Shortland Island

Shortland Island(once known asAlu) is the largest island of theShortland Islands archipelago,in theWestern ProvinceofSolomon Islands,at7°3′S155°45′E/ 7.050°S 155.750°E/-7.050; 155.750(Shortland Island).

The original name was aMelanesianword,^[1]while the current name was given to the island byRoyal NavyofficerJohn Shortlandin 1788. Shortland was the naval commander of a 1777–79 voyage by theFirst Fleetto establish apenal colonyatBotany Bay,Australia.^[2]

World War II

On March 30, 1942, war ships of theImperial Japanese Navyentered Shortland Harbour and landed two special naval landing force platoons and met no resistance. One platoon remained in the area to begin establishing Shortland Harbour Seaplane Base.^[3]

TheAlliesconsidered invading the seaplane base in August 1943, but chose instead to bypass the Shortlands forBougainville Islandand theTreasury Islands,leaving the Shortlands under Japanese control until the war's end.

On January 8, 1944, an Allied force of two light cruisers and five destroyers bombarded the installations on Shortland Island.^[4]In March 1944, planes from theUSAAF's70th Fighter Squadronused reconnaissance photographs taken by the17th Reconnaissance Squadronto strike the seaplane base, claiming eight float planes and anIJNdestroyer.^[5]On 20 May 1944,USSMontpelier(CL-57)received light damage from return fire when she and two other light cruisers, along with eight destroyers, bombarded shore installations on Shortland.^[4]

References

^Ray, Sidney Herbert (1926).Comparative Study of the Melanesian Island Languages.Melbourne:Melbourne University Press.p. 584.ISBN 978-1-107-68202-3.Retrieved2020-03-28.
^McMartin, Arthur (1967)."Shortland, John (1739 - 1803)".Australian Dictionary of Biography.Vol. 2. Melbourne: National Centre of Biography,Australian National University.pp. 442–443.ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7.ISSN 1833-7538.OCLC 70677943.Retrieved2020-03-28.
^"Map of target area including Faisi Island and Shortland Island".United States Army Air Force,13th AF.Pacific Wrecks. 1943-04-11.Retrieved2020-03-28.
^^a ^bCressman, Robert (2000)."Chapter VI: 1944".The official chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II.Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN 978-1-55750-149-3.OCLC 41977179.Retrieved2020-03-28.
^Rohfleisch, Kramer J. (1950). "Chapter 7: The Central Solomons". In Craven, Wesley Frank; Cate, James Lea (eds.).Vol. IV, The Pacific: Guadalcanal to Saipan, August 1942 to July 1944.The Army Air Forces in World War II.Chicago:University of Chicago Press.pp. 211–212.OCLC 769332570.Retrieved2020-03-28.

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[1] Ray, Sidney Herbert (1926).Comparative Study of the Melanesian Island Languages.Melbourne:Melbourne University Press.p. 584.ISBN 978-1-107-68202-3.Retrieved2020-03-28.

[2] McMartin, Arthur (1967)."Shortland, John (1739 - 1803)".Australian Dictionary of Biography.Vol. 2. Melbourne: National Centre of Biography,Australian National University.pp. 442–443.ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7.ISSN 1833-7538.OCLC 70677943.Retrieved2020-03-28.

[3] "Map of target area including Faisi Island and Shortland Island".United States Army Air Force,13th AF.Pacific Wrecks. 1943-04-11.Retrieved2020-03-28.

[USNChron1944-4] Cressman, Robert (2000)."Chapter VI: 1944".The official chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II.Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN 978-1-55750-149-3.OCLC 41977179.Retrieved2020-03-28.

[5] Rohfleisch, Kramer J. (1950). "Chapter 7: The Central Solomons". In Craven, Wesley Frank; Cate, James Lea (eds.).Vol. IV, The Pacific: Guadalcanal to Saipan, August 1942 to July 1944.The Army Air Forces in World War II.Chicago:University of Chicago Press.pp. 211–212.OCLC 769332570.Retrieved2020-03-28.

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