Invasion of Buna-Gona
Encyclopedia
The Invasion of Buna-Gona, called Operation RI by the Japanese, was an operation by Imperial Japanese forces to occupy the Buna
-Gona
area in the Territory of New Guinea
between 21–24 July 1942 during the Pacific campaign
of the Second World War
. The Japanese invaded and occupied the location in order for an overland attack on Port Moresby
and support the advance of the Japanese forces advancing along the Kokoda Track
. A small Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit
(ANGAU) unit and a platoon
from the Papuan Infantry Battalion
were in the area as the Japanese landed and did not largely contest the invasion.
and battle of Midway
in May-June 1942, the Imperial General Headquarters postponed the planned operation
to capture Fiji
, Samoa
and New Caledonia
. The Japanese 17th Army's Lieutenant General
Harukichi Hyakutake was tasked to conduct an offensive against Port Moresby over the Owen Stanley Range
. With the occupation of Port Moresby, it would remove the threat of air attacks against Rabaul
and provide airfields to conduct raids against the bases, cities and sea lane suppliy lines around the north of Australia.
By mid-1942, however, the Allies had started to reinforce Papua and Port Moresby and had started construction of airfields at Port Moresby and Milne Bay
. The Australian Army
sent "B Company", 39th Battalion over the Kokoda Track towards Buna to prepare the construction of an airfield at Dobodura
.
—led by Major General
Tomitarō Horii
—was attached to the 17th Army. The South Seas Detachment was to be the vanguard of the overland offensive toward Port Moresby. The Yokoyama Advance Party consisted of the 1st Battalion, 144th Infantry Regiment
, the 15th Independent Engineer Regiment, a company of 5th Sasebo Special Naval Landing Force
, a company of 15th Naval Pioneer Unit, and other support units. The rest of the South Seas Detachment was to be transported to Buna in August 1942.
The Imperial Japanese Navy 4th Fleet
provided naval support including Cruiser Division 18 led by Rear Admiral
Kôji Matsuyama consisting of and , Destroyer Division 29 consisting of , and , and the transports and . The 25th Air Flotilla
and the Tainan Air Corps, based at Rabaul
, were to provide air cover for the transports and the landings.
Aerial reconnaissance by the 25th Air Flotilla on 27 and 30 June reported the possibility of a road between Buna and Kokoda
.
. After landing, the leading elements moved inland to prepare roads and supply lines for Port Moresby invasion force.
The platoon
of the Papuan Infantry Battalion
(PIB)—made up of indigenous Papuan soldiers, under an Australian officer, Lieutenant John Chalk—reported the arrival of the Japanese on the 22 July. That night, Chalk and his 40-strong unit ambushed Japanese forces from a hill overlooking the Gona–Sangara
road, before retreating into the jungle.
On 23 July, the area was attacked by land-based United States Army Air Force (USSAF) B-17 and B-26 bombers, with the transport Ayatosan Maru sunk and the destroyer Uzuki damaged slightly. Daily raids are undertaken of the Buna-Gona area by the USAAF and Royal Australian Air Force
planes. Further Japanese attempts to build up the force at Buna managed to get past the Allied air forces. One transport convoy got through on 25 July, but the transport was sunk on 29 July near Salamaua
, although most of the troops got ashore. A third was forced to return to Rabaul. Another convoy had to turn back on 31 July.
Gunichi Mikawa
managed to get through on 14 August and land some 3,000 Japanese, Korean and Formosan troops of the 14th and 15th Naval Construction Unitswere with protection by A6M Zero
fighters. On 17 August, the 5th Sasebo Special Naval Landing Force, and the rest of the 144th Regiment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Hatsuo Tsukamoto, 55th Mountain Artillery, 47th Anti Aircraft Artillery and 55th Cavalry arrived under the overall command of engineer Colonel
Yosuke Yokoyama. On 21 August, two battalions of the 41st Regiment arrived.
Colonel Yokoyama ordered Lieutenant Colonel Tsukamoto to march overland and capture the airstrip at Kokoda. These forces encountered the Australian troops deployed near Kokoda and thus the Kokoda Track campaign began.
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...
