Battle of Arawe
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Arawe was a battle during the New Britain Campaign of World War II
. This campaign formed part of Operation Cartwheel
and had the objective of isolating the key Japanese
base at Rabaul
. Arawe was attacked on 15 December 1943 by U.S. and Australian forces to secure an advanced base on the southern coast of New Britain
and was secured after a month of fighting.
launched a major offensive—designated Operation Cartwheel—aimed at capturing the major Japanese base at Rabaul
on the eastern tip of New Britain. During the next five months, Australian and U.S. forces—under the overall command of General Douglas MacArthur
—advanced along the north coast of eastern New Guinea, capturing Lae
and the Huon Peninsula
in September. U.S. forces under the command of Admiral William Halsey, Jr.
simultaneously advanced through the Solomon Islands
from Guadalcanal
and established an air base at Bougainville
in November. Plans for Operation Cartwheel were amended in August 1943 when the British and United States Combined Chiefs of Staff
approved the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff's
proposal that Rabaul be isolated rather than captured.
The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters
assessed the strategic situation in the South-West Pacific in late September 1943 and concluded that the Allies would attempt to break through the northern Solomon Islands and Bismark Archipelago in the coming months en route to Japan's inner perimeter in the western and central pacific. Accordingly, reinforcements were dispatched to strategic locations in the area in an attempt to slow the Allied advance. Strong forces were retained at Rabaul, however, as it was believed that the Allies would attack the town. At the time Japanese positions in western New Britain were limited to airfields at Cape Gloucester
on the island's western tip and several small way stations used by supply barge
s travelling between Rabaul and New Guinea.
On 22 September 1943, General MacArthur's General Headquarters (GHQ) directed General Walter Krueger
's Alamo Force to secure western New Britain and the surrounding islands. The goals of this operation were to establish air and PT boat
bases which could be used to further reduce the Japanese forces at Rabaul and secure the straits between New Guinea and New Britain to allow convoys to pass through it en-route to operations along New Guinea's north coast and beyond. To this end, GHQ planned to capture Cape Gloucester
at the western end of New Britain and Gasmata
on the island's southern coast. The veteran 1st Marine Division was selected for the Cape Gloucester operation.
Senior Allied commanders disagreed over whether it was necessary to land forces in western New Britain. Major General George Kenney
—commander of the Allied air forces in the South-West Pacific—opposed the landings, arguing that it was not necessary to establish an air base at Cape Gloucester as the existing bases in New Guinea and surrounding islands were adequate to support the planned future landings in the region. Vice Admiral Arthur S. Carpender
—commander of the 7th Fleet
—and Rear Admiral Daniel E. Barbey
—commander of the Task Force 76
(TF 76)—were in favor of securing Cape Gloucester to secure both sides of the straits, but opposed the landing at Gasmata as it was too close to the Japanese air bases at Rabaul. In response to Kenney and the Navy's concerns and intelligence reports that the Japanese had reinforced their garrison at Gasmata, the landing there was cancelled in early November.
On 21 November, a conference between GHQ, Kenney, Carpender and Barbey was held in Brisbane
at which it was decided to land a small force in the Arawe area to establish a PT boat base and create a diversion before the main landing at Cape Gloucester. This landing had three goals; firstly to divert Japanese attention away from Cape Gloucester, secondly to establish a defensive perimeter and make contact with the marines once they landed and thirdly to establish a base for PT boats. It was intended that PT boats operating from the base would disrupt Japanese barge traffic along the southern shore of New Britain and protect the Allied naval forces at Cape Gloucester from attack.
The Arawe area lies on the south coast of New Britain about 100 mi (86.9 nmi; 160.9 km) from the island's western tip. Its main geographical feature is Cape Merkus, which ends in the 'L'-shaped Arawe Peninsula. Several small islands called the Arawe islands lie to the south-west of the Cape. In late 1943, the Arawe Peninsula was covered by the Amalut Plantation and the terrain inland from the peninsula and on its offshore islands was swampy. Most of the shoreline in the area comprises limestone cliffs. There was a small unused airfield 4 mi (6.4 km) east of the neck of the Arawe Peninsula and a coastal trail leading east from Cape Merkus to the Pulie River where it split into tracks running inland and along the coast. The terrain to the west of the peninsula was a trackless region of swamp and jungle which was very difficult for troops to move through. Several of the beaches in the area were suitable for landing craft; the best were House Fireman on the peninsula's west coast and the village of Umtingaulu to the east of the peninsula's base.
where it was stripped of all equipment not needed for combat operations. Logistical plans called for the assault echelon to carry 30 days worth of general supplies and enough ammunition for three days of intensive combat. After the landing holdings would be expanded to 60 days of general supplies and six days worth of all categories of ammunition other than anti-aircraft ammunition, for which a 10-day supply was thought necessary. The assault force and its supplies were to be carried in fast ships which could rapidly unload their cargo and leave the area.
The commander of the PT boat force in the South-West Pacific, Morton C. Mumma
, opposed establishing a PT boat base at Arawe, as he had sufficient bases and Japanese barges normally sailed along the north coast of New Britain. He took his concerns to Carpender and Barbey who eventually agreed that he would not be required to establish a base there if he thought it unnecessary. Instead, he assigned six boats from bases at Dreger Harbor in New Guinea and Kiriwina Island
island to operate along the south coast of New Britain east of Arawe each night and asked for only emergency refueling facilities to be established at Arawe.
The Director Task Force's commander—Brigadier General Julian W. Cunningham—issued the orders for the landing on 4 December. Under these plans, the force was to secure the Arawe Peninsula and surrounding islands and establish an outpost on the trail leading to the Pulie River. Once the beachhead was secure, amphibious patrols would be conducted to the west of the peninsula to attempt to make contact with the marines at Cape Gloucester. Two subsidiary landings were planned to take place one hour before dawn and before the main body of the Director Task Force landed at House Fireman Beach on the Arawe Peninsula. One landing would capture Pitoe Island to the Peninsula's south as it was believed that the Japanese had established a radio station and defensive position there which commanded the entrance to Arawe Harbor. The other landing was to be made at Umtingalu to establish a blocking position on the coastal trail east of the peninsula. U.S. Navy members of the planning staff were concerned about the subsidiary landings as a nighttime landing conducted at Lae
in September had proven difficult.
