Koiari Raid | |||||||
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Part of the Bougainville Campaign in the Pacific Theater (World War II) | |||||||
Marines from the 1st Parachute Battalion on the beach at Koiari 29 November 1943 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States | Japan | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Roy Geiger Richard Fagan | Masatane Kanda Shun Iwasa | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
614 | est. 1,200 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
15 dead 99 wounded 7 missing | est. 145–291 killed |
The Raid onKoiari was a battle that occurred between 28 and 29 November 1943 in the Pacific theater of World War II between American and Japanese forces. Part of the Bougainville campaign, the raid involved a landing by a battalion-sized force of United States Marines to harass Imperial Japanese Army troops on Bougainville Island. The raid was a failure for the Americans as they were attacked by a larger-than-expected Japanese force and as a result the Marines were withdrawn from the beachhead without having achieved any of their objectives.
On 1 November 1943, US forces had landed around Cape Torokina as part of the Allied advance north through the Solomon Islands towards the Japanese strong hold around Rabaul on New Britain, as part of Operation Cartwheel. After establishing a perimeter around the beachhead, the US commander, Major General Roy Geiger, decided to expand the perimeter to include a ridge of hills 2,000 yards (1,800 m) away and ordered an eastward advance towards the Torokina River, aimed at establishing a series of defense lines.
Following the Battle of Piva Forks, which had secured defense line "Easy", further plans were formulated. Soldiers from the 37th Infantry Division would advance to defense line "How", while the 3rd Marine Division was to secure inland defense line codenamed "Fox". The Marines' advance was to proceed on 26 November. In order to protect the general advance from any surprise Japanese attack on the right flank, and to cut off Japanese reinforcements, Geiger planned a raid at Koiari ("Napoi" in Japanese sources), [1] 10 miles (16 km) down the coast from Cape Torokina, to detect enemy troop movements, destroy enemy supply dumps and disrupt their line of communications. The raiders were to harass enemy units as far inland as the East–West trail but avoid any decisive engagement with major Japanese forces. [2]
The 1st Parachute Battalion, 1st Marine Parachute Regiment, under the command of Major Richard Fagan, which had just arrived from Vella Lavella, was assigned to be the main force, with 'M' Company of the 3rd Marine Raider Battalion and a forward observer team from the 12th Marine Regiment attached. [2] [3] However, the raid was delayed until the 29 November. Covering fire for the landing, which had been planned to be provided by destroyers, was not available. A preliminary reconnaissance landing was undertaken in darkness on 27 November and reported no enemy activity in the area. A boat reconnoitered the beach landing site prior to the landing on 28 November and also reported no enemy activity. [3]
The Japanese troops defending the area were from Lieutenant General Masatane Kanda's 6th Division, with the infantry forming a detachment known as the Iwasa Detachment under the command of Major General Shun Iwasa. [4]
The 1st Parachute Battalion was transported by United States Navy LCM and LCVP landing craft, landing ashore at Koiari at 04:00 on 29 November. The landing occurred adjacent to a Japanese supply dump. The Marines overran the supply dump and hastily dug in 200 yards (180 m) inland, amidst heavy mortar, machine gun and rifle fire from defending Japanese. Meanwhile, 'M' Company of the 3rd Marine Raider Battalion and HQ Company were landed 0.5 miles (0.80 km) further south. [5] In order to repel the landing, troops from the Japanese 6th Transport Regiment and elements of the 23rd Infantry Regiment [1] launched infantry charges which caused significant casualties amongst the US forces. Close-in support fire was provided by 155 mm guns of the 3rd Defense Battalion firing from their gun lines around Cape Torokina under the control of the forward observation teams. [2] A captured 37 mm field gun was also used against the Japanese. [6]
Experiencing heavier-than-expected resistance, it became clear to the US commanders that the raiders were outnumbered. With an estimated 1,200 Japanese in the immediate vicinity, the US raiding force faced annihilation. The second landing party that had been landed further south met up with the main party at 09:30, having suffered 13 casualties while moving north. [5] Realizing the futility of the situation and believing that he no longer possessed freedom of action having been decisively engaged, Fagan sent a request over the radio for evacuation. Geiger concurred and ordered the Marines to be withdrawn, although a communications failure resulted in this message not getting through to Fagan. [7]
Two attempts were made to extract them by landing craft, although these failed because of heavy Japanese artillery fire. With their backs to the sea and ammunition running low amongst the troops on the beach, an LCI gunboat and the destroyers USS Fullam (DD-474), USS Lansdowne (DD-486), and USS Lardner (DD-487), which had been ordered back from convoy escort duties, closed in to the beach at 18:00, and—in concert with shore based artillery and air support—provided a barrage that allowed rescue craft to remove the raiding group from the beach; the last boat left the area at 20:40 under the cover of darkness. [2]
None of the objectives of the raid were achieved, and the raid was a failure with 15 killed or died of wounds, 99 wounded and 7 missing. It was estimated that the Japanese had lost between 145 and 291 men. [2] Again the lack of preliminary naval and artillery bombardment proved to be important in the outcome of the engagement. [8] In the aftermath of the raid, US plans to expand the perimeter around Torokina went ahead with units of the 3rd Marine Division advancing towards the Torokina River throughout early December, as part of a plan to occupy the high ground west of the river. [9] This advance would see the Marines take part in a series of engagements around Hellzapoppin Ridge and Hill 600A in mid-December. [10]
