Bougainville, 1943-1945: The Forgotten Campaign

by Harry A. Gailey

" The 1943 invasion of Bougainville, largest and northernmost of the Solomon Islands, and the naval battles during the campaign for the island, contributed heavily to the defeat of the Japanese in the Pacific War. Here Harry Gailey presents the definitive account of the long and bitter fighting that took place on that now all-but-forgotten island. A maze of swamps, rivers, and rugged hills overgrown with jungle, Bougainville afforded the Allies a strategic site for airbases from which to attack the Japanese bastion of Rabaul. By February of 1944 the Japanese air strength at Rabaul had indeed been wiped out and their other forces there had been isolated and rendered ineffective. The early stages of the campaign were unique in the degree of cooperation among Allied forces. The overall commander, American Admiral Halsey, marshaled land, air, and naval contingents representing the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Unlike the other island campaigns in the Pacific, the fighting on Bougainville was a protracted struggle lasting nearly two years. Although the initial plan was simply to seize enough area for three airbases and leave the rest in Japanese hands, the Australian commanders, who took over in November 1944, decided to occupy the entire island. The consequence was a series of hard-fought battles that were still going on when Japan's surrender finally brought them to an end. For the Americans, a notable aspect of the campaign was the first use of black troops. Although most of these troops did well, the poor performance of one black company was greatly exaggerated in reports and in the media, which led to black soldiers in the Pacific theater begin relegated to non-combat roles for the remainder of the war. Gailey brings again to life this long struggle for an island in the far Pacific and the story of the tens of thousands of men who fought and died there.

Genres: World War II, Military History, History

237 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1991

About the author

A specialist in the history of Britain's African colonies, Harry Alfred Gailey served in the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, after which he worked as a civil and mechanical engineer. After earning a Ph.D. in history at UCLA in 1958, Gailey taught at Northwest Missouri State University for five years before joining the faculty at San Jose State University, where he taught until he assumed emeritus status. In his retirement, Gailey wrote several books about the Pacific campaigns in World War II.

Reviews

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short book on the Bougainville Campaign in World War II, with information about the campaigns leading up to it as well. There are some pretty good maps and a few good photographs, along with a sprinkling of personal stories by participants in the battle. Good read for those who want a broad overview of the campaign, such as the introduction of black American troops into combat and the Australian campaign to eliminate all the Japanese on the island.

[Mtravis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive history of the Bougainville campaign, 43 to 45. Written in 91, the pictures are poorly copied and the style is much more a collection of reports design for someone who knows what 'APD' is and has a grasp on Southern Pacific geography and terrain. For the handful of interesting individual's stories Gailey includes, he skips the chance to tell an engaging story about the development of a certain piece of equipment or armor maneuver tactics in the jungles of Bougainville. For those looking to learn more about the Bougainville Campaign, day by day as well as the larger strategic planning concerning the shift of Japanese air and naval power out of the Solomans, this is an easy starting place but meanwhile I'll hope to find something that I could recommend to a wider audience.