page_title: Battle of Bairoko
section_title: Battle
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Bairoko / Battle
caption_attribution_description: English: A US Marine Raider 60mm mortar crew goes into action on New Georgia, most likely during the Dragon's Peninsula campaign around Enogai or Bairoko in July, 1943
context_page_description: 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 U.S. Marine Raiders from the 1st Marine Raider Regiment, supported by two U.S. 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 sent from there towards Bairoko to clear the area from the south.
context_section_description: Liversedge subsequently made plans to capture Bairoko village, which lay on the eastern side of Bairoko Harbor, on 20 July. The plan entailed a pincer movement: while the US Army detachment attacked the village from the southeast the Marines were to assault from the northeast. This would see two companies from the 1st Raider Battalion (Lieutenant Colonel Samuel B. Griffith) advance either side of the Leland Lagoon from Enogai, with Currin's 4th Raider Battalion following behind them to provide reinforcements if required. The 3rd Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Delbert E. Schultz) would push inland from Triri along the Triri–Bairoko Trail to attack Bairoko from the south, converging with the 1st. Meanwhile, two companies of Marines would hold Enogai and elements from the 3rd Battalion, 145th Infantry Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel George G. Freer) would defend Triri and the supply depot around Rice Anchorage, along with a number of medical, supply and anti-tank detachments.
  The Japanese defensive positions around Bairoko were formidable and the garrison had been reinforced since the initial US landing at the Rice Anchorage. Nevertheless, the attack began around 08:00 hours. The 3rd Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment began the approach, stepping off from Triri along the Triri–Bairoko Trail at this time. They were followed half an hour later by the 1st Raider Battalion, which had been reorganized into two full strength companies and two under strength companies, who set off from Enogai, to the north. The two full strength companies, Companies B and D, were committed to the assault, while A and C remained around Enogai, adopting a defensive posture. The 4th Raider Battalion followed shortly after the 1st, advancing along the Enogai–Bairoko Trial parallel with the southern shore of Leland Lagoon. One platoon from the 1st Raider Battalion advanced along the sandspit to the north of the lagoon, on the extreme right of the advancing US forces.
  Throughout the morning, as the attack unfolded the 1st Raider Battalion advanced slowly over difficult terrain and skirmished with a series of Japanese outposts. By 10:45 hours, they came under heavy, sustained fire across their entire front, and the Marines deployed their reserve platoon to protect their left flank. Shaking out from their initial column-of-file formation, the Marines continued to advance their line, while Japanese snipers and light machine guns continued to harass the advance. By midday, the Japanese defenders withdrew to their main defensive line on several ridges around 300–500 yards (270–460 m) from Bairoko Harbor. Attempts to reduce this line were hampered by the lack of air support, which despite being requested, failed to arrive. 
  The heaviest weapon the Marines possessed were their 60 mm mortars, which proved ineffective against the Japanese positions. Schultz's battalion, operating to the south possessed heavier 81 mm mortars, but ultimately poor radio communications and damaged telephone wire prevented coordination between the two battalions. Company D, 1st Raider Battalion was able to gain some ground, but eventually the advance came to a halt, as they came under heavy machine gun fire across their entire front from Japanese defenders occupying several bunkers constructed out of logs and coral. In an effort to outflank these positions, Liversedge, who had positioned himself with the northern most prong of the attack, ordered the 4th Raiders to attempt to turn the Japanese flank, advancing to the south of the 1st Raiders. With this assistance, two lines of the Japanese defensive position were captured, but eventually, under heavy fire from 90 mm mortars, the attack ground to a halt.
  Meanwhile, the southern advance by the 148th Infantry Regiment was held up by thick jungle and swamps, and was eventually halted about 1,000 yards (910 m) from Bairoko by Japanese holding the high ground. In the ensuing fight, heavy casualties were inflicted on the attacking US troops, who were unable to maneuver due to the terrain. By early afternoon, the 4th Rai
caption: A US Marine 60 mm mortar crew
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