The Landings on Rendova were amphibious military assaults by
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
,
Marine Corps
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
and
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
forces on
Rendova
Rendova is an island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, east of Papua New Guinea.
Geography
Rendova Island is a roughly rectangularly-shaped island, located in the South Pacific in the New Georgia Islands. The ...
Island in the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
on 30 June 1943. The small Japanese garrison was quickly overwhelmed by US troops, but the island was subjected to heavy attack by Japanese aircraft over several days. The landings were some of the first Allied landings during the
New Georgia Campaign
The New Georgia campaign was a series of land and naval battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allied strategy in the South Pacific to isolate the ...
of the
Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
and were successful in securing the island and providing a base from which the Allies could support the subsequent invasion of
New Georgia
New Georgia, with an area of , is the largest of the islands in Western Province, Solomon Islands, and the 200th-largest island in the world.
Geography
New Georgia island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of ...
island and the eventual capture of
Munda airfield
Munda Airport is an international airport adjacent to the town of Munda, Western Province in Solomon Islands.
Originally built by Japanese forces during World War II and further developed by the U. S. Naval Construction Battalions 24 and 73 f ...
in early August 1943.
Background
Rendova Island
Rendova is an island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, east of Papua New Guinea.
Geography
Rendova Island is a roughly rectangularly-shaped island, located in the South Pacific in the New Georgia Islands. The ...
forms part of the
New Georgia group
The New Georgia Islands are part of the Western Province of Solomon Islands. They are located to the northwest of Guadalcanal. The larger islands are mountainous and covered in rain forest. The main islands are New Georgia, Vella Lavella, Kolom ...
and is situated off the western coast of mainland
New Georgia
New Georgia, with an area of , is the largest of the islands in Western Province, Solomon Islands, and the 200th-largest island in the world.
Geography
New Georgia island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of ...
, separated from it by the
Blanche Channel
Blanche Channel is a strait and waterway in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.
It lies between New Georgia Island and Vangunu island on the northeast, and Rendova Island and Tetepare Island on the southwest.
The channel opens to the ...
. It is roughly rectangular in shape, oriented northeast, with a southwestern tip that extends like the toe of shoe towards
Tetepare Island
Tetepare Island is the largest uninhabited island in the South Pacific, located at . It is a part of Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It covers approximately . Tetepare supports pristine lowland rainforest and a rich inshore marine area. ...
. At the time of the battle, the island's significance lay in its proximity to
Munda Point on the western coast of New Georgia island, where the Japanese had established an airfield. In the wake of the
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by American forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in th ...
, concluded in early 1943, the Allies formulated plans to advance through the Central Solomons towards
Bougainville, in conjunction with further operations in New Guinea, as part of the effort to reduce the main Japanese base around
Rabaul
Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about 600 kilometres to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in ...
under the guise of
Operation Cartwheel
Operation Cartwheel (1943–1944) was a major military operation for the Allies in the Pacific theatre of World War II. Cartwheel was an operation aimed at neutralising the major Japanese base at Rabaul. The operation was directed by the ...
.
[Miller p. 73][Rentz p. 52]
![NewGeorgiaGroup5](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/NewGeorgiaGroup5.jpg)
The campaign plan for
securing New Georgia, designated Operation Toenails by US planners, involved initial landings to secure staging areas and an airfield in the southern part of New Georgia, to support the movement of troops and supplies from Guadalcanal to Rendova, which would be built up as base for further operations in New Georgia focused on securing the airfield at Munda.
[ Rendova's beaches were well suited to being used as assembly points for landing craft, and the high terrain in the center of the island offered good observation. The harbor would be used to support ]PT-boat
A PT boat (short for patrol torpedo boat) was a motor torpedo boat used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, valued for its maneuverability and speed but hampered at the beginning of the wa ...
operations against Japanese barges operating in the area and artillery emplaced on the island to support actions on the western coast of New Georgia.
The Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
garrison on Rendova was small and consisted of between 120 and 290 troops from two companies
A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...
of the Kure 6th Special Naval Landing Forces and the 229th Infantry Regiment. These two companies formed part of Major General Minoru Sasaki
sometimes referred to as Noburo Sasaki, was a Lieutenant General in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
Biography
Sasaki was born in Hiroshima Prefecture and studied at Shudo Junior and Senior High School. He graduated from the 26th ...
's Southeast Detachment, which was headquartered at Munda; Colonel Genjiro Hirata was in command of the 229th, based on New Georgia.[ These troops had arrived on New Georgia between February and May 1943 as part of Japanese efforts to reinforce the sector following the Guadalcanal campaign.
