 NEW BRITAIN, LAE, BOUGAINVILLE OPERATIONS |
The occupation of Rabaul, in New Britain, was initially planned to provide forward protection for the main Japanese naval base at Truk, in the Caroline Islands. It developed, however, into a major regional base of operations for Papua, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. The army’s South Seas Force occupied Rabaul, then, with assistance from naval landing troops, established bases and airfields on neighbouring islands.
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Campaign name | New Britain, Lae, Bougainville campaigns | ||||||||||||
Campaign dates | 23 January – 30 March 1942 | ||||||||||||
Campaign codename | Bismarck Archipelago: RA Operation Lae–Salamaua: SR Operation | ||||||||||||
Campaign overview |
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Notes | |||||||||||||
Campaign strength | New Britain Army South Seas Force Maj Gen Horii Tomitarō
144th Infantry Regiment 55th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Company (minus one platoon) 55th Cavalry Regiment Rapid-fire Gun Squad 55th Mountain Artillery Regiment, 1st Battalion 55th Engineer Regiment, 1st Company and Materials Platoon 55th Division Signals Unit (part strength) 55th Supply and Transport Regiment, 2nd Company 55th Division Medical Unit (part strength) 55th Division 1st Field Hospital 55th Division Veterinary Workshop (part strength) 55th Division Disease Prevention and Water Supply Unit (part strength) 47th Field Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion (one company) 10th Independent Engineer Regiment, 3rd Company (minus one platoon) Shipping Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment (part strength) 37th Anchorage Command (part strength) 105th Sea Duty Company (one platoon) 1st Shipping Signals Unit, 15th Platoon Navy South Seas Fleet (4th Fleet) Vice Adm Inoue Shigeyoshi Main Force (Rabaul invasion)
Tsugaru Ten’yō Maru Mogamikawa Maru
29th Destroyer Squadron (Oite, Asanagi, Yūnagi) 30th Destroyer Squadron (Muzuki, Yayoi, Mochizuki)
No. 8 Tama Maru No. 3 Toshi Maru
No. 2 Tama Maru Hagoromo Maru No. 2 Noshiro Maru 7th Establishment Squad 5th Special Base Force Anti-aircraft Unit Detachment (Kavieng invasion)
Tatsuta
Uzuki Yazuki
Maizuru 2nd Special Naval Landing Place (main strength) 5th Special Base Force Anti-aircraft Unit Kashima Special Naval Landing Party (one company) 6th Squadron Rear Adm Gotō Aritomo
Aoba Kako Furutaka 7th Submarine Squadron (part strength) 24th Air Flotilla
Chitose Air Corps (part strength) 4th Base Force 5th Base Force Support Fleet
8th Squadron 1st Torpedo Squadron Surumi Army 8th Special Base Force Rear Adm Kanazawa Masao
Establishment unit Lae and Salamaua Army Horie Unit Maj Horie Tadashi
2nd Mountain Artillery Company 1st Engineer Company (minus 2 platoons) 2nd Supply and Transport Company (one platoon) South Seas Force Signals Squad (part strength) Regiment Signals Unit (part strength) South Seas Force Munitions and Maintenance Squad (main strength) Medical Unit (part strength) Anchorage Command (part strength) Independent Engineer Company (one platoon) Field Anti-aircraft Artillery Company (main strength) Shipping Signals Platoon (part strength) Disease Prevention and Water Supply Unit (part strength) Navy Invasion Force
Rear Adm Kajioka Sadamichi
Adm Gotō Aritomo Air Unit
Rear Adm Gotō Eiji 8th Special Base Force Rear Adm Kanazawa Masao
4th Establishment Squad 7th Establishment Squad Bougainville Navy Invasion Force Rear Adm Kanazawa Masao
8th Special Base Force Naval landing party (two platoons) Cover Group
18th Squadron | ||||||||||||
Campaign casualties | Rabaul: 16 killed, 40 wounded |
Campaigns
Malaya Philippines Hong Kong, Pacific Borneo Celebes, Ambon, Timor New Britain Sumatra, JavaReference links
 | Dispositions–Deaths | |
| Campaigns | |
| Sources |  | |
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