Bougainville Campaign: A Pictorial History of II Corps, 1944/45

The Bougainville Campaign is sometimes pushed aside for the glory of Kokoda or El Alamein. However we must remember that 65,000 Japanese soldiers perished there. That is twice the loss sustained by Australia in the entire war. Australians accounted for over 18,000 of those Jap losses.

Australian infantry heading towards forward positions in central Bougainville climb almost 3,000 metres over mountainous country similar to that experienced in the Owen Stanley Ranges in Papua, using steps hacked into the slopes of the hills, 15 February 1945. (AWM 018777)

PRELUDE

The people of this island are racially distinct from the people of New Guinea. They were made part of New Guinea by a quirk of colonialism. Germany occupied and claimed the island before the First World War. After the WW1 it was made an Australian protectorate by the League of Nations pending the restoration of independence to the people but Australia made its protectorate part of its neighbouring colony of New Guinea. When New Guinea was given its independence (1975), it was also given the land and people of Bougainville.

In 1942 the advancing Japanese army occupied Bougainville until it was partly recaptured by the United States USMC and US Army in 1943/44.

On 1 November 1943, the US 3rd Marine Division landed at Torokina on the northern side of Empress Augusta Bay and secured the beachhead. The Marines were relieved by the US XIV Corps on 15 November. In March 1944, a full scale Japanese offensive against the American positions was repulsed but the Americans did not extend their perimeter further and were in the same positions when the Australian II Corps under the command of Lieutenant General Stanley Savige took command in December 1944. In late 1944, the Americans estimated that 12,000 Japanese remained in the islands, the Australians estimated that 25,000 remained but in fact there were 40,000 of whom 8,000 were in the forward area.

This site is dedicated to the men, AIF and Chocco alike, who fought the Japs in a nasty dirty campaign on the island of Bougainville, 1944-1945. The Unit involved was II Corps comprised of the 3rd Division, made up of the 7th, 15th and 29th Brigades along with the 11th and 23rd Brigades, the last named brigade being disposed as garrison troops on the islands of Emirau, Green and Treasury and at Munda in New Georgia. The Division started life as a Militia unit but by 1944 most of the blokes had transferred to the AIF, most of the Battalions were (AIF) battalions and so the Division was effectively an (AIF) Division.

The blokes in the photo are part of the first contingent of the "Five Year Release Personnel" at Torokina in July 1946.

RAN units involved
HMAS Diamantina		HMAS Kiama		ML-816
HMAS Colac		HMAS Lithgow		ML-818
HMAS Dubbo		ML-808		ML-820
Army units involved.		II Australian Corps. (AIF & Militia) - 3rd Australian Division
7th Brigade comprised of		11th Brigade comprised of		15th Brigade comprised of
	9th, 25th, 61st Bns		26th, 31/51st, 55/53rd Bns		24th, 57/60th, 58/59th Bns
23rd Brigade comprised of		29th Brigade comprised of		8 of the 12 Battalions on Bougainville were from Q'land.
	7th, 8th, 27th Bns)		15th, 42nd, 47th Bns
2/1st Guard Regiment		2/8th Commando Squadron		'M' Special Unit
Papuan Infantry Battalion		New Guinea Infantry Battalion		2/4th Armoured Regiment
2/11th Field Regiment RAA		2nd Field Regiment RAA		4th Field Regiment RAA
7th Field Company RAE		15th Field Company		16th Field Company
23rd Field Company		42nd Landing Craft Company		42nd Watercraft Company
11th Field Ambulance		19th Field Ambulance
RAAF units involved
No. 84 (Army Co-operation) Wing, comprised of

	No.5 (Tactical Reconnaissance) Squadron (Boomerangs, Wirraways)
	No. 10 Local Air Supply Unit, equipped with Australian-made Beauforts, modified for dropping supplies and equipment to front-line troops. They were unofficially nicknamed 'Beaufreighters'. At first it was called Communication Flight and equipped with Ansons and Beauforts. Later, its name was changed and unit was re-equipped with Beaufighters.
	No. 17 Air Observers' post, equipped with Austers, used similarly to No. 5 Squadron; also for artillery spotting and evacuation of wounded from forward air stations.
	No. 39 Operational Base Unit.

The Enemy
Some details by Anthony Staunton
The Australians were opposed by the Japanese 17th Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Haruyoshi Hyakutake until February 1945 and then by Lieutenant General Masatane Kanda. In the north were 4,000 Japanese marines in the Buka area; on the north-east coast was the 18th Independent Mixed Brigade; on the east coast around Kieta was the 45th Regiment; in the south were the 13th and 23rd Regiments, as well as 3,500 naval troops. Japanese records showed that 18,300 of their troops died in the Bougainville campaign during the time the Australians were there (from Dec 44). The Australians lost 516 killed and 1,572 wounded. More than 23,000 Japanese surrendered on Bougainville and Buka Islands at war's end; a total of 40,000 had been killed or died of illnesses since late 1943.
	ORBAT of Japanese Forces South West Pacific Area (SWPA) April 1944 On paper, the triangular (three infantry regiment) Infantry Division had about 19,000 to 21,000 men. But the divisions were seldom as neat and tidy as that and varied considerably. On paper, the Independent Mixed Brigades had a strength of about 6,500 men. Typically they had 5 Battalions with supports, inc arty and armour.
Image donor Neville Gibbons