-Gona
Gona
-History:Gona was the site of an Anglican church and mission.During World War II, Imperial Japanese troops invaded on 21–22 July 1942 and established it as a base. Three missionaries were captured at Gona, Father James Benson, May Hayman and Mavis Parkins. The two women and a six year old boy were...
area in the Territory of New Guinea
Territory of New Guinea
The Territory of New Guinea was the Australia-controlled, League of Nations-mandated territory in the north eastern part of the island of New Guinea, and surrounding islands, between 1920 and 1949...
between 21–24 July 1942 during the Pacific campaign
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
of the Second World War
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...
. The Japanese invaded and occupied the location in order for an overland attack on Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
and support the advance of the Japanese forces advancing along the Kokoda Track
Kokoda Track
The Kokoda Trail or Track is a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs overland — in a straight line — through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea...
. A small Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit
Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit
The Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit was a civil administration of Territory of Papua and the Mandated Territory of New Guinea formed on 21 March 1942 during World War II...
(ANGAU) unit and a platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
from the Papuan Infantry Battalion
Royal Pacific Islands Regiment
The Royal Pacific Islands Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force . The regiment is descended from the Australian Army infantry battalions formed from native soldiers and Australian officers and non-commissioned officers in the territories of Papua and New Guinea...
were in the area as the Japanese landed and did not largely contest the invasion.
Background
After the Imperial Japanese had suffered setbacks at the battle of the Coral SeaBattle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged...
and battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
in May-June 1942, the Imperial General Headquarters postponed the planned operation
Operation FS
Operation FS was the name of the Imperial Japanese plan to invade and occupy Fiji, Samoa, and New Caledonia in the south Pacific during the Pacific conflict of World War II...
to capture Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
and New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
. The Japanese 17th Army's Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Harukichi Hyakutake was tasked to conduct an offensive against Port Moresby over the Owen Stanley Range
Owen Stanley Range
Owen Stanley Range is the south-eastern part of the central mountain-chain in Papua New Guinea. It was seen in 1849 by Captain Owen Stanley while surveying the south coast of Papua and named after him. Strictly, the eastern extremity of the range is Mount Victoria , which was climbed by Sir William...
. With the occupation of Port Moresby, it would remove the threat of air attacks against 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...
and provide airfields to conduct raids against the bases, cities and sea lane suppliy lines around the north of Australia.
By mid-1942, however, the Allies had started to reinforce Papua and Port Moresby and had started construction of airfields at Port Moresby and Milne Bay
Milne Bay
Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....
. 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...
sent "B Company", 39th Battalion over the Kokoda Track towards Buna to prepare the construction of an airfield at Dobodura
Dobodura
Dobodura armata is a species of beetle in the family Carabidae, the only species in the genus Dobodura....
.
Planning
With the failure to capture Port Moresby due to the battle of the Coral Sea and the subsequent return of the invasion force to Rabaul, the South Seas DetachmentSouth Seas Detachment
The South Seas Detachment of the Imperial Japanese Army was a brigade-size force formed in 1941 to be the army unit used in the Japanese seizure of the South Pacific island groups of Wake, Guam and the Gilberts. As part of the South Seas Force, it fell under Imperial Japanese Navy command and...
—led by Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Tomitarō Horii
Tomitaro Horii
was a major general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.-Biography:Born in Hyōgo Prefecture, Horii became an infantry officer following his graduation from the 23rd class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1911....
—was attached to the 17th Army. The South Seas Detachment was to be the vanguard of the overland offensive toward Port Moresby. The Yokoyama Advance Party consisted of the 1st Battalion, 144th Infantry Regiment
144th Infantry Regiment (Imperial Japanese Army)
The 144th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Imperial Japanese Army. The regiment was attached to the 55th Division. The regiment participated during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and during World War II, the regiment fought at in the Pacific at Guam, Rabual, Salamaua, invasion of...
, the 15th Independent Engineer Regiment, a company of 5th Sasebo Special Naval Landing Force
5th Sasebo Special Naval Landing Force
The 5th Sasebo Special Naval Landing Force were troops of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Special Naval Landing Forces.Formed at the Sasebo Naval District, the 5th Sasebo SNLF participated in the invasion of Buna-Gona, the Guadalcanal Campaign and the battle of Milne Bay.-References:*Nila, Gary, et al...
, a company of 15th Naval Pioneer Unit, and other support units. The rest of the South Seas Detachment was to be transported to Buna in August 1942.
