Figure 1.--This is believed to be children from St. Joan of Arc school in Sigatoka. They were visited by Father Brock , a chaplain assigned to the Americal Division reciuperating on Fiji after the Guadalcanal campaign.

The Japanese Midway disaster (June 1942) significantly reduced the striking power of the Imperial Fleet. This meant that operatiin FS coulkd not be pursued and Fiji was beyond thecvreach of thevJapanese. The American Pacific Fleet proved to have just enough naval power to prevent the Japanese from moving beyond the Solomons until new naval construction in American shipysrds would fundamentally change the balance of naval power. Fiji became an important support base for the Matrines on Guadalcanal and the completion of the of Solomons Cartwheel campaign drawing rings around Rabaul. In addition, the United States garrisoned Fiji with 10,000 well-equipped Marines. A Japanese invasion would not have faced the small, poorly equipped force they found on Wake and Guam immediately after Pearl Harbor. The Fijian islands served to establish barracks, training fields, and an an important airfield for the Allies. The Americal/182nd Regiment Division was pulled out of Guadalcanal to recuperate and train on Fiji with its more beniugn climate (March 1943). They would be next recommitted to Bougainville.

Created: 2:38 AM 2/6/2021
Last updated: 2:39 AM 2/6/2021