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670:. The 17th Division's troops began immediately ordering the expansions of the defensive lines. The Japanese headquarters was established in an existing concrete bunker at the foot of Talawe Mountain, which was surrounded by dense, tropical vegetation. Smaller bunkers and shelters for machine gun positions were sited at possible Allied landing beaches five miles southeast of Cape Gloucester. Two hills known later as
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and dense clouds which afflicted the region. The inhabited islands had been managed by
Australia as a League of Nations Mandate before the war, and there was only a settlement of Westerners originally settled by Imperial Germany before the First World War that was centered on coconut plantations and missionary complexes.
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Like most of the islands of the South
Pacific, the Islands of the Bismarck Archipelago are of volcanic origin with steep mountain slopes, jungle and treacherous marshes, where malaria was a problem for all deployed troops. The hot, tropical climate was rarely ameliorated by the torrential rain storms
682:
On 12 December 1943, General
Yasushi Sakai advised all commanders of his units about an imminent Allied invasion. The large volumes of Allied landing ships along the ports of New Guinea did not convince the Japanese of the scheduled operations of Allied forces. False invasion alarms were commonplace
376:
collapsed, ending the
Japanese offensive run in the Pacific theater of operations for the rest of the war. The allies in the South Pacific began their first counter-offensive against the Japanese-held island Guadalcanal in August 1942 and the Japanese forces were forced onto the defensive.
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began to deploy in the area of Cape
Gloucester. They neared the coast by torpedo boat, then transferred to dinghies and landed on the beaches. From there they reconnoitered the Japanese defenses by direct observations or through contact with the local aboriginal population of New Britain.
590:. In January 1942, the Japanese had taken the strategically important port of Rabaul in northeastern New Britain and in subsequent months the largest and most important Japanese naval and air base in the Pacific was constructed at that location. The 8th Area Army was commanded by General
363:
under
Japanese control. Further Japanese offensives against the Allied lines were planned to force them into a single decisive battle and then request negotiations for their surrender. The initial Japanese offensive failed during the
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belonged to
General Matsuda's command. General Matsuda, a highly experienced officer, established his headquarters near the airfield of Cape Gloucester. On 5 October 1943, all of Matsuda's units came under the command of the
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who had at his disposal nearly 200,000 men. In early 1943, the
Japanese leadership had expected that the Allies would attempt to break the inner Japanese defensive belt in the Pacific and attack the bases on New Guinea, the
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served as focal points for the
Japanese defenses. Thus about half of all available Japanese troops in the west of the island were in positions that could effectively contribute to the defense of Cape Gloucester.
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on 14 November 1943 and the neutralization of
Japanese base at Gasmata for protection of eastern flank for the subsequent operation. This operation was never undertaken and replaced by Operation Director.
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To keep the Japanese cowed and begin the Allied advance towards the Japanese home islands, the Allied military leadership envisaged an advance through the Pacific over two main lines of attack. Admiral
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The 8th Area Army relied exclusively on barge and submarine traffic from Rabaul to New Guinea, because of Allied air superiority. In September 1943, Major General Iwao Matsuda took over the
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would advance Allied operations against the Japanese in the Southwest Pacific. Landings along the coast of New Guinea were planned which constituted the first step towards a return to the
533:
who successfully escaped to defensive lines in central New Britain after the small force of Japanese defenders delayed the Marines from quickly advancing to the withdrawal route.
667:
420:
818:
227:
640:
168:
409:. Until mid-September 1943, the fighting focused on the eastern part of New Guinea, while a decision was made on 22 September 1943 to land in
774:
424:
480:– Landing in northwestern New Britain at Cape Gloucester to capture local Japanese airfields and convert them into a major Allied airbase.
766:
659:
623:
636:
627:
619:
517:
468:
443:
439:
460:– Landing in southwestern New Britain at Arawe as a diversion for Operation Backhander, Arawe was planned as patrol boat base.
