9781422279083

The End of World War II: The Japanese Surrender

of New Britain before making the final assault on Rabaul. At the same time, Halsey’s forces were to “island-hop” through the Solomon Islands toward the north-west and thus in the direction of Rabaul. The one major problem that had to be overcome was a command and related logistical one: although under MacArthur’s strategic command, Halsey was still dependent on Admiral Chester Nimitz’s Pacific Ocean Areas for men and matériel. MacArthur and Halsey worked very smoothly as a team, however, which overcame many of the problems that might have defeated two less tolerant commanders. The advance through New Guinea was finally made possible by the capture of Buna on January 22, 1943. Some preparatory movements had already been carried out, the most important of these being the airlift to Wau, about 30 miles (50km) south-west and inland of the major Japanese coastal garrison of Salamaua, of an Australian brigade from Lieutenant-General Edmund F. Herring’s threatened the Japanese as MacArthur put the finishing touches to the main assault plans and readied his forces. To make the Japanese think that his drive would be straight along the coast, a battalion of the U.S. 32nd Division was OPPOSITE : A 6.1-inch (155-mm) howitzer of the U.S. Marine Corps in action on one of the Solomon Islands group. Throughout the war with Japan, the U.S. forces possessed significantly greater numbers of heavy artillery. ABOVE RIGHT : A tank landing ship of the U.S. Navy disgorges supplies for the men of the U.S. Marine Corps somewhere in the Solomon Islands group. RIGHT: The wreckage of a Mitsubishi G4M “Betty” twin-engined bomber, again somewhere in the Solomon Islands group. Japanese warplanes were notable for their very long range, but this capability was bought only by the sacrifice of protective features, such as armor for the crew and vital systems, and protection for the fuel tanks. New Guinea Force. The brigade established a forward base and

US 112th Cavalry Regiment took Woodlark Island, both of these lying north-east of the south-eastern tip of Papua. This completed the clearance of Japanese garrisons in Papua between Buna and Milne Bay undertaken in October and November 1942.

landed at Nassau Bay on June 30, just to the south of Salamaua, and this battalion, together with the Australian 17th Brigade from Wau, now threatened Salamaua from the west and south. At the same time the U.S. 158th Infantry Regiment took Trobriand Island, and the

13