Operation Cartwheel
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Operation Cartwheel was a Allied operation in the Pacific theater of World War II. It was aimed at isolating the major Japanese base at Rabaul. The operation was directed by the Supreme Allied Commander in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA), General Douglas MacArthur. It mainly involved United States and Australian forces.
U.S. and New Zealand forces under the other Allied command in the Pacific, the Pacific Ocean Areas, were indirectly involved, in their ongoing thrust to the east, through the Solomon Islands, towards Bougainville.
Japanese forces had captured Rabaul, on New Britain, in the Territory of New Guinea, from Australian forces in February 1942 and turned it into their major forward base in the South Pacific, and the main obstacle in the two Allied theaters.
In early 1943, MacArthur requested an additional five U.S. Army divisions to launch a direct attack on Rabaul, although he could have used Australian Army forces already at his disposal. The Joint Chiefs of Staff on March 28, 1943 issued a directive for MacArthur to instead isolate Rabaul by means of three thrusts on mainland New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago, the islands to the north-east. For this he was to receive reinforcements in the shape of the newly-formed U.S. Sixth Army (known initially by its code name of Alamo Force).
- 1. The establishment of airfields on Kiriwina and Woodlark Islands, located between the mainland of New Guinea and New Britain.
- 2. The seizure of Lae, Salamaua, Finschhafen and Madang, on mainland New Guinea, and Cape Gloucester, in western New Britain
- 3. The seizure of the southern portion of Bougainville.[1] (http://ajrp.awm.gov.au/ajrp/remember.nsf/pages/NT0000231E)
On June 30, the Allies launched simultaneous attacks in New Guinea and on New Georgia in the Solomons.
The landing on New Georgia, under Admiral William Halsey, proved troublesome, because of a large Japanese garrison and the rugged landscape.
New Guinea Force, under General Thomas Blamey was assigned responsibility for the eastward thrusts on mainland New Guinea. The U.S. Sixth Army, under General Walter Krueger was to take Kiriwina, Woodlark and Cape Gloucester. The land forces would be supported by Allied air units under Lieutenant General George Kenney and naval units under Vice Admiral Arthur S. Carpender.
The campaign, which stretched into 1944, showed the effectiveness of a strategy which ignored major concentrations of enemy forces and instead aimed at cutting the Japanese lines of communication.
External links
The History Channel, June 30 — 1943 Operation Cartwheel is launched (2005) (http://www.thisdayinhistory.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=worldwarii&month=10272958&day=10272995)
David Horner, "Strategy and Command in Australia’s New Guinea Campaigns" (2004) (http://ajrp.awm.gov.au/ajrp/remember.nsf/pages/NT0000231E)