History of the U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II: Volume II, Isolation of Rabaul (FMFRP 12-34-II)

This volume describes the series of campaigns during which the Allied forces moved north and west along the Solomon Islands chain from Guadalcanal to Bougainville Island and leapt west to New Britain island in the Bismarck Archipelago. An earlier intention to recapture Rabaul was replaced by a plan to reduce that Japanese base solely by air action, and the last section of this volume describes the Marines' contribution to that isolation.
 
 
Compiled and originally published in 1963 by the Historical Branch, G-3 Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. This edition was republished as FMFRP 12-34-II, approved August 16, 1989 by Maj. Gen. M.P. Sullivan.
 
 
In the Preface to Volume I, Maj. Gen. E.W. Snedeker, the Marine Corps Assistant Chief of Staff, wrote, "By publishing this operational history in a durable form, it is hoped to make the Marine Corps record permanently available for the study of military personnel, the edification of the general public, and the contemplation of serious scholars of military history." Much of the content of the series was derived from 15 historical monographs describing individual campaigns which were prepared soon after the end of World War II. Some of the monographs were expanded by their original authors for inclusion in the current works, while other authors expanded the rest and wrote original material. Japanese sources which had not been available earlier were consulted.
 
 
In addition to the main text, each volume includes photographs, appendices, and maps. The appendices contain a chronology, orders of battle, statistics, and guides to military map symbols and abbreviations. Small maps are included within the text and larger ones fold out from inside the back cover.