US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

484 Amphibians Came To Conquer
Kolombangara across Kula Gulf to the northwest of New Georgia Island
reached an elevation of 5,45o feet, while New Georgia Island itself topped
out much lower at 2,690 feet, However, all the islands in the New Georgia
Group were rugged with numerous peaks. There were no roads and few trails
through the jungle growth. The islands were surrounded by an almost con-
tinuous outer circle of coral reefs and coral filled lagoons. The trees and
undergrowth came right down to the beaches over a large part of the islands
making it difficult to choose an area where it would be possible to move any
logistic support inland.
It is desirable to recall that while the Joint Chiefs had prescribed that
CINCPAC and COMSOPAC were to be the immediate commanders for
Phase One (PESTILENCE) of the initial offensive move into the Solomon
Islands, Phase Two which was the capture of the rest of Japanese-heId Solo-
mons and positions in New Guinea and Phase Three, the capture of Rabaul,
were to be accomplished under the command of CINCSWPA, General
Douglas MacArthur~
On 6 January 1943, Admiral King had made a very definite attempt to
have the naval tasks of these prospective Phase Two and Phase Three operations
continue under the command of CINCPAC and his area subordinate,
COMSOPAC, by limiting General MacArthur to the strategic direction of the
campaigns. This did not evoke a favorable response from his opposite num-
ber in the Army, but it did stir the Joint Chiefs, on the 8th of January 1943,
to ask General MacArthur how and when he was going to accomplish the
unfinished task of Phase Two of PESTILENCE.5
At the Casablanca Conference, held from 14-23 January 1943, the Task
Three decision in the 2 July 1942 Joint Chiefs PESTILENCE directive, which
ordered the seizure of Rabaul in New Britain Island at the head of the Solo-
mons, was reaffirmed. When this good news reached the South Pacific, where
the concern was that the area might draw a later and lower priority than the
Central Pacific, Vice Admiral Halsey on 11 February sent his Deputy Com-
mander, Rear Admiral Theodore S. Wilkinson, to consult and advise with
General MacArthur. Rear Admiral Wilkinson also carried COMSOPACS
comments on CINCSWPA’S plans for Phase Two which were contained in
CINCSWPA’S dispatches to the Joint Chiefs, information copies of which
had been sent to CINCPAC and COMSOPAC.
4COMINCH, 022100 Jul. 1942.
‘ (a) CINCPAC to COMINCH, letter, A16-3/Ser 0259 W of 8 Dec. 1942; (b) COMINCH
to C/S USA, memorandum, 6 Jan. 1943 and reply thereto; (c) JCS despatch 192 of 8 Jan. 1943.