Royal New Zealand Air Force
LANDING ON BOUGAINVILLE
LANDING ON BOUGAINVILLE
While the preliminary operations against Japanese positions were being carried out, preparations for the landing at Empress Augusta Bay proceeded. After a period of training and rehearsal at Guadalcanal and in the New Hebrides, the troops were embarked in three divisions of transports, which joined up and proceeded northwards towards Bougainville so as to arrive off Cape Torokina at daylight on 1 November. The initial landing was made by the 3rd Marine Division, supported by detachments of other units.
Before the landing craft left the transports with the first wave of the assault, the beaches were well covered with fire from the supporting naval forces. This fire provoked no response from the Japanese positions and it appeared that nothing could be left alive on the shore. The bombardment was lifted from the beaches at 7.21 a.m., and immediately afterwards thirty-one TBFs from Munda bombed and strafed the area for five minutes. A minute later the first wave of landing craft hit the beach, four minutes ahead of schedule. Not until the boats were 50 yards off shore did the Japanese open fire, and then their shore batteries on Torokina Point went into action with deadly accuracy.
page 207The area of the landings extended from the north side of Cape Torokina, along the beaches some 12 miles up the coast. The Japanese opposition was strongest at the south end, where they had batteries and pillboxes at Cape Torokina itself, and at the north end of Puruata Island, a mile or so off shore. On the more northern beaches there was little opposition, but the natural conditions made landing difficult. The surf was bad and the beaches themselves were so narrow and so steep that the boats had great difficulty in approaching them. On the four northern beaches eighty-six boats were turned side on in the surf and stranded during the landing operations, and subsequent waves of troops and equipment had to be landed on the more southerly beaches. At the same time it became obvious that the most southerly landing point of all, on Cape Torokina, could not be held in face of the Japanese opposition and operations on this beach were also suspended. The resulting confusion delayed the landing of a certain amount of equipment, and four of the transports were not completely unloaded during the day. They withdrew with the rest of the task force at four o'clock in the afternoon and returned next day to complete unloading.
It was estimated that there were only about 300 Japanese altogether opposing the landing, but their resistance was stubborn and determined. About half of them were killed, and when it was obvious that the American troops had established themselves on shore the remainder withdrew inland. American losses in the landing were 70 killed and missing and 124 wounded.
In spite of the heavy attacks on Japanese airfields in the Bougainville area over the last two weeks it was expected that the enemy air force would make some attempt to interfere with the landings, and a fighter patrol of thirty-two planes was stationed over Empress Augusta Bay throughout the day. Controlled by the Fighter Director Group in USS Conway, the patrol was responsible for driving off a number of enemy planes which attempted to enter the area. During the day only two attacks succeeded in breaking through.
1 Sqn Ldr R. H. Balfour, DFC, DFC (US); Cheviot; born Waimate, 15 Apr 1917; stock agent.
While the New Zealanders were fighting their own battle, another formation of Zekes was intercepted by a flight of American P38s, which shot down seven and probably destroyed three more with no loss to themselves. In the meantime all ships in the bay had got under way and were manoeuvring to avoid bombs. A dozen dive-bombers got through the fighter cover and attacked the ships, but one vessel only was slightly damaged by a near miss.
Another Japanese attack was made in the early afternoon, when bombs were dropped on the landing beach and near some of the ships without doing any damage. The Japanese were again engaged by American fighters, which shot down a number, but New Zealand patrols during the rest of the day did not make any further contacts.
On the night of 1–2 November the Japanese sent a force of cruisers and destroyers which they had gathered at Rabaul to attempt to destroy the American landing party at Torokina. Admiral Merrill's task force, which was the only cruiser force available in the area, was ordered to intercept the enemy and protect both the forces that had landed and the four transports which were returning to Empress Augusta Bay to complete their unloading in the morning. After a confused night battle lasting from just after midnight until shortly before daylight, the enemy force was defeated and withdrew in the direction of Rabaul. The American task force then returned south in an endeavour to reach the protection of friendly planes before aircraft from Rabaul could appear.
1 Flt Lt K. D. Lumsden; Nelson; born Waimate, 7 Sep 1921; draughtsman.