Although MacArthur had to approve all major moves, he gave planning and operational control to Admiral William F. Halsey, Commander U.S. Third Fleet, headquartered at Nouméa on New Caledonia.
Meskipun MacArthur harus menyetujui semua langkah besar, ia rela memberikan perencanaan dan pengendalian operasional kepada Laksamana William F. Halsey, Komandan US Armada Ketiga, yang berkantor pusat di Nouméa di Kaledonia Baru.