The Bougainville campaign was fought by the Allies in the South Pacific during World War II to regain control of the island of Bougainville from the Japanese forces who had occupied it in 1942. During their occupation the Japanese constructed naval aircraft bases in the north, east, and south of the island; but none in the west. These bases helped protect Rabaul, the major Japanese garrison and naval base in Papua New Guinea, while allowing continued expansion to the south-east, down the Solomon Islands chain, to Guadalcanal.
The Allied campaign, which had two distinct phases, began on 1 November 1943 and ended on 21 August 1945, with the surrender of the Japanese.
The photo on the lower left of the loading screen shows admiral Yamamoto saluting pilots at Rabaul in April, 1943. The US military shot down the two Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bombers either of which Yamato was onboard in the vicinity of Bougainville Island.
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