10-059 Garand Picture of the Day Solomon Islands

[Mark in Rochester]

Marine in action during fight to take Bougainville in Solomon Islands during WWII.
Location: Solomon Islands
Date taken: 1943
Photographer: William C. Shrout




The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942. The Japanese occupied these locations and began the construction of several naval and air bases with the goals of protecting the flank of the Japanese offensive in New Guinea, establishing a security barrier for the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain, and providing bases for interdicting supply lines between the Allied powers of the United States and Australia and New Zealand.

The Allies, in order to defend their communication and supply lines in the South Pacific, supported a counteroffensive in New Guinea, and isolated the Japanese base at Rabaul, and counterattacked the Japanese in the Solomons with landings on Guadalcanal and small neighboring islands on 8 August 1942. These landings initiated a series of combined-arms battles between the two adversaries, beginning with the Guadalcanal landing and continuing with several battles in the central and northern Solomons, on and around New Georgia Island, and Bougainville Island.



Weary GIs resting, drinking from canteen, during Bougainville campaign to take Solomon Islands during WWII.
Location: Solomon Islands
Date taken: 1943
Photographer: William C. Shrout

Information

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[frankderrico]

It looks like he is drinking from a coconut.....Frank

[paul1440]

One thing I've noticed about these PTO pics is that the GIs have their bayonets on the M1 rifles often. Not sure if that is staged or real, but I've been reading "With the Old Breed" and I am beginning to think it is not staged due to the fact that the fighting was closer than the ETO and the Japanese were known for their banzai charges at this stage in the PTO. I guess they aren't worried about the accuracy change given how close the fighting was due to the thick vegetation.

[browningautorifle]

When I started out we still taught fixing bayonets during prepare for battle. The idea is you're heading for close quarters fighting.