US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Tough Toenails Paring 567
seen, Commander Viru Harbor Occupation Group was to start the troops
from the 103rd Infantry toward their landing beach.
The TF 31 reconnaissance patrols had reported, in early June, that there
were 30 to 100 Japanese soldiers at Viru. An even smaller estimate of only
25 to 30 Japanese defenders at Viru Harbor was distributed by the prospec-
tive Commander New Georgia Occupation Force, Major General Hester,
as late as 24 June.35 But, in fact, during the last week of June, the Japanese
were beefing up their troops in the southeastern end of New Georgia Island
trying to run down a pesky Australian coastwatcher, Mr. Donald G. Kennedy,
in the Segi Point Area. So perhaps the Japanese had as many as 300
defenders in this area on 30 June 1943. A reported 170 survived the Marine
attack to participate in the defense of Munda.3s
Information in detail about Viru Harbor was scarce, and available charts
of the area were a bit sketchy and inaccurate in some details. This inaccuracy
is illustrated by the difference between the upper and lower charts on the
next page, The top one is taken from pre-invasion charts and the lower one
from post-invasion maps.
However, there were some fine aerial photographs taken during the pre-
paratory periods. These indicated that the small pier in Viru Harbor near
which it was hoped to land the Army troops, could not be seen during a
seaward approach until ships were right at the harbor entrance, This was
true (1) because thousands of trees lined the high cliffs on either side of
the harbor entrance, and (2) the 30()-yard wide coral-studded channel
veered steadily to the right for the better part of a mile before opening into
the long narrow harbor.
On the western side of the harbor entrance, near Tetemara, the Japanese
had mounted a 3-inch naval gun to protect the harbor approaches, together
with four 80-millimeter anti-aircraft guns to protect the naval gun against
air attack.
A late change of orders from CTG 31.3 directed the Marine Advance
Unit to move from Segi westward during the night of 27 June, instead of
28 June, and to land at Regi, two miles nearer to Viru than Nono. This
not only provided 24 additional hours for the Marines to get into position
but shortened the overland march to less than seven miles by the map.
Commander Leith with the Hopkim, Crosby and Kilty arrived at a point
= COMGEN, New Georgia Occupation Force Field Order 3–43, 28 Jun. 1943, Annex 2.
m (a) Shaw and Douglas, I.rdztion of Rzb#ul (Marine), p. 72; (b) Miller, Red.zctiotr o~ Rubutil
(Army), note 9, p, 137.