bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Japan > South & SW Pacific > Naval War, New Georgia & Bougainville, © 2024 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 25 Mar 2024.

​In these numerous sea battles in the South Pacific in 1943, the United States Navy was supporting amphibious landings and subsequent land offensives in the New Georgia and Bougainville areas of the Solomon Islands chain.
Naval Battles Associated with the New Georgia Campaign, March - October 1943
(US amphibious landings in the New Georgia Campaign began on Rendova on 30 June 1943.)​
The naval battles in the New Georgia Campaign differed from those in the earlier Guadalcanal Campaign in several respects.
  • They were smaller, with battleships and aircraft carriers not being involved.
  • US forces performed better.
 The New Georgia Island GroupThe New Georgia Island Group in the Solomon Islands
Battle of Blackett Strait, 6 March 1943:
  • Off south end of Kula Gulf, between New Georgia & Kolombangara.
  • US force planning to shell Vila on Kolombangara encountered Japanese force bring supplies to Vila.
  • no US dead. 
  • two Japanese destroyers sunk.
†† Operation I-Go, 1-16 April 1943:
  • This was a Japanese land-based air counteroffensive, launched against Allied installations in New Guinea and the Guadalcanal area.
  • On 7 April, air attacks in the Guadalcanal area sank the destroyer USS Aaron Ward (DD-483) in Ironbound Sound and the oiler USS Kanawha (AO-1) in Tulagi anchorage.
  • On 18 April, while traveling to the I-Go awards ceremony, Admiral Yamamoto, the planner of the Pearl Harbor attack, died when his aircraft was shot down by US Army Air Force aircraft.
US Mine laying in Blackett Strait, 7 May 1943:
  • Three Japanese destroyers were damaged by mines on 8 May. One sank, the other two were finished off by US aircraft.
† Battle of Kula Gulf, 6 July 1943:
  • off east coast of Kolombangara.
  • USS Helena (CL-50) sunk; 168 US dead.
  • one Japanese cruiser sunk.
† Battle of Kolombangara, 12-13 July 1943:
  • off NE coast of Kolombangara.
  • USS Gwin (DD-433) scuttled, three light cruisers damaged; 89 US dead.
  • one Japanese cruiser sunk.
PT-Boat Action of 1-2 August 1943:
  • off west coast of Kolombangara.
  • 15 PT-Boats from Rendova fire 30 torpedoes at Japanese destroyers returning from supply mission to Vila.
  • John Kennedy's PT-109 cut in two by destroyer Amagiri; two dead.
  • no Japanese damage or casualties. 
Battle of Vella Gulf, 6-7 August 1943:
  • east of Vella Lavella.
  • no US dead.
  • three Japanese destroyers sunk.
†† Battle of Vella Lavella, 6-7 October 1943:
  • north of Vella Lavella.
  • USS Chevalier (DD-451) sunk, USS Selfridge (DD-357) & USS O'Bannon (DD-450) badly damaged; 103 US dead.
  • one Japanese destroyer sunk.
Naval Battles Associated with the Bougainville Campaign, November 1943
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
The Bougainville Area
† 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).
Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 2 November 1943:
  • 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.
Carrier air attack on Rabaul's Simpson Harbor, 5 November 1943:
  • 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 for a larger attack on US Bougainville forces.
  • Land-based US aircraft from New Guinea staged multiple attacks on Rabaul during this period.
Battle of Cape St. George, 25 November 1943:
  • 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 South & SW Pacific > Naval War, New Georgia & Bougainville webpage:
  • The webpage header photo, Imperial Japanese Navy Battleship Hiei, is courtesy of clickorlando.com. The Hiei was the first Japanese battleship sunk in WW II, on 14 Nov 1942 during the Naval Battle(s) of Guadalcanal.
  • 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 US Guadalcanal Landings, Sea Battle of Savo Island, and Battle of Cape Esperance maps - C/O The Map Archive.
  • The Solomons Carrier Battles map - C/O http://ahoy.tk-jk.net/macslog/NavalBattlesintheSolomon.html.
