78-719: Operation Cartwheel (1943 – 1944) was a major military operation for the Allies in the Pacific theatre of World War II . Cartwheel was an operation aimed at neutralising the major Japanese base at Rabaul . The operation was directed by the Supreme Allied Commander in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA), General Douglas MacArthur , whose forces had advanced along the northeast coast of New Guinea and occupied nearby islands. Allied forces from
156-445: A military plan to resolve the situation in the state or actor's favor. Operations may be of a combat or non-combat nature and may be referred to by a code name for the purpose of national security . Military operations are often known for their more generally accepted common usage names than their actual operational objectives . Military operations can be classified by the scale and scope of force employment, and their impact on
234-660: A court-martial, but was freed by the Supreme Court in 1957. Walter Krueger was born on 26 January 1881 in Flatow , West Prussia , then part of the German Empire , now part of Poland . He was the son of Julius Krüger, a Prussian landowner who had served as an officer in the Franco-Prussian War , and his wife, Anna, formerly Hasse. Following Julius's death, Anna and her three children emigrated to
312-601: A determining influence upon the commands with which he has served, and has contributed in a marked degree to the success of the military operations of our forces. With the end of the war, Krueger returned to the United States on 22 June 1919 and was initially posted to the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia . In 1920, he assumed command of the 55th Infantry Regiment at Camp Funston, Kansas . He reverted to his permanent rank of captain on 30 June 1920 but
390-483: A house and wrote From Down Under to Nippon , an account of his campaigns in the Southwest Pacific. His retirement was marred by family tragedies. His son James was dismissed from the army in 1947 for conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman . His wife's health deteriorated, and she died of cancer in 1956. His daughter Dorothy stabbed her husband to death in 1952. She was sentenced to life imprisonment by
468-483: A large, national, conscript army similar to those of European countries, arguing that this would be in accord with America's democratic values. After the United States commenced hostilities against Germany in April 1917, Krueger was assigned to the newly activated 84th Division , a National Army formation created largely from draftees , at Camp Zachary Taylor as its assistant chief of staff G-3 (operations). He became
546-566: A lot of hardship and people tell me I look and act ten years younger, I do not delude myself. It therefore came as a surprise when Krueger was informed that a theater commander had requested his services. General Douglas MacArthur , the Supreme Commander of the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA), said that he was "especially anxious to have Krueger due to my long and intimate association with him". This too came as
624-549: A naval officer, but when his mother objected he decided to become a blacksmith instead. After graduating from high school, Krueger enrolled at the Cincinnati Technical High School, where he learned blacksmithing and completed science and mathematics courses in preparation for college studies in engineering. On 17 June 1898, Krueger enlisted for service in the Spanish–American War with
702-510: A private in M Company of the 12th Infantry . Soon he was on his way to fight Emilio Aguinaldo 's Insurrectos as part of Major General Arthur MacArthur, Jr. 's 2nd Division of the Eighth Army Corps . He took part in the advance from Angeles to Tarlac , Aguinaldo's capital. But Aguinaldo had fled, and the 12th Infantry pursued him vainly all the way through Luzon's central plain to Dagupan . While serving in an infantry unit in
780-618: A protracted and bitter fight." However, even if Krueger had known the true size of the Japanese force, he might still, under the circumstances, have taken the same approach. The estimates of the number of Japanese troops on Biak were out by a similar margin, resulting in heavy casualties. In the Battle of Biak , stubborn Japanese resistance halted the 41st Infantry Division, and forced its commander, Major General Horace H. Fuller , to appeal to Krueger for reinforcements. In response, Krueger sent
858-674: A result of the lessons learned from the PID's training and exercises, Krueger was able to offer recommendations for improvements to the triangular division concept, including taking advantage of mechanization and fast-paced tactics. The troops who took part in the PID experiment called themselves the "Blitzkruegers"; the triangular division model was adopted, and became the Army's standard design for infantry divisions in World War II. Krueger became commander of IX Corps on 31 January 1940. This corps
