AirSols was a combined, joint command of Allied air units in the

Solomon Islands campaign The Solomon Islands campaign was a major military campaign, campaign of the Pacific War during World War II. The campaign began with the Empire of Japan, Japanese seizure of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville Island, B ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, from April 1943 to June 1944. It was subordinate to the Allied but U.S.-led Commander,

South Pacific Area The South Pacific Area (SOPAC) was a multinational U.S.-led military command active during World War II. It was a part of the U.S. Pacific Ocean Areas under Admiral Chester Nimitz. The delineation and establishment of the Pacific Ocean Areas wa ...

, itself part of

Pacific Ocean Areas Pacific Ocean Areas (POA) was a major Allied military command in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands during the Pacific War and one of three United States commands in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. ...

. AirSols superseded and absorbed the Cactus Air Force, which controlled Allied air units in the Solomons during 1942–43. AirSols was made up of

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

(USN),

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

(USMC), the

Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF; ) is the aerial warfare, aerial military service, service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed initially in 1923 as a branch of the New Zealand Army, being known as the New Zealand Perm ...

(RNZAF) and the

Thirteenth Air Force The Thirteenth Expeditionary Air Force (13 EAF) is a provisional numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base, Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam on the island of Oahu, ...

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(USAAF) forces. The Allied fliers were opposed by the Japanese

11th Air Fleet The was a grouping of naval aviation and surface units. Assignments and Components Commanders Chiefs of Staff Notes References * {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Fleets of the Imperial Japanese Navy Units of the Imperial Japanese N ...

and Fourth Air Army based at

Rabaul Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province ...

New Britain New Britain () is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi Island, Umboi the Dampie ...

. "Commander, Aircraft, Solomons" (ComAirSols) directed the combat operations of all land-based air forces in the Solomons during the major Allied offensive of 1943–44,

Operation Cartwheel Operation Cartwheel (1943 – 1944) was a major military operation undertaken by the Allies in the Pacific theatre of World War II. The ultimate goal of Cartwheel was to neutralize the major Japanese base at Rabaul. The operation was di ...

. Discussing the initial command structure of AirSols, Marine Corps historians Henry I. Shaw and Douglas T. Kane, wrote: On 15 June 1944, AirSols was replaced by AirNorSols (Air North Solomons), which would have 40 squadrons (including 23 USMC squadrons). That same day, responsibility for Allied units west of 159° East Longitude and south of the Equator passed from POA to the

South West Pacific Area South West Pacific Area (SWPA) was the name given to the Allied supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands in the Pacific War. SWPA included the Philippines, Borneo, the ...

(SWPA). However, seven USAAF squadrons in AirNorSols were transferred, as part of the

, to the U.S. Far East Air Forces (SWPA) and eight USN and RNZAF squadrons were moved to garrison duty in South Pacific.

Subordinate units

USN

* VB-11 * VF-17

USMC

2nd Marine Aircraft Wing The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW) is the major East Coast of the United States, east coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps and is headquartered in Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. The Wing provides the ...

Marine Aircraft Group 23 Marine Aviation Training Support Group 23 (MATSG-23) is a United States Marine Corps aviation training group originally established during World War II as Marine Aircraft Group 23 (MAG-23). Squadrons from MAG-23, augmented by Navy and Army fl ...

** VMF-214 ** VMF-223

USAAF

* 18th Fighter Group * 347th Fighter Group *

4th Reconnaissance Group The 4th Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Thirteenth Air Force and was stationed at Clark Field, Philippines. It was inactivated on 15 January 1946. The unit operated P-38/F-4 Lightning p ...

* 5th Bombardment Group * 42nd Bombardment Group * 307th Bombardment Group *

419th Night Fighter Squadron The 419th Night Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Thirteenth Air Force, being inactivated at Floridablanca, Luzon on 20 February 1947. The unit was formed in 1943. After training, it was ...

RNZAF

* No. 1 (Islands) Group ** No. 14 Squadron RNZAF ** No. 15 Squadron RNZAF

Commanders

* Rear Admiral Charles P. Mason, USN: February 15, 1943 - April 1, 1943 * Rear Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, USN: April 1, 1943 - July 25, 1943 * Brigadier General Nathan Twining, USAF: July 25, 1943 - November 20, 1943 * Major General Ralph J. Mitchell, USMC: November 20, 1943 - March 15, 1944 * Major General Hubert R. Harmon, USAF: March 15, 1944 - April 20, 1944 * Brigadier General

Field Harris Field Harris CBE (September 18, 1895 – December 21, 1967) was a highly decorated lieutenant general in the United States Marine Corps, who commanded the Marine Aviation Units during World War II and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing during the Korean ...

, USMC: April 20, 1944 - May 31, 1944 * Brigadier General James T. Moore, USMC: May 31, 1944 - June 15, 1944Shaw 1963, 528 (A full list of commanders can be seen at James A. Winnefeld, Joint Air Operations: Pursuit of Unity in Command and Control, 1942–1991, 34, drawing on Sherrod, 1952.)

References

Notes

Books

* * * *

Web

* * Account of U.S. Marine involvement in air war over Solomon Islands and Rabaul. * * *
Air War Against Japan, 1943–1945 (RAAF)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Airsols Air units and formations of the United States Navy Allied air commands of World War II Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations disestablished in 1944