Bougainville (LHA 8) is the second ship named for the Bougainville campaign, a series of land and naval battles on the South Pacific island of the same name.
The island of Bougainville is a culturally diverse 3,600 square-mile area in Papua New Guinea that is currently the largest of the Solomon Islands.
Reduction of the main Japanese base at Rabaul, also in Papua New Guinea, was the ultimate goal of the Allied offensive when Operation Cartwheel launched. By 1943, Rabaul was already within range of allied heavy bombers, but a closer air base was needed for light bombers and escort fighters. The campaign was carried out in two phases between 1943-1945, ending after air bases in Bougainville allowed 85 tons of bombs to be dropped at Rabaul.
The first ship named for the campaign, USS Bougainville (CVE 100), was a Navy escort carrier that served from 1944-1946 supporting the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, she was sold for scrap in 1960.
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