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#1732779841289936-849: A skeleton staff of a new Sixth Army , which was activated in January 1943, with less than half the establishment strength of an army headquarters. Krueger took with him several key members of the Third Army staff, including Brigadier General George Honnen as chief of staff, Colonel George H. Decker as deputy chief of staff, Colonel George S. Price as assistant chief of staff, G-1 (Personnel), Colonel Horton V. White as assistant chief of staff, G-2 (intelligence), Clyde Eddleman as assistant chief of staff, G-3 (operations) and Colonel Kenneth Pierce as assistant chief of staff, G-4 (supply). Honnen had health problems, and spent much of April, May and June 1943 in hospital before being ordered home on 18 June. He
1014-526: A superior force, and had to advance on Shreveport, Louisiana . Lear's forces conducted a stubborn withdrawal, demolishing bridges in order to slow Krueger down. Krueger responded by sending Major General George S. Patton, Jr. 's 2nd Armored Division on a wide flanking maneuver through Texas. Afterwards, Eisenhower became the head of the War Plans Division, and was replaced as Krueger's chief of staff by Colonel Alfred M. Gruenther . After he too
1092-484: A surprise to Krueger; while the two men had known each other for forty years, and Krueger had been chief of the War Plans Division when MacArthur was chief of staff, the two had never been close. The War Department approved Krueger's transfer to SWPA, but did not approve MacArthur's request for Third Army headquarters. There were only three American divisions in SWPA: the 32nd Infantry Division at Rockhampton, Queensland ,
1170-551: A target. Arawe was substituted , and the size of the whole operation was scaled back. Krueger hoped to observe the 1st Marine Division's landing at Cape Gloucester in December 1943, but was unable to do so until the planning for the January 1944 landing at Saidor was complete. He crossed the Dampier Strait in a PT boat in stormy weather. PBY Catalinas sent to bring him back were unable to land, and he had to return on
1248-400: A test ground for doctrine and equipment, and gave senior commanders experience in maneuvering their formations. In the first phase, Krueger quickly proved himself to be the more modern general. He responded adroitly to a changed battle situation by re-orienting his front from northeast to northwest, and was able to inflict a series of reverses on Lear's forces. In the second phase, Krueger had
1326-504: A timetable for their launching. Of the 13, Rabaul, Kavieng , and Kolombangara were eventually eliminated as too costly and unnecessary, and only 11 were actually undertaken (the Green Islands , only 117 miles from Rabaul, were substituted for Kavieng): The New Guinea Force , under General Thomas Blamey , was assigned responsibility for the eastward thrusts on mainland New Guinea. The US 6th Army , under General Walter Krueger ,
1404-517: A war with Cuba. Krueger considered the problems of inter-service cooperation. At his own request, he attended the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island , in 1925 and 1926. He continued to ruminate on the nature of command. "Doctrine", he wrote, "knits all the parts of the military force together in intellectual bonds." Krueger came to feel the prospects for promotion in the infantry were very poor, and in 1927 he tried to transfer to
1482-434: Is ultimately the mission that a unit performs that determines the level of war within which it operates. The operational level of war occupies roughly the middle ground between the campaign's strategic focus and the tactics of an engagement. It describes "a distinct intermediate level of war between military strategy , governing war in general, and tactics, involving individual battles". For example, during World War II ,
1560-457: The Kokai Maru , was sunk by Allied bombers. Rabaul became a death trap as the Japanese refused to surrender even as their food and medicine ran out. Australia New Zealand United States Military operation A military operation ( op ) is the coordinated military actions of a state , or a non-state actor , in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as
1638-433: The 163rd Regimental Combat Team landed at Aitape . Eichelberger was Krueger's most senior subordinate, but when he did not meet Krueger's expectation, Krueger let him know in no uncertain terms. "In my more than 40 years as an officer", Krueger told one of his staff, "I have never raised my voice to an enlisted man, but a corps commander should know better." Krueger visited the beachhead with MacArthur and Eichelberger on
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#17327798412891716-574: The 26th "Yankee" Division , an Army National Guard formation. The French government requested that Krueger be sent home due to his German origin, and Krueger was re-posted to the 84th Division, but he soon returned to France and the AEF, as the 84th Division embarked for France in August 1918. He was not destined to remain with the division for very long, however, as in October he became chief of staff of
1794-614: The 41st Infantry Division in the Buna area in Papua , and the 1st Marine Division in Melbourne, Victoria . The 1st Cavalry Division and the 24th Infantry Division were scheduled to arrive in 1943, and other divisions would follow in 1944, but for the time being there were many fewer troops than an army would normally control. The War Department therefore saw no need for a full strength army headquarters. Instead, Krueger had to make do with
