Rabaul, Island of New Britain • January 4, 1942 The Battle of Rabaul was fought from January 23 to late February 1942 on the island of New Britain, part of Australia’s League of Nations-mandated Territory of New Guinea (1921 to 1941) lying roughly 660 miles/1,062 km northnorthwest of Australia. More forward observation post than anything else, the 1,400‑strong…
Cape Torokina, Bougainville, Northern Solomon Islands • November 1, 1943 Guadalcanal, the largest island in the southern Solomon Islands, was the site where the string of Japanese conquests, starting in Janunary 1942, finally ran its course. The bloody fight for Guadalcanal (August 7, 1942 to February 9, 1943) was a recognized turning point in the Pacific War. That…
Cape Torokina, Bougainville, Territory of New Guinea • November 1, 1943 Guadalcanal, the largest island in the southern Solomon Islands, was the site where the string of Japanese conquests, starting in Janunary 1942, finally ran its course. The bloody fight for Guadalcanal (August 7, 1942 to February 9, 1943) was a recognized turning point in…