Project Gutenberg 2015-04-27 Public domain in the USA. 376 Chapin, John C. (John Carsten) 1920 2008 Chapin, John Carsten Top of the Ladder: Marine Operations in the Northern Solomons Marines in World War II, Commemorative Series Produced by Brian Coe, Charlie Howard, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) "Top of the Ladder: Marine Operations in the Northern Solomons" by Captain John C. Chapin is a historical account chronicling U.S. Marine Corps operations during World War II, specifically in the Northern Solomon Islands. Written in the late 20th century, the work focuses on the 1943 Bougainville campaign, detailing the strategic and tactical challenges faced by the Marines. The narrative highlights the pivotal moments of the campaign, which aimed to secure Bougainville as a key position against Japanese forces. The opening of this military history sets the stage for the Bougainville assault, beginning with the Marines' early morning preparations on November 1, 1943. Captain Chapin describes the tense atmosphere as nearly 7,500 Marines prepared to land under enemy fire, blackness giving way to a chaotic scene on the beaches. Initial attempts were met with confusion and fierce Japanese resistance, leading to significant challenges, including landing craft mishaps and critical misfires impacting the assault. Key figures, including Major Donald M. Schmuck and Sergeant Robert A. Owens, emerge amid the chaos, showcasing bravery and leadership through the harrowing battle that unfolded as the Marines pushed further inland despite relentless enemy fire and treacherous terrain. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 62.6 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en United States. Marine Corps -- History -- World War, 1939-1945 World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Solomon Islands Solomon Islands -- History, Military D731 Text World War II Category: History - American Category: History - Modern (1750+) Category: History - Warfare 167880 2025-08-19T13:45:14.601154 text/html 139834 2024-10-24T17:20:47 text/html 3428645 2025-08-19T13:45:20.515109 application/epub+zip 3427881 2025-08-19T13:45:16.442171 application/epub+zip 155442 2025-08-19T13:45:15.537119 application/epub+zip 3476180 2025-08-19T13:45:23.497075 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 3443988 2025-08-19T13:45:19.684111 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 178614 2022-09-22T07:05:48.988368 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 132849 2025-08-19T13:45:14.022159 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 112866 2024-10-24T17:20:47 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17362 2025-08-19T13:45:23.638074 application/rdf+xml 17553 2025-08-19T13:45:15.633119 image/jpeg 2995 2025-08-19T13:45:15.588105 image/jpeg 3116716 2025-08-19T13:45:14.732177 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog