Bairoko (CVE 115) - Naval Cruise Book

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XZ X 'ff ft ff, B A I R 0 K 0 . ' r fa . In ' V BAIROKO HARBoR is a Smart inter on the North caasraaf New Georgia, one of the Solomon lslands. A Spanish navigator, coming upon these islands in l567, and hopefully believing he had finally touched on the fabled and wealthy lands of -the lndies named the group llas de Solomon. Subsequent English explorers claimed part of the group for Britain, and at the outbreak of the war New Georgia was under the English flag. p g g During the early part of l942, in their effort to cut the Allied sup- ply line to Australia, the lapanese seized the Solomons and began the construction of a series of air fields throughout the islands-at Vila on Kolombangara, at Munda on New Georgia, and on Guadalcanal. Vila and Munda were mutually supporting fields. Bairoko l-larbor lay be- tween these two airfields and was the port of supply for Munda. By the spring of l943 Guadalcanal was secure, and we had suf- ficient men and material to open the offensive against New Georgia. On lune 30, l943, Rendova lsland was seized and Munda then placed under artillery fire. Marines and lnfantry landed on New Georgia. ln the heat and muck of the tropical jungle they met a bitter Nip foe enraged at the loss of Guadalcanal. Resistance was particularly strong near Bairoko l-farbor. After six weeks of desperate jungle fight- ing the Munda airstrip was overrun, but Bairoko l-larbor did not fall until August 25th. lts seizure marked the end of the fifty-seven day campaign for New Georgia. Bairoko signified the end of this early Pacific campaign-so the name of our ship is a symbol for that final victory in which she will soon participate. 4