| Original caption: “United States troops go over the side of a Coast Guard manned combat transport to enter the landing barges at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, as the invasion gets underway.” Original caption: “Over the Side — United States troops go over the side of a combat transport, manned by coast guardsmen, to enter landing barges at Empress Augusta Bay on Bougainville Island.” The 3rd Marine Regiment disembarks in Landing Craft, Vehicle and Personnel (LCVP) from USS President Adams (APA-19). LCVPs full of Marines circle while others climb down cargo nets into waiting landing craft. Designated Task Unit A-1, the reinforced 3rd Marine Regiment was assigned the 6 southern landing beaches in the vicinity of Cape Torokina, Empress Augusta Bay, for the Bougainville operation. In preparation for the landing, the troops boarded 4 transports on October 13, held rehearsals at Efate, New Hebrides, from October 16-20, 1943, and then stood off Espiritu Santo to await the assembly of the rest of the invasion group, which constituted the Northern Landing Force. By October 30, various elements of the group were steaming towards the rendezvous point off Guadalcanal for the final run towards Bougainville. H-Hour was set for 0730 Hours, November 1, 1943. Assault elements of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines were the 1st to hit the beaches, and at 0730 Hours, a signal went up to indicate a successful landing. The initial waves of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions reached the beaches with only light opposition from Japanese rifles and machine guns. Heavy fire, however, was received by 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines before its assigned beach was gained. As that battalion’s assault craft rounded the northernmost tip of Puruata Island, its troops were caught in a 3-way crossfire from Japanese emplacements on this island, Cape Torokina, and Torokina Island. When the Marines were about 500 yards (450 meters) from the beach, an enemy 75 millimeter (3-inch) mountain gun, previously silent, opened up from the northwest corner of the cape with telling effect. 1 of the 1st casualties was the 1st Battalion command boat, which was hit and sank, as did 4 other boats; 10 more were severely damaged. Considerable confusion resulted as the rest of the assault wave boats attempted evasive tactics to avoid the fire. In the end, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines landed in an order almost completely the opposite of the plans. Bunker after bunker fell on Cape Torokina, and control was quickly regained. By evening, the battalion had occupied its initial beachhead line. The position containing the mountain gun was eliminated by United States Marine Sergeant Robert A. Owens (September 13, 1920 – November 1, 1943), who, while directing the assault of his rifle team, crept up to the emplacement, killed some of the enemy occupants, and drove out the rest before falling dead of wounds. It was later discovered that he had sufficiently damaged the gun to prevent its further use, thereby undoubtedly saving additional Marine lives. For this act, Sergeant Owens was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. On its beach, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines encountered little opposition beyond that posed by the terrain. The beach in this sector was very steep, with jungle growing down to the water. Additionally, rough surf, combined with the inexperience of the coxswains, resulted in the broaching of many landing craft. As the 1st patrols fanned out, it became evident that, except for 2 avenues of approach to Cape Torokina, the division was hemmed in by swamp and dense, rugged jungle. Beyond a narrow strip of beach, varying from 10 to 40 feet (3 to 12 meters) in width, the jungle terrain became swampy. Footing was tricky, with little or no trafficability for any vehicle but amphibious tractors (LVTs), which soon became the division’s workhorses. Expansion of the beachhead began at daybreak on the 2nd day, when 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 3rd Marines, began moving through the swamps; 1st Battalion was assigned as the reserve for the 9th Marines on the division’s left flank. Additionally, as it advanced, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines was to locate a route for a supply road from the beach to the Numa Trail. Extension of the beachhead continued, so that by November 5, it had been pushed 5,000 yards (4,500 meters) inland and broadened to about 10,000 yards (9,100 meters) along the beach. The 1st significant reaction from the enemy came early on November 7, when Japanese troops landed from destroyers in the Laruma River area and attacked Marine positions deployed on the division’s left flank. At this time, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines was moving into its assigned reserve area, but it was quickly thrown into the fray instead. As the battalion passed through 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines’ lines and attacked, heavy close-in fighting ensued, during which a 2nd Medal of Honor was posthumously awarded to a Marine of the 3rd Regiment. Advancing through thick jungle undergrowth, Sergeant Herbert J. Thomas’ (February 8, 1918 – November 7, 1943) squad was hit by enemy machine gun fire. Thomas, intending to knock out the Japanese with a hand grenade, positioned his men to charge after the grenade had exploded. He hurled the grenade, but it caught in some vines and fell back amongst the Marines. Thomas threw himself upon it to smother the explosion with his body and died a few seconds later. By nightfall on November 