Bairoko (CVE 115) - Naval Cruise Book

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BAIRGKO HARBOR is a small inlet on the North coast of New Georgia, one of the Solo- mon Islands. A Spanish navigator, coming upon these islands in l567, and hopefully be- lieving he had fiinally touched on the fabled and wealthly lands of the Indies named the group HIlas de Solomonf, Subsequent English eX- plorers claimed part of the group for Britian, and at the outbreak of the war New Georgia was under the English flag. During the early part of l94Z, in their effort to cut the Allied supply line to Australia, the Japanese 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 Harbor lay between these two airields and was the port of supply for lX4unda. By the spring of l943 Guadalcanal was se- cure, and we had sufficient men and material to open the offensive against New Georgia. On June 30, l943, Rendova Island was seized and lN4unda then placed under artillery fire. lX4a- rines and Infantry landed on New Georgia. In the heat and muck of the tropical jungle they met a bitter Nip foe enraged at the loss of Guadalcanal. R e s i s t a n c e was particularly strong near Bairoko Harbor. After six weeks of desperate jungle Fighting the Munda airstrip was overrun, but Bairoko Harbor did not fall until August 25th. Its 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 which came during her shakedown cruise.