Arranging Operations: General Douglas MacArthur in New Guinea 1942-1943
Abstract
With the Army's renewed focus on Large Scale Combat Operations against a peer threat, past instances deserve to be studied. The current concept of arranging operations and other elements of operational design can be overlaid on these historical examples to examine their use and effectiveness. This monograph studies how General Douglas MacArthur arranged operations and incorporated other aspects of operational design in two campaigns in the Southwest Pacific Area. The first case study is of the Papuan Campaign, a slow, costly operation resulting in the seizure of Buna, Gona, and Sanananda on the north coast of New Guinea. This was the first Allied ground victory in the Pacific. The second case study covers Operation Cartwheel and MacArthur's fight to secure the Huon Peninsula. Both operations occurred during the Solomon Islands Campaign, which added complexity as all competed for resources and required coordination and cooperation. The findings of this monograph show that MacArthur was a successful operational artist, integrating ends, ways, and means while balancing risk able to arrange tactical actions and achieve operational results.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 23, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1083545
Entities
People
- Daniel J. Malik
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College