Battle of Empress Augusta Bay 1943
_during_Battle_of_Empress_Augusta_Bay_1943.jpg){kind=link}
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 1 November 1943 – 2 November 1943 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1943 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
| Era | World War II era (1939–1945) | derived from year |
| Nearest landmass | At sea (nearest continent: Oceania) | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Oceania | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | World War II | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | -6.4000, 155.1500 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, on 1–2 November 1943 – also known as the Battle of Gazelle Bay, Operation Cherry Blossom, and in Japanese sources as the Sea Battle off Bougainville Island (ブーゲンビル島沖海戦) – was a naval battle fought at night in Empress Augusta Bay near Bougainville Island. The naval battle was a result of Allied landings at Cape Torokina in the first action in the Bougainville campaign of World War II. It may also be considered as part of the Solomons and New Guinea campaigns. The battle was significant as part of a broader Allied strategy—known as Operation Cartwheel—aimed at isolating and surrounding the major Japanese base at Rabaul. The intention was to establish a beachhead on Bougainville, within which an airfield would be built.
The naval battle took place at the end of the first day of the landings around Cape Torokina, as the Japanese sortied a large force from Rabaul in an effort to replicate the success they had achieved at Savo Island in August 1942, in response to Allied amphibious landings in the eastern Solomon Islands. Ultimately, the covering force of US warships was able to turn back the Japanese force, and the landings around Cape Torokina were successful.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Empress Augusta Bay (revision 1379461248), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Landings at Cape Torokina 1943 · 22 km
- Battle of Slater's Knoll 1945 · 30 km
- Bougainville campaign 1943 · 43 km
- Battle of the Hongorai River 1945 · 64 km
- Battle of Tsimba Ridge 1945 · 95 km
- Battle of Porton Plantation 1945 · 105 km
Other battles of the World War II
- Battle of Tjiater Pass 1942
- Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu–Tanambogo 1942
- Battle of the Barents Sea 1942
- Battle of the Eastern Solomons 1942
- Fall of Singapore 1942
- Action of 13 November 1943 1943
- Allied invasion of Italy 1943
- Battle of Attu 1943
- Battle of Bobdubi 1943
- Battle of Cape Gloucester 1943
All 178 battles of the World War II →
Browse more: battles at sea · Oceania · World War II era battles