Fortress Rabaul and the Battle for the Southwest Pacific, January 1942-April 1943

Rabaul Trilogy

by Bruce Gamble

Fortress Rabaul was the headquarters of the Imperial Japanese forces in the Southwest Pacific during World War II. This book chronicles Rabaul’s crucial role in Japanese operations.

Genres: History, World War II, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Military History, American History, War

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

A native of central Pennsylvania, Bruce Gamble is an award-winning author and historian specializing in highly readable narratives about World War II in the Pacific.

During his career as a Naval Flight Officer in the closing years of the Cold War, Bruce logged nearly 1,000 hours as a navigator in EA-3B Skywarriors, including deployments aboard aircraft carriers in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Later, while serving as a flight instructor in Pensacola, Florida, he was diagnosed with a malignant spinal cord tumor. After undergoing a complicated surgery, Bruce was medically retired from the Navy in 1989.

Bruce soon began volunteering at the National Naval Aviation Museum and eventually worked part-time as the staff historian for the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. Over the next several years he collected oral history interviews and wrote numerous articles, then made the leap to book-length manuscripts and published his first nonfiction book, The Black Sheep, in 1998.

With a total of six titles now in print and a seventh due for publication in late 2018, Bruce is recognized as one of the top historians on the air war in the Pacific. He does a substantial amount of public speaking and is featured in documentaries produced by the History Channel, Fox News Channel, PBS, and the Pritzker Military Library.

Bruce's literary awards include the Admiral Arthur W. Radford award for excellence in naval aviation history and literature, presented in 2010, and a Florida Book Award in 2013.

Holding life memberships in the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and Paralyzed Veterans of America, Bruce has been cancer-free more almost 30 years. He lives near Madison, Georgia.

Reviews

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the early days of the war in the Pacific during World War II, pretty much all of the Allied focus and strategy revolved around the major Japanese air and naval base at Rabaul. Captured by the Japanese in early 1942, it became the focal point of all their efforts to provide reinforcements to their forces in the Solomons.

Starting with the tale of the ill-fated Lark Force, the Australian unit charged with defending Rabual, and ending with the death of Japanese Admiral Yamamoto, this book chronicles the early efforts by the Americans and Australians to neutralize the base. Using a variety of American, Australian and Japanese sources, Bruce Gamble has crafted a magnificent history of the opening stages of the campaign against Rabaul. Lots of personal recollections from both sides are interspersed throughout the book, which is well-written and researched. I'm sure the next book about the campaign will be just as good and I can't wait for it to be published!

[Jonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the first year or so of the war in the Pacific, it seems that the lynchpin was Rabaul. Taken at virtually no cost by Japanese forces (a tragic tale told in Invasion Rabaul), the base facilities were fortified and expanded. As such, Rabaul therefore became a prime target, and much of the book is taken up with the development of the Allied offensive. Rabaul's role in the development of the Pacific war, it's involvement in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the fighting on and around Guadalcanal, and combat over and on New Guinea are dealt with in depth.

This is a great book, full of anecdote and accessible enough for a virtual Pacific War newbie. Where there is overlap with the first book, it's complimentary rather than repetitive, with the focus on the (mainly) air effort over New Britain. Proof that it wasn't all Atolls and Marines, and a definite lead in for the final part of the trilogy. Highly recommended.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the previous book in the Trilogy- Darkest Hour, Bruce Gamble told the story of Australia's ill-fated attempt to defend Rabaul , the large anchorage on the South Pacific Island of New Britain, the early 1942 conquest by Japan that grew bloodier after they achieved their aims, and the danger this posed to the US/Australian/British Imperial Alliance. In Fortress Rabaul, the Allied Strike Back. But is is weakly at first as they recover from the initial blows and just begin to get the vital resources they need to contain or conquer an ever growing Japanese Main Base threatening their vital sea lane connection with the USA. It's also the book where you discover that the Coral Sea, Kokoda, Guadalcanal, and Port Moresby campaigns are also all really about Rabaul, as the Allies try to reckon with this dangerous dagger pointed at their arteries. The book starts with the varied, under supported, and poorly coordinated attempts to neutralize or destroy the base, gathers pace with the appointment of General Kenney and the creation of the Fifth Air Force of the USAAF, and then crescendos at the end with the death of the creative and dynamic Japanese Admiral and war leader Yamamoto in a hail of .50 Caliber bullets spewing from American P-38s. Gamble, the Military Veteran and respected Historian, tells the story as a tick-tock of modern air warfare- keeping the focus on the Aerial bombardment of Rabaul itself, even as the Navies , Marines and Soldiers fight the peripheral battles - each worthy of many books themselves. But having the focus on the center of the many battles- the US /RAAF trying first to harass- then destroy this one Japanese center of gravity keeps the book on track and the reader really engaged. I am eager to read the next book...