The Imperial Japanese Navy 4th Fleet
IJN 4th Fleet
The was a fleet designation of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Fourth Fleet designation was used during three separate periods. The initial designation was for a group of ships that were assigned to work together during the Russo-Japanese conflict and the period of its immediate aftermath...
provided naval support including Cruiser Division 18 led by Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Kôji Matsuyama consisting of and , Destroyer Division 29 consisting of , and , and the transports and . The 25th Air Flotilla
25th Air Flotilla
The was a combat aviation unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. The flotilla, mainly consisting of land-based bombers, fighters, and reconnaissance aircraft, reported to the IJN's 11th Air Fleet. As originally organized, the flotilla's core units were the...
and the Tainan Air Corps, based 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...
, were to provide air cover for the transports and the landings.
Aerial reconnaissance by the 25th Air Flotilla on 27 and 30 June reported the possibility of a road between Buna and Kokoda
Kokoda
Kokoda is a station town in the Oro Province of Papua New Guinea. It is famous as the northern end of the Kokoda Track, site of the eponymous Kokoda Track campaign of World War II. In that campaign, it had strategic significance because it had the only airfield along the Track...
.
Landings
On 21 July 1942, a Japanese float plane strafed the mission station at Buna at 14:40. The Japanese convoy arrived shortly afterwards off Gona and began disembarking troops. The convoy had been able to slip past the allied air force as they had been attacking a convoy off SalamauaSalamaua
Salamaua was a small town situated on the north-eastern coastline of Papua New Guinea part of Morobe province. The settlement was built on a minor isthmus between the coast with mountains on the inland side and a headland...
. After landing, the leading elements moved inland to prepare roads and supply lines for Port Moresby invasion force.
The platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
of the Papuan Infantry Battalion
Royal Pacific Islands Regiment
The Royal Pacific Islands Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force . The regiment is descended from the Australian Army infantry battalions formed from native soldiers and Australian officers and non-commissioned officers in the territories of Papua and New Guinea...
(PIB)—made up of indigenous Papuan soldiers, under an Australian officer, Lieutenant John Chalk—reported the arrival of the Japanese on the 22 July. That night, Chalk and his 40-strong unit ambushed Japanese forces from a hill overlooking the Gona–Sangara
Sangara, Papua New Guinea
Sangara is a settlement in southeastern Papua New Guinea. It is located to the east of Kokoda.-History:During the Second World War the area saw fighting between the Japanese forces and the allies . Missionaries were once active in the area and a mission station was established in Sangara...
road, before retreating into the jungle.
On 23 July, the area was attacked by land-based United States Army Air Force (USSAF) B-17 and B-26 bombers, with the transport Ayatosan Maru sunk and the destroyer Uzuki damaged slightly. Daily raids are undertaken of the Buna-Gona area by the USAAF and Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
planes. Further Japanese attempts to build up the force at Buna managed to get past the Allied air forces. One transport convoy got through on 25 July, but the transport was sunk on 29 July near Salamaua
Salamaua
Salamaua was a small town situated on the north-eastern coastline of Papua New Guinea part of Morobe province. The settlement was built on a minor isthmus between the coast with mountains on the inland side and a headland...
, although most of the troops got ashore. A third was forced to return to Rabaul. Another convoy had to turn back on 31 July.
Aftermath
The Japanese forces had managed to capture the Buna-Gona area and was able to reinforce the advanced party. Further reinforcements in a convoy under Vice AdmiralVice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Gunichi Mikawa
Gunichi Mikawa
was a Vice-Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.Mikawa was the commander of a heavy cruiser force that carried out spectacular I.J.N. victory over the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy at the Battle of Savo Island in Ironbottom Sound on the night of August 1942. In...
managed to get through on 14 August and land some 3,000 Japanese, Korean and Formosan troops of the 14th and 15th Naval Construction Unitswere with protection by A6M Zero
A6M Zero
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the , and also designated as the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. The A6M was usually referred to by the...
fighters. On 17 August, the 5th Sasebo Special Naval Landing Force, and the rest of the 144th Regiment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Hatsuo Tsukamoto, 55th Mountain Artillery, 47th Anti Aircraft Artillery and 55th Cavalry arrived under the overall command of engineer Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Yosuke Yokoyama. On 21 August, two battalions of the 41st Regiment arrived.
Colonel Yokoyama ordered Lieutenant Colonel Tsukamoto to march overland and capture the airstrip at Kokoda. These forces encountered the Australian troops deployed near Kokoda and thus the Kokoda Track campaign began.