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Location
Island located at the north of the Solomon Islands, and to the east of New Guinea. Province of Papua New Guinea. Following the Bougainville crisis, this province is now known as the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (North Solomons).
Wartime History
Japanese
occupation began in mid 1942, when they defeated the Australians
and held the island for most of the war. Buka was an important air base, Shortland was a major Naval base and Buin on the Southern tip of Bougainville was a important troop base.
Long
term occupation plans included resettling Japanese civilians
to the island's, "Little Tokyo" settlement. Americans landed
in November of 1943 and captured western coast, with Australians
fighting southward towards Buin. Of the 80,000 Japanese troops,
only 23,000 survived to be taken prisoner. About 20,000 were
KIA and 37,000 died in the jungle from disease and starvation.
Offshore |
Islands |
Buka Island |
Island to the north of Bougainville |
Buka Passage |
Separates Buka and Bougainville |
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Island between Bougainville
and Buka |
Northern |
Bougainville |
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Japanese airfield on northern Bougainville |
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North-east corner of the island |
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North-west corner of the island |
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Partially developed Japanese airfield |
Southern |
Bougainville |
Kangu |
Beach, fortifications and Tonolai
Harbor |
Buin |
Airfiled
memorials and tanks |
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Japanese airfield known as Buin or Kahili |
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Harbor off Kahili |
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Japanese airfield near Buin, used until 1989 |
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Located on the southern side of the island |
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Located on SW Bogainville coast. |
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Nearest village to
Yamamoto's Betty |
Eastern |
Bougainville |
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Airfield on eastern Bougainville coast |
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Town on eastern Bougainville |
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Village at the center of the island |
Selan |
Japanese tank on the w side
of road |
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Initial Japanese landing
memorial |
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Harbor at Kieta |
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Eastern Bougainville town |
Western |
Bougainville |
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Site of American landing at Torokina |
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American landing and airfield construction |
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Small island in Empress Augusta Bay |
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Island in Empress Augusta Bay |
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Allied airfield complex |
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Australian staging point against Japanese |
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Active volcano at the center of Bougainville |
Siwai |
Four tanks in the bush in this location |
Green |
Island Group |
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Small atoll NW of Buka |
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Site of a large Allied
airfield complex |
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Second largest island in the group. |
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Atoll north of Bougainville |
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Last Updated
November 12, 2009
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