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The Bismarck Archipelago Operation stands as one of World War II's most strategically decisive campaigns, transforming isolated Pacific islands into the cornerstone of Allied victory. This massive undertaking encircled Japan's mighty Rabaul fortress, secured vital supply lines, and opened the gateway to the Philippines, fundamentally altering the Pacific War's trajectory through innovative amphibious warfare and unprecedented international cooperation.
The Bismarck Archipelago Campaign was fought in Douglas MacArthur's Southwest Pacific area from late 1943 to early 1944, with the formidable Japanese bastion at Rabaul on the northeastern end of New Britain serving as the primary strategic objective. Located just north of New Guinea, these islands were situated along the Allied advance toward the Philippines, with Rabaul providing a sanctuary from which the Japanese could resupply their forces in the Solomons, launch an assault on Australia, or threaten the vital supply lines linking Australia and the United States.
The Japanese Eighth Army headquarters directed operations in the archipelago from Rabaul, controlling all Japanese Army forces in the Solomons, New Guinea, and the Bismarcks. By late 1943, constant reinforcements brought the strength of the Rabaul garrison to over 90,000 men by February 1944.
The struggle for these islands—New Britain, New Ireland, the Admiralties, and several smaller islands—was officially designated as the Bismarck Archipelago Campaign, with the reduction of Rabaul, code-named CARTWHEEL, approved by the U.S. and British Combined Chiefs of Staff as a primary objective in 1942 and reconfirmed at the Casablanca Conference in 1943.
Prelude and Strategic Situation
The Battle of the Bismarck Sea took place in the South West Pacific Area during World War II when aircraft of the U.S. Fifth Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force attacked a Japanese convoy carrying troops to Lae, New Guinea. To reinforce the troops at Lae, New Guinea, on March 1, 1943, the Japanese decided to transport 6,900 soldiers to the garrison under Rear Admiral Masatomi Kimura.
Allied Forces:
Japanese Forces:
The battle began on the afternoon of March 1, 1943, when a convoy of seven merchant vessels, six destroyers, and two cruisers was first sighted north of New Britain. The Allied Air Forces had developed new techniques, such as skip bombing, that they hoped would improve the chances of a successful air attack on ships.
At 0100 the next morning, 3 March 1943, Kenney threw his Sunday punch with 16 P-38 Lightnings, 13 Beaufighters, and masses of B-17s, A-20 Havocs, and B-25 Mitchells coming in at three different altitudes.
The convoy lost eight transport and cargo ships, along with four destroyers over the next two days. Overall, the Japanese saved 2,734 men but over 3,000 were missing. Of 150 Japanese fighter planes that attempted to engage the American bombers, 102 were shot down. As a result, the Japanese made no further attempts to reinforce Lae by ship, greatly hindering their unsuccessful efforts to stop Allied offensives in New Guinea.
Strategic Significance: The battle stands as an utter disaster for the Japanese—whose convoy was hit by a total of 213 tons of bombs dropped by the U.S.
On 22 September 1943, General Douglas MacArthur issued orders for the invasion of New Britain, codenamed Operation Dexterity, with Operation Backhander being the specific operation for Cape Gloucester. The objective was to capture the two Japanese airfields near Cape Gloucester that were defended by elements of the Japanese 17th Division.
Allied Forces:
Japanese Forces:
On December 26, 1943, Task Force 76 landed the First Marine Division at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, marking the first time Seventh Amphibious Force employed control officers to guide landing craft through reefs and designated beaches. Despite the narrow beaches and rough surf that buffeted their landing craft, 13,000 Marines and an excess of 7,500 tons of supplies came ashore in a single day.
The main landing came on 26 December 1943, when US Marines landed on either side of the peninsula. The western landing force acted as a diversion and cut the coastal road near Tauali, while the main force—landing on the eastern side—advanced north towards the airfields.
The Marines took the airfields on December 30, 1943, after slogging for 3 days through neck-deep swamps (marked "Damp Flats" on their maps), where men were actually killed by sodden branches falling from rotting trees.
Acting on reports from airmen that there were no signs of enemy activity and the islands might have been evacuated, General Douglas MacArthur accelerated his timetable for capturing the Admiralties and ordered an immediate reconnaissance in force. Meanwhile, on 13 February General MacArthur issued orders for the invasion of the Admiralty Islands, codenamed Operation Brewer, which was now scheduled for 1 April.
On 27 February 1944 a reconnaissance patrol of six Alamo Scouts was brought in by Catalina and went ashore by rubber raft. At 0645 the lieutenant in charge radioed that he "Could not get to river. Lousy with Japs."
Allied Forces:
Japanese Forces:
On the morning of 29 February the 1st Cavalry landed on Los Negros. The Japanese were caught entirely out of position, and the Americans quickly established a beachhead. That afternoon MacArthur paid a two hour visit to the island, and decided that his men should stay.
MacArthur and Kinkaid briefly came ashore at 1600 and surveyed the conquered beachhead; just over an hour later at 1729 the majority of Rear Admiral Fechteler's force departed the area.
