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206 TURNING THE TIDE 1943–1944

Operation Cartwheel was approved by US president Franklin D.

Roosevelt and British prime minister Winston Churchill at the

Casablanca Conference in January 1943 (see pp.162–163). Under the

overall command of US general Douglas MacArthur, it consisted

of 13 separate planned operations, of which 10 were undertaken

and three were dropped because they were considered too costly.

Cartwheel saw the movement of Allied forces in two large wings—

one up the coast of New Guinea, the other up along the Solomon

chain. The aim of this pincer action was to encircle Rabaul, a base

that supported a large fleet of aircraft and gave the Japanese control

of shipping in the south-west Pacific—a major obstacle to the

eventual Allied goal of capturing the Philippines.

The Allied campaign aimed to avoid major concentrations of

Japanese forces and focused instead on severing their lines of supply

and communication, and on establishing airfields and bases to

OPERATION

CARTWHEEL

In early 1943, the Americans drew up a series of plans to challenge

the Japanese in the south-west Pacific, known collectively as

Operation Cartwheel. The objective was audacious: to advance

through the Solomon Islands in the east and along New Guinea

in the west in order to encircle and neutralize the major Japanese

base at Rabaul in New Britain.

US and New Zealand assaults

ATTACKING THE SOLOMONS

FEBRUARY 21–OCTOBER 6, 1943

From Guadalcanal, US troops moved north-west

through the Solomon Islands, landing on the Russell

Islands on February 21, 1943, and taking New Georgia

by August 25. With the evacuation of a Japanese

garrison from the island of Kolombangara on October

4, and New Zealand’s capture of Vella Lavella two days

later, the southern Solomons fell into Allied hands.

1

Admiral Yamamoto shot down and killed

THE DEATH OF ADMIRAL YAMAMOTO

APRIL 18, 1943

Following Japan’s defeat at Guadalcanal in February

1943 (see pp.128–129), Admiral Yamamoto decided to

make a morale-boosting inspection tour of the South

Pacific. Alerted by US intelligence, President Roosevelt

ordered that his plane be targeted. On April 18, a

squadron of 16 Lockheed P-38 Lightnings intercepted

his flight over Bougainville and shot him down.

3

US and Australian assaults Kokoda Trail

THE ATTACK ON NEW GUINEA

JUNE 1943–JULY 30, 1944

Having defeated the Japanese on the Kokoda Trail

(see pp.124–125), the Allies moved up through New

Guinea. A joint US-Australian force landed at Nassau

Bay on June 29, followed by Australian assaults on Lae

and Finschhafen in September. Saidor and Madang

were taken by April 1944. Further landings destroyed

Japanese defenses along the north coast of New

Guinea by the end of July 1944.

4

Feb 29, 1944 US

troops land on the

Admiralty Islands.

Mar 20, 1944 US forces

land unopposed in the

St. Matthias Group.

Mar 6, 1944 US marines

begin to land on the north

coast of New Britain.

Jan 1943 The Allies establish

a forward base at Buna to

support their future

operations in New Guinea.

Jun 29, 1943 The

Allies renew their

assault on New Guinea

by landing in Nassau Bay.

Sep 22, 1943 The Australians

assault Finschhafen.

Mar 1944 The

Japanese base at

Kavieng is cut off.

Mar 2, 1943 US and

Australian forces attack a

Japanese convoy, killing

2,900 troops.

US and New

Zealand assaults

THE BATTLE FOR BOUGAINVILLE

OCTOBER 27–NOVEMBER 1, 1943

While preparing to seize the island of Bougainville,

US forces launched a feint attack on Choiseul on

October 28 to hide their main assault. Meanwhile,

New Zealand took the Treasury Islands south of

Bougainville. US forces created a beachhead at

Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, on November 1

but would struggle for months to push inland.

5

Beachhead, Empress

Augusta Bay

Sep 4, 1943 The

Australians begin an

assault on Lae.

Battle

THE BATTLE OF THE BISMARCK SEA

MARCH 2–4, 1943

On March 2, a Japanese convoy carrying 6,900 troops

from Rabaul to Lae in New Guinea was intercepted

by a flight of 114 US and Australian bombers and 54

fighters, supported by 10 torpedo boats. Twelve

Japanese ships were sunk and 2,900 lives lost. Japan’s

failure to reinforce their garrisons in New Guinea

hindered their efforts against later Allied offensives.

2

Japanese convoy route

Manus Island

Rambutyo

Island

Emirau Island

New

Hanover

Green Island

N e w

B r i t ai n

S o l o m o n

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NORTH-EAST (^) NEW
(^) GU
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A
Seeadler
Harbor
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