The Wilmington morning star., 1944-06-25
Halsey Smashes Japan's
South Pacific Kevstones

one OF the most lop-sided naval
victories Of the war.
Meanwhile, with Rabaurx or1v
sngntly-damaged air power still
menaclng the narrow Bougainville
Deacnhead, Haisey stealthily hus-
tieo large carrier, the only one
Inen available, into thu northern
oolomons by circuitous route. On
November 2 the Navy fliers in =
surprise raid so thoroughly smash
ca haoauls remaining cruisers
ana destroyer strength and so dim
lnlshed its immediate air strength
that Bougainville for the moment
was safe from counter invasion
naval Smelling and overpowering
air attack. Tacticians called it one
OF the smartect, fastest employ
ment OF all forces in minute con.
junction and precise timing ever
lmprovised and executed in the Pa
cific war.
This ended the japanese sea
menace.
The invasion OF Bougalnville-
springboard for the whole final
chapter of South Pacific fighting
was preceded by the reduction in
three months of all Japanese air.
fields there. It was an air victory
by Halsey's South Pacific airtorce.
When airfields at Bouganville
were completed, this game airforce
went to work on Rabaul, which
had been restocked with p ne S
from Truk.
Halsey's air experts figured it
would require at least four months
to eliminate Rabauls air strength
and make it permanently unten-
able for shipping. But it wa $
smashed to impotence in 80 days.
Many air experts have said that
when the history of the Pacific war
ic written the job that Halsey's
airforce composed of Army, Navy,
Marine Corps and New Zealand
units did on Rabaul will rank with
the great aerial victories of all
time. 1t broke the first big bas-
ton of Japan's outer perimeter,
and left Truk open to air attack.
With Bougainville secured, Ra-
baups air strength tottering and
control of the sea absolute, Halsey
promptly mopped up the remain
ing Japs on Buka, Bougainville,
| ShortlandS or Choiseul
He occupied Gren islands north
of Buka and built more airfieldc,
the occupation isolated the Buka-
north Bougainville Japanese, flank
ed Rabaul and put fighters and
.ow-level bombers within reach of
Kavieng-the next big Jap strong
hold.
The Rabaul air reduction was
repeated at Kavieng. This k
only few days since most of Ka-
vieng's air strength had been di-
verified to the desperate fight to
save Rabaul. Capts. Ar1eigh Burke
and Roger Simpson, with two de-
stroyer divisions, helped immeas-
urably by boldly sailing into the
range Of Kavieng's shore batteries
and heavily Smelling the area, sink.
ing several ships. Cruiser and de-
stroyer squadrons sank ships at
tempting to evacuate key person
mel from Kavieng-Rabaul and 9TH
er ships trying to run the blockade
with supplies.
Halsey then by-passed Kavieng,
in conjunction with Gen. Douglas
Macarthur who landed in the Ad-
miraities, by occupying undefended
Emirau island some 80 miles north
Of Kavieng.
These actions left between Sc, 900
and 10000 Japanese on New Brit
ain and Kavieng twiddling their
| thumbs.
| Macarthur, in complimenting the
South Pacific forces, has been quo
ted in this theatre as saying:
1.-THE Bougainville campaign will
be studied in war colleges long
after this war is over"
II -V-