New Britain campaign

New Britain campaign, fought during the Pacific war on this island 500 km. (320 mi.) long in the Bismarck archipelago, which was part of the Australian mandate of New Guinea. The mandate's capital, Rabaul, at the island's eastern end, was captured by Maj-General Horii Tomitaro's South Seas Force on 23 January 1942 and it became a major air and naval base for the Japanese South-East Area.

MacArthur's offensive to capture Rabaul (CARTWHEEL) was launched in June 1943, but in August it was decided at the Quebec conference (see QUADRANT) to bypass it instead, and in December marine units of Alamo Force landed at the western end of New Britain to develop air and naval bases to help neutralize it. After initially putting up stiff resistance the Japanese withdrew towards Rabaul and in the following months native patrols led by members of Special Operations Australia waged a guerrilla war against their outposts. By November 1944, when 5th Australian Division relieved the American garrison, the Japanese were confined to the Gazelle peninsula at the eastern end of the island. Despite scanty air and sea support the Australians started a limited offensive which, when Japan surrendered in mid-August 1945, was found to have bottled up in Rabaul nearly 70,000 troops and 20,000 civilian workers.