]
June 30 landings
The landings were timed to take place in conjunction with similar operations at Nassau Bay, in New Guinea, and on Woodlark and Kiriwina. After sailing from Guadalcanal on June 29, the Allied landing force, Task Force 31, was hampered by rain and fog. The main ground combat element assigned to this force was Major General John H. Hester
John Hutchison Hester (11 September 1886 – 11 February 1976) was a major general in the United States Army who commanded the 43rd Infantry Division during World War II.
Early career
Hester was born on 11 September 1886 in Albany, Georgia. He ...
's 43rd Infantry Division. The task force's approach was covered by Catalina
Catalina may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''The Catalina'', a 2012 American reality television show
* ''Catalina'' (novel), a 1948 novel by W. Somerset Maugham
* Catalina (''My Name Is Earl''), character from the NBC sitcom ''My Name Is Earl''
...
s flying night patrols through the Blanche Channel. In the pre-dawn hours (approximately 02:25 hours) the American destroyers
In navy, naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a Naval fleet, fleet, convoy or Carrier battle group, battle group and defend them against powerful short range attack ...
USS ''Talbot'' and USS ''Zane'' detached from the main force to land New Zealand-trained and led Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
an and Tongan commandos and Companies A and B of the American 169th Infantry Regiment on Sasavele Island and Baraulu Island. The islands were quickly secured, although ''Zane'', due to poor visibility, became grounded on a reef, remaining so until the afternoon. These islands were strategically important because they are located just off the coast of New Georgia and control the entrance to Roviana Lagoon from the Blanche Channel.[Rentz, p. 54]
Admiral Richmond K. Turner
Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner (May 27, 1885 – February 12, 1961), commonly known as Admiral Kelly Turner, served in the United States Navy during World War II, and is best known for commanding the Amphibious Force during the campaign across ...
commanded the invasion fleet—consisting of four transports and two supply ships, screened by eight destroyers—from his flagship, the attack transport '' McCawley''. A small advanced party of two companies from the 172nd Infantry Regiment was sent ashore around Rendova Harbor guided by a British officer, Major Martin Clemens and Lieutenant Frederick Rhoades, a Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
officer. Along with a small group of local police constables, they intended on linking up with an Australian coastwatcher
The Coastwatchers, also known as the Coast Watch Organisation, Combined Field Intelligence Service or Section C, Allied Intelligence Bureau, were Allied military intelligence operatives stationed on remote Pacific islands during World War II t ...
, Flight Lieutenant Dick Horton, who would assist them in establishing the beachhead prior to the main landing. Strong winds pushed the advanced party off course and ultimately they did not make contact with Horton until the first wave was making its run to the shore.[ After arriving at the correct beach, Clemens and Rhoades led their men in a quick attack on a house in Rendova Plantation, killing two Japanese behind the beach.
By 06:00 hours, the main Allied landings on Rendova, delivering troops from the 43rd Division, had begun, albeit chaotically. The U.S. Marine Corps' official history describes the initial landing as "hurried", " avingall the appearance of a ]regatta
Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wate ...
rather than a coordinated landing" and "chaotic in the extreme"; nevertheless, troops from the 103rd Field Artillery Battalion, along with Marines from the 9th Defense Battalion and Seebees from the 24th Naval Construction Battalion secured the beach although they were hampered by sporadic sniper
A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...
fire. The appearance of a Japanese "Betty" bomber which circled the landing zone but did not attack also slowed progress. The Japanese defenders reported back to their commanders that "due to the tenacious interference by enemy fighter planes, a decisive blow could not be stuck against the enemy landing convoy" and that the landings were an "absolutely miraculous" and "speedy disembarkation of the enemy."
Following the first echelon, the 43rd Division's assistant commander, Brigadier General Leonard Wing, and Vice Admiral William F. Halsey
William Frederick "Bull" Halsey Jr. (October 30, 1882 – August 16, 1959) was an American Navy admiral during World War II. He is one of four officers to have attained the rank of five-star fleet admiral of the United States Navy, the others ...
, in command of the operation to secure New Georgia, waded ashore under sniper fire after their boat became grounded about from the beach. The 2nd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment established a defensive perimeter around the beachhead, but experienced trouble digging-in due to the heavily waterlogged ground. Eventually, they were forced to move their defensive lines to higher ground. As the invasion progressed American supplies crowded the beaches as infantry pushed the Japanese defenders inland. The 9th Marine Defense Battalion, in addition to skirmishing with Japanese forces, began securing and clearing their predefined artillery position objectives and the Seabees from the 24th Naval Construction Battalion began clearing an encampment for a medical aid station. The Seabees' work was hampered by sniper fire, while the heavy rain quickly turned the ground to mud which disrupted the movement of vehicles and heavy tractors that were tasked with dragging the heavy artillery pieces into position.
