United States Army in World War II
The War in the Pacific

CARTWHEEL: The Reduction of Rabaul

by

John Miller, Jr.

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF MILITARY HISTORY
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1959

 

UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II
Kent Roberts Greenfield, General Editor

Advisory Committee
(As of 30 May 1958)
 
Elmer Ellis
University of Missouri

 

Brig. Gen. John B. Sullivan
U.S. Continental Army Command

 

Samuel Flagg Bemis
Yale University

 

Brig. Gen. Edgar C. Doleman
Army War College

 

Gordon A. Craig
Princeton University

 

Brig. Gen. Frederick R. Zierath
Command and General Staff College

 

Oron J. Hale
University of Virginia

 

Brig. Gen. Kenneth F. Zitzman
Industrial College of the Armed Forces

 

W. Stull Holt
University of Washington

 

Col. Vincent J. Esposito
United States Military Academy

 

T. Harry Williams
Louisiana State University

 

Office of the Chief of Military History
Maj. Gen. Richard W. Stephens, Chief

Chief Historian Kent Roberts Greenfield
Chief, Histories Division Col. Seneca W. Foote
Chief, Editorial and Publication Division Lt. Col. E. E. Steck
Editor in Chief Joseph R. Friedman
Chief, Cartographic Branch Elliot Dunay
Chief, Photographic Branch Margaret E. Tackley

. . . to Those Who Served

Contents

Chapter Page
Foreword vii
Author viii
Preface ix
 
I. THE STRATEGIC BACKGROUND 1
       Early Pacific Strategy 1
       The Casablanca Conference 6
II. SELECTING OBJECTIVES 9
       Preliminary Theater Planning 9
       The Pacific Military Conference 11
       Preparation of the Directive of 28 March 1943 15
III. ELKTON III: THE PLAN FOR CARTWHEEL 20
       The Southwest Pacific Area 20
       The Plan of Maneuver 25
IV. THE JAPANESE 32
       Japanese Command and Strategy 32
       Japanese Offensives, January-June 1943 36
       Japanese Strength and Dispositions, 30 June 1943 45
V. CARTWHEEL BEGINS: THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC 49
       CHRONICLE 49
       Nassau Bay 59
VI. TOENAILS: THE LANDINGS IN NEW GEORGIA 67
       South Pacific Organization 67
       Preparations and Plans 70
       Secondary Landings 78
       Rendova 85
       The Move to Zanana 92
       Rice Anchorage 94
VII. THE OFFENSIVE STALLS 97
       Japanese Plans 97
       Operations of the Northern Landing Group 99
       Operations of the Southern Landing Group 106
       Casualties 120
       Command and Reinforcements 122
VIII. GRISWOLD TAKES OVER 127
       The Attack on Bairoko 127
       Pressure on the Japanese 132
       Preparations for the Corps Offensive 137
IX. XIV CORPS OFFENSIVE 143
       Plans 143
       Ilangana and Shimizu Hill: The 43d Division 146
       The Attack Against the Ridges: The 37th Division 149
       Capture of the Airfield 158
X. AFTER MUNDA 165
       The Airfield 165
       Reinforcements 167
       The Cleanup 169
       Vella Lavella: The Bypass 171
       Final Operations 184
XI. THE MARKHAM VALLEY AND THE HUON PENINSULA 189
       Plans 189
       Allied Air and Naval Preparations 195
       Lae: The Seaborne Invasion 202
       Nadzab: The Airborne Invasion 207
       Strategic Reconsideration 212
       Advance Through the Ramu Valley 216
       The Coastal Advance 217
XII. THE INVASION OF BOUGAINVILLE 222
       The Decision To Bypass Rabaul 222
       The General Plan 225
       Air Operations in October 229
       Forces and Tactical Plans 234
       Preliminary Landings 239
       Seizure of Empress Augusta Bay 241
XIII. EXPLOITING THE BEACHHEAD 251
       Air and Surface Action, 1-11 November 251
       Operations Ashore 255
       December Attacks Against Rabaul 269
XIV. CROSSING THE STRAITS 272
       Plans and Preparations 272
       Arawe 282
       Cape Gloucester 289
       Saidor 295
XV. EXPANDING INTO THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO 306
       General Plans 306
       Reducing Rabaul and Kavieng 309
       Seizure of the Green Islands 312
XVI. ACTION IN THE ADMIRALTIES 316
       The Decision 316
       The Reconnaissance in Force 321
       To the Shores of Seeadler Harbour 332
       Lorengau 339
XVII. BOUGAINVILLE COUNTERATTACK 351
       Preparations 351
       Hill 700 358
       Hill 260 364
       Action by the Creeks 371
XVIII. FINALE: EMIRAU 379
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE 383
GLOSSARY 390
BASIC MILITARY MAP SYMBOLS 395
INDEX 399

Tables

No. Page
1. Comparison of Allied Intelligence Estimates With Japanese Strength and Dispositions, Southeast Area, 30 June 1943 47
2. American Casualties on New Georgia 187

Charts

No. Page
1. Organization of Forces for CARTWHEEL 21
2. Estimated Timing and Sequence of CARTWHEEL Operations 28
3. Organization of Japanese Forces, Southeast Area, June 1943 33
4. Southwest Pacific Organization for Woodlark-Kiriwina 52
5. Organization of Principal South Pacific Forces, June 1943 68
6. Organization of South Pacific Forces for TOENAILS 74
7. Organization of Attack Force, D Day 77
8. Western Force on D Day 79
9. Eastern Force on D Day 80
10. South Pacific Organization for Vella Lavella Invasion 176
11. Organization of Northern Force [TF 31], Vella Lavella 177