In December, US Army troops from Major General Oscar Griswold's XIV Corps had arrived to relieve the Marines around the perimeter. [11] After this, there were no major actions around the US perimeter until March 1944, when the Japanese launched a strong counterattack that was turned back with heavy casualties. [12] Following the defeat of the Japanese counterattack, a lull period followed until late 1944 when Australian forces arrived to relieve the American troops who were transferred to the Philippines. The Australians subsequently undertook a series of advances across the island, which saw them clear the central sector and push north towards the Bonis Peninsula and south towards Buin. [13]
The Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, on 1–2 November 1943 – also known as the Battle of Gazelle Bay, Operation Cherry Blossom, and in Japanese sources as the Sea Battle off Bougainville Island (ブーゲンビル島沖海戦) – was a naval battle fought at night in Empress Augusta Bay near Bougainville Island. The naval battle was a result of Allied landings at Cape Torokina with the bay in the first action in the Bougainville campaign of World War II and may also be considered as part of the Solomons and New Guinea campaigns. The battle was significant as part of a broader Allied strategy—known as Operation Cartwheel—aimed at isolating and surrounding the major Japanese base at Rabaul. The intention was to establish a beachhead on Bougainville, within which an airfield would be built.
The New Georgia campaign was a series of land and naval battles of the Pacific Theater of World War II between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allied strategy in the South Pacific to isolate the Japanese base around Rabaul. The campaign took place in the New Georgia Islands in the central Solomon Islands and followed the Allied capture of the Russell Islands. The main fighting took place on New Georgia itself, although significant actions also took place around the island chain throughout the campaign.
The Bougainville campaign was a series of land and naval battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan, named after the island of Bougainville. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allied grand strategy in the South Pacific.
The Battle of the Treasury Islands was a Second World War battle that took place between 27 October and 12 November 1943 on the Treasury Islands group, part of the Solomon Islands. The battle formed part of the wider Pacific War and involved New Zealand and US forces fighting against Japanese troops. The majority of the ground forces were provided by the New Zealand 3rd Division.
The Raid on Choiseul was a small unit engagement that occurred from 28 October to 3 November 1943, during the Solomon Islands campaign of the Pacific War. The raid was launched to divert the Japanese from the Allied landings at Cape Torokina on Bougainville Island.
The Landings at Cape Torokina, also known as Operation Cherryblossom, took place at the beginning of the Bougainville campaign in World War II. The amphibious landings were carried out by elements of the United States Marine Corps in November 1943 on Bougainville Island in the South Pacific, as part of Allied efforts to advance towards the main Japanese base around Rabaul under Operation Cartwheel. Coming in the wake of Allied successes at Guadalcanal and in the central Solomons, the landings were intended to secure a beachhead with the purpose of establishing several bases from which to project air and naval power closer towards Rabaul, in an effort to neutralize the large Japanese force that had been established there.
The Battle of Piva Forks, also known as the Battle of Numa–Numa Trail, was an engagement that took place during the Bougainville campaign in World War II. Occurring between 18 and 25 November 1943 on Bougainville Island in the South Pacific, the battle involved troops from the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army fighting against Imperial Japanese Army forces and took place amidst the context of the expansion of a beachhead that US forces had established around Torokina on the western side of the island.
The Battle of the Koromokina Lagoon was fought between the United States Marine Corps and Imperial Japanese Army forces on Bougainville Island. It took place on 7–8 November 1943 during the Bougainville campaign of the Pacific War.
The Battle of Viru Harbor was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II that took place on New Georgia island during the New Georgia campaign from 28 June – 1 July 1943. It was one of the first actions of the campaign and involved an overland advance by elements of a Marine Raider battalion, supported by a United States Army infantry company. Supported by airstrikes, the Marines carried out an enveloping attack on the Japanese defenders around the harbor and forced them to withdraw. The harbor was subsequently used by US forces to support further operations, although plans to build a PT boat base in the area were later canceled when the harbor was found to be unsuitable.
The Landings on Rendova were amphibious military assaults by United States Army, Marine Corps and Navy forces on Rendova Island in the Solomon Islands on 30 June 1943. The small Japanese garrison was quickly overwhelmed by US troops, but the island was subjected to heavy attack by Japanese aircraft over several days. The landings were some of the first Allied landings during the New Georgia campaign of the Pacific War and were successful in securing the island and providing a base from which the Allies could support the subsequent invasion of New Georgia island and the eventual capture of Munda airfield in early August 1943.