. This regiment had arrived in the Pacific in August 1942 but had not seen combat. It was dismounted and converted to an infantry unit in May 1943 and undertook an unopposed landing at Woodlark Island
on 23 June. The 112th Cavalry Regiment was smaller and more lightly armed than U.S. infantry regiments and had only two battalion
-sized squadrons compared to the three battalions in infantry regiments. The 112th RCT's combat support units were the M2A1 howitzer
-equipped 148th Field Artillery battalion and the 59th Engineer Company. The other combat units of the Director Task Force were the 236th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (Searchlight) less elements, two batteries of the 470th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (Automatic Weapons), A Company, 1st Amphibious Tractor Battalion
and a detachment from the 26th Quartermaster War Dog Platoon. The 2nd Battalion of the 158th Infantry Regiment
was held in reserve to reinforce the Director Task Force if required. Several engineer, medical, ordnance and other support units were scheduled to arrive at Arawe after the landing was completed. Cunningham requested that an 90 mm (3.54 in) anti-aircraft gun-equipped battery be added to the force, but none were available. The U.S. Navy's Beach Party Number 1 also landed with the Director Task Force and was withdrawn once the beachhead was secure.
The Director Task Force was supported by Allied naval and air units. The naval force was drawn from TF 76 and comprised U.S. Navy destroyers (Barbey's flagship), , , , , , , and , a transport group with destroyer transports and , transport ships and , two patrol craft and two submarine chasers and a service group with three LSTs, three tugboat
s and the destroyer tender
. USAAF and RAAF units operating under the Fifth Air Force
would support the landing but only limited air support was to be available after 15 December. Parties of Australian Coastwatchers
on New Britain were also reinforced during September 1943 to provide warning of air attacks from Rabaul bound for the Allied landing sites.
At the time of the Allied landing, Arawe was defended by only a small force, though reinforcements were en route. The Japanese force at Arawe comprised 120 soldiers and sailors organised in two temporary companies drawn from the 51st Division
. The reinforcing units were elements of the 17th Division
, which had been shipped from China to Rabaul during October 1943 to reinforce western New Britain ahead of the expected Allied invasion. The convoy
s carrying the division were attacked by U.S. Navy submarines and USAAF bombers, resulting in 1,173 of its men being killed or wounded. The 1st Battalion, 81st Infantry Regiment was assigned to defend Cape Merkus but didn't depart Rabaul until December, as it needed to be reorganised after suffering casualties when the ship it was travelling on from China was sunk. In addition, two of its rifle companies, most of its heavy machine guns and all its 70 mm (2.76 in) howitzers were retained by the 8th Area Army at Rabaul, leaving the battalion with a strength of just its headquarters, two rifle companies and a machine gun platoon. This battalion—which came under the command of Major Masamitsu Komori—was a four-day march from Arawe when the Allies landed. A company from the 54th Infantry Regiment, some engineers and detachments from other units were also assigned to the Arawe area. The ground forces at Arawe came under the command of General Matsuda, whose headquarters were located near Cape Goucester. The Japanese air units at Rabaul had been greatly weakened in the months prior to the landing at Arawe by prolonged Allied attacks and the transfer of the 7th Air Division to western New Guinea. Nevertheless, the Japanese 11th Air Fleet had 100 fighters and 50 bombers based at Rabaul at the time of the landing at Arawe.
on western New Britain's terrain and the exact location of Japanese forces. To rectify this, Allied aircraft conducted extensive air photography
and small ground patrols were landed by PT boats. A small team from Special Service Unit No. 1
reconnoitered Arawe on the night of 9/10 December and concluded that there were few Japanese troops in the area. This party was detected near the village of Umtingalu, leading the Japanese to strengthen their defenses there.
The Allied air forces began pre-invasion attacks on western New Britain on 13 November. Few attacks were made on the Arawe area, however, in an attempt to achieve tactical surprise. Instead, heavy attacks were made against Gasmata, Ring Ring Plantation, and Lindenhafen Plantation. The Arawe area was struck for the first time on 6 December and again on 8 December; little opposition was encountered on either occasion. It was not until 14 December—the day before the landing—that heavy air attacks on Arawe were conducted. On this day, Allied aircraft flew 273 sorties against targets on New Britain's south coast.
The Director Task Force was concentrated at Goodenough Island in early December 1943. A full-scale rehearsal of the landing was held there which revealed problems with coordinating the waves of boats and demonstrated that some of the force's officers lacked confidence in conducting amphibious operations. There was not sufficient time to conduct further training to rectify these problems, however. The Task Force embarked onto transport ships during the afternoon of 13 December, and the convoy sailed at midnight. It proceeded to Buna
to rendezvous with most of the escorting destroyers and made a feint towards Finschhafen
before turning towards Arawe after dusk on 14 December. The convoy was detected by a Japanese aircraft shortly before it anchored off Arawe at 03:30 on 15 December, and the Japanese 11th Air Fleet at Rabaul began to prepare aircraft to attack it.
and Westralia her landing craft. The two large transports departed for New Guinea at 05:00. The APDs carrying Troops A and B of the 112th Cavalry Regiment closed to within 1000 yd (914.4 m) of Umtingalu and Pilelo island and unloaded the soldiers in rubber boats.
A Troop's attempt to land at Umtingalu was unsuccessful. At about 05:25, the troop came under fire from machine guns, rifles and a 25 mm (0.984251968503937 in) cannon as it was nearing the shore, and all but three of its 15 rubber boats were sunk. Shaw—the destroyer assigned to support the landing—was unable to provide supporting fire until 05:42 as she initially couldn't determine if the soldiers in the water were in her line of fire; once she had a clear shot, she silenced the Japanese positions with two salvos from her 5 in (127 mm) guns. The surviving cavalrymen were rescued by small boats and later landed at House Fireman beach; casualties were 12 killed, four missing and 17 wounded. The troop lost all of its equipment during the landing attempt, and replacement equipment was air dropped into the beachhead during the afternoon of 16 December.
B Troop's landing at Pilelo island was successful. The goal of this operation was to destroy a Japanese radio station believed to be at the village of Paligmete on the island's east coast. While the troop originally intended to make a surprise landing at Paligmete, it switched to the island's west coast after A Troop came under attack. Once ashore the cavalrymen advanced across the island, coming under fire from a small Japanese force at the village of Winguru. After finding Paligmete unoccupied B Troop attacked Winguru, and used bazooka
s and flamethrower
s to destroy the Japanese positions there. One American and seven Japanese were killed in this fighting.
The 2nd Squadron, 112th Cavalry Regiment made the main landing at House Fireman Beach. The landing was delayed by difficulties forming the LVTs into an assault formation and a strong current, and the first wave landed at 07:28 rather than 06:30 as planned. Destroyers bombarded the beach with 1,800 rounds of 5 in ammunition between 06:10 and 06:25 and B-25 Mitchell
s strafed the area once the bombardment concluded. The delays meant that landing area was not under fire as the troops approached the beach, and Japanese machine gunners fired on the LVTs; these were rapidly silenced by rockets fired from and two DUKW
s. The first wave was fortunate to meet little opposition as there were further delays in landing the follow-up waves due to differences in the speeds of the two types of LVTs used. While the four follow-up waves were scheduled to land at five minute intervals after the first wave, the second wave landed 25 minutes after the initial force and the succeeding three waves landed simultaneously 15 minutes later. Within two hours of the landing all the large Allied ships other than Barbey's flagship had departed from Arawe. Conyngham remained in the area to rescue survivors of the landing at Umtingalu and withdraw later that day.
