Smoke Generator in a Dukw, Milne Bay

By mid-1943 the Japanese were raiding Goodenough Island regularly and Milne Bay, New Guinea, occasionally. The theater proceeded with its plans to station the two smoke generator units temporarily at Milne Bay where they could be adapted to island employment and 

In June 1944 the commanding general, USASOS, recommended to General MacArthur the employment of smoke generator units during the early stages of an amphibious operation for screening supply dumps 

Early in September 1944, and before any decision was reached on the control of the smoke units, a group of Sixth Army officers witnessed a smoke demonstration at Lae which featured the recently arrived M2 mechanical generator, smaller and more economical and efficient than its predecessor. Without exception, the officers were most enthusiastic about the capabilities of the new mechanical gen- 

6th Infantry Division, asked Col. Harold Riegelman, Chemical Officer, I Corps, whether any smoke troops were available to screen river crossings. The answer was in the absence of smoke units ground troops would continue to rely on mortar smoke shell and smoke pots for that type of mission.  

Another possible mission for large area screening, the concealment of airfields, was beginning to take shape in the Pacific Ocean Areas. 

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