November 1943 (1)

Pacific Paratrooper

Troops ready for landing at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville.

1 November – RAdm. “Tip” Merrill brought 4 light cruisers and 8 destroyers to shell Buka and Bonin.  (See map).  They then sped around Bougainville to Shortland Island.  The Saratoga and Princeton hit airstrips in the north, while aircraft from as far away as Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, hit Buin.

The 3rd Marine Division of I Marine Amphibious Corps, under Lt. Gen. Vandergrift, landed smoothly at Cape Torokina on the west coast of Bougainville.  Most of the Japanese 60,000-strong garrison was concentrated on the south of the island.  Gen. Myakutake made the mistake of delaying an offensive and the Marines held off enemy patrols for weeks.  Operation Galvanic commenced.  The Japanese Combined Fleet of 10 ships, escorting over 1,000 troops, left Truk in response.

2 November – US Task Force 39 engaged in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay against the…

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