As with all the Pacific/CBI battles- this book is really about resources. The Japanese, with their weaker industrial base and interservice rivalries writ large do an amazing job of fortifying Rabaul and creating supply dumps- even if their failure to prioritize foodstuffs in the traffic bodes poorly for the future. The Allies- with so many other areas of need in late 1942-1943 just aren't sending enough combat gear, even if the prerequisite engineering supplies are making a difference. With the arrival of Gen Kenney, someone relatively immune to Macarthur's meddling, and the creation of the the Fifth Air Force, things begin to get better. The arrival of enough P-40s, the first Beaufighters for the RAAF, more P-39s, P-38s and the throw weight of a serious B-24 Bomber arm begins to move the dial. As far away as this was from the factories in Detroit, Southern California and Bristol where the aircraft originated, the effort was massive and unprecedented. I found it a fascinating subject, a story well told- but that may be because internally I know that my father will become a bit player in the next book-an Engineer making airbases and camps for MacArthur's command.

There are a few adult themes and some graphic stories of casualties and POW abuse, so this a book best read by Junior readers over about 13/14 years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast- this book is a torrent of useful information. The aerial, Naval , or land warfare gamer gets ideas for scenarios and campaigns and mini-campaigns. There's basic information for the Cruel Seas small boat gamer- this is the PT /Barge /Sloop theatre of the Pacific. The Victory at Sea/Fleet Wargame gamer gets Coral Sea/Santa Cruz- and a tonne of possible other fleet battles. Blood Red Skies/Aces High/WWII Aerial gamers get all the mission/scenario/campaign ideas they can handle. If you play FOW/Bolt Action/BattleGroup/WWII Miniature games, there are Marines on Guadalcanal, Aussies at Kokoda/Buna-Gona, and GIs in New Guinea too- lots of ideas for the gamer- refighting what happened- or trying other ideas to take on Fortress Rabaul. The Military Enthusiast get one of the best explanations of the Theatre -at both Macro and Micro levels- along with a great narrative timeline that show how and why things happened as they did. I think this is a fine addition the the South Pacific, Pacific Air War, Rabaul, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Coral Sea, Naval Warfare, Macarthur, Yamamoto or IJN shelves in any WWII Library.

[Jimmie Kepler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce Gamble's "Fortress Rabaul: The Battle for the Southwest Pacific, January 1942 - April 1943" is a magnificent and important work on this often neglected part of World War II. Mr. Gamble has paid the price in research. The accounts he collected from participants in the campaign, the US and Australian archives, and the official records of the US, Australian, and Japanese clarify and punctuate the events.

You experience Rabaul and New Britain through his graphic description of the topography and weather. You get a clear understand of the volcanic origins of the Rabaul and the impact the volcanoes and volcanic activity to include earthquakes have on the land and inhabitants.

Mr. Gamble does an excellent job telling the story. I read the book in one week while on vacation. I found it that compelling and entertaining. The author does an exceptional job telling the story. I was floored by the account of the bombing of the Komaki Maru. "The Komaki Maru shuddered under the impact of the two hits, which ignited the cargo of aviation fuel. 'A few seconds later,' recalled an Australian eyewitness, 'the ship was an inferno and the roar of the flames almost drowned out the screams of the Japanese trapped aboard.'

The narrative reads with all the vigor and imagery of a novel. The chapter Medal of Honor: Lieutenant Edward H. "Butch" O'Hare reads like a Hollywood action movie. We learn the story of the man whose name graces O'Hare Airport in Chicago. We see how his action saved the USS Lexington and won him his nations highest military honor, the Medal of Honor. We learn the story of how he interposed his fighter between his ship and an advancing enemy formation of 9 attacking twin-engine heavy bombers. We see how without hesitation, alone and unaided, he repeatedly attacked this enemy formation, at close range in the face of intense combined machine gun and cannon fire. We find out that by his gallant and courageous action, his extremely skillful marksmanship in making the most of every shot of his limited amount of ammunition that he shot down 5 enemy bombers and severely damaged a sixth before they reached the bomb release point. As a result of his gallant action—one of the most daring, if not the most daring, single action in the history of combat aviation—he undoubtedly saved his carrier from serious damage.