1872-476: The 6th Infantry Regiment at Jefferson Barracks , Missouri, where he was promoted to colonel again on 1 August 1932. Now aged 51, he became resigned to retiring as a colonel, but in 1934 he returned to the War Plans Division, becoming chief of the division in May 1936, and was promoted to temporary brigadier general in October 1936. In September 1938, Krueger went to Fort George G. Meade , Maryland, as commander of
1950-610: The Philippines , he was promoted to sergeant. On 1 July 1901, he was commissioned a second lieutenant and posted to the 30th Infantry on Marinduque . Krueger returned to the United States with the 30th Infantry in December 1903. The regiment moved to Fort Crook, Nebraska . In September 1904, he married Grace Aileen Norvell, whom he had met in the Philippines. They had three children: James Norvell, born on 29 July 1905; Walter Jr., born on 25 April 1910; and Dorothy Jane, who
2028-770: The South Pacific Area , under Admiral William Halsey , advanced through the Solomon Islands toward Bougainville . The Allied forces involved were from Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the US, and various Pacific Islands . Japanese forces had captured Rabaul , on New Britain , in the Territory of New Guinea , from Australian forces in February 1942 and turned it into their major forward base in
2106-478: The Tank Corps of the AEF , a job which he found both rewarding and frustrating, as "he was tied to his desk most of the day, which he did not particularly enjoy", although he hoped that such a position might result in quick promotion. After the armistice with Germany on November 11, which ended the fighting, he became assistant chief of staff of VI Corps and, after that was disbanded in April 1919, served in
2184-704: The Third Army , which he led in the Louisiana Maneuvers . He expected, because of his age, to spend the war at home training troops, but in 1943 he was sent to General Douglas MacArthur 's Southwest Pacific Area as commander of the Sixth Army and Alamo Force, which he led in a series of successful campaigns against the Japanese. As an army commander, Krueger grappled with the problems imposed by vast distances, inhospitable terrain, unfavorable climate, and an indefatigable and dangerous enemy. He balanced
2262-673: The United States Army Air Corps . He attended the Air Corps Primary Flying School at Brooks Field, Texas , but suffered an attack of neuritis in his right arm, and his flight instructor, Lieutenant Claire Lee Chennault , failed him. In December 1927, he was offered a position as an instructor at the Naval War College, where he taught classes on World War I, and on joint operations. In June 1932, Krueger became commander of
2340-520: The destroyer USS Mullany . Krueger accepted reports of a Japanese counterattack at Saidor, and sent reinforcements in response, but the attack did not eventuate. Because the 32nd Infantry Division was required for the upcoming Hansa Bay operation, he was initially reluctant to authorize it to block the trails behind the American beachhead. When he finally did so, it was too late. The retreating Japanese made good their escape, thereby defeating
2418-512: The 163rd Regimental Combat Team from Wakde. MacArthur soon grew impatient, as he needed the airstrips on Biak to support Admiral Chester Nimitz 's Invasion of Saipan . Nimitz's operation ultimately drew Japanese attention away from Biak. MacArthur put pressure on Krueger for results, and Krueger in turn put pressure on Fuller. Krueger decided that Fuller had too many responsibilities as both task force commander and division commander, and decided to supersede him by sending Eichelberger to take over
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2496-576: The 16th Infantry Brigade. He was promoted to temporary major general in February 1939, when he became commander of the 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Sam Houston , Texas. The 2nd Infantry Division was at the time being used as the Proposed Infantry Division (PID). With Lesley J. McNair as commander of the 2nd Division Artillery and chief of staff of the PID, the PID tested of the US Army's new triangular division concept. As
2574-570: The 2nd United States Volunteer Infantry. He reached Santiago de Cuba a few weeks after the Battle of San Juan Hill , and spent eight months there on occupation duties, rising to the rank of sergeant . Mustered out of the volunteers in February 1899, he returned home to Ohio, planning to become a civil engineer. However, many of his comrades were re-enlisting for service in the Philippine–American War and in June 1899 Krueger re-enlisted as
2652-738: The 84th's chief of staff, and along with it came the temporary rank of major , as of 5 August 1917. In February 1918, he was sent to Langres , France, to attend the General Staff School of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). The school had been created by the AEF's commander-in-chief , General John J. Pershing , and his staff, "to instruct and bring up to date many officers who never had any formal or specific staff training". All officers from divisions that were not under orders for France were ordered to return home in May 1918, but Krueger stayed on as G-3 of
