Following the victory at Midway, General Douglas MacArthur, who had taken command of the South West Pacific Area, proposed a lightning offense to retake Rabaul, which the Japanese were fortifying and using as a base of operations.
Efter sejren ved Midway foreslog, general Douglas MacArthur, som havde taget kommandoen over det sydvestlige Stillehav, et lynangreb for at generobre Rabaul, hvor japanerne var ved at befæste og bruge som base for operationer.