BOUGAINVILLE PRIVATEERS: Solomons 1943

BOUGAINVILLE PRIVATEERS: Solomons 1943

As 1943 drew on Imperial Japan was forced to rethink its war strategy in view of the Allied successes in New Guinea and Guadalcanal, especially on the heels of her catastrophic defeat at Midway the previous year. Everywhere in the Pacific Japan's forces were stretched too thin. Contraction of the Empire's territories seemed the only answer while buying time for defensive preparations to thwart the renewed Allied strategic offensives Japan's GHQ knew would come. In the Pacific Area Nimitz was preparing to assault the Gilbert Islands. In the South West Pacific Area MacArthur was continuing the clearance of the New Guinea coast supported by Halsey's South Pacific Area which aimed to overrun the Bismarck Archipelago. In the Solomons Halsey was driving up the island chain to capture New Georgia and Bougainville and further isolate Japan's fortress base at Rabaul in New Britain.

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