Operation Chronicle was the Allied invasion of Woodlark and Kiriwina Islands, in the South West Pacific, during World War II.

[7] Initial planning for the seizure of Woodlark and Kiriwina was undertaken in May 1943 at General Walter Krueger's Sixth Army headquarters in Brisbane, Australia.

General Douglas MacArthur gave command of the landings to Krueger as well as responsibility for the co-ordination of ground, air, and naval planning.

This force was focused upon the mainland where it was attempting to defend a broad area between Wewak, Madang, Finschhafen, Salamaua and Lae, while also preparing to carry out offensive operations around Wau, its surrounds and in the Markham and Sepik Valleys.

[9] In total 16,800 Allied personnel were assigned to the operation, with the majority of ground troops coming from Krueger's Sixth Army, which had been designated as Alamo Force.

Due to a delay in gathering the units assigned to the operation together, as they were spread across the north of Australia and New Guinea, D-Day was set for 30 June 1943.

[12] In the interim, an RAAF radar unit was established on Kiriwina in May,[13] while the landings were timed to take place in conjunction with similar operations at Nassau Bay, in New Guinea, and on Rendova, in New Georgia.

Krueger and Barbey chose this approach to test their amphibious tactics and as a precaution in case the landings were opposed.

73 Wing RAAF with three fighter squadrons was transferred to Goodenough Island to provide air defence for the region.

[16] An advance party of 112th Cavalry Regiment under the command of Major D. M. McMains, left Milne Bay at 16:00 on 22 June 1943 aboard the destroyer transports Brooks and Humphreys bound for Woodlark.

[18][19] The 158th Infantry Regiment's advance party, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Floyd G. Powell, departed Milne Bay at 18:10 on 23 June aboard the returned Brooks and Humphreys.

[18] On 30 June, 2,250 troops of Kiriwina Force, led by Colonel J. Prugh Herndon, consisting of the 158th Infantry Regiment (less the 2d Battalion) the 148th Field Artillery Battalion with other artillery, engineer, ordnance, medical, antiaircraft, and quartermaster troops departed Milne Bay aboard twelve LCIs.

The LCIs coming ashore became grounded several hundred yards short of the beach, and only one of the LCTs was able to pass over the sandbar that lay offshore.

Subsequent waves were diverted to the northern shore, where a coral causeway had been constructed by the advance party to aid the unloading of vehicles.

A supply echelon arrived on 30 June consisting of twelve LCTs and seven LCMs, having laid up overnight at Goodenough Island, and having been screened by other four destroyers and the Australian survey ship Benalla.

[20][19] Except for reconnaissance flights and two small bombing attacks against Woodlark, the Japanese took no further action in relation to the occupation of the islands.

[22] Due to the modest scale of the Japanese air attacks, the three Australian fighter squadrons at Goodenough Island were not required, much to the surprise of their pilots.

With heavy rains hindering construction, Krueger became unhappy with the progress of the works and replaced Herndon in command of Kiriwina Force with Colonel John T. Murray.

Nevertheless, Morison argues that the landings were successfully undertaken and served the purpose of providing the Allied amphibious forces with the opportunity to test theories and gain experience that would prove vital later in the war.