2730-554: The Allies confirmed that Rabaul no longer had any airplanes. By February 1944 Rabaul had no more fighters or bombers for the rest of the war because of the non-stop bombing by land-based Allied airplanes only a few hundred miles from Rabaul after most of Operation Cartwheel was completed. 120 airplanes were evacuated to Truk on 19 February in an attempt to replace the destroyed Navy carrier airplanes. Rabaul's valuable mechanics attempted to leave Rabaul by ship on 21 February, but their ship,
2808-504: The Bureau of Militia Affairs; Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, and Acting Chief of Staff, 84th Division, Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, 26th Division, Chief of Staff, Tank Corps, Instructor, Line School, Langres, France, Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, 4th Corps, and Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, 6th Corps. By his high professional attainments, superior zeal, loyal devotion to duty, soldierly character, and his dominant leadership, he has exercised
2886-534: The Japanese in the Pacific, proposed a compromise plan in which the task would be divided into three stages, the first under Navy command and the other two under MacArthur's direction and the control of the Army. This strategic plan, which was never formally adopted by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff but was ultimately implemented, called for the following: The protracted battle for Guadalcanal , followed by
2964-426: The Japanese were massing for an assault on the American position, he ordered a pre-emptive attack. "Krueger", wrote Edward Drea, "was too good a soldier to stand pat and wait for a Japanese attack." Official historian Robert Ross Smith noted that "This decision, based upon the scanty, incomplete information concerning Japanese strength and dispositions available to General Krueger at the time, was destined to precipitate
3042-752: The Mexican border for five months as part of the Mexican Punitive Expedition under Major General John J. Pershing , although no National Guard units fought Mexican troops. The unit was mustered out in October 1916. Afterwards, Krueger remained with the National Guard . He trained units, and helped establish a school for officers at the University of Pennsylvania . In an article in the Infantry Journal , he called for
3120-501: The Sarmi area, and Biak was substituted. In view of the difficulties involved in changing plans, and moving the troops around, MacArthur agreed to postpone both operations, Wakde until 17 May and Biak to 27 May. As a result, Alamo Force became involved in desperate fighting on three different fronts simultaneously. The landing at Wakde was opposed by nearly twice as many Japanese troops than had been expected. When Krueger discovered that
3198-497: The Sixth Army, its headquarters was used for what became Alamo Force. As a task force, Alamo Force came directly under MacArthur, rather than under the Allied Land Forces. Krueger noted that "the inherent difficulties faced by my dual headquarters in planning and administration were aggravated by the command setup, which was a novel one to say the least." Because Alamo Force was a purely operational entity, administration
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3276-580: The South Pacific Area, to attack the central Solomons. The plan required seven more divisions than were already in the theatre, which raised objections from the British. The Joint Chiefs responded with a directive that approved the plan if forces already in the theatre or en route were used, and the implementation was delayed by 60 days. Elkton III then became Operation Cartwheel . Cartwheel identified 13 proposed subordinate operations and set
3354-754: The South Pacific, which became the main obstacle in the two Allied theatres. MacArthur formulated a strategic outline, the Elkton Plan , to capture Rabaul from bases in Australia and New Guinea . Admiral Ernest J. King , the Chief of Naval Operations , proposed a plan with similar elements but under Navy command. Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall , whose main goal was for the US to concentrate its efforts against Nazi Germany in Europe and not against
3432-609: The US and Australian bombers. But the only thing that this operation accomplished was the destruction of 200–300 of their own irreplaceable carrier planes and the loss of experienced naval aviators. This degradation of the Japanese aircraft carrier air fleet led to preparations by the US Navy to start the Marianas campaign a few months later. Also, the Admiralty Islands campaign was conducted starting in late February after
3510-552: The United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress , July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Colonel (Infantry) Walter Krueger (ASN: 0-1531), United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. Colonel Krueger served as Assistant in
3588-587: The United States as a boy. He enlisted for service in the Spanish–American War and served in Cuba, and then re-enlisted for service in the Philippine–American War . He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1901. In 1914 he was posted to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard . His regiment was mobilized on 23 June 1916 and served along the Mexican border. After the United States commenced hostilities with Germany in April 1917, Krueger
