US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Polishing Skiils in the Rzssells 459
decision will be reached’ which really meant “go ahead with the planning
while my staff back in Pearl takes a hard look at the proposition.” 3
In this connection, the memory of the COMPHIBFORSOPAC’S Chief of
Staff at the time is that:
. . . Admiral Turner conceived the idea of taking over the Russell Islands,
some 60 or 70 miles N.W. of Henderson Field, and up towards “The Slot.’
Admiral Halsey was lukewarm on the idea—he wanted something on a
larger scale. However, he said ‘go ahead, as some kind of action is better
than none.’ 4
Shortly thereafter, on 28 January, COMSOPAC informed CINCPAC that
if the reconnaissance then underway indicated the Russell Islands were unde-
fended, he planned immediate occupation. After CINCPAC gave his formal
approval (29 January) and despite somewhat misleading information re-
ceived from the coastwatcher intelligence organization about