Other Medal of Honor stories like that of Harl Pease, Jr are include. The book is excellent. It is a must read for any military or aviation history buff. It would make a great addition to any community or university library.

[Skjam! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it.

This is the second of three books about the Southwest Pacific campaign during World War Two. The first book covered the fate of Lark Force, an Australian army unit stationed on New Britain when the Japanese invaded. The first few chapters of this book recap much the same events, but from the perspective of the air battles.

Rabaul was a small town on New Britain (north of Australia) which had an excellent harbor, but with pretty much constant volcanic activity keeping the local population from getting too comfortable. Its position made it the best place for the Japanese to build airfields and harbor ships to dominate the Southwest Pacific and prepare for their invasion of Australia.

This is a book dense with information, with detailed reports on many of the air battles in the area. There are a few black and white photos, but extensive endnotes. There is a bibliography, and an index which has separate categories for ships, planes and military units

The repeated air battle reports get a bit tedious, enlivened once in a while with a particularly poignant moment. It was somewhat startling to see just how ill-prepared Australia was for the air war, and how little the initial American forces were able to do. So many airmen dead, so many vanished, their fate unknown.

The volume ends with the mission that shot down Admiral Yamamoto in 1943, and the definitive turnaround in the course of the war. The rest will be told in the final book.

This book will be best appreciated by military history buffs, World War Two buffs, wargamers, and those whose relatives fought in the long campaign.

[Charles Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

My uncles was a navigator during the Second World War on a B-17 and was killed over Rabaul. I never met him but was always curious about his theatre of operation. I was not expecting much from this book other than to get a little insight about what his life was like. This book of course is not about my uncle but for the first time I understood the ferocious battles he and hundreds of other American boys were involved with. This was probably the best I've read in understanding how the war in the Pacific unfolded shortly after Pearl Harbor. I did not know that Rabaul was one of the longest air and naval battles of the war and just how much daring was displayed on both sides. This really is a description of a massive fight to the death. Rabaul was of vast importance to the Japanese, far more so than say Guadalcanal.
In short, I could not put this book down. Non-stop action, strategy, tragedy all written with great intelligence. Anyone who has any interest in Second World War should run out an buy a copy.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the whole I enjoyed reading this book, although I did not realize i was diving into #2 of 3. So now do I go back to #1 and catch up? Or move ahead with #3? That is a puzzler.

This is an area of World War II that I knew little about (although I have read extensively on WWII, including many books on individual battles), so it was a pleasant surprise to learn so much more about the role of Rabaul in the war. I had no idea of its importance.

There are two reasons why I did not give this 5 stars: (1) at times it felt like there was far too much detail about air groups and battalions and the like. I realize some of this is both necessary and desirable in a good history, but while reading this book if felt at times like the narrative was disrupted and (2) the book ended abruptly, and which point I investigated and discovered "a trilogy". Hence my opening conundrum.

Postscript: being from the great city of Chicago I only knew that the airport was named after an aviator in WWII, and now I know more about who he was and why their would be an airport named after him.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gamble writes interestingly and in detail about a forgotten sector of the Pacific war. The Japanese attached great significance to Rabaul (a harbor/town on the coast of New Britain, west of the Solomons) and turned it into a mini-Gibraltar after they drove out the inadequate Australian garrison (having executed over 160 of the Australian troops). The Allied strategic decision to isolate Rabaul rather than retake it rendered Japanese efforts ineffective, but the diversion of resources by the Japanese drew strength away from where it was needed. (This volume is the second in a trilogy, and deals witgh the period following the outbreak of the war.)

