Battle of Wickham Anchorage

Battle of Wickham Anchorage
Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II
A 105mm gun crew from the U.S. Army's 152nd Field Artillery Battalion supports the assault on Wickham Anchorage on or around 1 July 1943.
Date 30 June – 3 July 1943 Location Vangunu, Solomon Islands 8°44′31″S 158°03′25″E / 8.742°S 158.057°E / -8.742; 158.057 Result U.S. victory
Belligerents
United States	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Richmond K. Turner John H. Hester Lester E. Brown James R. Clark	Minoru Sasaki Genjiro Hirata
Strength
1 infantry battalion 2 marine companies 1 artillery battery	310 troops
Casualties and losses
~ 25 killed and 43 wounded	~ 141 killed

The Battle of Wickham Anchorage took place during the New Georgia campaign in the Solomon Islands during the Pacific War from 30 June – 3 July 1943. During the operation US Marines and US Army troops landed by ship around Oleana Bay on Vangunu Island and advanced overland towards the anchorage where they attacked a garrison of Imperial Japanese Navy and Army troops. The purpose of the attack by the US was to secure the lines of communication and supply between Allied forces involved in the New Georgia campaign and Allied bases in the southern Solomons. The US forces were successful in driving the Japanese garrison from the area and securing the anchorage, which would later be used to stage landing craft for subsequent operations.