The capture of Bougainville successfully isolated Rabaul and caused the Japanese to expend more of their air units than they could afford to lose. That is, things which would be needed first on arrival in the target area were loaded last, so that they would be on top of the piles in the ships' hold or on deck. Apparently the enemy was interested only in the larger targets presented by our array of transports of Guadalcanal. The Marines are supposed to be the finest soldiers in the world, but no one has seen them yet.". "The commander SOWESPAC had an aerial strip picture made of Guadalcanal's north shore, about 2,000 yards deep. As soon as they ceased fire the supporting vessels shifted their position to provide fire support for our principle landing at Beach BLUE. If their activity was not seen by our ships, it was possibly because much of it occurred high in the sky and many miles beyond the ships' range of observation. In early November, the Japanese organized another Guadalcanal convoy, embarking 7,000 troops and their equipment, in another attempt to retake Henderson Field. (jg) W. Holt, Ens. The other, almost equally important, was the maintenance of smooth operations aboard the carriers, so that decks would not become congested with planes taking off or landing, and so that at least one squadron of fighters would always be alert and in readiness in the event the carriers were themselves attacked. The screen was disposed in 3 concentric circles about theHunter Liggett, the first circle having a radius of 1 mile from theHunter Liggett, the second a radius of 2, and the third a radius of 3. "At about 0820 the dive bomber squadron departed for its ship without having been given a target for attack. American losses were significant, but Japanese losses were devastating. Here, also, lay the opportunity for waging a punishing war of attrition on our economically inferior enemy. involving respotting of the deck "on the double," and "the stamina of these crews, who have been hardened by continuous service in the war, is worthy of mention.". In the first such interoperability arrangement in the Pacific, the Royal Navy. The Solomons Campaign technically lasted throughout the war The northernmost of the Solomon Islands, Bougainville, wasn't fully under Allied control until the Japanese forces there surrendered on August 21, 1945. During the night he sortied and counterattacked. A campaign to rid Australia and New Zealand of the menace of Japanese invasion and to shield our tenuous lines of communication to those all-important bases was envisaged as early as April 1942 by the Combined Chiefs of Staff. W.G. - All available were taken. Group 2, baggage. That led by Lt. (jg) Gordon E. Firebaugh for combat patrol over the transports sighted about 22 enemy bombers and 10 Zeros to the southeast tip of Santa Isabel island. Admiral Noyes' orders provided, in addition to the detailed flight schedules, for the following general procedure: The carriers and their escorts were to operate southwest of Guadalcanal with theSaratogain the center lane, theWaspto the west and south, and theEnterpriseto the north and east at distances of 8,000 to 12,000 yards. Eight Corsairs from Marine Fighter Squadron 214 (later known as the Black Sheep) flew up from the Russell Islands to strafe the Kahili airfield during American amphibious landings on the island of Vella Lavella. Although several of our F4F-4s were badly shot up, all returned to the carrier except Machinist J.A. Two diversionary amphibious landings were made the night of 27-28 October: the 2d Marine Parachute Battalion landed on Choiseul; and New Zealands 8th Brigade, together with Navy Seabees (U.S. Simpler, "I was informed by other pilots of the squadron that an enemy bombing attack was en route to the transport area. Carrier: Enterprise {Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid, Capt. At 1500 theJacksonhad sent six boats to retrieve them, but instead of returning to the transport they were ordered to land at Gavutu. The Russells, New Georgia and Bougainville were objectives because of their value as air bases. delivering effective fire into the enemy positions, had got ahead of its supporting troops. $100. But due to the closeness of the carrier groups and the inexperience of some of the pilots, considerable confusion ensued, planes from one carrier joining up with those from another. On August 2d, Lt. Comdr. Planes begin bombing Guadalcanal and Tulagi areas. The Museum will host Guadalcanal: Turning Point in the Pacific, a daylong symposium . The battle has come to be identified as the worst defeat in a single fleet action suffered by the United States Navy. Felt's report, the dawn attacks appeared to proceed in accord with previous instructions. [21] Admiral Scott, reporting as Commander Fire Support Group MIKE, says, "Upon request from the mine sweeping division theSan Juanbewteen 1004 and 1028 silenced an enemy gun on Gavutu Island which had interfered with sweeping operations." Zero hour had been set by Admiral Turner at 0910, and some minutes before that time our boats had gathered at the line of departure, marked since 0840 by 2 destroyers. Bennink had to wait half an hour before he was able to contact Maj. C.A. 27, USS Chincoteague AVP24 War Damage Report No. Harold T.A. He immediately ordered all ships to move out of the transport areas and assume a cruising disposition. This was a column of squadrons, with Squadron YOKE, destined for Tulagi, in the lead, and Squadron XRAY, which was to carry out the landing on Guadalcanal, 6 miles astern. The Allies created a combined air formation, the Cactus Air Force,[d] establishing air superiority during daylight hours. No serious breaks had been made in our lines during the night, and at dawn the Marines had resumed the offensive. Two were placed under the command of Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher. These flights had been assigned specific targets and areas in Tulagi, Gavutu, Tanambogo, Halavo, Port Purvis, Haleta, and Bungana. Immediately our scouts were attacked by four or five Japanese Zero fighters at 7,500 feet. Tense with the strain of impending battle, they did not know whether the enemy's apparent somnolence was real or feigned. While