[Jean Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is perhaps the best-written and most comprehensive account of a theater of the Pacific War that has received far less attention than it deserves. In a straightforward, easy-to-read narrative style, Bruce Gamble carries forward the story begun in “Invasion: Rabaul” (“Darkest Hour”) from the time of the establishment of the great Japanese fortress early in 1942 to the death of Admiral Yamamoto in April 1943. He explains the overall strategies on both sides and outlines both the strengths favoring, and weaknesses confronting, the Allies and the Imperial Japanese Navy and Army. He is unstinting in his assessments of the personalities involved, and thorough in his detailing of the difficulties presented by this theater of war (the weather, the geography—the Owen Stanley Mountains in particular--, the long distances involved, logistics, and, most of all, the Allies’ delay in formulating an organized plan to neutralize Rabaul, and the rather haphazard way the early campaign was conducted. It was not until after the events of this book that Operation Cartwheel, the plan to isolate and bypass Rabaul, was formulated). Especially notable are the descriptions of the early raid on Rabaul by the “Lexington” with Task Force 11, the Coral Sea battle, and the battle of the Bismarck Sea—not only the conflicts themselves, but the way the outcomes influenced the morale of the Rabaul garrison (as when the gleaming “Shoho” sailed away to the Coral Sea and only the badly battered “Shokaku” returned) and the way the prisoners-of-war in their custody were treated. (Suffice it to say that some of the war’s worst atrocities were committed here and the Japanese had little regard for the Geneva Convention!)

Helpful too are the descriptions of the ships and planes involved on both sides and the elucidation of why the early Allied bombing campaign was at first so ineffective. B-17 and B-24 bombers are usually associated with the European campaign but the author details how they were used in the Rabaul campaign as well, in spite of maintenance problems and the constantly adverse weather conditions. That the bombers were sometimes converted into heavily armed low-level gunships and used to devastating effect (as in the Bismarck Sea, and anticipating the similar use of C-47’s in the Vietnam War 25 years later) only adds to the appreciation of the versatility of these aircraft.

In this theater of war as well as all others, the vise was beginning to close around Japan by the time of Yamamoto’s death. The Allies began to receive a constant supply of P-39’s, P-40’s, and especially P-38’s—far more effective against the Zero—as well as fully trained pilots to man them. In contrast, the Japanese by mid-1943 had lost most of their veteran pilots and their replacements were hastily trained and far inferior to those who had been lost. (The Japanese command recognized this.) They continued to rely on the same aircraft with which they had begun the war and put their faith in the inherent fighting qualities of their soldiers and airmen and believed in the doctrine of the “decisive battle” which would eventually turn the war in their favor. For this reason they continued to pour men and materiel into Rabaul and resolved to defend it to the last man, believing that it still provided the key to eventual victory in the southwest Pacific, even as the Allies fought their way up the chain of the Solomons and encroached more and more upon the last Japanese defenders in New Guinea. The stage was set for more bitter air battles over Rabaul and the unfolding of Operation Cartwheel as 1943 progressed into 1944. This is detailed in the third book of the trilogy, “Target: Rabaul”; I’m looking forward to reading it!

**** review by Chuck Graham ****

[Rusty Kehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid

A good read. I would have given it 5 stars but I was tired by the repeated story from “Invasion Rabaul.” I’m hopeful that the third book doesn’t drag on with repeated stories from the first two books. All in all it is a good accounting of a lost appreciation for this significant stronghold.

[Rob Carseldine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well researched from archives of all combatants. Exposes the appalling loss of life and material in the WW2 South West Pacific theatre as well as correcting some of the cynicism, exaggerations and propaganda of the combatants and individual participants.

[Kraig Dodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read. I have enjoyed the first two installments of this trilogy. Look forward to reading Target Rabaul.

[Bill Engle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book. It was confusing at times chronologically.

[Nathan Trachta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascination of mine for some time has been the air war in the South West Pacific; the Japanese having overwhelming force, the Allies holding on by a thread, and then watching both sides stumble forward; got to love it. In this case, Mr. Gamble tackles the capture of Rabaul by the Japanese and the early Allied air missions against it (thru the Battle of the Bismarck Sea). Because of the impact of New Guinea and the Solomon’s to Rabaul, Mr. Gamble also describes the air war over New Guinea and the Solomon’s.

