US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

528 Amphibians Came To Conquer
which was prior to the three Japanese air raids on Guadalcanal carried out
on 7, 12, and 16 June 1943, which led to heavy air losses for the Japanese.
As to Japanese troops, it was estimated that there were 3,OOOat Munda,
5,oOO to 7,000 at Kolombangara across Kula Gulf to the north from Munda,
200 to 300 at Wickham Anchorage, and 30 to 100 at Viru Harbor. This
was quite low for Munda, where there were probably 5,OOOtroops on 30
June.47
In February 1943, a small reconnaissance patrol of Marines visited the
Roviana Lagoon area of New Georgia, and after that date other reconnais-
sance patrols had visited Segi, Viru Harbor, Wickham Anchorage areas and
Rendova Island and brought back important intelligence and hydrographic
information, including sketched shore lines. Air photographs were extensively
taken and a major effort was made to improve the information
available from British charts of the period 1912-1937. In May 1943, the
Hydrographic Ofice in Washington ran off special reprints of charts of
the New Georgia Group and they were carried by special messenger to the
South Pacific. On 13 June, the last reconnaissance patrols were landed,
some of whose members remained to guide or greet elements of the Landing
Force.
LOGISTICS
The SOPAC’S Operation Plan 14-43 covering the TOENAILS Opera-
tion had no logistic annex, but his amphibious subordinate again picked up
some of the slack and at least issued a sparse logistic plan. Best of all, aided
and abetted by Captain Charles E. Olsen, an informative ‘