New Georgia counterattack

New Georgia counterattack
Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II
Injured U.S. Army soldiers are evacuated through the jungle on New Georgia on 12 July 1943 a few days before the Japanese counterattack.
Date 17–18 July 1943 Location New Georgia, Solomon Islands Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United States	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Oscar Griswold J. Lawton Collins Robert S. Beightler	Minoru Sasaki Genjiro Hirata Tomonari Satoshi
Strength
3 infantry regiments	2 infantry regiments (less one battalion)

The New Georgia counterattack was a counterattack on 17–18 July 1943 by mainly Imperial Japanese Army troops against United States Army forces during the New Georgia campaign in the Solomon Islands. The U.S. and its allies were attempting to capture an airfield constructed by the Japanese at Munda Point on New Georgia with which to support further advances towards the main Japanese base around Rabaul as part of Operation Cartwheel.

The Japanese attack saw one infantry regiment from the Southeast Detachment carry out a frontal assault against the center and left of the U.S. front line, while another carried out a flanking attack on their left aimed at enveloping the U.S. forces and cutting them off from their supply line. While the frontal assault was checked, the flanking attack succeeded in breaking into the rear of the U.S. beachhead. Many casualties were inflicted among the logistics, support and medical troops in the area, and the 43rd Infantry Division's command post came under attack before heavy defensive artillery fire and local defensive fighting forced the Japanese attackers back. Ultimately, the Japanese attack was unsuccessful, having been badly coordinated, and after a brief lull in the fighting, the U.S. forces launched a two-week long corps-level offensive that captured the airfield on 4–5 August 1943.