_LtCol William J. Scheyer, third from the left, was the 9th Defense
Battalion commander. He is shown at his New Georgia command post with
Col John W. Thomason, Jr., second from the left, from Admiral Nimitz’
CinCPac headquarters at Pearl Harbor, and Maj Zedford W. Burriss of the
10th Defense Battalion on the left._]
1st and 2d Marine Aircraft Wing squadrons based in the Russells and
Guadalcanal under the control of Brigadier General Francis P. Mulcahy’s
2d Marine Aircraft Wing forward echelon staff would provide air support
for the operation. The staging areas for the attack on New Georgia were
Guadalcanal and the Russell Islands, where the Marine 4th Base Depot,
commanded by Colonel George F. Stockes, established a supply dump for
XIV Corps.
In mid-Spring 1943, reconnaissance parties from the units slated to
take part in the New Georgia campaign began patrolling in the areas
designated for landings. Solomon Islanders acted as guides and scouts
led by British resident administrators and Australian navy intelligence
personnel, who, as Coastwatchers, hid in the hills in the enemy rear
areas. From here they radioed information about Japanese troop, air,
and naval sightings and movements to Allied listening stations. With
the exception of two or three members from each patrol party who
remained behind to arrange for guides and to give homing signals to
Allied vessels on their approach, all patrols returned to their parent
units by 25 June 1943. For these individuals, the campaign was already
underway.
[Illustration: _The Central Solomons campaign was launched by the
raiders at Viru Harbor before the landings at Rendova and the Dragons
Peninsula. A burial detail renders honors to those Marines who were
killed in action. The Marines here are clothed in both the familiar
sage-green herringbone twill and camouflage utility uniforms which were
worn during the campaign by the raiders. The firing squad is armed with
Garand M-1 rifles._
Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 57581
]
The Solomon Islands were some of the least known and underdeveloped
areas in the world. John Miller, Jr., himself a former Marine, veteran
of Guadalcanal, and after the war an Army historian, considered it “one
of the worst possible places” to fight a war. All the islands had much
in common, he went on, and “much that is common is unpleasant.” The
islands were mountainous, jungle covered, pest-ridden, and possessed
a hot-wet tropical climate. There were no roads, major ports, or
developed facilities. New Georgia was all of this, and more.
[Illustration: _Allied landings were met by ground and air defense, as
seen in this photograph taken from the USS_ Algorab _(AKA 8) on D-Day,
30 June 1943. Japanese were bombing Rendova Harbor in the background
while the transport group moves to sea under “Condition Red.” During
this raid the flagship USS_ McCawley _(AP 10) was hit, but Allied air
cover kept most of the enemy aircraft away._
Marine Corps Historical Collection
]
The New Georgia campaign began for the 1st Marine Raider Regiment when
Admiral Turner received a request for support and/or rescue from the
resident coastwatcher at Segi Point, Donald G. Kennedy. The Japanese
were moving into his base area where the Allies planned to build an
auxiliary fighter strip. Responding to the request for help, Turner
loaded Lieutenant Colonel Michael S. Currin’s 4th Raider Battalion on
high speed destroyer transports (APDs) and sent it north to Segi Point.
Captain Malcolm N. McCarthy met the raiders in a dugout canoe to guide
the ships in. McCarthy felt certain that Company P’s commander, Captain
Anthony Walker, would have his men’s weapons at the ready, and “I kept
hollering, ‘Hold Your Fire!’”
[Illustration: LANDINGS IN NEW GEORGIA