Once ashore, the cavalrymen rapidly secured the Arawe Peninsula. A patrol sent to the peninsula's toe met only scattered resistance from Japanese rear guards. Over 20 Japanese were located in a cave on the east side of the peninsula, and these were killed by E Company and personnel from the Squadron Headquarters. The remaining Japanese units in the area retreated to the east. As a result, the 2nd Squadron reached the peninsula's base in the mid afternoon of Z-Day and began to prepare its Main Line of Resistance
(MLR) there. By the end of the day over 1,600 Allied troops were ashore.
The naval force off Arawe was subjected to a heavy air raid shortly after the landing. At 09:00, eight Aichi D3A
2 "Val" dive bombers escorted by 56 A6M5 Zero fighters evaded the USAAF combat air patrol
(CAP) of 16 P-38 Lightning
s. The Japanese force attacked the recently-arrived first supply echelon, which comprised five LCTs and 14 LCMs, but these ships managed to evade the bombs dropped on them. While the first wave of attackers suffered no losses, at 11:15 four P-38s shot down a Zero and at 18:00 a force of 30 Zeros and 12 Mitsubishi G4M
3 "Betty" and Mitsubishi Ki-21
-II "Sally" bombers was also driven off by four P-38s.
Air attacks on Arawe dropped off after 1 January. From this date most attacks took place at night, and few occurred after 90 mm anti-aircraft guns were established at Arawe on 1 February. These weak attacks did not disrupt the Allied convoys. In the three weeks after the landing, 6287 ST (5,703.5 t) of supplies and 541 guns and vehicles were transported to Arawe. The 3rd Squadron, 112th Cavalry Regiment was transported to Arawe from Goodenough Island on 18 December; the cavalry regiment and its attached artillery battalion were thought to be sufficient to defend Arawe against any counter-attacks.
Following the landing, the 59th Engineer Company constructed logistics facilities in the Arawe area. In response to the Japanese air raids priority was given to the construction of a partiarly underground evacuation hospital, and it was completed in January 1944. The underground hospital was replaced with a 120-bed above-ground facility in April 1944. Pilelo Island was selected for the site of the PT boat facilities, and a pier for refuelling the boats and dispersed fuel storage bays were built there. A 172 ft (52.4 m) pier was also built at House Fireman Beach to accommodate small ships between 26 February and 22 April 1944; three LCT jetties were also constructed north of the beach. A 920 ft (280.4 m) by 100 ft (30.5 m) airstrip was hurriedly built for artillery observation aircraft on 13 January and this was later upgraded and surfaced with coral. The engineer company also constructed 5 mi (8 km) of all-weather roads in the Arawe region and provided the Director Task Force with water via salt water distillation units on Pilelo Island and wells dug on the mainland. These projects were continuously hampered by shortages of construction materials, but the engineers were able to complete them though improvising and making use of salvaged material.
After establishing its beachhead on 15 December, the Director Task Force was reinforced and began patrols of the area. Cunningham had been ordered to gather intelligence on Japanese forces in western New Britain, and on 17 December he dispatched a patrol of cavalrymen mounted in two LCVP
s to the west of Arawe to investigate the Itni River
area. On 18 December, these landing craft encountered seven Japanese barges carrying part of the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment near Cape Peiho
, 20 mi (32.2 km) west of Arawe. After an exchange of gunfire the U.S. soldiers abandoned their landing craft and returned to Arawe along the coast.
After organizing his force while waiting for the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment for several days, Komori began his advance on Arawe on 24 December. He arrived at the airstrip to the north of Arawe during the early hours of Christmas Day and forced the 112th Cavalry Regiment's patrols back on Umtingalu, which was evacuated shortly thereafter. That night, the Japanese mounted a company-strength probing attack on the American main line of resistance which was repulsed with at least 12 Japanese killed. The fighting to the west and north of Arawe led Cunningham to incorrectly believe that Komori's force was the advance guard of a large force dispatched from Gasmata. In response, he requested reinforcements from Krueger who dispatched G Company of the 158th Infantry Regiment to Arawe onboard PT boats.
The Japanese offensive continued after the Christmas Day attack. Further attacks were made in the next few days, including daytime attacks on 28 and 29 December. All were repelled by American mortar
fire, and most of Komori's initial force was killed during the attack on 29 December. The 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment arrived in the Arawe area on the afternoon off 29 December and conducted several small and unsuccessful attacks in early January 1944 before taking up positions about 400–500 yd (365.8–457.2 m) north of the American MLR. These positions comprised shallow trenches and foxholes which were difficult to see. While only about 100 Japanese soldiers were in the area, they moved their six machine guns frequently, making them difficult targets for American mortars and artillery.
to Arawe; the two units arrived on 10 and 12 January respectively. The Marine tanks and two companies of the 158th Infantry Regiment subsequently practiced tank-infantry cooperation from 13 -15 January, while the 112th Cavalry continued to conduct patrols into Japanese-held areas.
The Director Task Force launched its attack on 16 January. That morning a squadron of B-24 Liberator
s dropped one hundred thirty-six 1000 lb (453.6 kg) bombs on the Japanese defenses, and 20 B-25s strafed the area. Following an intensive artillery and mortar barrage the Marine tank company, two companies of the 158th Infantry and C Troop, 112th Cavalry Regiment attacked. The tanks led the attack, with each being followed by a group of infantry or cavalrymen. The attack was successful and reached its objectives by 16:00. Once the objective was reached, Cunningham withdrew the force back to the MLR; during the withdrawal, two Marine tanks—which had become immobile—were destroyed to prevent the Japanese from using them as pillboxes
.
Following the American attack, Komori pulled his remaining forces back to defend the airstrip. As this was not an Allied objective, the Japanese force was not subjected to further attacks by ground troops beyond occasional patrol clashes and ambushes. They suffered from severe supply shortages, however, and many fell sick. Attempts to bring supplies in by sea from Gasmata were disrupted by U.S. Navy PT boats and the force lacked sufficient porters to supply itself through overland trails. Komori concluded that his force was serving no purpose, and on 8 February informed his superiors that it faced self-destruction due to supply shortages. His commanders responded by ordering the force to hold its position, however, though it was awarded two Imperial citations in recognition of its supposed success in defending the airstrip.
The Komori Force was eventually ordered to withdraw on 24 February as part of the general Japanese retreat from western New Britain. The Japanese immediately began to leave their positions, and headed north along inland trails to join other Japanese units. The Americans did not detect this withdrawal until 27 February, when an attack conducted by the 2nd Squadron, 112th Cavalry and Marine tank company to clear the Arawe area of Japanese encountered no opposition. Major Komori fell behind his unit, and was killed on 9 April near San Remo on New Britain's north coast when he, his executive officer and two enlisted men they were travelling with were ambushed by a patrol from the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines
.
The original rationale for the Allied landings of creating a PT boat base was dropped before the operation commenced, and a base was never developed at Arawe. Therefore, the U.S. attack on Arawe served only to divert the Japanese attention away from the larger landing at Cape Gloucester
. In this it was successful.
The 112th Cavalry Regiment remained at Arawe until late April 1944, when it was replaced by a reinforced battalion
from the 40th Infantry Division. By this time, the 112th Cavalry's strength had declined from 1,728 at the start of the battle to about 1,100 due to sickness and combat casualties. The 40th Infantry Division battalion was in turn replaced by the Australian Army
's 5th Division in late November 1944.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. This campaign formed part of Operation Cartwheel
Operation Cartwheel
Operation Cartwheel was a major military strategy for the Allies in the Pacific theater of World War II. Cartwheel was a twin-axis of advance operation, aimed at militarily neutralizing the major Japanese base at Rabaul...
and had the objective of isolating the key Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
base at Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
. Arawe was attacked on 15 December 1943 by U.S. and Australian forces to secure an advanced base on the southern coast of New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
and was secured after a month of fighting.
Background
In June 1943, the AlliesAllies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
launched a major offensive—designated Operation Cartwheel—aimed at capturing the major Japanese base at Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
on the eastern tip of New Britain. During the next five months, Australian and U.S. forces—under the overall command of General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
—advanced along the north coast of eastern New Guinea, capturing Lae
Lae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
and the Huon Peninsula
Huon Peninsula
Huon Peninsula is a large rugged peninsula on the island of New Guinea in Morobe Province, eastern Papua New Guinea. It is named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec who discovered it along with his personal assistant and porter, Henry Ole. The peninsula is dominated by the steep...
in September. U.S. forces under the command of Admiral William Halsey, Jr.
William Halsey, Jr.
Fleet Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr., United States Navy, , was a U.S. Naval officer. He commanded the South Pacific Area during the early stages of the Pacific War against Japan...
simultaneously advanced through the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
from Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
and established an air base at Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
in November. Plans for Operation Cartwheel were amended in August 1943 when the British and United States Combined Chiefs of Staff
Combined Chiefs of Staff
The Combined Chiefs of Staff was the supreme military command for the western Allies during World War II. It was a body constituted from the British Chiefs of Staff Committee and the American Joint Chiefs of Staff....
approved the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff's
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
proposal that Rabaul be isolated rather than captured.
The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters
Imperial General Headquarters
The as part of the Supreme War Council was established in 1893 to coordinate efforts between the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy during wartime...
assessed the strategic situation in the South-West Pacific in late September 1943 and concluded that the Allies would attempt to break through the northern Solomon Islands and Bismark Archipelago in the coming months en route to Japan's inner perimeter in the western and central pacific. Accordingly, reinforcements were dispatched to strategic locations in the area in an attempt to slow the Allied advance. Strong forces were retained at Rabaul, however, as it was believed that the Allies would attack the town. At the time Japanese positions in western New Britain were limited to airfields at Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester is a headland, in the northwest of the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at . During World War II, the Japanese captured New Britain, and had driven most of Cape Gloucester's native population out to construct two airfields...
on the island's western tip and several small way stations used by supply barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s travelling between Rabaul and New Guinea.
On 22 September 1943, General MacArthur's General Headquarters (GHQ) directed General Walter Krueger
Walter Krueger
Walter Krueger was an American soldier of German descent and General in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his command of the Sixth United States Army in the South West Pacific Area during World War II...
's Alamo Force to secure western New Britain and the surrounding islands. The goals of this operation were to establish air and PT boat
PT boat
PT Boats were a variety of motor torpedo boat , a small, fast vessel used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. The PT boat squadrons were nicknamed "the mosquito fleet". The Japanese called them "Devil Boats".The original pre–World War I torpedo boats were...
bases which could be used to further reduce the Japanese forces at Rabaul and secure the straits between New Guinea and New Britain to allow convoys to pass through it en-route to operations along New Guinea's north coast and beyond. To this end, GHQ planned to capture Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester is a headland, in the northwest of the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at . During World War II, the Japanese captured New Britain, and had driven most of Cape Gloucester's native population out to construct two airfields...
at the western end of New Britain and Gasmata
Gasmata
Gasmata is a village on the southern coast of New Britain, Papua New Guinea located at 6° 16' 60S 150° 19' 60E. It is serviced by Gasmata Airport.The Imperial Japanese occupied the village between 8–9 February 1942 during World War II...
on the island's southern coast. The veteran 1st Marine Division was selected for the Cape Gloucester operation.
Senior Allied commanders disagreed over whether it was necessary to land forces in western New Britain. Major General George Kenney
George Kenney
George Churchill Kenney was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II. He was commander of the Allied air forces in the Southwest Pacific Area from August 1942 until 1945.-Early life:...
—commander of the Allied air forces in the South-West Pacific—opposed the landings, arguing that it was not necessary to establish an air base at Cape Gloucester as the existing bases in New Guinea and surrounding islands were adequate to support the planned future landings in the region. Vice Admiral Arthur S. Carpender
Arthur S. Carpender
Arthur Schuyler Carpender , nicknamed "Chips", was an American vice admiral during World War II commanding US naval forces in the Southwest Pacific.-Family:...
—commander of the 7th Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
—and Rear Admiral Daniel E. Barbey
Daniel E. Barbey
Vice Admiral Daniel Edward Barbey was an officer in the United States Navy who served in World War I and World War II. A graduate of the Naval Academy, he participated in the 1912 United States occupation of Nicaragua and the 1915 United States occupation of Veracruz. While serving with the War...
—commander of the Task Force 76
Task Force 76
Expeditionary Strike Group SEVEN/Task Force 76 is a United States Navy task force. It is at one and the same time operationally a Task Force of the United States Seventh Fleet and administratively, the USN's only permanently forward-deployed Expeditionary Strike Group...
(TF 76)—were in favor of securing Cape Gloucester to secure both sides of the straits, but opposed the landing at Gasmata as it was too close to the Japanese air bases at Rabaul. In response to Kenney and the Navy's concerns and intelligence reports that the Japanese had reinforced their garrison at Gasmata, the landing there was cancelled in early November.
