Battle of Bairoko

Battle of Bairoko
Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II
US Marines cross a creek on the Dragons Peninsula in July 1943.
Date 20 July 1943 Location New Georgia, Solomon Islands Result Japanese victory
Belligerents
United States	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Harry B. Liversedge	Minoru Sasaki Saburo Okumura
Strength
2 Marine battalions 2 infantry battalions	1,100
Casualties and losses
50 killed[1]	33+ killed[1]

The Battle of Bairoko was fought between American and Imperial Japanese Army and Navy forces on 20 July 1943 on the northern coast of New Georgia Island. Taking place during World War II, it formed part of the New Georgia campaign of the Pacific War. In the battle, two battalions of the US Marine Raiders from the 1st Marine Raider Regiment, supported by two US Army infantry battalions, attacked a Japanese garrison guarding the port of Bairoko on the Dragons Peninsula, advancing from Enogai and Triri. After a day long engagement, the Japanese repulsed the American assault and forced the attacking troops to withdraw with their wounded to Enogai. US forces remained in the area carrying out patrolling and intelligence gathering operations until the end of the campaign. Bairoko was eventually captured at the end of August after the airfield at Munda had been captured, and further reinforcements were sent from there towards Bairoko to clear the area from the south.