Maps

No. Page
1. Pacific Ocean (National Geographic Society Map) Inside Back Cover
2. The Pacific Areas, as of 1 August 1942 3
3. The CARTWHEEL Area 23
4. The Wau Area 37
5. Operation CHRONICLE Area, 30 June 1943 50
6. Southern Approaches to Salamaua 62
7. Landings in New Georgia, 21 June-5 July 1943 69
8. Approach to Bairoko, 5-20 July 1943 100
9. Drive Towards Munda Point, 2-14 July 1943 107
10. Capture of Munda Point, 22 July-4 August 1943 145
11. The Cleanup, 5-27 August 1943 166
12. The Huon Peninsula and the Straits 189
13. Opening the Markham Valley, 4-16 September 1943 204
14. Capture of Finschhafen, 22 September-20 October 1943 217
15. Bougainville Landings, 27 October-1 November 1943 225
16. Situation on Bougainville, 15 December 1943 258
17. Arawe Landings, 15 December 1943 283
18. Cape Gloucester Landings, 26-29 December 1943 292
19. Seeadler Harbour Area 318
20. Los Negros Assault, 29 February-9 March 1944 324
21. Lugos Mission to Lorengau, 15-18 March 1944 341
22. Japanese Counterattack on Bougainville, 9-17 March 1944 353

Illustrations

General Douglas MacArthur 4
Some Pacific Planners in Conference 17
Vice Adm. Jinichi Kusaka 35
General Hitoshi Imamura 35
Lt. Gen. Hatazo Adachi 36
Lt. Gen. Haruyoshi Hyakutake 38
Japanese Troop Transport Under Attack 40
Brig. Gen. Nathan F. Twining 51
Troops Disembarking From LCI 57
Natives Carrying Luggage 58
Jeep and Trailer Leaving an LST 59
Clearing Airfield Site With Hand Tools 60
Airfield at Segi Point 82
Men of 152d Field Artillery Battalion 84
Ships Moving Toward Rendova 86
Aboard the Transport McCawley 87
Men of 43d Signal Company Wading Ashore 89
Truck Towing a 155-mm. Howitzer Over Muddy Trail 93
Maj. Gen. Noboru Sasaki 98
Troops of the 172d Infantry Wading Across a Creek 111
Evacuating Casualties, 12 July 1943 113
Jeep Trail From Zanana 115
Infantry Loading on LCP(R)'s 116
LCM's Approaching Laiana, New Georgia 117
Rear Adm. Theodore S. Wilkinson 125
Japanese Prisoners Captured Near Laiana Beach 128
Pillbox Made of Coconut Logs and Coral 133
Soldiers of the 161st Infantry 138
Bombing of Munda Airfield, Early Morning 141
Munda Airfield 160
Reducing an Enemy Pillbox With a Flame Thrower 162
Light Tanks M3 of the 9th Marine Defense Battalion 164
Munda Airfield in Operation 168
4-Ton Truck Stuck in the Mud 170
37th Division Troops Carrying Weapons and Ammunition 171
Warship Firing at Japanese Destroyers 182
14th New Zealand Brigade Group 185
Maj. Gen. J. Lawton Collins 188
B-24 Over Salamaua 197
Enemy Aircraft Destroyed on the Ground 198
B-25 Medium Bombers 199
Salamaua 202
Crossing Rain-Swollen Francisco River 203
Australian Troops Debarking From LST's 206
C-47 Transport Planes Loaded With Parachute Troops 208
Airdrop at Nadzab, Morning of 5 September 1943 209
Bombing Rabaul [1] [2] [3] 231
B-25's Leaving Bougainville 233
Lt. Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift 237
Maj. Gen. Allen H. Turnage 243
Mount Bagana 245
3d Marines Landing on Cape Torokina 247
LCVP's on the Beach at Empress Augusta Bay 249
Aircrewman Wounded in Strike on Rabaul 254
Amphibian Tractors LVT(1) 256
Tractor and Trailer in Mud 257
Soldiers of the 148th Regimental Combat Team 259
Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr 262
37th Division Troops 263
Results of Japanese Bombing of Puruata Island [1] [2] [3] 264
105-mm. Howitzer 266
4.2-Inch Chemical Mortar 267
Lt. Gen. Millard F. Harmon 268
C-47 Air-Dropping Supplies 270
B-25's Over Wewak 281
Alligator Returning to Beach on Arawe 289
Early Morning Bombardment 291
7th Marines Landing on Narrow Beach 293
Rear Adm. Daniel E. Barbey 297
M10 Motor Carriage Mounting 3-Inch Gun 301
Japanese Ships Burning at Rabaul 310
Aboard the Cruiser Phoenix [1] [2] 325
First Wave of Landing Craft Unloading 327
2d Lt. Marvin J. Henshaw 328
Digging a Foxhole Through Coral Rock 329
Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger 337
LST's Loaded With Troops and Equipment 339
Men of the 8th Cavalry 346
Crossing the Lorengau River 348
Troop G, 8th Cavalry, Near Number 1 Road 349
60-mm. Mortar Emplacement 354
155-mm. Guns of the 3d Marine Defense Battalion 357
37th Division Men Carrying 5-Gallon Cans of Water 360
Two Light Tanks M3 of the 754th Tank Battalion 363
"OP Tree" on Hill 260 365
South Knob, Hill 260 370
North Knob, Hill 260 371
Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beightler 376
Tank-Infantry Attack 377
Japanese Pillbox on Fire 378

Photographs are from the Department of Defense files.

Transcribed and formatted by Jerry Holden for the HyperWar Foundation