In reading this book two books were immediately brought to mind, Fire in the Sky (Eric M. Bergerud) and Into the Dragon’s Jaws (by Lex McAulay). Fire in the Sky is my gold standard for the air war in the South Pacific and Into the Dragon’s deals with the later raids on Rabaul. Fortress Rabaul is a good description of what happened in the early part of the war to Rabaul but doesn’t rise to the level Fire in the Sky did. While Mr. Gamble does a good job presenting his story of the air war over Rabaul, I wasn’t totally a part of it. Parts of his work were very nicely done (his section on the capture of Rabaul and the actions of the USS Lexington around Rabaul and in the Coral Sea) while others went from complete works to nicely done (I’m sorry, I was underwhelmed with the attention paid to the war in New Guinea. No attention was paid to Milne Bay or Buna, both of which contributed to the air war over Rabaul. His description of the Battle of the Bismarck Sea was only ok). This is complicated by not talking about the Japanese restructuring their forces so that their Army Air Force was responsible for New Guinea and the Navy had New Britain. This became very important during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea). Descriptions are usually very good, accuracy aligns with other sources in general (more on that later). The pictures are nice and there’s a nice map of the Rabaul area. With all of this in mind, I’m calling this one a 4 star book that’s good for the war at Rabaul but weaker as you go away from Rabaul. Having said that, I’ll be looking forward to Mr. Gamble’s next work to see how it compares to Into the Dragon’s Jaws.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Two of a trilogy about Rabaul, this volume covers the air war from the start of the war until the death of Yamamoto in the spring of 1943. A breezy account that's a pleasant, light read. It intertwines strategic considerations with personal stories, but basically uses the former as a setting for the latter. The prose is generally engaging, and the book gives a new (to me at any rate) perspective on the endlessly discussed Solomons campaign. The book ends rather abruptly, but perhaps that has to do with it not being a fully independent volume. For my own tastes, I think I might have wanted a bit more in the way of analysis, but it was a fun read.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rabaul has always been a discussed but overlooked aspect of the Pacific campaign. Gamble's Fortress Rabaul is the first in a two volume set of Rabaul. Fortress Rabaul is a highly engaging book that brings in many aspects of the air war in the Southwest Pacific. Gamble's book looks at the air siege of Rabaul from the perspectives of the different nationalities which gives the reader a seemingly complete or at least thorough look at the battle for Rabaul.

[Josh Liller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast 350 pages on Rabaul and the battles relating to it. Could have used a few more maps (common problem), but covers the topic pretty well with information from both sides, dealing with debated issues, and all with a good writing style. I look forward to the expected followup book covering Operation Cartwheel and Rabaul from May '43 until the end of the war.

[Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this here on Goodreads to review, but that is not the reason for the high rating. It's great to find a well researched WWII book with out the words "Unknown" or "Untold" somewhere int he title, a book that's not just a magazine story padded out to a book. If you are interested in the air war in the Pacific, read this book.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book- I wasn't as familiar with the earlier events surrounding Rabaul; I eagerly await the next volume, and plan on checking out his other work, Darkest Hour: The True Story of Lark Force at Rabaul - Australia's Worst Military Disaster of World War II

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

With clear and objective prose, Gamble provides multiple perspectives of Rabaul's combatants with a good eye towards some extraordinary personal stories in this overlooked conflict in the Pacific. I look forward to reading the prequel...

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great and thoroughly researched book on an overlooked topic. This book wades into the attrition, mistakes, horror and realities of air combat for the Japanese, Australians and Americans in 1942.

[Andrew Crouthamel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting piece of history and this goes into depth on the topic. One fault though is the length. I felt it's actually too long. If you are looking for a detailed and comprehensive telling, this is it. Otherwise, look elsewhere for the short version of the story.

[Mhorg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant second book that opened my eyes to this, the longest Battle of world war 2. Once the Japanese took Rabaul, the allies had to either conquer it, or isolate it. This, the second book in Gambles brilliant trilogy highlights the early years of this battle.

[Jacquelineryan]

Excellent psycho thriller. Gave me the heeby geebies. I bet this would make a great movie, too.

[Bill Cohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth the time for somebody interested in the subject, but was dissappointed it ended half-way through the War.

[Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book aimed at historians and people with a interest in the air war in the Pacific in WWII.

[Kent Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting story of the long distance siege of a mighty fortress. Ends just when things start to turn around. Can't wait for the sequel.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book. It was good from an overall view of the time as well as plenty of individual stories. I liked it a lot.

[Richard Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book was a great account of how the Japanese supported their troops in the Solomon islands after the U.S. invasion of Guadalcanal.

[Paul Kinzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and very well researched. Fantastic amount of detail without being dry, I highly recommend this for students of the pacific theater.