Target: Rabaul: The Allied Siege of Japan's Most Infamous Stronghold, March 1943–August 1945

Rabaul Trilogy

by Bruce Gamble

A history of World War II’s Operation Cartwheel, a major Allied operation by US, Australian, and New Zealand forces to take the Japanese base at Rabaul.Prior to World War II, few Americans had heard of Rabaul, a small harbor town in a far-off corner of the Pacific. But it became a household name after the Japanese captured Rabaul in January 1942 and developed it into their most heavily defended fortress outside the home islands. Thereafter, Rabaul endured Allied air attacks for a total of forty-four months—a span unmatched by any other locale during World War II.In Rabaul, respected military historian Bruce Gamble concludes his critically acclaimed trilogy about Japan’s most notorious stronghold. Picking up where Fortress Rabaul left off, Gamble narrates the story of Cartwheel, the multiple-operation plan that isolated Rabaul through aerial and naval siege. The effort, involving all of the armed branches of the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, resulted in some of the heaviest and most dramatic aerial combat of the Pacific war, with frequent clashes between hundreds of planes.The culmination of an amazing story, Rabaul profiles the resolve of the Allied and Japanese combatants in the horrific Pacific battleground—and provides the turbulent, triumphant conclusion to the most comprehensive account of World War II’s longest battle.“Bruce Gamble has done it again! An impeccable researcher and a master storyteller with a keen eye for details and characters, Gamble presents Rabaul, a powerful conclusion to his must-read trilogy on the battle over Japan’s Southwest Pacific stronghold. The heart-pounding stories of aerial combat read like a thriller—and show why he is one of the finest writers working today.” —James Scott, author of The War Below and The Attack on the Liberty

Genres: History, Military Fiction, World War II, Military History, Nonfiction

418 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

A native of central Pennsylvania, Bruce Gamble is an award-winning author and historian specializing in highly readable narratives about World War II in the Pacific.

During his career as a Naval Flight Officer in the closing years of the Cold War, Bruce logged nearly 1,000 hours as a navigator in EA-3B Skywarriors, including deployments aboard aircraft carriers in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Later, while serving as a flight instructor in Pensacola, Florida, he was diagnosed with a malignant spinal cord tumor. After undergoing a complicated surgery, Bruce was medically retired from the Navy in 1989.

Bruce soon began volunteering at the National Naval Aviation Museum and eventually worked part-time as the staff historian for the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. Over the next several years he collected oral history interviews and wrote numerous articles, then made the leap to book-length manuscripts and published his first nonfiction book, The Black Sheep, in 1998.

With a total of six titles now in print and a seventh due for publication in late 2018, Bruce is recognized as one of the top historians on the air war in the Pacific. He does a substantial amount of public speaking and is featured in documentaries produced by the History Channel, Fox News Channel, PBS, and the Pritzker Military Library.

Bruce's literary awards include the Admiral Arthur W. Radford award for excellence in naval aviation history and literature, presented in 2010, and a Florida Book Award in 2013.

Holding life memberships in the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and Paralyzed Veterans of America, Bruce has been cancer-free more almost 30 years. He lives near Madison, Georgia.

Reviews

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking up where he left off in Volume Two of his Rabaul Trilogy, Bruce Gamble completes the tale of World War II's longest battle. Rabaul was the prime focus of Allied attention in the South Pacific and as such it was subjected to a constant stream of attacks from the U.S. Army Air Force, Navy, and Marines, as well as Commonwealth forces from Australia and New Zealand.

The American efforts make up the majority of the book, with the attacks by the 5th Air Force being the primary focus. Once the 5th AF moved on to other areas of fighting, the 13th Air Force, the Navy and the Marines took up the challenge of reducing Rabaul to rubble, along with help from the Aussies and Kiwis.

When you have a campaign of this length, you have a high amount of losses by the forces involved. While many Allied pilots and crew were fortunate to survive being shot down, they were not so fortunate to end up as prisoners of the Japanese. With the Allied bombing campaign continuing day after day and around the clock, life in Rabaul for the Japanese military was rough, but significantly rougher for prisoners of war.

