Historical Branch, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
1946
THE COVER OF THIS NARRATIVE shows men of the Third Marines hotly engaged on Blue Beach shortly after their landing.
BOUGAINVILLE BEACH, D-DAY, as seen from the bow of an assault landing craft. Drifting smoke rises from the Naval gunfire preparation which has just disturbed the calm of a tranquil tropical morning on Empress Augusta Bay.
| Chapter | Page | ||
| 1. | Plans and Preparations | 1 | |
| Strategic Situation | 1 | ||
| Seizure and Consolidation of the Central Solomons | 5 | ||
| Bougainville and Its Protectors | 6 | ||
| IMAC Planning | 7 | ||
| Accumulation of Intelligence | 14 | ||
| Assault Unit Planning | 19 | ||
| Rehearsal | 20 | ||
| Approach | 22 | ||
| 2. | Establishing Bougainville Beachhead | 24 | |
| Landings at Cape Torokina | 24 | ||
| Naval Battle of 1-2 November | 38 | ||
| Establishment of the Perimeter | 39 | ||
| Koromokina Lagoon | 40 | ||
| Piva Road Block | 47 | ||
| Coconut Grove | 53 | ||
| Piva Forks | 60 | ||
| Koiari Beach | 71 | ||
| The 37th Division | 77 | ||
| 3. | Defense of the Beachhead | 80 | |
| Expansion of the Perimeter | 80 | ||
| Hellzapoppin Ridge | 83 | ||
| The Fight for Hill 600A | 85 | ||
| Relief of IMAC and the 3d Division | 88 | ||
| Air Activity During Expansion of the Perimeter | 88 | ||
| XIV Corps Defends the Beachhead | 91 | ||
| 4. | Subsidiary Operations | 92 | |
| The Treasury Islands Operation | 92 | ||
| Choiseul Diversion | 104 | ||
| A Step Upward--Green Islands | 114 | ||
| The Last Step--Emirau | 117 | ||
| 5. | Conclusions | 120 | |
| Strategic Conclusions | 120 | ||
| Tactical Conclusions | 122 | ||
| Technical Conclusions | 124 | ||
| General Conclusions | 129 | ||
| Appendices | |||
| I. | Bibliography | 132 | |
| II. | Casualties | 140 | |
| III. | Chronology | 141 | |
| IV. | Abbreviations | 146 | |
| V. | Geography and History | 148 | |
| VI. | Task Organization | 156 | |
| VII. | Japanese Task Organization | 159 | |
| VIII. | Naval Unit Commendation, Signal Battalion | 160 | |
| IX. | Naval Unit Commendation, 12th Marines | 161 | |
| X. | Command and Staff | 162 | |
Transcribed and formatted by Jerry Holden for the HyperWar Foundation