In response to the landing, Japanese artillery batteries based on Bangaa Island and around Munda then began shelling four US destroyers that were sailing through the Blanche Channel offshore from the landing beach. This shelling damaged the destroyer '' Gwin'', killing three and wounding seven, before two other ships from the screen—'' Farenholt'' and '' Buchanan''—began engaging the shore batteries, while the damaged ''Gwin'' obscured the transports with smoke to prevent them from being engaged. A force of 27 Zero
0 (zero) is a number representing an empty quantity. In place-value notation
Positional notation (or place-value notation, or positional numeral system) usually denotes the extension to any base of the Hindu–Arabic numeral system (or ...
s from the 11th Air Fleet
The was a grouping of naval aviation and surface units.
Assignments and Components
Commanders
Chiefs of Staff
Notes
References
*
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
Fleets of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Units of the Imperial Japanese N ...
, undertook a fighter sweep over the beachhead just before noon, delaying the unloading of the US transports while Allied fighters engaged them, shooting down four.[Morison p. 150]
The assault, although initially chaotic, successfully landed six thousand American troops on Rendova.[ These forces came ashore largely unopposed as the island's small garrison was taken by surprise and were unable to man their defenses in time before the US troops arrived. The Japanese initially assembled in a coconut plantation behind the landing beach and sought to establish radio contact with Munda, while undertaking minor skirmishing and laying down harassing fire from machine guns in the nearby plantation. In the initial fighting, about 12 Japanese were killed. They then withdrew into the hinterland. Troops from the 172nd Infantry Regiment pursued the withdrawing Japanese, shooting down several snipers and destroying several machine gun positions as they advanced slowly towards the Pengui River. There, the Americans came under sustained fire, but after gaining fire superiority with mortar support, and establishing a firm base along the riverbank, the US troops attacked. By the end of the day between 50 and 65 Japanese had been killed, including the Japanese commander. Four US soldiers were killed, and another five wounded including the 172nd Infantry Regiment's commander, Colonel David Ross.][
In the afternoon of June 30, the transports weighed anchor and began to depart the area around 15:00 hours. Half an hour later, Japanese air attacks began in earnest when Admiral ]Jinichi Kusaka
, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Fellow Admiral Ryūnosuke Kusaka was his cousin.
Biography
A native of Ishikawa Prefecture, Kusaka graduated from the 37th class of the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy, ranked 21s ...
ordered a strike by 25 Betty torpedo bombers, escorted by 24 Zeros. Despite being intercepted by 16 Corsair
A corsair is a privateer or pirate, especially:
* Barbary corsair, Ottoman and Berber pirates and privateers operating from North Africa
* French corsairs, privateers operating on behalf of the French crown
Corsair may also refer to:
Arts and ...
s from Marine Fighter Squadron 221
Marine Fighting Squadron 221 (VMF-221) was a Marine Forces Reserve, reserve fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps. Originally commissioned during the World War II, it flew the Brewster F2A-3, and after reconstitution in 1943, the F4U ...
, and coming under heavy anti-aircraft fire, one of the Bettys was able to release a torpedo, which struck ''McCawley'', killing 15 sailors and wounding eight others. While under tow from ''Libra
Libra generally refers to:
* Libra (constellation), a constellation
* Libra (astrology), an astrological sign based on the star constellation
Libra may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Libra'' (novel), a 1988 novel by Don DeLillo
Musi ...
'', the ship again came under attack from Val dive bombers, which formed part of a larger air attack consisting of 21 Zeros, nine Vals and 13 F1M floatplanes. This attack was repulsed with no Allied losses, as the Japanese air attacks on the landing zone were successfully beaten off by American fighter planes as well as land and sea-based anti-aircraft defense guns. Allied aircraft began bombing Japanese positions around Villa and Munda, and by 17:00 hours, 105 mm artillery guns from the 103rd Field Artillery Battalion had been established in the harbor and began registering targets on the mainland.[Rentz, p. 57]
Air and naval losses on the first day are disputed. The Japanese claimed to have shot down 50 Allied aircraft, although the Allies reported only 21 planes lost. Additionally, the Japanese claimed to have sunk a cruiser and a destroyer, and damaging two more destroyers and eight transports; Allied reported shipping losses amounted to one destroyer damaged and one transport sunk. On the Allied side, they claimed to have shot down 106 Japanese planes, but Japanese figures support only 30 lost.[
]
Japanese naval and aerial counter-attacks
During the night, ''McCawley'', having rendezvoused with the tug ''Pawnee Pawnee initially refers to a Native American people and its language:
* Pawnee people
* Pawnee language
Pawnee is also the name of several places in the United States:
* Pawnee, Illinois
* Pawnee, Kansas
* Pawnee, Missouri
* Pawnee City, Nebraska
* ...