3666-501: The United States to be near her uncle in St. Louis, Missouri . Walter was then eight years old. In St. Louis, Anna married Emil Carl Schmidt, a Lutheran minister. The family subsequently settled in Madison, Indiana . Krueger was tutored by his stepfather, educated in the public schools of Madison, and completed high school at Madison's Upper Seminary. As a teenager, he wanted to become
3744-698: The United States. He traveled to the Panama Canal Zone in January 1923 to report on the state of the defenses there. After he returned, he was assigned to the Joint Army and Navy Planning Committee, an organ of the Joint Army and Navy Board responsible for coordinating war plans between the two services. While with the Joint Planning Committee, he worked on War Plan Orange, the plan for a war with Japan, and War Plan Tan, for
3822-519: The Wakde-Sarmi project lest his troops become stranded without adequate air cover. A shortage of shipping meant that the operation had to be carried out by the troops in the Hollandia area, so Krueger nominated the 163rd Regimental Combat Team for Wakde, while the rest of the 41st Infantry Division captured Sarmi. However, with only days to go, doubts surfaced about the viability of construction in
3900-462: The attack on New Britain, with a joint Army-Navy reconnaissance team raised issues of inter-service cooperation. The Navy was mainly interested in gathering hydrographic data rather than information on the state of the Japanese defenders. Because of a breakdown in communications, the PT boat that was supposed to collect the team was unable to rendezvous with it, and the team had to spend eleven more days on
3978-572: The attention of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army , Major General Leonard Wood , and was widely read. With the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, Krueger was offered a post as an observer with the German Army but was forced to turn it down due to familial commitments. Instead, he was posted to the 10th Infantry of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard . The regiment was mobilized on 23 June 1916 and served along
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#17327798412894056-626: The command of Colonel Frederick W. Bradshaw, whom Krueger had first encountered during the Louisiana maneuvers. The top graduates of the six-week training course were assigned to the Alamo Scouts; the other graduates were returned to their units where they could be used for similar work. By the end of the war, Alamo Scouts teams had conducted 106 missions. In what became a standard procedure in SWPA, MacArthur's General Headquarters (GHQ) nominated
4134-545: The concept applied to use of Soviet Tank Armies . Walter Krueger Walter Krueger (26 January 1881 – 20 August 1967) was an American soldier and general officer in the first half of the 20th century. He commanded the Sixth United States Army in the South West Pacific Area during World War II . He rose from the rank of private to general in the United States Army. Born in Flatow , West Prussia , German Empire , Krueger emigrated to
4212-412: The decision was made to bypass and isolate Rabaul rather than attempting to capture the base and to attack Kavieng instead. Soon afterward, the decision was made to bypass Kavieng as well. Although initially objected to by MacArthur, the bypassing of Rabaul instead of its neutralisation meant that his Elkton plan had been achieved, and after invading Saidor he then moved into his Reno Plan, an advance across
4290-460: The fast pace of MacArthur's strategy with the more cautious approach of managing subordinates who often found themselves confronted by unexpectedly large numbers of Japanese troops. In 1945 at the Battle of Luzon , Krueger faced the Japanese army under Tomoyuki Yamashita and Krueger outmaneuvered his enemies like he had in the 1941 exercises. This was Krueger's largest, longest, and final battle. Krueger retired to San Antonio, Texas , where he bought
4368-419: The first day. After inspecting the beachhead, they went to the USS Nashville for ice cream sodas, whereupon MacArthur suggested, in view of the victory at Hollandia, they could accelerate the campaign timetable by moving on to Wakde - Sarmi immediately. Krueger was willing to consider the idea, although he had already ordered the troops designated for Wakde-Sarmi, the 32nd Infantry Division, to reinforce
4446-468: The island. Finally, the Navy tried to prevent the Army commander from briefing Alamo Force headquarters on what had occurred. Krueger decided that he needed to have his own strategic reconnaissance capability. In November 1943, he formed the Alamo Scouts as a special unit for reconnaissance and raiding. An Alamo Scouts Training Center for volunteers was established on Fergusson Island , not far from Alamo Force's headquarters on Goodenough Island , under
