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bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Japan > Solomons > Bougainville Naval War, © 2026 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 29 Dec 2025.
In these sea battles in the South Pacific in 1943, the United States Navy was supporting an amphibious landing and subsequent land offensive in Bougainville in the northern Solomon Islands.
In these sea battles in the South Pacific in 1943, the United States Navy was supporting an amphibious landing and subsequent land offensive in Bougainville in the northern Solomon Islands.
Naval Battles Associated with the Bougainville Campaign, November 1943
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The Third Marine Division landed on the west coast of Bougainville on 1 November 1943, just north of Cape Torokina at the north end of Empress Augusta Bay.
Naval battles pursuant to the landing are noted below. All were Allied victories, incurred without major US losses. |
The Bougainville Area
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† Treasury Islands Invasion, 27 October 1943:
- the Treasury Islands, Mono and Stirling, appear on the bottom of the previous map.
- the Treasury Islands were seized by New Zealand and US forces for use during the pending Bougainville invasion.
- Japanese air attacks late on the 27th damaged the USS Cony (DD-508).
- fought before dawn west of Cape Torokina, Bougainville.
- Japanese forces from Rabaul attempted to attack the Bougainville landing.
- 19 US dead.
- one Japanese cruiser and one Japanese destroyer sunk.
- 97 aircraft from carriers Saratoga and Princeton.
- disabled four of the seven Japanese heavy cruisers from the rear Japanese base at Truk that were preparing to attack US Bougainville forces.
- land-based US aircraft from New Guinea staged multiple attacks on Rabaul during this period.
- USS McKean (DD-90) sunk.
- fought at night off Cape St, George on the southern tip of New Ireland Is.
- US destroyer force attacked Japanese destroyers transferring personnel between Rabaul and Buka Is. just north of Bougainville.
- no US losses.
- three Japanese destroyers sunk.
Sources for Big Pigeon's WWII Japan > Solomons > Bougainville Naval War webpage:
Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - WWII Japan > Solomons > Bougainville Naval War:
† Bales, Virgil Etherian, SN 321-69-72, US Navy, Monona Co.
- https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ie=UTF8&t=h&oe=UTF8&msa=0&mid=1O-ln4_TfaVp76jRzZxwDgcfgqXU&ll=25.103266747572718%2C143.31372999999996&z=2, an interactive map showing 131 Pacific area military operations.
- The Bougainville Area map is courtesy of geology.com.
Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - WWII Japan > Solomons > Bougainville Naval War:
- Taken from the bigpigeon.us WWII Dead module.
† Bales, Virgil Etherian, SN 321-69-72, US Navy, Monona Co.
- destroyer USS McKean (DD-90); KIA 17 Nov 1943 near Empress Augusta Bay, Solomon Is.; McKean hit by Japanese aerial torpedo while ferrying Marine Corps reinforcements up the Slot from Guadalcanal to Bougainville; 64 crew members and 52 embarked troops died.
- WWII Japan > Solomons > Bougainville Naval War
- destroyer USS Cony (DD 508); KIA 27 Oct 1943, during US/New Zealand invasion of Treasury Is., south of Bougainville, Solomon Is.; Cony damaged by Japanese air attack, eight dead.
- WWII Japan > Solomons > Bougainville Naval War @ Treasury Is. Invasion