'', was mistakenly sunk by American PT boat
A PT boat (short for patrol torpedo boat) was a motor torpedo boat used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, valued for its maneuverability and speed but hampered at the beginning of the wa ...
s, being struck by two torpedoes at 20:23 hours. By this time, Turner had transferred his flag to the destroyer ''Farenholt''. Meanwhile, the same night, a Japanese naval attempt to attack the American beachheads failed when five Japanese destroyers appeared off the west coast of Rendova but could not attack due to a violent squall. After the lightly contested landings on June 30, the bulk of the surviving Japanese forces retreated to Munda Point on nearby New Georgia, moving back via canoe. Troops from the 172nd Infantry Regiment expanded the beachhead on 1 July, with patrols securing half the island, while the 3rd Battalion, 103rd Infantry Regiment landed around the Poco Plantation in Landing Craft Infantry
The Landing Craft Infantry (LCI) were several classes of landing craft used to land large numbers of infantry directly onto beaches during the Second World War. They were developed in response to a British request for seagoing amphibious assault s ...
vessels.
In the harbor, the unloading process had been hampered by poor planning and a failure to allocate adequate personnel for beach control and unloading duties. To clear the beachhead and distribute combat stores, infantrymen were detailed to carry out the work. When the second transport echelon arrived, many of the boats grounded offshore and had to be unloaded manually by troops wading ashore. Heavy rain continued to slow the distribution of stores and movement of heavy equipment. The second echelon also landed heavy artillery from the 192nd Field Artillery Battalion and a battery from the 9th Defense Battalion. With their arrival, the U.S. forces constructed artillery positions on Rendova and were able to bring 155 mm "Long Tom" guns into action, firing shells across the 15 km-wide Blanche Channel onto the Japanese positions at Lambeti plantation and Munda air field. The 192nd established their positions on Kokorana Island where strong coral substratum offered natural hard standing for their heavy guns. Six PT boats under the command of Lieutenant Commander Robert B. Kelly also arrived at Rendova early on 1 July; it was this force that accidentally sunk ''McCawley'' during their passage through the Blanche Channel.
On 2 July, the US infantrymen on Rendova commenced preparations to reembark for further operations on New Georgia island. That afternoon, a Japanese aerial counter-attack consisting of 24 Mitsubishi G4M Betty bombers and 44 fighters bombed the American beachhead from the south. American fighters planes had been withdrawn at the time of the attack due to poor weather conditions and the Japanese planes were unopposed. The bombing was accurate and the unsuspecting American troops had no time to react. As a result of the attack a gelignite dump exploded on a peninsula thereafter known as "Suicide Point," killing 64 soldiers and injuring at least 89 more. A few hours after this first raid a follow up raid was conducted by 25 Japanese fighter aircraft. These were intercepted by American fighter aircraft and in the ensuing air battle six Japanese planes and three American planes were shot down.[Rentz p. 64]
During the night of 2–3 July the Japanese cruiser ''Yūbari'' and nine destroyers attempted a bombardment of the Rendova beachhead but bad weather and the small size of the beachhead caused all their shells to fall harmlessly into the surrounding jungle. Meanwhile, that same night, small groups of US infantry were transported in LCMs across the Strait to New Georgia's offshore islands in the opening phase of the Drive on Munda Point
Drive or The Drive may refer to:
Motoring
* Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle
* Road trip, a journey on roads
Roadways
Roadways called "drives" may include:
* Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive"
* ...
operation.[ A Japanese sortie of 35 ]Mitsubishi Ki-21
The (Allied reporting name: "Sally" /"Gwen") was a Japanese heavy bomber during World War II. It began operations during the Second Sino-Japanese War participating in the Nomonhan Incident, and in the first stages of the Pacific War, including ...
bombers and fighter aircraft attempted to attack positions on Rendova on 3 July, but were intercepted by American fighter planes who reported downing 11 Japanese aircraft with a loss of 3 Allied aircraft. In the afternoon a large flight of American and New Zealand planes bombed Munda Point and reported causing large amounts of damage.[
On 4 July, ]American Independence Day
Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...