Bruce Gamble has done a masterful job of researching this campaign. The detail is astounding as he has used American, Commonwealth and Japanese sources to provide a complete picture of the campaign. Stories from the Allied pilots and crew are a prime part of the book, along with those of the unfortunate ones who ended up as prisoners of war. However, some of the best parts are the recollections of the Japanese soldiers, sailors and airmen who participated in the battle. Japanese memoirs of World War II are fairly scarce so it's really a treat to have them in this book (as well as the other books in the Trilogy.) Gamble does a great job of analyzing the strategies and commanders of both sides and he pulls no punches when it comes to placing blame for mistakes on both sides. He also debunks a few myths of some of the heroic deeds of various American and Japanese airmen, so prepare to view victory claims in a different light after reading this book.

This book is a truly outstanding addition to any library.

[William Kepford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a tad too detailed. Thousands of sorties to eliminate this bastion of a Japanese military stronghold. I think every sortie is detailed in the book. Way too detailed but it read conversationally, not like a textbook.

[Josh Liller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the preceding book, Fortress Rabaul: The Battle for the Southwest Pacific, January 1942-April 1943, seven years ago and really enjoyed it. I finally got a chance to read the followup and was less impressed.

Don't get me wrong: there is alot of good information here. Once again Gamble does a good job of calmly analyzing the facts and presenting a pretty even-handed analysis of the history. Most of the problem seems to be the history itself. Rabaul was a siege alright (albeit almost entirely aerial) and like a classic siege it proved to be a slow, grinding affair of death by inches and victory by attrition. Time and again massive air battles resulted in few shootdowns on either side; most of the massive bombing raids resulted in less than impressive damage. There are so many attacks that it also starts to feel repetitive. Not helping matters is that the first half of the book is primarily the USAAF bombing Rabaul from New Guinea (and also their involvement in clearing the Japanese from the northeastern coast of New Guinea) then abruptly leave the picture never to return. After that point its mostly the USN and USMC attacking from the Solomons, who up to that point had not really been involved in the narrative.

While some of the issues couldn't be helped because of the history being covered, I do feel the author made a few mistakes. There is once again few maps and they really should have been placed all together at the start of the book for ease of reference. Late in the book it's mentioned that Kavieng was rendered largely useless by a major airstrike then invaded; both attacks get only a passing mention. Likewise the Australian invasion at Wide Bay late in the war - the closest Allied ground troops came to Rabaul - is similarly glossed over. There are also quite alot of pages spent on the Allied airmen kept as POWs at Rabaul and what they went through. It's an interesting and important part of the story, but I felt like it was too much. It seems like quite a deliberate choice by the author too, as the lengthy prologue is even specifically setting up the POW saga. I'm sure many other readers will be quite pleased with the extensive coverage, but it went far beyond my personal interest in the topic.

Moderate recommendation to anyone interested in World War II in the Pacific.

[Jean Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third volume of Bruce Gamble’s Rabaul trilogy concludes the story of the massive Allied campaign (Operation Cartwheel) to isolate, neutralize and finally bypass the formidable Japanese island stronghold, which the Imperial Command envisioned as the key to their entire war effort in the southwest Pacific, but which became increasingly irrelevant as it was gradually surrounded, continuously bombed, and perceived by the Allies as a backwater area, along with the Solomons and New Guinea, as their conquests moved on to Truk, the Marianas, the Philippines and beyond.

Those with an interest in aircraft and hardware will find detailed descriptions of all the planes and ordnance used by both sides, and how they were employed in the titanic air battles waged over New Guinea, New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville, and Bismarck and Solomon Seas, from early 1942 well into 1944. Particularly devastating to the Japanese were the B-25 Mitchell medium bombers outfitted as “strafers” with extra 50-caliber machine guns; these planes went in at low altitude and wrought havoc on parked bombers and fighters, antiaircraft emplacements, and ancillary structures—as well as the personnel inside them. All in all, the siege of Rabaul is but one of many examples of how the irresistible industrial and demographic might of the United States, lying behind its Army and Navy, was gradually brought to bear against Japan—as presciently predicted by Admiral Yamamoto when he declared after Pearl Harbor that Japan had merely “awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve”. Rabaul thus became an archetype of the ultimate futility of the entire Japanese war effort.

