Battle of Arawe

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Battle of Arawe
Part of World War II, Pacific War

U.S. Army soldiers land at Arawe
Date 15 December 1943–16 January 1944
Location Arawe, New Britain, Territory of New Guinea
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Flag of the United States United States
Flag of Australia Australia		 Flag of Japan Empire of Japan
Commanders
Brig. Gen. Julian W. Cunningham Major Masamitsu Komori
Strength
Approx. 5000 Approx. 634
Casualties and losses
118 KIA, 352 WIA, 4 MIA 304 KIA, ? WIA, 4 POW[1]
 
New Britain campaign
Arawe – Cape Gloucester – Wide Bay – Open Bay

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 the United States to secure an advanced base on the southern coast of New Britain and was secured after a month of fighting.

Contents

[edit] Background

The objective of the landing at Arawe was to secure a site for a radar station and an advanced base for PT boats. It was intended that these facilities would support the larger landing at Cape Gloucester by providing early warning of Japanese air attacks and preventing the Japanese from sending reinforcements to Cape Gloucester by sea along the southern coast of New Britain.[2]

[edit] Prelude

The forces for Operation Director were gathered at Goodenough Island.

The Director Task Force consisted of:[3]

  • 112th Cavalry Regiment
  • 148th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm howitzers)
  • 59th Engineer Company
  • 236th Antiaircraft Artillery (Searchlight) Battalion (less elements)
  • 470th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion
  • A Company, 1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion (USMC)
  • 2nd Battalion, 158th Infantry Regiment (in reserve)
Arawe landings, 15 December 1943
Arawe landings, 15 December 1943

The Japanese forces at Arawe on 15 December were:[4]

  • 1st Battalion, 81st Infantry Regiment (less elements)
  • Company, 54th Infantry Regiment
  • Engineer units and other detachments

[edit] The landings

The Allied plan specified that the 112th Cavalry Regiment would stage three almost simultaneous landings on the Arawe Peninsula and an island off the coast of the peninsula. One hour before the main body of the 112th landed on the tip of the peninsula, A Troop of the Regiment’s 1st Squadron was to land near the small village of Umtingalu at the base of the Peninsula and B Troop was to land on Pilelo Island.

In an attempt to achieve surprise A Troop was landed in rubber rafts. As the boats neared the shore they were spotted, however, and came under fire from the Japanese forces defending Umtingalu. This fire sank all but three of the rubber boats and killed 16 cavalrymen and wounded another 17. While the destroyer USS Shaw silenced the Japanese positions, the landing was abandoned and small boats rescued the surviving members of the troop.[5]

Landing craft approach Arawe while larger naval craft stand out to sea to shell Japanese positions
Landing craft approach Arawe while larger naval craft stand out to sea to shell Japanese positions

B Troop’s landing on Pilelo Island was more successful. While the troop had planned to land on the Island’s east coast, it was diverted to the west coast once A Troop came under attack. The troop quickly cleared the island of its small number of Japanese defenders at a cost of one dead.[6]

The main landing took place on the tip of the peninsula and was conducted by the 2nd Squadron of the 112th Regiment. While confusion among the landing craft delayed the landing by half an hour, the assault wave successfully landed and only met light opposition. After reorganising, the 2nd Squadron quickly secured the Arawe Peninsula, with its Japanese defenders retreating eastward.[7]

The Allied landing at Arawe was promptly detected by a Japanese patrol aircraft, and a force of 33 aircraft attacked the landing area at 9am. While these attacks continued through D-Day they did not cause significant disruption to the Allies.[8]


[edit] Japanese counter attacks

A Jeep driving through the Arawe Peninsula's rough terrain
A Jeep driving through the Arawe Peninsula's rough terrain

In the days after the landing the Director Task Force was built up to its full strength. While there was no contact with Japanese ground forces, the beachhead came under heavy and sustained air attack.[9] These attacks were focused on ships carrying supplies and reinforcements and sank United States Navy patrol boat APc-21 and damagedAPc-15, minesweeper YMS-50 and four LCTs.[10] The Japanese suffered heavy losses during these attacks and were forced to break them off in late December.[11]

The Japanese Army also mounted attacks on the Arawe beachhead. The 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment was ordered to Arawe and arrived there by sea in late December. Japanese attacks forced the 112th Regiment to withdraw from all its observation posts east of Arawe on Christmas Day.[12] While the Japanese force involved in this attack was identified as being relatively small, General Cunningham believed that it was the advance element of a larger force and requested reinforcements. A company from the 2nd Battalion, 158th Infantry Regiment was immediately dispatched to Arawe on PT boats following this request.[13]

The Japanese mounted a series of attacks on U.S. perimeter during late December and early January. The Japanese 1st Battalion, 81st Regiment suffered heavy casualties during a daylight attack on 29 December. While further probing attacks were made during early January 1944 these were beaten off, and the Japanese force began digging in to protect the nearby airfield, which was not an Allied objective.[14]

In early January General Cunningham decided to attack the Japanese forces along his perimeter. Ahead of this attack his forces were reinforced by an additional company from the U.S. 158th Infantry Regiment and B Company, USMC 1st Tank Battalion. The U.S. attack was launched on the morning of 16 January and was successful, with the force advancing 1500 yards. Following this attack Arawe was quiet as the Japanese force remained concentrated around the airfield until they were withdrawn to Rabaul in February.[15]

[edit] Aftermath

Despite the original rationale for the Allied landings, Arawe was never developed as a PT boat base.[16] As a result, the U.S. attack on Arawe was successful only in diverting Japanese attention away from the larger landing at Cape Gloucester.[17]

The 112th Cavalry Regiment remained at Arawe until late April 1944 when it was replaced by a reinforced battalion from the 40th Infantry Division.[18] This battalion was in turn replaced by an Australian Army unit in November that year.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Krueger (1979). Page 381.
  2. ^ Henry I. Shaw (1963), History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II Volume II: Isolation of Rabaul. Page 304.
  3. ^ John Miller Jr. (1959), CARTWHEEL: The Reduction of Rabaul. Page 277.
  4. ^ Miller. Page 280.
  5. ^ Miller (1959). Pages 284-285.
  6. ^ Miller (1959). Page 285.
  7. ^ Miller (1959). Pages 285-286.
  8. ^ Odgers (1957). Page 127.
  9. ^ Miller (1959). Pages 287.
  10. ^ Morison (1958), Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier. Pages 376-377.
  11. ^ Miller (1959). Pages 287.
  12. ^ Miller (1959). Pages 287-288.
  13. ^ Krueger (1979). Page 31.
  14. ^ Miller (1959). Page 288.
  15. ^ Miller (1959). Pages 288-289 and Rottman (2002). Pages 311-312.
  16. ^ Miller (1959). Page 289.
  17. ^ Morison (1958). Page 377.
  18. ^ United States Army Center for Military History 40th Infantry Division

[edit] References