General Douglas MacArthur's campaign along the northwest New Guinea coast in 1944 was a model of close cooperation between land, air and sea forces which substantially contributed to Allied success in the Pacific. The purpose of this study is to examine whether the modern doctrinal elements of operational art are embedded within this campaign and to determine whether MacArthur used operational art to serve strategy or to enable his own preferred strategy. Unified Land Operations defines operational art as linking tactical actions in time, space and purpose in order to achieve strategic objectives and presents ten elements inherent to this art. The Allied strategic objective was the surrender of Japan. MacArthur had a personal strategic objective of liberating the Philippines. The study concludes that all the elements of operational art are evident throughout the tactical actions of the campaign and that MacArthur used these actions to successfully argue that his personal objective should be included in the Allied strategy. MacArthur's campaign demonstrates a historical example that can aid the modern student of operational art.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)