The mountains and jungles of New Guinea, New Ireland and New Britain, as well as the surrounding seas, are littered with the wreckage of hundreds of aircraft and scores of ships, which to this day continue to be discovered, and give mute testimony to the severity of the conflict and the determination of the Americans to avenge Pearl Harbor and (for the Australians) the destruction of Lark Force in January 1942; as well as Japan’s determination to hang on to what they considered the linchpin of their entire strategy to dominate the southwest Pacific. A sizable proportion of the losses incurred by both sides was also due to accidents and the unpredictability of the weather. It was very easy for planes with only rudimentary navigational tools to become disoriented, be blown off course, run out of fuel, and crash at sea; or to fly into the side of a mountain (especially the formidable peaks of the Owen Stanley Range) obscured by clouds or fog. But while the United States could provide a constant stream of new aircraft and well-trained pilots to replace losses, the Japanese could not and were hampered by the increasing scarcity of experienced pilots (most had been lost in the Coral Sea, at Midway, in the battles that raged around the Solomons in 1942 and early 1943, and in the defense of Rabaul itself) and the increasing obsolescence and inferiority of their aircraft compared to new models gradually added to the U.S. arsenal (the F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair in particular). Their losses became increasingly disproportionate to those of the Americans as the conflict ground on. Eventually the Japanese were forced to withdraw most of their air and naval assets from Rabaul in order to minimize losses (moved to Truk or other rear areas) and the fortress and its garrison were left to wither on the vine. More than 100,000 troops were forced to live in tunnels in mountainsides or other underground shelters, adopting a troglodyte existence in order to escape the continuous Allied fragmentation and incendiary bombing, the purpose of which was to destroy everything above ground and keep the various airfields around Rabaul (so laboriously constructed, and repaired innumerable times over the years, by Allied POW’s and thousands of Indian and Chinese slave laborers) out of commission in case the Japanese should ever decide to reinforce Rabaul. They were also obligated to grow most of their own food since it became almost impossible for any supply ships or aircraft to get through.

This of course left very little for the slave laborers, who were essentially starved and worked to death. Most had been sent to Rabaul from captured territories in China, Burma or Malaya and were lucky if they survived more than a few months of such treatment. Those who did not were buried in mass, unmarked graves.

Most disturbing in Gamble’s book are the sections describing the execution of Allied POW’s, which mirrored what had happed during the infamous “Rape of Nanking” in China in 1937 and when the Japanese retaliated against the Chinese who had helped the Doolittle raiders in 1942. The perverted interpretation of traditional bushido and samurai philosophy which was promulgated by the increasingly militaristic Japanese regime during the 1930’s declared that not only was it dishonorable for a soldier to surrender or be captured, but that the Japanese “race” was superior to all others and white people, especially, were no more than subhuman. Therefore a hapless POW, inferior by nature and disgracefully captured, was doubly damned and worthy of only the most severe punishment. Training of Japanese soldiers involved a lot of beatings and brutality, the purpose of which was to reinforce the above maxims. At Rabaul, the ultimate “test of courage” was to execute a POW—either by decapitation with a katana or by a bayonet thrust while the prisoner was tied to a pole. The Japanese were not signatories to any of the Geneva conventions and the soldiers ordered to carry out the executions (and they dared not disobey) were also informed that the prisoners were merely getting what they deserved.

Scores, if not hundreds, of Americans, Australians and New Zealanders were executed between 1942 and 1945, often 30 to 40 at a time all on the same day. Many others died of starvation, disease or overwork. Those lucky enough to survive their imprisonment were officers or higher-profile prisoners who were deemed likely to possess specialized or strategic knowledge and who were sent to Japan for further interrogation. The book does not make clear exactly how many prisoners were killed, or how many Japanese eventually faced retribution for these war crimes. Some high-profile perpetrators were hanged (such as Tojo, Homma and Yamashita); other lesser officers and enlisted men served out prison sentences and were then released. Many probably escaped any consequences because as time passed, even as more mass graves were uncovered at Rabaul, it became impossible to prove who had done what. And, as the author points out, America needed an ally in the western Pacific against the looming threat of the Soviet Union and preferred to concentrate on the rebuilding of Japan rather than hunting down every single soldier who had executed a POW. While this pragmatic reasoning made a sort of political sense, it was no doubt of little comfort to the families of those who suspected that their loved one, listed as missing in action, had been ruthlessly murdered and thrown into a mass grave.

