Battle of the Green Islands

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of the Green Islands
partof=the Pacific Theater of World War II


caption=Troops from New Zealand disembark from U.S. Landing Craft Infantry ship "LCI-444" to occupy Green Island on February 16, 1944.
date=January 29 - February 27, 1944
place=Green Islands in the South Pacific
result=Allied victory
combatant1=flagicon|New Zealand New Zealand
flagicon|USA|1912United States
combatant2=flagicon|Japan|alt Empire of Japan
commander1=flagicon|New Zealand H.E. Barrowclough
commander2=flagicon|Japan|alt Hitoshi Imamura
strength1=5,806 [Gillespie, "Official History", p. 173. Troops included 4,242 New Zealanders and 1,564 U.S.]
strength2=120-150 [Gillespie, "Official History", p. 178.]
casualties1=13 killed [Gillespie, "Official History", p. 188. Breakdown of deaths: New Zealand- 10, U.S.- 3.]
casualties2=120 killed,
12 aircraft destroyed [Gillespie, "Official History", p. 188. A few members of the Japanese garrison may have escaped to Rabaul.]

The Battle of the Green Islands was fought from January 29 to February 27 1944, between Japan and Allied forces from the New Zealand 3rd Division and the United States (U.S.). 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 [Tillman "Corsair", p. 67.] . The base's first commander was Lt. Richard M. Nixon, later President of the United States. [http://americanwarriorsfivepresidents.com]

Notes

References

*cite book
last = Morison
first = Samuel Eliot
authorlink = Samuel Eliot Morison
coauthors =
year = 1958
chapter =
title = Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier", vol. 6 of "History of United States Naval Operations in World War II
publisher = Castle Books
location =
id = 0785813071
*cite book
last = Tillman
first = Barrett
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Corsair - The F4U in World War II and Korea
publisher = Naval Institute Press
date = 2001
location = Annapolis, Maryland
id = ISBN 1-55750-944-8

External links

*cite web
last = Chapin
first = John C.
authorlink =
coauthors =
date =
year = 1997
month =
url = http://www.nps.gov/archive/wapa/indepth/extContent/usmc/pcn-190-003141-00/index.htm
title = TOP OF THE LADDER: Marine Operations in the Northern Solomons
format =
work = World War II Commemorative series
pages = 1
publisher = Marine Corps History and Museums Division
language = English
accessdate = August 30
accessyear = 2006 Also available at: [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-C-NSol/index.html]
*cite web
last = Gillespie
first = Oliver A.
authorlink =
coauthors =
date = 1952
year =
month =
url = http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Paci-_N81633.html
title = The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War, 1939–1945: IV: The Capture of the Green Islands
format =
work =
pages =
publisher =
language =
accessdate = 2006-10-18
accessyear =
*cite web
last = Hughes
first = Warwick
authorlink =
coauthors = Ray Munro
date =
year =
month =
url = http://au.geocities.com/third_div/index.html
title = 3rd NZ Division in the Pacific
format =
work =
pages =
publisher =
language =
accessdate = 2006-10-18
accessyear =
*cite web
last = Miller
first = John, Jr.
authorlink =
coauthors =
date =
year = 1959
month =
url = http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-Rabaul/index.html
title = CARTWHEEL: The Reduction of Rabaul
format =
work = United States Army in World War II: The War in the Pacific
pages = 418
publisher = Office of the Chief of Military History, U.S. Department of the Army
language = English
accessdate = October 20
accessyear = 2006
*cite web
last = Rentz
first = John M.
authorlink =
coauthors =
date =
year = 1946
month =
url = http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-NSols/index.html
title = Bougainville and the Northern Solomons
format =
work = USMC Historical Monograph
pages =
publisher = Historical Branch, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
language = English
accessdate = October 18
accessyear = 2006