On 21 November, a conference between GHQ, Kenney, Carpender and Barbey was held in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
at which it was decided to land a small force in the Arawe area to establish a PT boat base and create a diversion before the main landing at Cape Gloucester. This landing had three goals; firstly to divert Japanese attention away from Cape Gloucester, secondly to establish a defensive perimeter and make contact with the marines once they landed and thirdly to establish a base for PT boats. It was intended that PT boats operating from the base would disrupt Japanese barge traffic along the southern shore of New Britain and protect the Allied naval forces at Cape Gloucester from attack.
The Arawe area lies on the south coast of New Britain about 100 mi (86.9 nmi; 160.9 km) from the island's western tip. Its main geographical feature is Cape Merkus, which ends in the 'L'-shaped Arawe Peninsula. Several small islands called the Arawe islands lie to the south-west of the Cape. In late 1943, the Arawe Peninsula was covered by the Amalut Plantation and the terrain inland from the peninsula and on its offshore islands was swampy. Most of the shoreline in the area comprises limestone cliffs. There was a small unused airfield 4 mi (6.4 km) east of the neck of the Arawe Peninsula and a coastal trail leading east from Cape Merkus to the Pulie River where it split into tracks running inland and along the coast. The terrain to the west of the peninsula was a trackless region of swamp and jungle which was very difficult for troops to move through. Several of the beaches in the area were suitable for landing craft; the best were House Fireman on the peninsula's west coast and the village of Umtingaulu to the east of the peninsula's base.
Planning
Alamo Force was responsible for coordinating plans for the invasion of western New Britain. The Arawe landing was scheduled for 15 December, as this was the earliest date by which the air bases needed to support the landing would be operational and allowed time for the landing force to conduct necessary training and rehearsals. As Arawe was believed to be only weakly defended, Krueger decided to use a smaller force than that which had been selected for the landing at Gasmata. This force—which was designated the Director Task Force—was concentrated at Goodenough IslandGoodenough Island
Goodenough Island in the Solomon Sea is the westernmost of the three large islands of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. It lies to the east of mainland New Guinea and south west of the Trobriand Islands.It should not be confused with Goodenough's Island...
where it was stripped of all equipment not needed for combat operations. Logistical plans called for the assault echelon to carry 30 days worth of general supplies and enough ammunition for three days of intensive combat. After the landing holdings would be expanded to 60 days of general supplies and six days worth of all categories of ammunition other than anti-aircraft ammunition, for which a 10-day supply was thought necessary. The assault force and its supplies were to be carried in fast ships which could rapidly unload their cargo and leave the area.
The commander of the PT boat force in the South-West Pacific, Morton C. Mumma
Morton C. Mumma
Rear Admiral Morton Claire Mumma was a senior officer in the United States Navy.He was born on 24 August 1904 at Manila, Philippine Islands. Attending the United States Naval Academy, he graduated in the class of 1930....
, opposed establishing a PT boat base at Arawe, as he had sufficient bases and Japanese barges normally sailed along the north coast of New Britain. He took his concerns to Carpender and Barbey who eventually agreed that he would not be required to establish a base there if he thought it unnecessary. Instead, he assigned six boats from bases at Dreger Harbor in New Guinea and Kiriwina Island
Kiriwina
Kiriwina is the largest of the Trobriand Islands, with an area of 290.5 km². It is part of the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. Most of the 12,000 people who live in the Trobriands live on Kiriwina. The Kilivila language, also known as Kiriwina, is spoken on the island...
island to operate along the south coast of New Britain east of Arawe each night and asked for only emergency refueling facilities to be established at Arawe.
The Director Task Force's commander—Brigadier General Julian W. Cunningham—issued the orders for the landing on 4 December. Under these plans, the force was to secure the Arawe Peninsula and surrounding islands and establish an outpost on the trail leading to the Pulie River. Once the beachhead was secure, amphibious patrols would be conducted to the west of the peninsula to attempt to make contact with the marines at Cape Gloucester. Two subsidiary landings were planned to take place one hour before dawn and before the main body of the Director Task Force landed at House Fireman Beach on the Arawe Peninsula. One landing would capture Pitoe Island to the Peninsula's south as it was believed that the Japanese had established a radio station and defensive position there which commanded the entrance to Arawe Harbor. The other landing was to be made at Umtingalu to establish a blocking position on the coastal trail east of the peninsula. U.S. Navy members of the planning staff were concerned about the subsidiary landings as a nighttime landing conducted at Lae
Landing at Lae
The Landing at Lae was an amphibous landing, as part of ', to the east of Lae in the Salamaua-Lae campaign of World War II between 4–6 September 1943....
in September had proven difficult.
Opposing forces
The Director Task Force was centered around the U.S. Army's 112th Cavalry Regimental Combat Team112th Cavalry Regiment (United States)
The 112th Cavalry Regiment was a Texas National Guard Regiment that served in several Pacific campaigns during World War II.-Early history:...
. This regiment had arrived in the Pacific in August 1942 but had not seen combat. It was dismounted and converted to an infantry unit in May 1943 and undertook an unopposed landing at Woodlark Island
Woodlark Island
Woodlark Island, known to its inhabitants simply as Woodlark or Muyua, is an island in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. It is called Murua by the inhabitants of some other islands in the province...
on 23 June. The 112th Cavalry Regiment was smaller and more lightly armed than U.S. infantry regiments and had only two battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
-sized squadrons compared to the three battalions in infantry regiments. The 112th RCT's combat support units were the M2A1 howitzer
M101 howitzer
The 105 mm M2A1 howitzer was the standard light field howitzer for the United States in World War II, seeing action in both European and Pacific theaters. Entering production in 1941, it quickly entered the war against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific, where it gained a reputation...
-equipped 148th Field Artillery battalion and the 59th Engineer Company. The other combat units of the Director Task Force were the 236th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (Searchlight) less elements, two batteries of the 470th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (Automatic Weapons), A Company, 1st Amphibious Tractor Battalion
Combat Assault Battalion
Combat Assault Battalion is a mechanized battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Their primary weapon systems are the Amphibious Assault Vehicle, LAV-25 and various engineering vehicles. CAB is a subordinate element part of the 3rd Marine Division and the III Marine Expeditionary Force...
and a detachment from the 26th Quartermaster War Dog Platoon. The 2nd Battalion of the 158th Infantry Regiment
158th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 158th Infantry Regiment is a infantry unit of the Arizona National Guard. The regiment has served in World War I, World War II and Afghanistan.-History:...
was held in reserve to reinforce the Director Task Force if required. Several engineer, medical, ordnance and other support units were scheduled to arrive at Arawe after the landing was completed. Cunningham requested that an 90 mm (3.54 in) anti-aircraft gun-equipped battery be added to the force, but none were available. The U.S. Navy's Beach Party Number 1 also landed with the Director Task Force and was withdrawn once the beachhead was secure.
