bigpigeon.us webpage WW II - Japan > South & SW Pacific > Western New Guinea, updated by RAC 14 Oct 2021.
Westward Along the North Coast of New Guinea
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By April 1944, the US portion of General MacArthur's Southwest Pacific forces - land, sea and air - were powerful enough and Japanese sea and air forces sufficiently weakened for major changes in Allied operations in New Guinea.
MacArthur's 6th Army bypassed a large Japanese troop concentration in the Wewak area on the north coast of New Guinea and launched multiple operations in quick succession. During this period, Australian combat forces were released from participating in offensive operations and either returned to Australia to regroup or engaged in rear area mopping-up duties. |
1944 New Guinea Offensives
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Below I note in chronological order the more-significant US operations in the Western New Guinea area. I believe only the Battle of Biak and the Battle of Drinumor River cost more than 100 American lives.
The Battle of Hollandia, 22-26 April 1944
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Hollandia, now known as Jayapura, offered the best harbor for hundreds of miles along the north coast of New Guinea, as well as several airfields.
The large-scale Hollandia landings by the 24th and 41st Infantry Divisions were successful, but bypassed a concentration of Japanese troops in the Wewak area over 200 miles to the east. |
The Battle of Hollandia
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The Landing at Aitape, 22 Apr - 2 May 1944
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Aitape is about halfway between Hollandia and Wewak.
To help protect Hollandia from the Japanese 18th Army to the east at Wewak, elements of the 41st Infantry Division landed at Aitape on 22 April, and soon secured the area. Aitape had the advantage of a nearby airfield. In mid-July, the 18th Army did attack, leading to the long Battle of the Driniumor River, which appears on the right of the accompanying map. |
The Aitape Area
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The Battle of Biak, 27 May - 20 Aug 1944
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Because of the airfields on its south shore, the island of Biak was chosen for an amphibious landing by the reinforced 41st Infantry Division.
Unfortunately intelligence had underestimated the number of defenders. Moreover, cliffs containing fortified positions lay to the north of the airfields. The result was a long and difficult battle on a steaming jungle island, with 460 American dead, with isolated Japanese resistance continuing after the island was declared secured on 20 August. |
The Battle of Biak
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The Battle of Noemfoor, 2 Jul - 31 Aug 1944
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Because of the unexpected lack of progress early in the Battle of Biak, the Southwest Pacific command began planning a parallel invasion of Noemfoor to the west of Biak. Noemfoor also had several airstrips on the west and north shore, along with a much smaller Japanese garrison.
The first Allied aircraft began landing on Noemfoor on July 6. Noemfoor was secured on 7 July although isolated Japanese pockets remained in the interior and east. 66 Allied troops were killed on Noemfoor. |
Noemfoor & Biak
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The Battle of the Driniumor River, 10 Jul - 25 Aug 1944
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The Battle of Driniumor River was a defensive battle just east of Ataipe. The battle preventeed the 18th Japanese Army troops, bypassed earlier in the Wadke area, from breaking through US lines.
The accompanying map shows positions at the beginning of the Battle of the Driniumor River. I have included this map because it shows the location of Troop F of the 112th Cavalry Regiment, which included my son-in-law's father, Lloyd Joyce. The Battle of Drinumor River left a much-weakened Japanese army in the Wadke area, at the cost of 440 Americans dead. |
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Morotai - 15 September 1944
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The island of Morotai lies in today's Indonesia between the western tip of New Guinea and the south end of the Philippines island of Mindinao. Morotai appears in the upper right of the accompanying map.
When MacArthur's 31st Infantry Division invaded Morotai, Morotai was lightly defended, most area Japanese forces being on the nearby island of Halmahera. Morotai was developed into a major air base, but a Japanese military presence on the island remained. PT boats interdicted nighttime Japanese barge traffic that brought supplies and reinforcements to Morotai. When the War with Japan ended, 660 Japanese troops remained on Morotai, and 40,000 on Halmahera. |
Indonesia, formerly the Dutch East Indies, as of 2018
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A family note: Both my late father-in-law, Albert Dennis, and my daughter's father-in-law, Lloyd Joyce, participated in the Western New Guinea campaign.
- Albert Dennis was a crew member of the PT Tender Oyster Bay, which escorted PT boats to Morotai for the use noted above before escorting another PT squadron to Leyte Gulf.
- Lloyd Joyce served in Troop F of the 112th Cavalry Regiment, which fought at the Battle of the Drinumor River. Then he also, although sick with malaria, moved on to Leyte.
Sources for the Western New Guinea webpage:
Pottawattamie County, Iowa area WW II Dead - Western New Guinea:
† Shipman, Fred Howard, SN 17-178-496, USAAF, Harrison Co.
- The photo Wet Landing at Morotai is courtesy of wikipedia.org.
- The 1944 New Guinea US Offensives map - https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/MacArthur%20Reports/MacArthur%20V1/Images/p_039.jpg.
- The Battle of Hollandia map is part of the United States Military Academy on-line map collection at https://www.westpoint.edu/academics/academic-departments/history/atlases, and is also available at http://www.emersonkent.com/maps.htm.
- The Aitape Area map - https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/IV/maps/AAF-IV-28.jpg.
- The Battle of Biak map is taken from warfarehistorynetwork.com/2018/12/30/the-battle-of-biak-a-terrifying-glimpse-into-the-soul-of-mankind.
- The Driniumor Line map - https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-Approach/maps/USA-P-Approach-7.jpg.
Pottawattamie County, Iowa area WW II Dead - Western New Guinea:
- Taken from the bigpigeon.us WW II Dead webarea.
† Shipman, Fred Howard, SN 17-178-496, USAAF, Harrison Co.
- 836th Engineering Aviation Bn.; KIA 19 May 1944 Wadke Is., W of Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea; Battle of Wadke - South & SW Pacific > Western New Guinea.