyers and a Japanese force estimated at 2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, and 8 destroyers. We lost one destroyer, torpedoed but brought into port, and the enemy one light cruiser. Damage to surviving enemy ships was apparently heavy as they abandoned the mission which was undoubtedly to attack our shipping at Empress Augusta Bay.

LST-70 SHOOTS DOWN PLANE

On 17 November the Coast Guard manned LST-70 beached on Puruata Island as part of a convoy bringing reinforcements and supplies from Guadalcanal. Five minutes later a bomb was dropped in the bay about 1,500 yards on the port quarter. At 0805 seven enemy planes of mixed types, including what appeared to be Zekes and Vals, appeared in broken formation over Puruata Beach. All AA guns of the four LST's beached there engaged these planes as long as they were within range. At 0809 one Val flew directly into two 3"50 bursts fired from the LST-70 and immediately entered a long glide and lost altitude rapidly. When last seen this plane was still losing altitude and heading inland over Bougainville Island north of Puruata. It is assumed to be the same plane later reported to have crashed several miles inland.

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GALVANIC

GALVANIC

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LST-207 BRINGS DOWN TWO "BETTYS"

A large column, of black smoke was observed off the port quarter of Coast Guard manned LST-207 about 0320 during bright moonlight on 17 November, 1943, when the vessel was in Empress Augusta Bay, about 15 miles off shore. Shortly afterward there were two heavy explosions and it was later learned that the APD McKean of the same convoy had been torpedoed. At 0337 an enemy aircraft was observed slightly abaft the LST-207's starboard beam, low and heading toward the vessel. It was about 400 yards distant when the LST opened fire, firing a total of 300 rounds. The plane, identified as a "Betty" burst into flames, passed over the vessel, veered to the right and crashed into the water two points off the port bow, 300 yards distant. Five minutes later an enemy plane crossed astern from starboard to port. LST-207 opened fire as did other ships astern. The plane crashed into the bay, burned and exploded. Two other planes were fired on shortly afterward but the damage was unknown.

PURPOSE OF CAMPAIGN ACHIEVED

Admiral Wm. F. Halsey, when detached as Commander South Pacific Force and Area summed up the Bougainville operation as follows: "The Bougainville campaign was intended to accomplish the destruction of enemy air strength in the Bismarcks; not only was this accomplished, but the by-products of the campaign were so extensive that the subsequent operations at Green Island and Emirau were accomplished virtually without enemy opposition, and the entire enemy offensive potential in the Bismarcks area was destroyed. In the matter of ultimate achievement and importance in the Pacific war, the Bougainville operation was successful beyond our greatest hopes."

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