Rabaul is thus the Japanese war effort in microcosm—initial success against an unprepared but defiant enemy; unexpected and shocking defeats and reversals as the enemy gradually gains strength; retreat as that enemy overwhelmingly strikes back; ultimate surrender and futility. The author’s research is extensive and well-documented and the story is told in a compelling way. Most highly recommended!

***** review by Chuck Graham *****

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow is it detailed.

[Hal Brodsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book by a 98 year old Marine Torpedo bomber pilot who was shot down over Rabaul. He made it into a life raft with two other survivors and wisely rowed away from Rabaul until he was picked up a few days later.
The stories in this book are amazing. What men risked and went through in those dark days is amazing. This is a very detailed book.

[Steve Dedier · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great finish to the trilogy, although it could be a stand alone read. The emphasis is on the air campaign with highlights of the land efforts that isolated Rabaul. There is a great deal of insight into the plight of the PoWs and some of the aircraft development, strengths and weaknesses. There is a great deal of info on the exaggeration of kill claims on both sides.

[Rusty Kehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid

Mr. Gamble provides a solid accounting of the conclusion of the air war over Rabaul and the dynamics of McArthur, Halsey and others. As with his other books the flow at times jumps around and I find that bothersome. The trilogy as a whole is a very good read about an overlooked theater of the Pacific War.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed and well researched book that gets down into the weeds (literally) of this campaign and provides an incredible action by action accounting. As someone who has been reading about WWII for four decades now, there was stuff in there that I had no idea about. It is an excellent series.

[chris zayc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good.

Pretty good, nice research. Thanks. Rabaul just isn't all that well known, by most, so nice work by the author.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I have finally finished the three Rabaul books. Gamble did an excellent job researching and organizing his writing. I was astounded at the number of flyers who died just trying to keep Rabaul neutralized. The number of planes, also, that were crashed in WWII is hard for me to comprehend. This was a dark time in American history, and this phase of the war has never been so clear to me as it is now. I am still astonished by the lack of humanity on the part of the Japanese. Although they had a different attitude toward war and surrender, the idea of not caring for others, executing prisoners, and, as was pointed out in the first book, cannabalism, is horrific.
I liked Gamble's style, his attempt to get the story "right," (hard to do when flyers were exaggerating hits), and his thoroughness.

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wonderful conclusion to the Rabaul trilogy, which profiles the longest continuous battle during World War II. Taking up the story from Fortress Rabaul (the second book), Gamble writes about the opening days of Operation Cartwheel, where major players, such as General MacArthur, made their presence felt. By the end, the U.S. took over Rabaul, but not before the Japanese held of for two long years. One of the great WWII trilogies of all time.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give the series a solid 4 stars. A must read for all the students and history buffs of the Pacific war. Rabaul for the most part has been bypassed by WW2 authors just like the Allies did in the 40's. Aside from some generalizations in history books, no author has concentrated on just this area of the Pacific to my knowledge. a little repetition over the three books but kudos to Mr. Gamble for giving us this fine work. I will be reading more of him in the future...

[Steve Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding wrap up to an excellent trilogy. Gamble's three books, "Invasion Rabaul", "Fortress Rabaul" and this volume cover the longest battle of the Pacific war.

I've been reading accounts of World War II for years, and have to say this book series taught me more than any three books I've read previously.

[Mike Clayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book corrected my understanding of the struggle for the Solomon Islands. Given their entrenched position in Rabaul, I assumed that it was one of the mandated islands that Japan controlled entering into the war. This book provides a more thorough perspective of the events leading up to the Guadalcanal campaign.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a campaign that I'd wanted to read up on for a long time. This book was very readable, heavy on pilots' and aircrew descriptions of the action.

2023: re-reading, as interest in Central Solomons emerges.

[Mhorg · Rating 5 out of 5]

a brilliant ending to Gambles trilogy as the allies really come down on the fortress. The Japanese invested a lot to build this bastion up, the allies invested a lot to neutralize it. Brilliant, eye opening book.

[Kent Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

An outstanding conclusion to the Rabaul trilogy. Concluding with the deterioration of the POWs was a masterful piece of storytelling.