The U.S. Marines had seized Guadalcanal at high cost in 1943, but to the Japanese it did not seem to be a basic change in the balance of the war. They planned to hold onto the Solomon Islands while capturing New Guinea, retaking Guadalcanal, and then proceeding to Fiji, Samoa, and other southern Pacific Islands. But in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea vast new American airpower virtually annihilated a Japanese naval force. The American reading of Japanese secret codes allowed U.S. planes to assassinate Admiral Yamamoto. Then the Americans went on the offensive: Halsey’s forces took control of New Georgia, Kula Gulf, Vella Lavella, Bougainville, New Britain, and the Green Islands, encircling the big Japanese base at Rabaul. The glory of the Solomons, which Japan had enjoyed for two years, was now American.

List of maps : The Solomon Islands ; The Pacific ; Minelaying in the Blackett Strait ; Rendova Harbor AA defenses ; The New Georgia campaign ; Munda airfield area ; Dragons Peninsula actions ; Battle of Vella gulf ; Vella Lavella landings ; Mop-up operations on Arundle ; The evacuation of Kolombangara and Vella Lavella ; Bougainville and adjacent islands ; Treasury Islands assault ; The Sangigai Raid ; Bigger’s Patrol ; Naval operations off Bougainville ; Cape Torokina landings ; Battle of Koromokina Lagoon ; Piva action, Bougainville ; Advanced to the east, Bougainville ; Battle of Cape St. George.

The South Pacific tide -- Confusion in command -- Step 1: the Russells -- Naked power in the air -- Yamamoto's offensive -- The assassination of an Admiral -- Attrition -- The battle of Kula Gulf -- Jungle war -- The battle of Kolombangara -- Munda -- In the balance -- Awkward victory -- Vella Lavella -- Battle for Vella Lavella -- Invasion of Bougainville-1 -- The invasion of Bougainville-2 (Choiseul) -- The invasion of Bougainville-3 (Empress: Augusta Bay) -- The Battle of Empress Augusta Bay -- Bougainville in the balance -- Counter landing -- the foothold established -- Handwriting on the wall -- Thirty-one knot Burke -- General Imamura’s miscalculation.