Word: rabaul
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Pacific. Alarmed by U.S. Navy and Marine landings at Bougainville, the Japanese rushed reinforcements from Truk to Rabaul, the major South Pacific base which the Allies now threaten. Allied air planes found many warships in Rabaul, attacked and hit eight cruisers, two destroyers. Despite constant bombings, the Japs managed to keep air power pouring into the area...
...southernmost tip of Bougainville, and in the Shortland Islands, 30 miles south of Buin. In those positions there were estimated to be at least 20,000 Japanese. But the real importances of the Bougainville blow were two: 1) it was a necessary preliminary to a necessity-the taking of Rabaul; and 2) it goaded the Japanese into risking serious naval and aerial attrition...
...aviators occasionally leaves something to be desired; and last week's communiques on the reconnaissance reports may very well have duplicated each other. But it was clear that the commander of Japan's Combined Fleet, Mineichi Koga, had been stung into action. He sent forward to Rabaul substantial cruiser forces in support of troop and supply ships, still did not commit battleships or carriers so far as U.S. reconnaissance could determine...
When the Japanese ships reached Rabaul, a U.S. Navy carrier force of 100 planes hit them. Torpedo planes and dive-bombers reported hits on five heavy cruisers and a light cruiser. Torpedoes alone hit two destroyers and a sixth heavy cruiser. Dive-bombers hit a second light cruiser. Later, Army planes bombed port, installations at Rabaul, claimed hits on a merchant ship...
...importance of the actions. He knows that Bougainville is the last barrier to the southeast of Rabaul; and Rabaul is the main bulwark to the south of Japan's Pearl Harbor, the naval base of Truk...