ABSTRACT
In San Francisco in early July 1942, Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner was rushing to finalize a project on three days' notice for the first offensive thrust of the US Navy since the Spanish-American War of 1898. In view of its importance for the landmark Guadalcanal campaign, the Koro rehearsal deserves greater attention in the literature. While the operation was recognized as bungled, the responsible Navy and Marine Corps Task Force commanders noted the numerous near-disasters, identified the causes, and took steps to correct faulty execution. Since 1933, with the establishment of the Fleet Marine Force as an integral part of the US Fleet, the Marine Corps had been perfecting the doctrine and practice of amphibious warfare for the role. Fiji was a practical location for all involved force commanders to receive copies of the highly secret rehearsal plan and to hold discussions on the Guadalcanal-Tulagi operation.
