| Original caption: “These men have earned the bloody reputation of being skillful jungle fighters. They are United States Marine Raiders gathered in front of a Japanese dugout on Cape Torokina on Bougainville, Solomon Islands, which they helped to take.” Raiders pose during a lull in the battle next to 1 of the Japanese dugouts they cleared on Cape Torokina on D-Day, inland of Green Beach, on November 1, 1943. These raiders wear the P1942 reversible camouflage utility uniform, with the green “jungle” side out. Many wear M1941 suspenders to support cartridge belts or pistol holsters. The Marine Raider in front carries a M1903A1 Springfield 30 caliber (7.62 millimeter) rifle and rifle grenades strapped to his pack. In the January 19, 1944, Springfield Daily Republican, William S. Clark (December 6, 1899 – April 26, 1965) claimed this man was his son, United States Marine Corporal John Clark (November 20, 1923 – August 13, 2012). If it is John Clark, he is part of Headquarters Company, 2nd Raiders. The man next to him, on the right of the photo, wears rubber and fabric jungle boots and also carries an M1903 Springfield rifle. The jungle boots were introduced in an effort to provide footwear that reduced casualties from fungal infections and trench (immersion) foot. A similar jungle shoe had a lower top and less arch support. The man just behind him carries an M1 30 caliber Carbine. Others carry M1 Garand 30 caliber rifles. The final step in the capture of the northern Solomons was the Bougainville operation. On September 12, 1943, the 2nd Raider Regiment (Provisional), Lieutenant Colonel Alan Shapley (February 9, 1903 – May 13, 1973), Commanding Officer, was activated at Nouméa specifically to coordinate raider participation in the landings. The Regiment consisted of a Headquarters Company and the 2nd and 3rd Raider Battalions, and was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division on October 3. Headquarters Company, 2nd Raider Regiment, and the 2nd Raider Battalion were attached to the 3rd Marines, and the 3rd Raider Battalion was attached to the 9th Marines. Bougainville is the largest of the Solomon group, nearly 30 miles wide and a 125 miles long, and it sits astride the northern end of “the Slot,” which separates the 2 chains of the Solomons. The contiguous islands of Bougainville, Buka, and Shortland had 6 large Japanese airfields and numerous naval installations. The area was used as a primary staging and supply point for support of operations against the Allies in the southern Solomons. As the island-hopping front moved northward, Bougainville became an essential link in the defenses of Rabaul. The island is dominated by a series of mountain ranges that start at the northern end and gradually slope down into a broad plain in the southern extremity. The landing zones were around Cape Torokina at the extreme north of Empress Augusta Bay on Bougainville’s southwest coast. Rather than assault the Japanese base areas at either end of the huge island, the Marines landed at Empress Augusta Bay, forcing the Japanese into a long overland approach through the horrific jungle terrain. The 2nd Raider Regiment participated in landing exercises and rehearsals on Efate Island in the New Hebrides on October 16-18, then embarked on transports and proceeded via Guadalcanal to a rendezvous with the remainder of the assault force on October 31. D-Day was November 1, 1943. The 2nd Raider Battalion (Lieutenant Colonel Joseph P. McCaffery) was 1 of the 4 landing teams and went ashore on Green Beach, flanked by the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 3rd Marines. The 3rd Raider Battalion (Lieutenant Colonel Fred S. Beans), less Company M, landed on the offshore island of Puruata, where an estimated reinforced rifle platoon of Japanese was overcome, and the island secured by 1800 Hours on November 2. Company M landed with the main force over Green Beach 2 and moved inland on the trail leading to the Buretoni Mission, establishing a roadblock some 1,000 yards (900 meters) from the beach. The raiders reinforced the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, in overrunning enemy defenses on Cape Torokina. 16 of 18 Japanese pillboxes were destroyed during these operations, but infiltrators would reoccupy the positions during the night and force the Americans to retake them again in the coming days. The 2nd Raider Regiment was instrumental in rolling back a major Japanese counteroffensive directed along the Piva and Numa-Numa Trail complexes. These Raiders, clad in the later pattern of camouflage jungle utilities, were supported by light tanks of the 3rd Tank Battalion. The new American clothing and weapons proved far better adapted to the jungle than those of their enemy, and the campaign conclusively debunked the early-war myth of Japanese superiority in jungle fighting. Then the Raiders took up positions at trail blocks on the Piva Trail, 1 of several paths leading inland. Despite the Raiders’ performance, the concept of elite light striking forces was no longer welcome in the Marine Corps, as offensive amphibious operations expanded and the number of men and materiel increased. Bougainville was their last operation. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1548.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.23 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 2892 x 2312 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | November 1, 1943 |
| Location | Cape Torokina |
| City | Empress Augusta Bay |
| State or Province | Bougainville |
| Country | Solomons |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NWDNS-80-G-205686 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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