US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

530 Amphibians Came To Conquer
all Services must consider themselves part and parcel of SOPAC forces and
that there be communal use of all supplies and facilities. Additionally, the
Army now placed in charge, and with time and more adequate personnel
on its side, brought order out of chaos in the port at Noumea. The port at
Espiritu Santo was also gradually beginning to function satisfactorily. On
23 June 1943, COMSOPAC advised the Vice Chief of Naval Operations
that abnormal delays of shipping there were no longer anticipated.”
Commander Eastern Force was given the logistic responsibility for “em-
barking troops and supplies from the Russells destined for the support of
TOENAILS” after the initial movement, and for all movements to Viru
Harbor, Segi Point, and Wickham Anchorage. Commander Western Force
controlled other logistic support movements into the objective area, and
was responsible overall for the movement of troops and supplies to New
Georgia Island. The Commanding General Guadalcanal was directed to
support the operation by making available supplies in the Guadalcanal-
Russell Islands area and furnishing the necessary labor details for loading
or transshipment. And finally, in contradistinction to WATCHTOWER,
there were 1st Echelon, 2nd Echelon, 3rd Echelon, and 4th Echelon logistic
support movements set up for the TOENAILS Operation, prior to Dog Day.
THE JAPANESE
During the pre-invasion period,
CHANGE OUR PLANS
on 20 June, Rear Admiral Turner learned
by radio from a coastwatcher that three barge loads of Japanese troops had
landed at Segi Point and that the coastwatcher needed help to stay out of
their clutches. In order to provide the help and ensure that the enemy would
not have an opportunity to dig in, Rear Admiral Turner made the immediate
decision to land Marines at Segi Point the next morning (21 June). This
was nine days before D-Day for the main landings at Rendova. The change
was considered necessary to ensure possession of this particularly desirable
fighter-airstrip real estate and to be able to proceed promptly to build the
ah-strip to provide for close fighter aircraft air support during the landing
operation against Munda or Vila.
The need for this close air support had to be balanced against the
disadvantage of possibly tipping off the Japanese on the nearness of the
impending Rendova attack. While the airstrips at the Russell Islands were
“ COMSOPAC to VCNO, 230006 June 19.i3.