WWII E128 Storming Bougainville: Marines Hit the Beaches

This episode dives into the planning and execution of the amphibious assault at Cape Torokina. From complex logistical challenges to the intense combat on the beaches, we cover how Task Force 31 and IMAC coordinated this massive operation.

We also discuss the key engagements that followed the landing, including Sergeant Robert A. Owens’ heroic assault on a fortified 75mm gun position, the bloody close-quarters combat that unfolded, and the strategic countermeasures taken to repel Japanese counterattacks.

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  • References

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  • Fuquea, D. C. (1997). Bougainville: The amphibious assault enters maturity. Marine Corps Gazette.

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  • Miller, J. (1959). Cartwheel: The reduction of Rabaul. Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army.

  • Monks, J. (1945). A ribbon and a star: The Third Marines at Bougainville. H. Holt and Company.

  • Morison, S. E. (1958). Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier (Vol. 6). History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Little, Brown and Company.

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  • Shindo, H. (2016). Holding on to the finish: The Japanese Army in the South and Southwest Pacific, 194445. In P. Dean (Ed.), Australia 194445: Victory in the Pacific (pp. 163184). Cambridge University Press.