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
s and the destroyer tender
Destroyer tender
A destroyer tender is a ship designed to provide maintenance support to a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships. The use of this class has faded from its peak in the first half of the 20th century as the roles of small combatants have evolved .Due to the increased size and automation of...
. USAAF and RAAF units operating under the Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
would support the landing but only limited air support was to be available after 15 December. Parties of Australian Coastwatchers
Coastwatchers
The Coastwatchers, also known as the Coast Watch Organisation, Combined Field Intelligence Service or Section C, Allied Intelligence Bureau, were Allied military intelligence operatives stationed on remote Pacific islands during World War II to observe enemy movements and rescue stranded Allied...
on New Britain were also reinforced during September 1943 to provide warning of air attacks from Rabaul bound for the Allied landing sites.
At the time of the Allied landing, Arawe was defended by only a small force, though reinforcements were en route. The Japanese force at Arawe comprised 120 soldiers and sailors organised in two temporary companies drawn from the 51st Division
51st Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
The 51st Division was an infantry division of the Imperial Japanese Army. It was formed on 10 July 1940 at Utsunomiya, Tochigi, and was assigned to the Eastern District Army. Under the command of Lieutenant General Kenichiro Ueno, upon formation the division's infantry group consisted of three...
. The reinforcing units were elements of the 17th Division
17th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call-sign was the .-History:The 17th Division was formed in Himeiji in November, 1907, together with the 18th Infantry Division. From 1915 to 1927 it was stationed in Manchuria...
, which had been shipped from China to Rabaul during October 1943 to reinforce western New Britain ahead of the expected Allied invasion. The convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s carrying the division were attacked by U.S. Navy submarines and USAAF bombers, resulting in 1,173 of its men being killed or wounded. The 1st Battalion, 81st Infantry Regiment was assigned to defend Cape Merkus but didn't depart Rabaul until December, as it needed to be reorganised after suffering casualties when the ship it was travelling on from China was sunk. In addition, two of its rifle companies, most of its heavy machine guns and all its 70 mm (2.76 in) howitzers were retained by the 8th Area Army at Rabaul, leaving the battalion with a strength of just its headquarters, two rifle companies and a machine gun platoon. This battalion—which came under the command of Major Masamitsu Komori—was a four-day march from Arawe when the Allies landed. A company from the 54th Infantry Regiment, some engineers and detachments from other units were also assigned to the Arawe area. The ground forces at Arawe came under the command of General Matsuda, whose headquarters were located near Cape Goucester. The Japanese air units at Rabaul had been greatly weakened in the months prior to the landing at Arawe by prolonged Allied attacks and the transfer of the 7th Air Division to western New Guinea. Nevertheless, the Japanese 11th Air Fleet had 100 fighters and 50 bombers based at Rabaul at the time of the landing at Arawe.
Preliminary operations
The Allies possessed little intelligenceMilitary intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
on western New Britain's terrain and the exact location of Japanese forces. To rectify this, Allied aircraft conducted extensive air photography
Aerial photography
Aerial photography is the taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position. The term usually refers to images in which the camera is not supported by a ground-based structure. Cameras may be hand held or mounted, and photographs may be taken by a photographer, triggered remotely or...
and small ground patrols were landed by PT boats. A small team from Special Service Unit No. 1
Special Service Unit No. 1
The Special Services Unit No. 1 was a short lived special forces unit during World War II. Formed in July 1943, they undertook reconnaissance for intelligence about proposed landing sites...
reconnoitered Arawe on the night of 9/10 December and concluded that there were few Japanese troops in the area. This party was detected near the village of Umtingalu, leading the Japanese to strengthen their defenses there.
The Allied air forces began pre-invasion attacks on western New Britain on 13 November. Few attacks were made on the Arawe area, however, in an attempt to achieve tactical surprise. Instead, heavy attacks were made against Gasmata, Ring Ring Plantation, and Lindenhafen Plantation. The Arawe area was struck for the first time on 6 December and again on 8 December; little opposition was encountered on either occasion. It was not until 14 December—the day before the landing—that heavy air attacks on Arawe were conducted. On this day, Allied aircraft flew 273 sorties against targets on New Britain's south coast.
The Director Task Force was concentrated at Goodenough Island in early December 1943. A full-scale rehearsal of the landing was held there which revealed problems with coordinating the waves of boats and demonstrated that some of the force's officers lacked confidence in conducting amphibious operations. There was not sufficient time to conduct further training to rectify these problems, however. The Task Force embarked onto transport ships during the afternoon of 13 December, and the convoy sailed at midnight. It proceeded to Buna
Buna, Papua New Guinea
Buna is a village in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. It was the site in part, of the Battle of Buna-Gona during World War II, when it constituted a variety of native huts and a handful of houses with a airstrip...
to rendezvous with most of the escorting destroyers and made a feint towards Finschhafen
Finschhafen
Finschhafen is a district on the northeast coast of the Morobe province of Papua New Guinea. It is named after the port of the same name.The port was discovered in 1884 by the German researcher Otto Finsch. In 1885 the German colony of German New Guinea created a town on the site and named it...
before turning towards Arawe after dusk on 14 December. The convoy was detected by a Japanese aircraft shortly before it anchored off Arawe at 03:30 on 15 December, and the Japanese 11th Air Fleet at Rabaul began to prepare aircraft to attack it.
Battle
Landings
Shortly after the assault convoy arrived off Arawe Carter Hall launched her LVTsLanding Vehicle Tracked
The Landing Vehicle Tracked was a class of amphibious vehicles introduced by the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Army during World War II. Originally intended solely as cargo carriers for ship to shore operations, they rapidly evolved into assault troop and fire support vehicles as well...
and Westralia her landing craft. The two large transports departed for New Guinea at 05:00. The APDs carrying Troops A and B of the 112th Cavalry Regiment closed to within 1000 yd (914.4 m) of Umtingalu and Pilelo island and unloaded the soldiers in rubber boats.
A Troop's attempt to land at Umtingalu was unsuccessful. At about 05:25, the troop came under fire from machine guns, rifles and a 25 mm (0.984251968503937 in) cannon as it was nearing the shore, and all but three of its 15 rubber boats were sunk. Shaw—the destroyer assigned to support the landing—was unable to provide supporting fire until 05:42 as she initially couldn't determine if the soldiers in the water were in her line of fire; once she had a clear shot, she silenced the Japanese positions with two salvos from her 5 in (127 mm) guns. The surviving cavalrymen were rescued by small boats and later landed at House Fireman beach; casualties were 12 killed, four missing and 17 wounded. The troop lost all of its equipment during the landing attempt, and replacement equipment was air dropped into the beachhead during the afternoon of 16 December.
