US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

322 Amphibians Came To Conquer
C4PE
Guadaicana)-Trdagi.
on the 7,000–8,000 foot razorback mountain chain which ran from north-
west to southeast along the middle of Guadalcanal. The shorter route
through Indispensable Strait from the Fijis lying to the southeast could not
be used because of this requirement and because:
Two weeks observation of Japanese air scouting from Tulagi indicated that
one or two seaplanes daily came down the New Hebrides Chain to the
vicinity of Efate; and apparently on alternate days, at least, one seaplane
came about the same distance on a direct line toward the Fijis. . , . The
Task Force 62 approach route was laid out to pass to the south and west of
known or estimated plane searches.
So Rear Admiral Turner planned to make the approach from the Coral
Sea to Florida island and to Lungs Point around the western end of
Guadalcanal and through the 12-mile wide channel separating that island
and the Russell Islands.’
The amphibians and their escort had made the 1,000-mile westward
passage from Koro Island in the Fijis to a position ( 16°34’ S, 159°00’ E)
‘ (a) COMPHIBFORSOPAC Staff Interviews; (b) RKT to DCNO (Admin), letter, 27
Sep. 1950.