4524-673: The movement of units of Major General Innis P. Swift 's 1st Cavalry Division to the Admiralty Islands in response to urgent pleas from Brigadier General William C. Chase , who managed to defeat the numerically superior Japanese forces. Krueger was unimpressed with Chase. "His task", Krueger wrote to Swift, "was undoubtedly a difficult one, but did not, in my judgment, warrant the nervousness apparent in some of his despatches. This, and his failure to obey repeated positive orders to furnish detailed information of his situation and his losses, his closing his radio station during long periods, and his evident ignorance that reinforcements could not reach him by
4602-399: The north coast of New Guinea to Mindanao . The campaign, which stretched into 1944, showed the effectiveness of a strategy of avoiding major concentrations of enemy forces and instead aiming to sever the Japanese lines of supply and communication. The Japanese Navy decided to try to save Rabaul by sending hundreds of airplanes from aircraft carriers based at Truk in December 1943 to counter
4680-441: The objectives, set the target date, and allocated the troops to the operation, leaving Alamo Force to work out the details. MacArthur was not inflexible, however, and allowed Krueger to alter the staging areas, and postpone the operation by a month. Krueger's concerns about the possibility of high casualties in securing the Gasmata area, and doubts as to whether the area was suitable for airbase development, led to it being dropped as
4758-505: The occupation of Woodlark and Kiriwina Islands in June 1943. Despite the fact that the operation was unopposed by the Japanese, it was subject to delays. Krueger visited Kiriwina, where road work and airbase development were held up by heavy rains, on 11 July. He was dissatisfied with the rate of progress and relieved the task force commander. The arrival of additional engineers sped up the base development effort, and No. 79 Squadron RAAF commenced operations from Kiriwina on 18 August. He
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#17327798412894836-417: The position at Aitape, where he expected a major Japanese counterattack. Eichelberger was vehemently opposed, and the matter was dropped. Krueger moved his headquarters to Hollandia in May 1944. The swampy area with its restricted anchorages proved unsuitable for a major airbase complex, although fighter strips were constructed, and it was developed as a staging area. MacArthur was compelled to press on with
4914-433: The same role with IV Corps on occupation duty in Germany , advancing to the rank of temporary colonel . His stay was short, however, as IV Corps was also broken up in May, although his somewhat brief service had given Krueger experience in dealing with larger units and formations. For his services in the war, he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal in 1919. The citation for his DSM reads: The President of
4992-487: The times he demanded, were not calculated to inspire confidence." Over the next few months, the tempo of operations increased, forcing the Sixth Army to plan and execute multiple operations simultaneously. Operations Reckless and Persecution in April 1944 together comprised the largest operation yet in SWPA, with the 24th and 41st Infantry Divisions of Lieutenant General Robert L. Eichelberger 's I Corps landing at Tanahmerah and Humboldt bays near Hollandia , while
5070-751: The unopposed seizure of the Russell Islands ( Operation Cleanslate ) on 21 February 1943, resulted in Japanese attempts to reinforce the area by sea. MacArthur's air forces countered in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea from 2–5 March 1943. The disastrous losses suffered by the Japanese prompted Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto to initiate Operation I-Go , a series of air attacks against Allied airfields and shipping at both Guadalcanal and New Guinea, which ultimately resulted in his death on 18 April 1943. On 12 February 1943 MacArthur presented Elkton III , his revised plan for taking Rabaul before 1944. It called for him to attack northeastern New Guinea and western New Britain and for Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. , commander of
5148-526: The war, and he argued that much of the German Army's effectiveness was attributable to its system of decentralized command . Krueger urged that American commanders in the field should be given wider latitude in carrying out their orders. From 1922 to 1925, Krueger served in the War Plans Division of the War Department General Staff in Washington, DC . Krueger worked on the United States color-coded war plans , particularly War Plan Green, for another war with Mexico, and War Plan Blue, for another civil war in
5226-438: The whole purpose of the operation. The next operation, the Admiralty Islands campaign in February 1944, played out differently. Based on Fifth Air Force reports that the islands were unoccupied, MacArthur accelerated his timetable and ordered an immediate reconnaissance in force of the islands. Krueger sent in the Alamo Scouts, who confirmed that the islands were still well-defended. Krueger did what he could to accelerate
