Blood Is Thicker Than Water: Bougainville 2

Below is only part of an essay that is very interesting, but is too long to copy for this purpose. Click here for the site to read in full what a Marine Major had to share in 1997 concerning this battle.

Bougainville
The Amphibious Assault Enters Maturity
Major David C. Fuquea, U.S. Marine Corps
Naval War College Review, Winter 1997, Vol. L, No. 1

Individual Competence. With the war nearly two years old, Marines were entering battle with a much higher degree of skill and competence than at earlier phases. They recognized the importance of, and worked extremely hard at maintaining, individual camouflage. Because utilities with a camouflage pattern (which became familiar by the end of the war) were not yet available, before embarking on ships Marines dyed their issue white undershirts green.42 Marines also painted their single-color fatigues with patterns of light green and yellow, applying paint to such equipment as leggings, cartridge belts, packs, and helmet covers as well. The men also used vegetable powder, which stained the skin a light green when mixed with water and applied. After-action reports pointed to such effective camouflage and concealment, based on recognition of their importance by individual Marines, as an important factor in reducing casualties.43

At Bougainville, for the first time in Marine Corps history, aviators conducted strikes in direct support of ground troops while other supporting arms kept the enemy down. The results were spectacular. Ten separate missions dropped ordnance within five hundred yards of friendly lines, half of them within a hundred yards of Marines. In all cases, FACs maintained positive control over the aircraft to ensure safety, and the targets, in all cases but one, were destroyed.57 The era of close air support arrived for the Marine Corps at Bougainville.

Weapons. Bougainville was the debut for several weapons that would become mainstays of ground combat across the Pacific. Here Marines first employed in combat the (later well known) individual flamethrower and also the 2.36-inch bazooka. The latter proved extremely inaccurate, and the back-blast gave away Marine positions; in contrast, the Japanese quickly gained great respect for the flamethrower, though the sprayed fuel often had to be ignited with an incendiary grenade.45 Marines on Bougainville also used self-propelled artillery in jungle conditions for the first time, as well as a "buckshot" antipersonnel round fired from tanks, with deadly effect. In the latter case, medium tanks, closing on known Japanese positions, acted as bait; as the Japanese swarmed over the tank to emplace a charge in order to destroy it, a companion light tank would fire the "buckshot" round directly at the heavier one. The thumbnail-size projectiles would slaughter the attackers but could not penetrate the armor of the vehicle.46

At Bougainville, for the first time in Marine Corps history, aviators conducted strikes in direct support of ground troops while other supporting arms kept the enemy down. The results were spectacular. Ten separate missions dropped ordnance within five hundred yards of friendly lines, half of them within a hundred yards of Marines. In all cases, FACs maintained positive control over the aircraft to ensure safety, and the targets, in all cases but one, were destroyed.57 The era of close air support arrived for the Marine Corps at Bougainville.

Logistics. Some of the most important innovations in this area came in the form of improved offloading of the amphibious ships. The "shortloading" of the ships afforded space to stow much of the cargo in nets, which could be loaded "as is" directly into waiting boats. The nets contained ammunition and rations in balanced loads so that equal amounts would go ashore simultaneously. Sailors adapted hatches to allow them to be left open during the transit from Guadalcanal to Bougainville, which saved time upon arrival.58 All vehicles were hoisted on board already fully loaded with supplies. Bulldozers were staged so as to be landed immediately following the initial assault waves in order to accelerate airfield construction.59 These small steps gave the amphibious task force the ability to put over 90 percent of its cargo ashore by 6:00 P.M. on D-Day despite several hours lost to Japanese air raids.60

The amphibian tractor (AMTRAC) at Bougainville overcame every obstacle in the way of the job it had been originally designed for: logistical support. The AMTRAC would demonstrate prowess as an assault vehicle at Tarawa; but at Bougainville, had they not been used as logistical workhorses "it is certain that the maneuver could not have been successfully carried out."61 A broad swamp extended inland from the beaches at Cape Torokina. Only the AMTRACs were capable of following the Marines with essential supplies and ammunition as they moved in toward objectives.62 Large numbers of wounded owed their lives to a medical evacuation by AMTRAC when nothing else could accomplish the job. In the course of the campaign, the 124 vehicles committed by the 3rd Amphibian Tractor Battalion moved nearly twenty-three thousand tons of supplies and ammunition.63

Marines and sailors achieved other logistical milestones in the areas of engineering and subsistence support for assaults. Marine engineers and Navy Seabees within two months completed twenty-five miles of high-speed roads across the Cape Torokina area. The construction units also built numerous lesser roads as well as three airfields, the first of which opened only five weeks after the initial assault.64 Marines also benefited from modern bakery ovens, which regimental commanders brought right up to their forward headquarters. Marines close to the frontlines received hot bread and consumed it "voraciously," in preference to all other rations.65 The ovens and their products were so prized that when Army units began arriving on Bougainville to relieve the Marines, the one item their officers demanded be left behind were the bakery ovens. The Marines were willing to trade any other piece of equipment, whether jeeps, trucks, or weapons, but they took their ovens with them.66