The battle took place on 8–9 November 1943 during the Bougainville campaign of the Pacific War in the days following the US landings at Cape Torokina earlier in the month.

These troops subsequently clashed with a blocking force of US Marines that had been positioned along the Piva Trail to protect one of the key avenues of approach towards Cape Torokina.

The fighting for the Piva Trail resulted in heavy casualties for the Japanese and was followed by a series of actions throughout November and December 1943 as US forces sought to expand their perimeter around Cape Torokina.

In early November 1943, US forces had landed around Cape Torokina and established a beachhead, as part of Allied efforts to advance towards the main Japanese base around Rabaul, the isolation and reduction of which was a key objective of Operation Cartwheel.

[6] The Japanese intent had been to coordinate actions on both sides of the US perimeter, but ultimately the landing around Koromokina Lagoon was defeated before the 23rd Infantry Regiment could mount a full-scale attack against the Marine defenses along the Piva Trail.

[11] Major General Allen H. Turnage, in command of the 3rd Marine Division, determined that the Japanese lodged on the trail represented a threat to the airstrips and had to be removed, with the assault beginning on the morning of 9 November.

Private First Class Henry Gurke of the 3rd Marine Raider Battalion was awarded the second Medal of Honor of the Bougainville campaign during this fight by throwing himself on a grenade and saving his foxhole-mate.

[13] On 10 November, an air strike consisting of 12 Avenger torpedo bombers attacked Japanese positions in front of the Marines along the Numa-Numa Trail.

[19] After this, there was a lull in the fighting on Bougainville as the Japanese decided to delay plans to launch a concerted counterattack, postponing the assault on Torokina until March 1944.