Battle of Munda Point

Battle of Munda Point
Part of the New Georgia Campaign of World War II
U.S. Army soldiers attack Japanese fortifications with flamethrowers on or around 1 August 1943 during the battle for the airfield.
Date 22 July – 5 August 1943 Location New Georgia, Solomon Islands Result United States victory
Belligerents
United States	Japan
Commanders and leaders
William Halsey Oscar Griswold J. Lawton Collins John H. Hester John R. Hodge Robert S. Beightler	Minoru Sasaki Genjiro Hirata
Strength
30,000[1]	8,000[1]
Casualties and losses
4,994 killed or wounded (since 2 July) [1]	4,683 killed, unknown wounded (since 2 July)[1]

The Battle of Munda Point was a battle in World War II between American and Japanese forces from 22 July to 5 August 1943 during the New Georgia campaign in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific War. The battle took place following a landing by U.S. troops on the western coast of New Georgia from Rendova Island, as part of an effort to capture the Japanese airfield that had been constructed at Munda Point. This advance had become bogged down, and while the Allies brought forward reinforcements and supplies, the Japanese had launched a counterattack on 17–18 July. This effort was ultimately unsuccessful, and afterwards U.S. forces launched a corps-level assault to reinvigorate their effort to capture the airfield. Against this drive, Japanese defenders from three infantry regiments offered stubborn resistance but were ultimately forced to withdraw, allowing U.S. forces to capture the airfield on 5 August. The airfield later played an important role in supporting the Allied campaign on Bougainville in late 1943.