our boats. (b) One scout bomber shot down; pilot Lieut. Solomon Islands [8] [a] is an island country [10] [11] consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu. Command afloat inAmerican Legion. At 0800 (H-hour) the First Raider Battalion was to be landed at Beach BLUE on Tulagi. Combat Narratives are not to be removed from the ship or station for which they are provided. Task Force TARE (Amphibious Force), Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner: Thaddeus J. Capowski became separated from the formation at this time (about 1600) and failed to return to the carrier. was soon to see a grimmer game. Only theJackson,which had to send off the preliminary landing force to Haleta, and later to send a force to Halavo at a considerable distance, had no time to spare, but she was able to make her first landing on time. In theory the conditions might have been alleviated by the assignment of combat troops to unloading operations, but at the time in question (the afternoon of August 7th), the Division Commander was constrained to dispose all his forces tactically. About the. Only one man was hit by a sniper's fire as the Marines splashed ashore, climbed the steep rise of the beach on a 500-yard front and plunged into the thick jungle growth behind it. General Vandegrift, in an oral record, said 18 float planes and 2 four-engine bombers, while Admiral Crutchley's report gives the figure as 18. ordered to track enemy surface forces discovered, using radar when available, in accord with rules explained in an annex. According to Major Chambers, who had been wounded in the afternoon fighting, "it was a pretty bad night. They had escaped from the Japs by hiding in the bushes. As we were coming in, the last shell hit a fuel dump on the beach, lighting up the beach like day, and the Japs opened fire from their dugout on Tanambogo Hill.32. VS-71, Lt. Comdr. It may be significant that the two sectors covering the enemy's line of approach to Guadalcanal from Buka and Bougainville via New Georgia and Isabel Islands were only partly covered by our search planes on August 8th because of bad weather in that vicinity. . 26th. The advance proceeded slowly during the afternoon. He also established an antisubmarine air patrol with at least three cruiser planes in the air all the time. In contrast to the fighting in Tulagi-Gavutu, the occupation of Guadalcanal proceeded with almost amazing smoothness. While our two minesweeper groups were returning the enemy fire, the first wave of landing boats from theJacksonpassed between them on their way to the line of departure. Vol VI. The Admiral, who had recently returned from London, where he had served as special naval observer, left Washington on the first of May, passed through Pearl Harbor, where he saw Admiral Chester A. Nimitz, and arrived in New Zealand on the 8th. What most concerned out commanders - assuming the absence of carriers - was the major land-plane base which the Japanese had established at Rabaul in New Britain, 675 miles from Guadalcanal, and the bases which they were building at Kieta, on Bougainville Island only about 300 miles from Guadalcanal, and on Guadalcanal itself. Bennink: H.A. The bombers concentrated their attention on antiaircraft and shore batteries, putting many of them immediately out of action. Artillery was believed to be confined to 8 heavy antiaircraft guns between Kukum and the Lunga River, 4 on the hill in the rear of Kukum, and a few light guns at other points. A. Vandegrift, USMC, commander of the 1st Marine Division, working on the flag bridge of USS McCawley (AP-10), at the time of the Guadalcanal-Tulagi landings (Operation Watchtower), August 1942 (80-CF-112-4-63). Security considerations did not permit transmission of this request to Admiral Noyes, who was in theWasp,before launching the flight. A few days before the convoy's arrival at Nukualofa Harbor, Tongatabu, on the 18th theWaspdeveloped serious engine trouble and fell behind the rest of the ships. President Hayes, Comdr. On approaching Tanambogo beach on its first trip, the craft ran aground on the coral a few yards from shore. TheWaspaircraft expended sixty-seven 1,000-pound bombs, fifty 500-pound bombs, and sixteen 325-pound bombs, which all functioned as intended. Flying high above Squadron YOKE off Florida, they dived steeply on Squadron XRAY off Guadalcanal. Where time or the terrain did not permit this, Marston mats3were sometimes laid. - Only 50 percent of the available vehicles were taken, except amphibious tractors, all of which were taken. Lawrence F. Reifsnider: Transports: Hunter Liggett, Comdr. Hobart (HMAS) (CL), Capt. At about 1500 Lieut. Evidently our fighters saw it at the same time, for a moment later it was going down in flames. Guadalcanal Map Solomon Islands - Guadalcanal US Naval Base Solomons was a number of United States Navy bases in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The major part of these troops was believed to be concentrated between Kukum, just west of Lunga Point, and the mouth of the Tenaru River, with a small garrison at Tetere and other small detachments elsewhere. As early as January her fleet invaded and established bases in New Britain in the Bismarck Archipelago and in the northern Solomons, both then under Australian mandate. On his return to Auckland, the Admiral received orders to proceed, with instructions that the first phase of the operation, the capture of Florida and Guadalcanal Islands, be undertaken, if not on August 1st, as near that date as possible. The Air Support Director in theMcCawleyinformed him at 0755 that he was attempting to obtain suitable targets for the bombers but that the situation on shore was not clear. Hunter Liggett, Comdr C. Kinkaid, Capt scouts were attacked by four or five Japanese Zero fighters 7,500. Battle has come to be removed from the ship or station for which they are provided fifty 500-pound,... To Admiral Noyes, who was in theWasp, before launching the flight position to provide fire support for principle! Which were taken sometimes laid of the available vehicles were taken that enemy. Were ordered to land at Gavutu Maj. C.A wait half an hour before he was able contact. 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