Operation Cartwheel

After Munda

Plans

by James Miller, jr.

Once Colonel Beadle had made his recommendations the various South Pacific headquarters began laying their plans. This task was fairly simple, for Admiral Halsey and his subordinates were now old hands at planning invasions. Actual launching of the invasion would have to await the capture and development of Munda airfield.

It was on 11 August that Halsey issued his orders. He organized his forces much as he had for the invasion of New Georgia. (Chart 10) The Northern Force (Task Force 31) under Admiral Wilkinson was to capture Vella Lavella, build an airfield, and establish a small naval base. Griswold's New Georgia Occupation Force would meanwhile move into position on Arundel and shell Vila airfield on bypassed Kolombangara. New Georgia-based planes would cover and support the invasion. South Pacific Aircraft (Task Force 33) was to provide air support by striking at the Shortlands Bougainville fields. As strikes against these areas were being carried out regularly, the intensified air operations would not necessarily alert the enemy. Three naval task forces of aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers, and destroyers, and the submarines of Task Force 72, would be in position to protect and support Wilkinson. On Wilkinson's recommendation, Halsey set 15 August as D Day. (COMSOPAC Opn Plan 14A-43, 11 Aug 43, in Off of Naval Rcds and Library.)

Admiral Wilkinson also issued his orders on 11 August. The Northern Force was organized into three invasion echelons (the main body and the second and third echelons) and the motor torpedo boat flotillas.

Under Wilkinson's direct command, the main body consisted of three transport groups, the destroyer screen, and the northern landing force. Each transport group, screened by destroyers, was to move independently from Guadalcanal to Vella Lavella; departure from Guadalcanal would be so timed that each group would arrive off Barakoma just before it was scheduled to begin unloading. Three slow LST's, each towing an LCM, would leave at 0300, 14 August, six LCI's at 0800, and seven fast APD's at 1600. The motor torpedo boat flotilla would cover the movement of the main body on D minus i by patrolling the waters east and west of Rendova, but would retire to Rendova early on D Day to be out of the way. Preliminary naval bombardment would in all probability not be necessary, but Wilkinson told off two destroyers to be prepared to support the landing if need be. Two fighter-director groups were put aboard two destroyers.

Once unloaded, each transport group would steam for Guadalcanal. The second echelon, composed of three LST's and three of the destroyers that would escort the main body, was to arrive at Barakoma on D Plus 2, beach overnight, and return to Guadalcanal. The third echelon consisted of three destroyers and three LST's from the main body. Wilkinson ordered it to arrive on D Plus 5, beach throughout the night, and depart for Guadalcanal the next morning. (CTF 31 Opn Plan A 12-43, 11 Aug 43, in Off of Naval Rcds and Library.)

The northern landing force, 5,888 men in all, consisted of the 35th Regimental Combat Team of the 25th Division; the 4th Marine Defense Battalion; the 25th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop; the 58th Naval Construction Battalion; and a naval base group. (The 35th Regimental Combat Team consisted of the 35th Infantry; the 64th Field Artillery Bat- talion (105-mm. howitzer); C Company, 65th En- gineer Battalion; Collecting Company B, 25th Med- ical Battalion, and detachments from other di- visional services. Harmon, who had promised the 35th Infantry for New Georgia on 1 August "later considered using the 145th Infantry, but concluded that it could not be pulled out of New Georgia and brought back to Guadalcanal in time. Rads, Harmon to Griswold, 1 Aug and 6 Aug 43, in XIV Corps G-3 Jul.)

Command of the landing force was entrusted to Brig. Gen. Robert B. McClure, assistant commander of the 25th Division, who as a colonel had commanded the 35th Infantry during the Guadalcanal Campaign. General McClure would be under Wilkinson's control until he was well established ashore. He would then come under General Griswold.

The Japanese on Vella Lavella (no garrison at all but only a group of stragglers) were estimated to total about 250, with ioo more on nearby Ganongga and 25o at Gizo. Wilkinson warned that enemy air strength in southern Bougainville, less than a hundred miles away, and at Rabaul was considerable, and that naval surface forces were based at both places.

To carry off such a stroke almost literally under the enemy's aircraft would require, besides fighter cover, considerable speed in unloading. Wilkinson planned to unload the main body in twelve hours. Troops debarking from APD's were to go ashore in LCVP's, forty to a boat. At the beach ten of each forty would unload the boat while the thirty pushed inland.

Once emptied, LCVP's were to return to their mother ships for the rest of the men and supplies. Sixty minutes were allotted for unloading the APD's and clearing the beach. The LCI's would then come in to the beach and drop their ramps. Passenger troops would debark via both ramps, ground their equipment, then reboard by the starboard ramps, pick up gear, and go ashore down the port ramps. One hour was allotted for the LCI's. Then the LST's, bearing artillery, trucks, and bulldozers, would ground. Trucks were to be loaded in advance to help insure the prompt unloading of the LST's.

The 35th Infantry, commanded by Col. Everett E. Brown, had been making ready for several days. It had been alerted for movement to Munda on 1 August, and on 9 August had received orders from Harmon's headquarters to prepare for an invasion. The 1st and 2d Battalions on Guadalcanal and the 3d Battalion and the 64th Field Artillery Battalion in the Russells then began rehearsing landings. In the week preceding the invasion South Pacific Aircraft struck regularly at Kolombangara, Buin, Kahill, and Rekata Bay.

By 14 August the landing force and its supplies were stowed aboard ship, and all transport groups of the main body shoved off for Barakoma on schedule. Once on board, the men were informed of their destination. Japanese planes were reported over Guadalcanal, the Russells, and New Georgia, but Wilkinson's ships had an uneventful voyage up the Slot and through Blanche Channel and Gizo Strait. The sea was calm, and a bright moon shone in the clear night sky. Northwest of Rendova the LCI's overhauled the LST's while the APD's passed both slower groups.

More After Munda

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