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had largely achieved its objectives in the Pacific region in the spring of 1942, with almost the entire area between
213:
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Two days after the decision to proceed with the operation was taken by the Allied commanders, the US 6th Army's
501:– Landing in New Guinea at Saidor to prevent the withdrawal of Japanese troops retreating in the advance of the
607:. General Imamura therefore foresaw an attack on New Britain, at the latest after the Allies had occupied
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708:
571:
320:
256:
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447:
271:
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16:
Military operation in the South West Pacific by the Allies between December 1943 and February 1944
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to try to cut off the thousands of retreating Japanese troops under the command of Major General
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up to the end of 1943. With the Allies' air superiority increasing, the bombing of Rabaul and
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and provisional infantry companies formed from artillery and engineer elements of the
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311:. The operation was directed by the Supreme Allied Commander in the SWPA, General
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618:, the various pioneers and debarkation units, and a number of troops of the
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After the successful conclusion of these three phases the Allies landed at
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which began on 30 June 1943 with the objective to conquer New Guinea, the
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brought the realization that the invasion of New Britain was imminent.
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in June 1942 and subsequently the Japanese attempt to also capture
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Operation Dexterity was to be conducted in three separate phases:
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http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-C-Gloucester/index.html
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423:– Planned landing in southern New Britain at the plantation of
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part of the U.S. Army Campaigns of World War II series by the
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General Hitoshi Imamura, Commander of 8th Area Army in Rabaul
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Lieutenant General Yasushi Sakai, Commander of 17th Division
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http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/II/USMC-II-IV-1.html
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advances through rainforest during Operation Dexterity
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would lead Allied forces in the Pacific and General
712:Bases of the Japanese and allied in December 1943
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611:, which was expected in February or March 1944.
343:in March. The operation ended on 9 March 1944.
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775:United States Army Center of Military History
315:. Dexterity included amphibious landings at
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339:on 2 January 1944. The final battle was the
397:. The operation in New Guinea was known as
335:on the 30 December 1943 and the amphibious
819:South West Pacific theatre of World War II
797:http://www.hmasshropshire.com/chapter5.htm
639:which was commanded by Lieutenant General
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802:http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/sallet6.htm
739:Attack: The Battle for New Britain (1944)
658:General Sakai set up his headquarters at
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323:on 26 December 1943 in the northwest of
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582:controlled the Japanese actions in the
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291:was a military operation, part of
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720:General Krueger with Alamo Scouts
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63:December 15, 1943 – March 9, 1944
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427:, approximately 5 km from
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764:Bismark Archipelago Campaign
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632:51st Reconnaissance Regiment
469:112th Regimental Combat Team
440:126th Regimental Combat Team
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558:The Japanese on New Britain
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442:(RCT) and elements of the
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319:on 15 December 1943, and
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297:South West Pacific Area
85:Territory of New Guinea
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518:32nd Infantry Division
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154:Commanders and leaders
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327:, the capture of the
192:Casualties and losses
75:and Cape Gloucester,
668:Williaumez Peninsula
499:Operation Michaelmas
478:Operation Backhander
403:Bismarck Archipelago
361:Bismarck Archipelago
347:History and planning
239:New Britain campaign
691:Preparatory actions
662:in the vicinity of
489:1st Marine Division
421:Operation Lazaretto
399:Operation Cartwheel
293:Operation Cartwheel
289:Operation Dexterity
22:Operation Dexterity
769:2009-02-16 at the
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458:Operation Director
341:landing at Talasea
387:Douglas MacArthur
383:Chester W. Nimitz
337:landing at Saidor
329:Imperial Japanese
313:Douglas MacArthur
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48:in the jungle at
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321:Cape Gloucester
305:Pacific theater
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545:An American
531:Iwao Matsuda
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370:Port Moresby
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309:World War II
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173:Iwao Matsuda
107:Belligerents
46:U.S. Marines
29:World War II
747:Documentary
743:Frank Capra
672:Target-Hill
609:New Ireland
605:Philippines
507:Finschhafen
425:Lindenhafen
391:Philippines
325:New Britain
197:~500 killed
77:New Britain
33:Pacific War
547:M4 Sherman
448:Sixth Army
374:New Guinea
725:Citations
133:Australia
813:Category
767:Archived
676:Hill 660
603:and the
446:and the
359:and the
179:Strength
68:Location
27:Part of
660:Malalia
574:of the
527:Talasea
516:Units:
487:Units:
467:Units:
438:Units:
429:Gasmata
303:in the
295:in the
267:Talasea
187:~10,500
184:~19,000
98:victory
580:Rabaul
407:Rabaul
301:Allies
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118:
96:Allied
92:Result
81:Saidor
79:, and
685:Wewak
645:China
601:Palau
505:from
357:Burma
331:held
317:Arawe
252:Arawe
147:Japan
73:Arawe
733:Film
674:and
405:and
351:The
60:Date
751:DVD
578:in
372:in
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229:e
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