Cartwheel in the Pacific 1943

Pacific Strategy 1942
from Newsweek, 1942/6/1
Vella Lavella, from Time 1943/08
"A Year's Work" - bg
from Time, 1943/12/20

March 12 - South Pacific strategy conference in Washington

Mar. 2-4 - Battle of Bismarck Sea

Apr. 18 - Yamamoto shot down

June 30 - Cartwheel began

Aug. - Halsey skipped Kolombangara for Vella Lavella on way to Bougainville but Japan evacuated 12,400

Sept.- MacArthur took Lae - but Japan evacuated many troops - pulled back perimeter to Bougainville and Madang

Sept. 21 - MacArthur took Finschhafen, 82 miles from Lae

Nov. 1 - start of Bougainville campaign

Dec. - MacArthur insisted on taking Cape Gloucester, but unnecessary


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