| The area on Empress Augusta Bay is a large, low-lying, marshy alluvial plain covered with a tangled mass of jungle growth. The plain slopes gradually from the beach to the foothills of the backbone ranges. At Torokina, the maximum elevation was 10 feet (3 meters), and the average elevation was about 5 feet (1.5 meters). There were no roads, but a few jungle trails. Such was the area in which the 71st Seabees made their 1st major debut into the war effort. The initial landing was effected in Empress Augusta Bay, around Cape Torokina, at about 0700 Hours on D-Day, November 1, 1943, at which time the 1st echelon of the 71st Naval Construction Battalion (CB) landed with elements of the 3rd Marine Division, Reinforced. There were also small detachments from the 25th, 53rd, and 73rd CBs.) 14 men of the 71st landed with the initial Marine wave to establish dispersal areas and erect beach markers. Landings were effected under constant enemy gun and mortar fire, sniping from the beach, and bombing and strafing from the air. Commander Brockenbrough of the 71st was designated Commander of the Shore Party, which consisted of the 71st detachment supplemented by contingents from the 53rd Battalion and the Marine Corps. Immediately after the initial landing, the 71st began unloading 2 transports. 2 International Harvester TD-9 bulldozers were 1st ashore to create roads, clear dump areas, and transport supplies. There were enemy shore installations, including pillboxes, Type 90 75 millimeter field artillery, anti-aircraft, and machine gun emplacements in the beachhead area. The enemy had 2 airstrips on Bougainville. Kahili, at Buin on the southeast extremity; and Kieta, on the northeast coast about 40 miles northeast of the beachhead. There were other fields on Buka Island, and at Ballale in the Shortland Islands southwest of Bougainville. All enemy fields were rendered inoperative prior to the initial landings, but were later partially repaired and used by the enemy for furtive night raids during the 1st 3 and 1/2 months of occupation. The Buretoni Catholic Mission was located near the beach, approximately in the center of the occupied area, but was completely destroyed during the action. There was no white or native population in the area where landings were made; however, when the beachhead was well established, and they were convinced of the friendliness of the American troops, the natives gradually left the hills and filtered into the occupied zone. Bougainville was originally planned as an advanced base from which aerial attacks against New Britain and New Ireland could be easily prosecuted. The plan called for the initial installation of a small fighter strip to provide air cover while the larger bomber field was being built. Construction of this fighter strip was assigned to the 71st Battalion. As the beachhead area was low and marshy, there was little choice but to locate the strip in this area. The area chosen, from Torokina Point eastward, was the most suitable, but beyond the low ridge paralleling the beach, which here ran due East-West, the area was swampy. Surveys for the strip were started D plus 2 under continued enemy action. Survey parties often found themselves ahead of the established front lines. and were subjected to sniping. Work on the strip was prosecuted as diligently as conditions permitted, and the tempo increased with the arrival of each echelon, the 2nd arriving D plus 5, and the 3rd D plus 10. On D plus 16, the 4th echelon to land received a torrid welcome. At 0300 Hours, the convoy of 8 Tank Landing Ships (LSTs) and their escorts was attacked as they approached Empress Augusta Bay. 3 of the attackers were shot down, but at the cost of 1 fast transport, USS McKean (APD-5). At 0900 Hours, shortly after beaching, the new arrivals were subjected to another bombing attack, but near misses on the beach and in the water were the extent of the results. During this attack, 1 of our men, a previous arrival, was blown from his beachside foxhole by a close 1, but escaped with a few powder burns, abrasions, and a moderate case of shock, returning to duty in a few days. On D plus 27, echelon “F”, the Battalion’s sawmill crew arrived, and shortly were producing an abundance of native lumber for the numerous construction units on the island. Due to the swampy condition, considerable difficulty was experienced in clearing the heavy jungle growth and stripping the slimy jungle muck to a suitable sub-grade. The sizeable ditches required for adequate drainage made a veritable island of the entire point area. Trees could not be pushed over with dozers, so each tree had to be cut down by hand, and the stump blasted at least once. (This was the Battalion’s 1st experience in clearing jungle swamps.) In