B Troop's landing at Pilelo island was successful. The goal of this operation was to destroy a Japanese radio station believed to be at the village of Paligmete on the island's east coast. While the troop originally intended to make a surprise landing at Paligmete, it switched to the island's west coast after A Troop came under attack. Once ashore the cavalrymen advanced across the island, coming under fire from a small Japanese force at the village of Winguru. After finding Paligmete unoccupied B Troop attacked Winguru, and used bazooka
Bazooka
Bazooka is the common name for a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the U.S. Army. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat...
s and flamethrower
Flamethrower
A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
s to destroy the Japanese positions there. One American and seven Japanese were killed in this fighting.
The 2nd Squadron, 112th Cavalry Regiment made the main landing at House Fireman Beach. The landing was delayed by difficulties forming the LVTs into an assault formation and a strong current, and the first wave landed at 07:28 rather than 06:30 as planned. Destroyers bombarded the beach with 1,800 rounds of 5 in ammunition between 06:10 and 06:25 and B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
s strafed the area once the bombardment concluded. The delays meant that landing area was not under fire as the troops approached the beach, and Japanese machine gunners fired on the LVTs; these were rapidly silenced by rockets fired from and two DUKW
DUKW
The DUKW is a six-wheel-drive amphibious truck that was designed by a partnership under military auspices of Sparkman & Stephens and General Motors Corporation during World War II for transporting goods and troops over land and water and for use approaching and crossing beaches in amphibious...
s. The first wave was fortunate to meet little opposition as there were further delays in landing the follow-up waves due to differences in the speeds of the two types of LVTs used. While the four follow-up waves were scheduled to land at five minute intervals after the first wave, the second wave landed 25 minutes after the initial force and the succeeding three waves landed simultaneously 15 minutes later. Within two hours of the landing all the large Allied ships other than Barbey's flagship had departed from Arawe. Conyngham remained in the area to rescue survivors of the landing at Umtingalu and withdraw later that day.
Once ashore, the cavalrymen rapidly secured the Arawe Peninsula. A patrol sent to the peninsula's toe met only scattered resistance from Japanese rear guards. Over 20 Japanese were located in a cave on the east side of the peninsula, and these were killed by E Company and personnel from the Squadron Headquarters. The remaining Japanese units in the area retreated to the east. As a result, the 2nd Squadron reached the peninsula's base in the mid afternoon of Z-Day and began to prepare its Main Line of Resistance
Main Line of Resistance
Main Line of Resistance, or MLR is a military term describing the most important defensive position of an army facing an opposing force over an extended front...
(MLR) there. By the end of the day over 1,600 Allied troops were ashore.
The naval force off Arawe was subjected to a heavy air raid shortly after the landing. At 09:00, eight Aichi D3A
Aichi D3A
The , Allied reporting name "Val") was a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It was the primary dive bomber in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participated in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor....
2 "Val" dive bombers escorted by 56 A6M5 Zero fighters evaded the USAAF combat air patrol
Combat air patrol
Combat air patrol is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft.A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, for the purpose of intercepting and destroying hostile...
(CAP) of 16 P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
s. The Japanese force attacked the recently-arrived first supply echelon, which comprised five LCTs and 14 LCMs, but these ships managed to evade the bombs dropped on them. While the first wave of attackers suffered no losses, at 11:15 four P-38s shot down a Zero and at 18:00 a force of 30 Zeros and 12 Mitsubishi G4M
Mitsubishi G4M
The Mitsubishi G4M 一式陸上攻撃機, 一式陸攻 Isshiki rikujō kōgeki ki, Isshikirikkō was the main twin-engine, land-based bomber used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. The Allies gave the G4M the reporting name Betty...
3 "Betty" and Mitsubishi Ki-21
Mitsubishi Ki-21
The was a Japanese bomber during World War II. It began operations during the Second Sino-Japanese War participating in the Nomonhan Incident, and in the first stages of the Pacific War, including the Malayan, Burmese, Dutch East Indies and New Guinea Campaigns...
-II "Sally" bombers was also driven off by four P-38s.
Air attacks and base development
While the U.S. ground troops faced no opposition in the days immediately after the landing, the naval convoys carrying reinforcements to the area were repeatedly attacked. The second supply echelon came under continuous air attack on 16 December, resulting in the loss of , damage to , and four LCTs and about 42 men killed or seriously wounded. Another reinforcement convoy was attacked three times by dive bombers on 21 December as it unloaded. Further air attacks took place on 26, 27 and 31 December. Between 15 and 31 December, at least 24 Japanese bombers and 32 fighters were shot down in the Arawe area. The process of unloading ships at Arawe was hampered by air attacks, the beach party being too small and inexperienced and congestion on House Fireman Beach. The resultant delays in unloading LCTs caused some to leave the area before discharging all their cargo.Air attacks on Arawe dropped off after 1 January. From this date most attacks took place at night, and few occurred after 90 mm anti-aircraft guns were established at Arawe on 1 February. These weak attacks did not disrupt the Allied convoys. In the three weeks after the landing, 6287 ST (5,703.5 t) of supplies and 541 guns and vehicles were transported to Arawe. The 3rd Squadron, 112th Cavalry Regiment was transported to Arawe from Goodenough Island on 18 December; the cavalry regiment and its attached artillery battalion were thought to be sufficient to defend Arawe against any counter-attacks.
Following the landing, the 59th Engineer Company constructed logistics facilities in the Arawe area. In response to the Japanese air raids priority was given to the construction of a partiarly underground evacuation hospital, and it was completed in January 1944. The underground hospital was replaced with a 120-bed above-ground facility in April 1944. Pilelo Island was selected for the site of the PT boat facilities, and a pier for refuelling the boats and dispersed fuel storage bays were built there. A 172 ft (52.4 m) pier was also built at House Fireman Beach to accommodate small ships between 26 February and 22 April 1944; three LCT jetties were also constructed north of the beach. A 920 ft (280.4 m) by 100 ft (30.5 m) airstrip was hurriedly built for artillery observation aircraft on 13 January and this was later upgraded and surfaced with coral. The engineer company also constructed 5 mi (8 km) of all-weather roads in the Arawe region and provided the Director Task Force with water via salt water distillation units on Pilelo Island and wells dug on the mainland. These projects were continuously hampered by shortages of construction materials, but the engineers were able to complete them though improvising and making use of salvaged material.