, Rendova was reported "secure" by American commanders. Shortly after this, the Japanese launched a heavy air attack on the island. The US garrison had been heavily reinforced with antiaircraft guns and radars, and a strong fighter screen had been established to protect unloading operations in Rendova Harbor. A force of over 80 Japanese aircraft, consisting of 17 bombers and 66 fighter escorts, subsequently attacked the island from the east. At least 11 Japanese aircraft were shot down, although US losses and claims remain uncertain, with the Japanese claiming to have shot down a large number defending fighters and having sunk several transport ships. Ultimately, according to U.S Marine Corps historian John Rentz, as a result of the heavy antiaircraft fire, the Japanese abandoned large scale air attacks on Rendova, although minor air raids on Rendova continued into August.
Aftermath
The Allied forces fought off continuous Japanese air-raids in the months following the landings. These raids caused human and material losses but never seriously threatened the American foothold and bases on the island. As a result, Rendova was successfully used as an artillery base during the subsequent stages of the New Georgia campaign, covering a crossing of the channel to the mainland on 2 July, as US troops from the 169th and 172nd Infantry Regiments landed around Zanana. This landing was then followed by a westward drive on Munda Point and the eventual capture of the airfield during the Battle of Munda Point
The Battle of Munda Point was a battle, from 22 July – 5 August 1943, between primarily United States Army and Imperial Japanese Army forces during the New Georgia Campaign in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific War. The battle took place follo ...
in early August.
Base development work around Rendova began shortly after the landings, with the 24th Naval Construction Battalion undertaking road construction work, including the creation of corduroy road
A corduroy road or log road is a type of road or timber trackway made by placing logs, perpendicular to the direction of the road over a low or swampy area. The result is an improvement over impassable mud or dirt roads, yet rough in the bes ...
s to facilitate movement of heavy vehicles and artillery in the muddy conditions. Under the threat of air attack, three bulldozers were destroyed in this effort, and 20 men were killed. The beach was extended using coral fill, while Marston Matting was also laid in an effort to combat the mud, but their weight, coupled with that of the heavy vehicles employed to move the 155 mm artillery pieces resulted in the roads sinking into the mud. The 118th Engineer Regiment attempted to drain the area around the eastern landing beach, but this proved fruitless and the area was ultimately abandoned in favor of some of the barrier islands, which were used as staging areas.
The Seabees were also employed in stevedore work, unloading stores and equipment from the transport ships. The movement of the entire 24th NCB to Rendova was not completed until 1 August, but in the middle of the month it was moved to Munda. After the recapture of Munda Point the artillery was redeployed to Munda and during October 1943, the U. S. Navy's 20th Naval Construction Battalion "Seabees" built a PT boat base, camp area and warehouses on Bau Island. During March 1944, the 73rd Battalion Seabees added an engine warehouse, additional roads and fuel lines to the facility.[Bureau of Yards and Docks, pp. 264–266]
Gallery
File:Lot 8754-8 (USMC 57835) (22051118426).jpg, The landing area crowded with supplies immediately following the invasion
File:MarineRendova155mmCrew.jpg, The US Marine crew of the 9th Defense Battalion's 155 mm "Long Tom" artillery fires from Rendova or a nearby island in support of the US Army's offensive on New Georgia, July 1943
File:90-mm-gun-rendova.jpg, 90 mm antiaircraft guns on Rendova
File:RendovaTowed155mm.jpg, 155 mm "Long Tom" artillery being towed on Rendova
File:Rendova July 4 1943.jpg, Marine AAA and "Long Tom" artillery positions on Northern Rendova, July 4, 1943
Notes
References
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Further reading
*
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*- Translation of the official record by the Japanese Demobilization Bureaux detailing the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy's participation in the Southwest Pacific area of the Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Landings On Rendova
Rendova
Rendova is an island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, east of Papua New Guinea.
Geography
Rendova Island is a roughly rectangularly-shaped island, located in the South Pacific in the New Georgia Islands. The ...
Viru Harbor
1943 in the Solomon Islands
Rendova
Rendova is an island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, east of Papua New Guinea.
Geography
Rendova Island is a roughly rectangularly-shaped island, located in the South Pacific in the New Georgia Islands. The ...
Rendova
Rendova is an island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, east of Papua New Guinea.
Geography
Rendova Island is a roughly rectangularly-shaped island, located in the South Pacific in the New Georgia Islands. The ...
Rendova
Rendova is an island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, east of Papua New Guinea.
Geography
Rendova Island is a roughly rectangularly-shaped island, located in the South Pacific in the New Georgia Islands. The ...
1943 in Japan
June 1943 events