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The Shortland Islands (155.88E
6.93S) are located just off the southern
tip of Bougainville
in
the Solomon Islands, at
the
head of "The Slot." Shortland
Island
itself is about thirteen miles (21 km) long and ten miles (16
km) wide. It is relatively flat (maximum elevation 777' or 237
meters)
and heavily forested. Most of the coast is fringed by coral reefs, and the nearby small
islands are
covered with palms.
Occupied by the Japanese on 31 March 1942, the anchorage became an important staging area for Japanese forces heading down "The Slot" to Guadalcanal. The Japanese also set up a seaplane base at the island of Faisi (155.870E 7.070S) and an airfield on the island of Ballale (155.875E 6.989S). Faisi eventually became the headquarters of 8 Fleet and was garrisoned by the 5000 men of 1 Base Force.
Ballale airfield was constructed by 18
Construction Battalion between November 1942 and
January 1943. Lacking bulldozers, the Japanese used some 517 British prisoners of war,
primarily artillery gunners
surrendered at Singapore. The
Japanese refused to permit the prisoners of war to build any kind
of
air raid shelters, and most of the gunners were eventually killed
either in air raids or from Japanese abuse. The survivors were
allegedly massacred on 5
March 1943.
The Allies
considered seizing the area, but canceled invasion plans in
August
1943 because of the strength of the defenses, the lack of good
landing
beaches, and the lack of good airfield sites. Instead, the area
was
bypassed by the Allied landings in the Treasury Islands to
the
southwest and at Cape
Torokina on western Bougainville.
References
Winterbotham
(accessed 2013-4-19)
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