Japanese response
The commander of the Japanese 17th Division—General Sakai—ordered that Arawe be urgently reinforced when he was informed of the landing there. The force under Major Komori was ordered to make haste and the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment (less one company) was directed to move to Arawe by sea from Cape Bushing. Komori was designated the commander of all Japanese forces in the Arawe area. The 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment landed at the village of Omoi on the night of 18 December, and started overland the next day to join Komori's force at Didmop. Komori reached Didmop on 19 December and gathered the force which was retreating from Umtingalu under this command. The 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment took eight days to cover the 7 mi (11.3 km) between Omoi and Didmop, however, as it became lost repeatedly in the trackless jungle and paused whenever contact with American forces seemed likely.After establishing its beachhead on 15 December, the Director Task Force was reinforced and began patrols of the area. Cunningham had been ordered to gather intelligence on Japanese forces in western New Britain, and on 17 December he dispatched a patrol of cavalrymen mounted in two LCVP
LCVP
The Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel or Higgins boat was a landing craft used extensively in amphibious landings in World War II. The craft was designed by Andrew Higgins of Louisiana, United States, based on boats made for operating in swamps and marshes...
s to the west of Arawe to investigate the Itni River
Itni River
The Itni River is a river in the West New Britain Province of New Britain....
area. On 18 December, these landing craft encountered seven Japanese barges carrying part of the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment near Cape Peiho
Cape Peiho
Cape Peiho is located on the south coast of New Britain in the West New Britain Province west of Arawe....
, 20 mi (32.2 km) west of Arawe. After an exchange of gunfire the U.S. soldiers abandoned their landing craft and returned to Arawe along the coast.
After organizing his force while waiting for the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment for several days, Komori began his advance on Arawe on 24 December. He arrived at the airstrip to the north of Arawe during the early hours of Christmas Day and forced the 112th Cavalry Regiment's patrols back on Umtingalu, which was evacuated shortly thereafter. That night, the Japanese mounted a company-strength probing attack on the American main line of resistance which was repulsed with at least 12 Japanese killed. The fighting to the west and north of Arawe led Cunningham to incorrectly believe that Komori's force was the advance guard of a large force dispatched from Gasmata. In response, he requested reinforcements from Krueger who dispatched G Company of the 158th Infantry Regiment to Arawe onboard PT boats.
The Japanese offensive continued after the Christmas Day attack. Further attacks were made in the next few days, including daytime attacks on 28 and 29 December. All were repelled by American mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
fire, and most of Komori's initial force was killed during the attack on 29 December. The 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment arrived in the Arawe area on the afternoon off 29 December and conducted several small and unsuccessful attacks in early January 1944 before taking up positions about 400–500 yd (365.8–457.2 m) north of the American MLR. These positions comprised shallow trenches and foxholes which were difficult to see. While only about 100 Japanese soldiers were in the area, they moved their six machine guns frequently, making them difficult targets for American mortars and artillery.
American counter attack
American patrols detected the Japanese defensive position on 31 December. Several attacks were made upon the area in the next few days, but without success. On 6 January 1944, Cunningham requested further reinforcements, including tanks to tackle the Japanese defenses. Krueger approved this request and ordered F Company, 158th Infantry Regiment and Company B of the USMC 1st Tank Battalion1st Tank Battalion
The 1st Tank Battalion is an armor battalion of the United States Marine Corps which is based out of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California...
to Arawe; the two units arrived on 10 and 12 January respectively. The Marine tanks and two companies of the 158th Infantry Regiment subsequently practiced tank-infantry cooperation from 13 -15 January, while the 112th Cavalry continued to conduct patrols into Japanese-held areas.
The Director Task Force launched its attack on 16 January. That morning a squadron of B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s dropped one hundred thirty-six 1000 lb (453.6 kg) bombs on the Japanese defenses, and 20 B-25s strafed the area. Following an intensive artillery and mortar barrage the Marine tank company, two companies of the 158th Infantry and C Troop, 112th Cavalry Regiment attacked. The tanks led the attack, with each being followed by a group of infantry or cavalrymen. The attack was successful and reached its objectives by 16:00. Once the objective was reached, Cunningham withdrew the force back to the MLR; during the withdrawal, two Marine tanks—which had become immobile—were destroyed to prevent the Japanese from using them as pillboxes
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
.
Following the American attack, Komori pulled his remaining forces back to defend the airstrip. As this was not an Allied objective, the Japanese force was not subjected to further attacks by ground troops beyond occasional patrol clashes and ambushes. They suffered from severe supply shortages, however, and many fell sick. Attempts to bring supplies in by sea from Gasmata were disrupted by U.S. Navy PT boats and the force lacked sufficient porters to supply itself through overland trails. Komori concluded that his force was serving no purpose, and on 8 February informed his superiors that it faced self-destruction due to supply shortages. His commanders responded by ordering the force to hold its position, however, though it was awarded two Imperial citations in recognition of its supposed success in defending the airstrip.
Aftermath
The 1st Marine Division's landing at Cape Gloucester on 26 December 1943 was successful. The marines secured the airfields which were the main objective of the operation on 29 December against only light Japanese opposition. Heavy fighting took place during the first two weeks of 1944, however, when the marines advanced south east of their initial beachhead to secure Borgen Bay. Little fighting took place once this area had been captured and the marines patrolled extensively in an attempt to locate the Japanese. On 16 February, a marine patrol from Cape Gloucester made contact with an army patrol from Arawe at the village of Gilnit. On 23 February, the remnants of the Japanese force at Cape Gloucester was ordered to withdraw to Rabaul.The Komori Force was eventually ordered to withdraw on 24 February as part of the general Japanese retreat from western New Britain. The Japanese immediately began to leave their positions, and headed north along inland trails to join other Japanese units. The Americans did not detect this withdrawal until 27 February, when an attack conducted by the 2nd Squadron, 112th Cavalry and Marine tank company to clear the Arawe area of Japanese encountered no opposition. Major Komori fell behind his unit, and was killed on 9 April near San Remo on New Britain's north coast when he, his executive officer and two enlisted men they were travelling with were ambushed by a patrol from the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines
2nd Battalion 5th Marines
2nd Battalion 5th Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps consisting of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors. They are based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and fall under the command of the 5th Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division...
.
The original rationale for the Allied landings of creating a PT boat base was dropped before the operation commenced, and a base was never developed at Arawe. Therefore, the U.S. attack on Arawe served only to divert the Japanese attention away from the larger landing at Cape Gloucester
Battle of Cape Gloucester
The Battle of Cape Gloucester was a battle in the Pacific theater of World War II, which took place between late December 1943 and April 1944, on the island of New Britain, part of the Territory of New Guinea....
. In this it was successful.
The 112th Cavalry Regiment remained at Arawe until late April 1944, when it was replaced by a reinforced battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
from the 40th Infantry Division. By this time, the 112th Cavalry's strength had declined from 1,728 at the start of the battle to about 1,100 due to sickness and combat casualties. The 40th Infantry Division battalion was in turn replaced by the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
's 5th Division in late November 1944.