Battle of Bairoko
The Battle of Bairoko was fought between American and Imperial Japanese Army and Navy forces on 20 July 1943 on the northern coast of New Georgia Island. Taking place during World War II, it formed part of the New Georgia campaign of the Pacific War. In the battle, two battalions of the US Marine Raiders from the 1st Marine Raider Regiment, supported by two US Army infantry battalions, attacked a Japanese garrison guarding the port of Bairoko on the Dragons Peninsula, advancing from Enogai and Triri. After a day long engagement, the Japanese repulsed the American assault and forced the attacking troops to withdraw with their wounded to Enogai. US forces remained in the area carrying out patrolling and intelligence gathering operations until the end of the campaign. Bairoko was eventually captured at the end of August after the airfield at Munda had been captured, and further reinforcements were sent from there towards Bairoko to clear the area from the south. Background Strategic situation Following the completion of the Guadalcanal campaign in early 1943, the Allied high command began planning the next step in their effort to neutralize the main Japanese base at Rabaul as part of Operation Cartwheel. The advance north through the central Solomon Islands involved a series of operations to secure island bases for shipping and aircraft. Plans for 1943 conceived the capture of New Georgia and then later Bougainville by US troops. Elsewhere, in New Guinea, the Australians would capture Lae and Salamaua and secure Finschhafen. The campaign to secure New Georgia, designated Operation Toenails by US planners, was focused upon securing the airfield at Munda Point, on the western coast. As part of this effort, several initial landings were undertaken to capture staging areas at Wickham Anchorage and Viru Harbor and an airfield at Segi Point in the southern part of New Georgia, to support the movement of troops and supplies from Guadalcanal. These supplies would be staged through to Rendova, which would be built up as base for further operations in New Georgia focused on securing the airfield at Munda. These preliminary operations began at the end of June 1943. Opposing forces In the fighting around the port of Bairoko, a total of four American battalions were committed. The main attacking force consisted of two battalions of the US Marine Raiders from the 1st Marine Raider Regiment (the 1st and 4th Battalions). Both battalions had been depleted by previous actions; the 1st around Enogai and the 4th in southern New Georgia. The Marines were supported by two US Army infantry battalions (the 3rd Battalion, 145th Infantry Regiment and the 3rd Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment). Equipped for light maneuver, no artillery had been provided. The Marines lacked heavy weapons, although the two U.S. Army battalions possessed heavy mortars and machine guns. Air support was available but was unreliable. The US troops were commanded by Colonel Harry B. Liversedge. Japanese forces had arrived around Enogai and Bairoko on the Dragons Peninsula in March 1942 as part