On 15 March the Americans landed at Lugos Mission, west of their main target at Lorengau. Lorengau airfield fell on 17 March, and the town fell soon afterwards. The hardest fighting came when the Americans began to advance south from Lorengau towards Rossum, lasting from 19-25 March.
Although a few hundred Japanese escaped into the interior of Manus, the campaign was effectively over by 3 April 1944, and Krueger declared the campaign officially concluded on 18 May. Total Allied casualties were 330 killed or missing and 2200 wounded. Japanese casualties were estimated at 4380 killed and 75 taken prisoner.
The Battle of the Green Islands or Operation Squarepeg was fought from 15 to 20 February 1944, between Imperial Japan and Allied forces from the New Zealand 3rd Division and the United States. The Green Islands were located between Bougainville, at the western end of the Solomon Islands and New Britain, 117 miles east of the Japanese base at Rabaul and 220 miles south-east of their base at Kavieng.
Allied Forces:
Japanese Forces:
On 31 January 1944 a group of New Zealand soldiers and Allied specialists carried out a daring reconnaissance of the Japanese-held Green Islands. On the night of 29-30 January a reconnaissance force of just over 300 men landed on Nissan Island to investigate the size of the garrison.
Under the command of Admiral William Halsey Jr., the invasion of the islands commenced on 15 February 1944, codenamed "Operation Squarepeg".
Base development was the responsibility of the Seabees of the 22nd Naval Construction Regiment. By 6 March, a 5,000-foot long and 150-foot airstrip was in operation, and fighters based there attacked targets in Kavieng and New Ireland. A 6,000-by-150-foot bomber strip was completed by the end of the month.
Lieutenant Richard Nixon, who later became President of the United States, served as the officer-in-charge of the SCAT detachment on the Green Islands in early 1944.
The Landing on Emirau was the last of the series of operations that made up Operation Cartwheel. A force of nearly 4,000 United States Marines landed on the island of Emirau on 20 March 1944. The island was not occupied by the Japanese and there was no fighting.
Allied Forces:
However, the natives informed the marines that the Japanese had left Emirau two months before and only a small detachment remained on Mussau Island. Some 3,727 troops and 844 tons of cargo were ashore by nightfall when the ships sailed. Within a month, some 18,000 men and 44,000 tons of supplies had been landed.
Naval Forces
|
Operation |
Key Vessels |
Commanders |
|
Bismarck Sea |
PT boats, destroyers |
Lt. Cmdr. Barry K. Atkins |
|
Cape Gloucester |
USS Nashville, LSTs |
Rear Admiral Daniel F. Barbey |
|
Admiralty Islands |
USS Phoenix (flagship) |
Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid |
|
Green Islands |
High-speed transports |
Admiral Theodore S. Wilkinson |
|
Emirau |
Fast destroyer transports |
Commodore Lawrence F. Reifsnider |
Allied Aircraft Types:
Japanese Aircraft:
Naval Artillery:
Small Arms:
Vehicles and Equipment:
The Allied Air Forces had developed new techniques, such as skip bombing, that they hoped would improve the chances of a successful air attack on ships. Since the Bismarck Sea action had proved the concept was sound, all light- and medium-bomber pilots were trained in low-altitude bombing techniques.
Supreme Command:
Ground Commanders:
Naval Commanders:
Area Commands:
Local Commanders:
The Allied victory completed the isolation of the major Japanese base at Rabaul that was the ultimate objective of the Allied campaigns of 1942 and 1943. A major air and naval base was developed in the Admiralty Islands that became an important launching point for the campaigns of 1944 in the Pacific.
The campaign introduced several innovations:
In endorsing Admiral Wilkinson's report on Squarepeg, Admiral Halsey stressed how well the Kiwis and Yanks had worked together: "The entire Green operation was thoroughly planned and was executed with the utmost precision and team play."
|
Operation |
Allied Losses |
Japanese Losses |
|
Bismarck Sea |
10 aircraft lost |
8 ships, 4 destroyers, 3,000+ personnel |
|
Cape Gloucester |
310 killed, 1,083 wounded |
1,300+ killed |
|
Admiralty Islands |
330 killed/missing, 2,200 wounded |
4,380 killed, 75 captured |
|
Green Islands |
13 killed, 26 wounded |
~102 killed (entire garrison) |
|
Emirau |
No combat casualties |
No resistance |
The campaign achieved maximum strategic effect with relatively minimal Allied casualties, demonstrating the effectiveness of:
Admiralty Islands (Manus): This included constructing airfields (the Mokerang airstrip was over two miles long), power plants, water reticulation, fuel and ammunition storage depots, communications centre, maintenance and repair facilities, training and recreation facilities, accommodation and a 1,000 bed hospital.
The Advance Base Section Docks (ABSD) were capable of lifting 90,000 tons each and readily accepted the 45,000 ton battleship USS Iowa when she conducted an emergency docking here in December 1944. Incredibly by the end of the year the new naval base was beginning to rival Pearl Harbor.
Green Islands:
Emirau:
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Additional Reading
