New Georgia

In 1942, the Solomon Islands formed the stepping stones toward Rabaul, the main base of Japanese operations in the South Pacific, and the Allies primary objective. The stunning defeat of Japanese forces at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November marked the turning point in the war against Japan and the start of an offensive in the Central Solomons aimed at New Georgia. New Georgia: The Second Battle for the Solomons tells the story of the land, sea, and air battles fought there from March through October 1943. Making careful and copious use of both Japanese and Allied sources, Ronnie Day masterfully weaves the intricate threads of these battles into a well-crafted narrative of this pivotal period in the war. As Day makes clear, combat in the Solomons exemplified the war in the Pacific, especially the importance of air power, something the Japanese failed to understand until it was too late, and the strategy of island hopping, bypassing Japanese strongholds (including Rabaul) in favor of weaker or more strategically advantageous targets. This multifaceted account gives the fighting for New Georgia its proper place in the history of the drive to break the Japanese defensive perimeter and bring the homeland within range of Allied bombers.

A Note from the Publisher
Preface
Acknowledgments
List of Maps
List of American and Japanese Aircraft
Japanese Air Force Organizations
Frequently Used Acronyms
Chapter 1. The Japanese Occupation
Chapter 2. SOPAC: Bases and Logistics
Chapter 3. SOPAC’s Air and Naval Offensive
Chapter 4. The Japanese Air Counter-Offensives
Chapter 5. Plans and Preparations
Chapter 6. The Landings
Chapter 7. The First Battle for Munda
Chapter 8. Battles in the Dragons Peninsula
Chapter 9. Battles with the Tokyo Express
Chapter 10. The Second Battle of Munda
Chapter 11. The Vella Lavella Occupation
Chapter 12. The "Clean Up" in New Georgia
Chapter 13. The Japanese Evacuation
Chapter 14. The Bomber Offensive against Buin
Epilogue. TOENAILS Concluded
Notes
Bibliography
Index