some areas, it was necessary to remove the cut trees and underbrush, allowing the sun and air to dry out the ground before stripping and removing the stumps was feasible. However, by D plus 20, 50 percent of the area had been cleared and stripped, and grading advanced sufficiently to start laying Marston pierced plank mat. During this period, the occupied area was limited; consequently, there was but little choice in the matter of camp sites. The 1st camp was, of course, on the beach, and the men bedded down wherever they could find space, echelons subsequent to the assault spreading into and around the strip area. This proved to be a really hot spot for a camp, as the strip was 2nd only to the Purata Island supply dumps on the Japanese bombing priority list. On several occasions, poorly aimed bombloads, as were most of them, landed in and around the bivouac area. On D plus 19, numerous bombs landed in the camp area, causing 2 fatalities, minor injuries, demolishing the tent and some of the gear of our executive officer and officers bunking with him, and riddling a jeep, our most unlucky vehicle, which was destined to house more shrapnel ere the campaign was over. During the hours of darkness, the Japanese who managed to get through the night-fighter ring had more or less of a heyday over the beachhead area; but with the dawn came fighter protection from the rear area, and a Japanese aircraft was not to be seen in the skies after the early days of the campaign. They didn’t always miss, though. On 1 occasion, a direct hit was scored on the fuel dump on Purata Island, destroying much valuable fuel and igniting the surrounding areas dangerously. An ammo dump on Purata was blasted on another of the regular nocturnal visits. The morning of the fuel dump fire, the Japanese returned at dawn to observe results, but Lockheed P-38 Lightnings arrived simultaneously, and the Zeroes disappeared, as though by magic, hightailing for home. As construction progressed, it became necessary to move inland away from the construction area, and the only available ground was swampy, with a maximum elevation of 8 feet (2.4 meters) above sea level. Due to continued enemy bombing and shelling, it was absolutely necessary for us to sleep in foxholes, but because of the nature of the ground. and the fluctuation of the groundwater level, the foxholes, which were shallow at best, were flooded by the slightest rain, and rains were very frequent and heavy. Thus, we had the choice of sleeping in the water or sitting up all night during the rains. The effects of such conditions were readily apparent. With over 20 men in the sick bay at 1 time, as many as 250 sought treatment during sick call hours for ailments common to the jungle swamp—principally dysentery. which earned the camp the sobriquet of “Camp Dys-entary.” The jungle was particularly dense, and each man or group cleared their own spot to “dig in.” It was truly living in harmony with nature in that semi-cleared camp area. Giant 1-legged grasshoppers, spiders, scorpions, centipedes, and jungle insects of all species were in abundance, and concerned men more than the enemy did. A close inspection of the bunks and netting was a must before retiring. By D plus 23, November 23, sufficient mat had been laid on the 40-foot wide taxiway for Navy Douglas SBD Dauntless Bureau Number 165 to make a successful forced landing because of a broken oil line. From this time on, emergency landings were made intermittently. Incidentally, 1 of our 71st electricians assisted the pilot and ground crew in making the necessary repairs and adjustments before 165 could again take to the air. To meet the deadline, it was necessary to resort to night work during the latter part of the construction period, despite the added danger of night bombings, as there was no air protection after sundown until our strip was completed. On D plus 24, the entire Battalion was mustered into beach defense positions at Torokina as a precaution against threatened Japanese counter-attacks; however, enemy shelling of our positions forced a hasty but orderly withdrawal. The shelling continued until approximately 2100 Hours, resuming with greater accuracy at about 0300 Hours the following morning. Apparently, they were then concentrating on the howitzer units bordering the CB camp, but many landed within the camp area, causing 1 death, minor injuries, blowing the top off the Medical Department’s Operating Room, and damaging commissary supplies stored behind the galley, which was situated right in the center of the camp area. Whether we, or the howitzer units, were the actual target is uncertain, but we were the victims that night, for sure. Beach positions were again occupied on D plus 26, and at 0400 D plus 29, all