| Original Caption: “Dog Tired Devil Dogs. Tired and unshaven Marines, who hit the beach at Torokina Point, Bougainville, plod their weary way out of the Jungle from the front lines. The strongest opposition was met where these Devil Dogs landed.” C Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines emerge from the jungle after battle. These Marines were the 1st Americans ashore at Cape Torokina and fought determined Japanese resistance there. The 1st 2 Marines shoulder M1 Garand 30 caliber (7.62 millimeter) rifles; the Marine behind them carries a 30 caliber M1 Carbine and a tripod for an M1919 Browning 30 caliber machine gun. The Marine at left carries a 30 caliber Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). The men behind him have M1 Garands and M1 Carbines. Note the “frogskin” helmet covers and the full camouflage worn by the Marines on the extreme left. The preparation for landings at Cape Torokina became known as Operation Cherry Blossom. The actual landing by the 3rd Marine Division at Empress Augusta Bay on Bougainville took place at dawn on November 1, 1943. The bay, located at some distance from the heavily defended airfields at either end of the island, had what appeared to be the most suitable beaches for a landing. The plan was to establish a beachhead, then bring in supplies and equipment to build a landing strip for fighters. Invasion forces consisted of 14,321 troops (including the 1st Marine Dog Platoon with their 24 Dobermans and German Shepherds) in 12 transports, preceded by a minesweeper group. Destroyer Squadron 45, 4 minelayers and 2 salvage tugs provided further support. The landing met with several obstacles. The Japanese defenses of the beaches were stronger than anticipated. The 40,000 Japanese troops on the island had been reported to be stationed mainly around the airfields, and aerial reconnaissance photos did not reveal the extensive system of bunkers in the jungles above the beaches. The Marines who landed west of the mouth of the Koromokina River encountered steep slopes and shoals on which more than 80 of their amphibious craft foundered. Those landing east of the Koromokina were caught in crossfire from machine guns on the offshore islet of Puruata and on Cape Torokina east of the beach. A small contingent of Marines knocked out the gun emplacement on the cape after it had destroyed or damaged 14 landing craft and the 3rd Marine Raiders captured Puruata. The landing force drove away the rest of the Japanese defenders, while the war dog platoon, moving ahead of the main body, sniffed out snipers along the trails of the bog-ridden jungle. In spite of the resistance, and 2 Japanese air assaults launched from Rabaul bases during the day (which were driven off by “Aircraft Solomons” fighters), the Marines succeeded. By nightfall, all 14,000 troops, together with 6,200 tons of fuel, rations, and ammunition, were landed along a 200 yard (180 meter) perimeter. The capture of Bougainville resulted in 423 Marines dead and 1,418 wounded. Photo by United States Marine Corporal Joseph Schwartz (1913 – March 13, 2013). | |
| Image Filename | wwii1728.jpg |
| Image Size | 192.29 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 1024 x 829 |
| Photographer | Joseph Schwartz |
| Photographer Title | United States Marine Corps |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | November 1, 1943 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | Bougainville |
| Country | Solomons |
| Archive | Marine Corps History Division |
| Record Number | 65942 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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