  • The Battle of Santa Cruz Islands map
  • The Guadalcanal Area Physical Map is courtesy of the Warfare History Network. 
  • The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal -13 Nov map is courtesy of The Map Archive.
  • The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal - 14-15 Nov map is courtesy of usswashington.com.
  • The Battle of Tassafaronga map is courtesy of wikipedia.org.
  • The New Georgia Island Group map was found at https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/II/maps/USMC-II-II.jpg.
  • The Bougainville Area map is courtesy of geology.com.
​
​Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - South & SW Pacific > Naval War, New Georgia & Bougainville:
  • Taken from the bigpigeon.us WWII Dead module.
​05-01 - South & SW Pacific > Solomons Naval War:  (8 dead, updated 25 Mar 2024)
† Bradley, Donald James, SN 648-39-86, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • Attack Transport USS McCawley (APA-4); KIA 30 Jun 1943 off Rendova, Solomon Is.; McCawley disabled by Japanese aircraft torpedo and then abandoned, 15 dead; McCawley accidentally sunk that night by US PT boats; Rendova Landing - South & SW Pacific > Naval War, New Georgia & Bougainville; BNR.​
† Butts, Amos Albert, SN 816-85-59, US Navy, Fremont Co.
  • Destroyer USS Selfridge (DD-357); KIA 6 Oct 1943 off Vella Levella Is., Solomon Is.; Selfridge damaged by enemy torpedo; 49 dead; Battle of Vella Levella - South & SW Pacific > Naval War, New Georgia & Bougainville.
† Denton, Claude Ballentine, SN 648-65-29, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • Destroyer USS Cony (DD 508); KIA 27 Oct 1943, during US/New Zealand invasion of Treasury Is., S. of Bougainville, Solomon Is.; Cony damaged by Japanese air attack, eight dead; Treasury Is. Invasion - South & SW Pacific > Naval War, New Georgia & Bougainville.
† Miller, Max Miles, SN 321-51-16, US Navy, Shelby Co.
  • Destroyer USS Chevalier (DD-451); KIA 6 Oct 1943 off Vella Lavella Is., central Solomon Is.; Chevalier torpedoed & abandoned & scuttled early the following day, 54 dead; Sea Battle of Vella Lavella - South & SW Pacific > Naval War, New Georgia & Bougainville; BNR.
† Muller, Newton Bruce, SN 321-03-84, US Navy, Cass Co.
  • served on USS California (BB-44) during first enlistment & on USS Kanawha (AO-1) during second enlistment; KIA 7 Apr 1943 Tulagi anchorage, near Guadalcanal, Solomon Is.; Kanawha attacked by Japanese dive bombers and sank the following day; 19 dead; Operation I-Go - South & SW Pacific > Solomons Naval War; BNR.
† Sales, Orville W., SN 316-49-53, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • Destroyer USS Gwin (DD-433); KIA 13 Jul 1943 in Kula Gulf, N of New Georgia Is., Solomon Is.; Gwin hit by destroyer torpedo & scuttled, 61 dead, 214 survivors; Battle of Kolombangara - South & SW Pacific > Naval War, New Georgia & Bougainville; BNR.
† Turner, Floyd Vernon, SN 620-75-72, US Navy, Cass Co.​
  • Light cruiser USS Helena (CL-50); KIA 6 Jul 1943 Kula Gulf between New Georgia & Kolombangara Is., Solomon Is.; Helena sunk by Japanese destroyer torpedoes, 168 dead; Battle of Kula Gulf - South & SW Pacific > Naval War, New Georgia & Bougainville; BNR.
† Weihs, Alfred Peter, SN 620-39-83, US Navy, Shelby Co.
  • Destroyer USS Aaron Ward (DD 483); KIA 7 Apr 1943 in Ironbottom Sound near Tulagi, Solomon Is.; Aaron Ward sunk by Japanese bombs while escorting LST-449; 27 dead; Operation I-Go - South & SW Pacific > Solomons Naval War; BNR.