The isolation of Rabaul permitted MacArthur to turn his attention westward and commence his drive along the north coast of New Guinea toward the Philippines.

In February 1943, General MacArthur had presented the US Joint Chiefs of Staff with his Elkton Plan for an advance on the Japanese stronghold of Rabaul.

[1] The Allied victory in the Admiralty Islands campaign in March 1944 prompted the Joint Chiefs of Staff to consider accelerating the tempo of operations in the Pacific.

On 5 March 1944, armed with detailed information about Japanese deployments and intentions as a result of the capture of Japanese cryptographic materials in the Battle of Sio, MacArthur recommended omitting the proposed attack on Hansa Bay in favor of moving further up the coast of New Guinea to Hollandia.

Nimitz felt that as a result of the Battle of Eniwetok, Truk itself would soon be under constant attack and the flow of aircraft to Rabaul would be cut off.

Noble, who was also slated to become island commander, was given a small staff created from I Amphibious Corps and 3rd Marine Division personnel.

An air command was organized for Emirau under Colonel William L. McKittrick from the larger one intended for the Kavieng operation.

A covering force under Rear Admiral Robert M. Griffin, consisting of the battleships New Mexico, Mississippi, Idaho and Tennessee, accompanied by the escort carriers Manila Bay and Natoma Bay, and 15 destroyers, carried out part of the original Kavieng plan—the bombardment of Kavieng and the surrounding area.

The Marines of the two assault battalions, the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 4th Marines, traveled on nine high speed transports (APDs) while the remainder of the force were on the dock landing ships (LSDs) Epping Forest, Gunston Hall and Lindenwald, and the attack transport (APA) Callaway.

The LVTs were launched, and the assault troops transferred to the amphibious tractors using the APDs' boats, supplemented by those from Callaway while Vought F4U Corsairs of VMF-218 flew overhead to make a last-minute check of the island for any signs of the Japanese.

The reserve 3rd Battalion's boats grounded on the reef soon afterwards, and its marines waded ashore through knee deep water.

[13] While the detachment sent to occupy Elomusao Island was approaching the beach, some supposed opposition caused the amphibious tractors and then a destroyer to open fire, and a man was wounded by a shell fragment.

However, the natives informed the marines that the Japanese had left Emirau two months before and only a small detachment remained on Mussau Island.

[6] Intelligence reports indicated that there were Japanese fuel and ration dumps on Mussau, and a radio station on a nearby island, so on 23 March these areas were shelled by destroyers.

On the 27th, a destroyer intercepted a large canoe carrying Japanese troops about 40 miles (64 km) south of Mussau.

The 63rd assisted at the sawmill and worked on the roads, camps, harbor facilities, warehouses, magazines and avgas dumps.

[17] In August, General MacArthur directed that responsibility for garrisoning Emirau would be transferred to the Australian Army.

[20] Marine Aircraft Group 12 operated from Emirau until December, when it moved to Leyte; its place was taken by squadrons of the RNZAF.