The Battle of Wickham Anchorage took place during the New Georgia campaign in the Solomon Islands during the Pacific War from 30 June – 3 July 1943. During the operation US Marines and US Army troops landed by ship around Oleana Bay on Vangunu Island and advanced overland towards the anchorage where they attacked a garrison of Imperial Japanese Navy and Army troops. The purpose of the attack by the US was to secure the lines of communication and supply between Allied forces involved in the New Georgia campaign and Allied bases in the southern Solomons. The US forces were successful in driving the Japanese garrison from the area and securing the anchorage, which would later be used to stage landing craft for subsequent operations.
The New Georgia counterattack was a counterattack on 17–18 July 1943 by mainly Imperial Japanese Army troops against United States Army forces during the New Georgia campaign in the Solomon Islands. The U.S. and its allies were attempting to capture an airfield constructed by the Japanese at Munda Point on New Georgia with which to support further advances towards the main Japanese base around Rabaul as part of Operation Cartwheel.
The Battle of Munda Point was a battle from 22 July – 5 August 1943 between primarily United States Army and Imperial Japanese Army forces during the New Georgia campaign in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific War. The battle took place following a landing by U.S. troops on the western coast of New Georgia from Rendova Island, as part of an effort to capture the Japanese airfield that had been constructed at Munda Point. This advance had become bogged down, and while the Allies brought forward reinforcements and supplies, the Japanese had launched a counterattack on 17–18 July. This effort was ultimately unsuccessful, and afterwards U.S. forces launched a corps-level assault to reinvigorate their effort to capture the airfield. Against this drive, Japanese defenders from three infantry regiments offered stubborn resistance but were ultimately forced to withdraw, allowing U.S. forces to capture the airfield on 5 August. The airfield later played an important role in supporting the Allied campaign on Bougainville in late 1943.
The Battle of Bairoko was fought between American and Imperial Japanese Army and Navy forces on 20 July 1943 on the northern coast of New Georgia Island. Taking place during World War II, it formed part of the New Georgia campaign of the Pacific War. In the battle, two battalions of the US Marine Raiders from the 1st Marine Raider Regiment, supported by two US Army infantry battalions, attacked a Japanese garrison guarding the port of Bairoko on the Dragons Peninsula, advancing from Enogai and Triri. After a day long engagement, the Japanese repulsed the American assault and forced the attacking troops to withdraw with their wounded to Enogai. US forces remained in the area carrying out patrolling and intelligence gathering operations until the end of the campaign. Bairoko was eventually captured at the end of August after the airfield at Munda had been captured, and further reinforcements were sent from there towards Bairoko to clear the area from the south.
The Battle of the Coconut Grove was a battle between United States Marine Corps and Imperial Japanese Army forces on Bougainville Island during the Pacific War. The battle took place on 13–14 November 1943 during the Bougainville campaign, coming in the wake of a successful landing around Cape Torokina at the start of November, as part of the advance towards Rabaul as part of Operation Cartwheel.
The Battle of Ratsua occurred during the Second World War and involved Australian and Japanese forces. Part of the wider Bougainville Campaign of the Pacific theatre, the battle took place in the northern sector of Bougainville between June and August 1945. The main forces that took part in the fighting were the Australian 23rd Brigade and the Japanese 87th Naval Garrison Force.
The Battle of Hellzapoppin Ridge and Hill 600A consisted of a series of engagements fought in mid-December 1943 on Bougainville between forces of the United States Marine Corps and the Imperial Japanese Army. Although minor in terms of casualties and in comparison to other battles in the Bougainville campaign, the battle was the last significant action undertaken by the 3rd Marine Division on the island before they were replaced by United States Army soldiers from XIV Corps. It resulted in the capture of the two positions by the Marines with the support of artillery and aircraft, and the withdrawal of the Japanese forces as the American perimeter, which had been established around Torokina in November, was expanded towards the Torokina River.
The Bougainville counterattack, also known as the Second Battle of Torokina, was an unsuccessful Japanese offensive against the Allied base at Cape Torokina on Bougainville Island during the Pacific Theater of World War II. The Japanese attack began on 8 March 1944 after months of preparation and was repulsed by United States Army forces in fighting which lasted until 25 March. The attack was hampered by inaccurate intelligence and poor planning and was pushed back by the well-prepared Allied defenders, who greatly outnumbered the Japanese force. The Japanese suffered severe casualties, while Allied losses were light.
The Battle for Piva Trail was a battle between United States Marine Corps and Imperial Japanese Army forces on Bougainville Island. The battle took place on 8–9 November 1943 during the Bougainville campaign of the Pacific War in the days following the US landings at Cape Torokina earlier in the month.
The Battle of Arundel Island was fought from 27 August – 21 September 1943, primarily between United States Army and Imperial Japanese Army forces on Arundel Island during the New Georgia campaign in the Pacific War. The battle took place towards the end of the campaign after the capture of Munda airfield and mopping up operations in western New Georgia had resulted in the Japanese evacuation of mainland New Georgia. The US high command decided to occupy the island so that it could be used as a base for artillery to fire on the main Japanese troop concentration on Kolombangara.