5304-423: The wider conflict. The scope of military operations can be: Parallel to and reflecting this framework for operations are organized elements within the armed forces which prepare for and conduct operations at various levels of war . While there is a general correlation between the size of units , the area within which they operate, and the scope of mission they perform, the correlation is not absolute. In fact, it
5382-521: Was also concerned by reports of the invasion of Kiska in the Aleutian Islands in August 1943, in which a large Allied force invaded an island that had already been evacuated by the Japanese. If this could happen, it was also possible that a force might attack where the Japanese were unexpectedly strong. Different levels of command sometimes came up with widely varying estimates of Japanese strength because they used different methods to estimate it. An attempt to obtain information for Operation Dexterity ,
5460-468: Was assigned to the 84th Infantry Division as its Assistant Chief of Staff G-3 (Operations), and then its chief of staff. In February 1918, he was sent to Langres to attend the American Expeditionary Forces General Staff School, and in October 1918, he became chief of staff of the Tank Corps . Between the wars, Krueger served in a number of command and staff positions, and attended the Naval War College at his own request. In 1941, he assumed command of
5538-419: Was born on 24 January 1913. Both James and Walter Jr. attended the United States Military Academy , James graduating with the class of 1926, and Walter Jr. with the class of 1931. Dorothy married an army officer, Aubrey D. Smith, of the class of 1930. In 1904, Krueger attended the Infantry-Cavalry School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas , and upon completing the course was chosen as a Distinguished Graduate. This
5616-776: Was created to control units of the Third Army engaged in large scale maneuvers in 1940, in which Krueger's IX Corps conducted a series of mock battles against Walter Short 's IV Corps . On 27 June, Krueger became commander of the VIII Corps . On 16 May 1941, he was promoted to lieutenant general , in command of the Third Army. He also became commander of the Southern Defense Command on 16 July 1941. Krueger asked for—and got—Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower assigned to him as his chief of staff. The Louisiana Maneuvers pitted Krueger's Third Army against Lieutenant General Ben Lear 's Second Army . The maneuvers were
5694-752: Was followed by the Command and General Staff College in 1907. He then joined the 23rd Infantry at Fort Ontario , New York. After a second tour in the Philippines, he returned to the United States in June 1909, and was assigned to Department of Languages at Fort Leavenworth as an instructor in Spanish, French and German, which he could speak fluently. He also taught National Guard officers at Camp Benjamin Harrison , Indiana, and Pine Camp , New York. He published translations of several German military texts, most notably William Balck 's Tactics . The book attracted
5772-851: Was handled by the United States Army Forces in the Far East . Although there was only one army staff, Alamo Force was in New Guinea while the main body of Sixth Army headquarters was in Brisbane until February 1944, when the two were finally brought together. They still had a dual role as Alamo Force and Sixth Army until September, when Alamo Force was discontinued and the Sixth Army became directly responsible for operations. The geographical, engineering and logistical difficulties of conducting operations in SWPA were driven home by Alamo Force's first operation, Operation Chronicle ,
5850-622: Was promoted to the permanent rank of major the next day. He attended the Army War College , graduating in 1921, and remaining for a year as an instructor, where he taught such classes as the "Art of Command". He paid a four-month visit to Germany in 1922 as part of the War College's Historical Section, during which he examined documents related to World War I in the German War Archives. These informed his lectures on
5928-524: Was replaced by Brigadier General Edwin D. Patrick , who had served on the staff of Admiral William F. Halsey in the South Pacific Area . Patrick did not get along smoothly with Krueger or the rest of the Sixth Army staff, and in May 1944 Patrick was appointed to command the 158th Regimental Combat Team , and Decker became chief of staff. Command in the Southwest Pacific Area was complicated. Instead of operations being conducted by
6006-671: Was to take Kiriwina, Woodlark, and Cape Gloucester . The land forces would be supported by Allied air units under Lieutenant General George Kenney and naval units under Vice Admiral Arthur S. Carpender . In the midst of Operation Cartwheel, the Joint Chiefs met with President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at the Quadrant Conference in Quebec City in August 1943. There,
6084-430: Was transferred, Krueger replaced him with Colonel George B. Honnen. Krueger wrote to a friend that: There's nothing that I should like better than to have a command at the front. I should love to try to "rommel" Rommel . However, I am sure that younger men will be selected for tasks of that nature, in fact for all combat commands. I shall be 62 this coming January [1943], and though I am in perfect health, can stand
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