hands were mustered under arms because of a condition black alert, but the all clear was given as we were preparing to leave the camp area. These defensive operations resulted in a loss of more than 10,000 man-hours during the most crucial construction period. On December 10, the field was operationally complete. The 1st group of Vought F4U Corsairs landed as scheduled. South Pacific Combat Air Transport (SCAT) Douglas C-47 Skytrains began their ferry service from and to the rear area. Other planes soon followed, and the final completion of the field was hazardously effected while it was in full operation, and, in fact, operating at a capacity far in excess of that originally planned. The field, planned to accommodate 35 fighter planes or light dive-bombers of the Douglas SBD Dauntless class. Torokina handled that number many times, overseeing more than a 100 planes in the air at once. Facilities called for by the I Marine Amphibious Corps general work order were: “Construct fighter strip including taxiway, parking area, perimeter road, aviation gas storage and drum emptying station, ammo storage facilities, facilities for camp and personnel, operations dugouts, operations tower, inner-connecting roadways, and in general, facilities as provided for fields of this type, all in accordance with plans approved by the Corps.” The order covered a “multitude of sins.” Before the field was completed, plans were expanded to include a 500-foot (150-meter) extension of the field, additional taxiways, parking areas, and administration and shop facilities. The finished airfield at Cape Torokina was 200 feet (60 meters) wide at 4,750 feet (1,450 meters) long, with a 100 feet of Marston Mat with 25 feet (7 1/2 meters) of ground coral along the shoulders. Coral was difficult to obtain; blasting underwater offshore was necessary to obtain enough. A 40-foot (12-meter) Marston Mat taxiway with a 25-foot shoulder allowed aircraft to maneuver for takeoff and landing. An 85-foot (26-meter) aircraft parking area, all coral shoulder, lined the entire runway. SCAT C-47s had a 350-foot (105-meter) by 700-foot (200-meter) coral-surfaced area to park and unload. The strip terminated in Marston Mat segments that were a 120 feet (36.5 meters) by 800 feet (240 meters). Drainage ditches lined the field. A control tower, prefabricated at Guadalcanal, rose 50 feet (15 meters) above the airfield. 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of perimeter roads ringed the field. The radio station, the power generator, operations, and field administration were in bombproof revetments. Aviation gasoline had a 1,000-barrel capacity. A parachute loft, machine shops, munitions storage, ready rooms, heads, showers, a telephone exchange, warehouses, and other facilities were also constructed. Native coconut logs were extensively used in rough structures such as dugouts, bridges, and water towers. Much of the building construction was done under artillery fire from the Japanese lines during the last month on the island. Simultaneously with the construction of the strip, camp facilities were constructed for aviation personnel. This included facilities for “Acorn” airfield construction personnel, pilots, and ground crews, and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) personnel. It required the clearing and drainage of 40 acres of campground: 5,000 feet of access roads; 2 galleys and mess halls with capacity for 1,500 each; 2 officers’ galleys and mess halls; a bakery; 4 garbage processing houses; 3 storage buildings; warehouses; a 3-ward hospital with 3 operating rooms, an emergency room, and a dietary kitchen. For the camp’s water supply, the CBs erected 7,000-gallon storage tanks on 12-foot (3.6 meters) towers, which were fed by purified wells. Approximately 6,000 feet of distributing line ran to the kitchens, hospitals, heads, and showers. A 75-kilowatt generator with 15-kilowatt auxiliaries fed electric power to the camp through a distribution system that also provided lighting. After completion of the Piva Field, Navy dive-bombers, Corsair fighters, and SCAT facilities were based there; and the Torokina field became a base for the United States Army Air Force 68th Fighter Group and the RNZAF Fighter Wing. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1553.jpg |
| Image Size | 208.90 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 1280 x 1005 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | December 1, 1943 |
| Location | Cape Torokina |
| City | Empress Augusta Bay |
| State or Province | Bougainville |
| Country | Solomons |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 1.49332E+12 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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