7, the enemy attack had been blunted. A Marine assault on the following day advanced the left flank of the perimeter 1,500 yards. This was followed by an air attack on the 9th, after which all enemy activity to the west ceased. Control of the sector was passed to the 148th Infantry of the United States Army 37th Division, and the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, returned to a reserve role in its regiment’s sector. On November 16, the 3rd Battalion broke out of the jungle. It connected the road it had constructed to the Numa Trail, thereby ensuring continued supply support for the front lines from the beach. The Japanese aggressively opposed patrols on November 17-18. A sketch of positions found on the body of an enemy officer killed in ambush by a 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines patrol indicated that strong defenses were being prepared on the Numa and East-West Trails. The 3rd Battalion was ordered to attack these positions on the morning of November 19. Supported by light tanks, the battalion moved out and, bypassing the Numa Trail roadblock, hit the enemy on his flank. By November 21, 1st and 3rd Battalions, 3rd Marines occupied critical terrain in the Piva Forks area, thereby cutting Japanese supply and communications lines. Now released from the Army control it had been under since November 8, the 2nd Battalion advanced east under fire to attack the vigorously defended enemy outpost on the East-West Trail. After reducing the Japanese position, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines continued across the east branch of the Piva River to seize Cibik Ridge, named in honor of the platoon leader whose unit took the ground. This hill mass provided views of the entire Empress Augusta Bay and dominated both the East-West Trail and the Piva Forks region. While Cibik’s platoon on the ridge was being reinforced even as it resisted enemy attempts to regain the position, the rest of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines discovered the enemy east of the Piva River, organized in considerable strength. The battalion commander decided to disengage and pull back through the line built up by the lst Battalion. After a difficult withdrawal, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines moved to a reassembly area. The Japanese attempted a double envelopment of 1st Battalion lines, necessitating immediate recommitment of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines. Fortunately for the Marines, the Japanese followed obvious approach routes and were wiped out by well-emplaced machine guns sited for just such an eventuality. Artillery was the keystone of the attack on November 24, when 7 battalions, 4 from the 12th Marines and 3 from the 37th Infantry Division, fired some 5,600 rounds of 75 and 105 millimeter high explosive shells into an area 800 yards square (730 meters square) within 20 minutes. The Japanese retaliated with heavy artillery fire, which caused some of the heaviest casualties sustained by the 3rd Marines to that date. Except for limited Japanese patrol activity, most of the enemy were driven east of the Torokina River at the successful conclusion of this Marine attack. The action that raged in this area until November 25 was known as the Battle of Piva Forks. Some of the most vicious close combat yet experienced in the Pacific occurred here. This battle marked the temporary decline of serious Japanese opposition to the Marine occupation and development of the Empress Augusta Bay beachhead. In recognition of battle casualties, sickness, and utter exhaustion suffered by their men, the rifle battalions of the 3rd Marines were allowed to rest and reorganize. The regiment, whose troops had been committed for 27 consecutive days, exchanged sectors with the 9th Marines on November 26. A composite battalion from the 3rd Marines Weapons Company, Scout Company, several headquarters companies, and available service troops was organized and assigned a position in the lines, which it occupied from November 28 until December 3. Except for the Scout Company, which remained on line, the 3rd Marines’ units then returned to regular duties. From November 28 until December 28, the 3rd Marines occupied the extreme southern flank of the division line, where its patrols had several sharp skirmishes with the Japanese. The regiment was relieved on the line on December 21-22, reverting to I Marine Amphibious Corps reserve. On Christmas Day, the 3rd Marines returned to 3rd Marine Division control and embarked for Guadalcanal. Later estimates indicated that not less than 1,696 of the enemy had been killed by the 3rd Marines. At the same time, the regiment suffered 98 deaths in action, 17 missing and later presumed dead, and 383 wounded. In addition, 417 of the 1,331 non-battle casualties were caused by filariasis, a parasitic worm infection spread by mosquitoes. It was later discovered that some of the combat fatigue patients were actually debilitated by that disease. In a period of 52 days, the 3rd Marines faced and defeated 3 formidable obstacles: Japanese forces, deep swamp, and dense jungle. Back on Guadalcanal, they soon began preparations for their next combat action, the invasion of Guam, which they launched in July 1944. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1567.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.17 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 2497 x 2892 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Coast Guard |
| 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-26-G-3183 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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