Battle of the Green Islands

Battle of the Green Islands
Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II
Troops from New Zealand disembark from U.S. Landing Craft Infantry ship LCI-444 to occupy Green Island on 16 February 1944.
Date 29 January–27 February 1944 Location Green Islands in the South Pacific Result Allied victory
Belligerents
New Zealand United States	Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
H.E. Barrowclough	Hitoshi Imamura
Strength
5,806	120–150
Casualties and losses
13 killed	120 killed, 12 aircraft destroyed

The Battle of the Green Islands was fought from 29 January-27 February 1944, between Japan and Allied forces from the New Zealand 3rd Division and the United States. The Green Islands—located between Bougainville and New Ireland—were part of the Australian Territory of New Guinea. The Allied forces invaded several islands and recaptured them from heavily outnumbered Japanese forces.

Once secured, the Green Islands became a forward base for the U.S. South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command (SCAT), which supplied material and mail to combat soldiers and evacuated the wounded. It also became home to United States Marine Corps fighters and bombers which participated in the allied effort to isolate the Japanese bases on Rabaul and Kavieng. The base's first commander was Lt. Richard M. Nixon, later President of the United States.[1]

References

• Morison, Samuel Eliot (1958). Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, vol. 6 of History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Castle Books. ISBN 0785813071. 
• Tillman, Barrett (2001). Corsair – The F4U in World War II and Korea. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-944-8. 

External links

• Chapin, John C. (1997). "TOP OF THE LADDER: Marine Operations in the Northern Solomons". World War II Commemorative series. Marine Corps History and Museums Division. pp. 1. http://www.nps.gov/archive/wapa/indepth/extContent/usmc/pcn-190-003141-00/index.htm. Retrieved August 30, 2006.  Also available at: [2]
• Gillespie, Oliver A. (1952). "The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War, 1939–1945: IV: The Capture of the Green Islands". http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Paci-_N81633.html. Retrieved 2006-10-18. 
• Hughes, Warwick; Ray Munro. "3rd NZ Division in the Pacific". Archived from the original on 2006-10-15. http://web.archive.org/web/20061015165006/http://au.geocities.com/third_div/index.html. Retrieved 2006-10-18. 
• Miller, John, Jr. (1959). "CARTWHEEL: The Reduction of Rabaul". United States Army in World War II: The War in the Pacific. Office of the Chief of Military History, U.S. Department of the Army. pp. 418. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-Rabaul/index.html. Retrieved October 20, 2006. 
• Rentz, John M. (1946). "Bougainville and the Northern Solomons". USMC Historical Monograph. Historical Branch, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-NSols/index.html. Retrieved October 18, 2006.