| |
Foreword |
iii |
| |
The Author |
iv |
| |
Preface |
v |
| Chapter |
|
|
Page |
| I. |
The Strategic Background |
1 |
| |
|
Determining the Strategy of the Approach |
1 |
| |
|
Acceleration of Pacific Operations in Early 1944 |
6 |
| |
|
The New Directive for 1944 |
11 |
| II. |
Planning and Preparation for the
Hollandia-Aitape Operation |
13 |
| |
|
Theater Organization |
14 |
| |
|
The Hollandia Area |
16 |
| |
|
The Decision to Take Aitape |
19 |
| |
|
The Forces and Their Missions |
23 |
| |
|
Logistics |
32 |
| |
|
The Hollandia Tactical Plan |
42 |
| |
|
Preliminary Operations and the Approach |
48 |
| III. |
The Hollandia Operations |
53 |
| |
|
The Landings at Tanahmerah Bay |
53 |
| |
|
The 24th Division's Drive to the Airfields |
59 |
| |
|
The Seizure of Hollandia Town |
68 |
| |
|
The Drive Inland from Humboldt Bay |
71 |
| |
|
Logistic Problems of the RECKLESS Task Force |
77 |
| |
|
The End of the Operation |
82 |
| IV. |
The Japanese: Pearl Harbor Through Hollandia |
84 |
| |
|
Strategy and Dispositions to April 1944 |
84 |
| |
|
The Japanese at Hollandia |
95 |
| V. |
Prelude to the Battle of the Driniumor |
103 |
| |
|
Securing the Airfield Area |
103 |
| |
|
Contact with the 18th Army on the East Flank |
114 |
| VI. |
Deployment for Battle |
131 |
| |
|
Reinforcement and Reorganization of the PERSECUTION Task Force |
131 |
| |
|
Gathering Combat Intelligence |
137 |
| |
|
The 18th Army Moves West |
145 |
| VII. |
The Battle of the Driniumor, Phase I: The 18th Army Attacks |
152 |
| |
|
Withdrawal of the PERSECUTION Covering Force |
152 |
| |
|
Restoration of the Driniumor Line |
158 |
| |
|
Operations West of the Driniumor |
167 |
| |
|
The Japanese Attack on the South Flank |
170 |
| VIII. |
The Battle of the Driniumor, Phase II:
The 18th Army Retreats |
177 |
| |
|
Securing the Afua Area |
177 |
| |
|
Envelopment to the East |
188 |
| |
|
The End of the Aitape Operation |
200 |
| IX. |
The Seizure of Wakde Island |
206 |
| |
|
The Sarmi-Biak Plan |
206 |
| |
|
The Wakde Plan |
212 |
| |
|
Preparations for the Capture of Wakde Island |
218 |
| |
|
Small-Island Warfare, Southwest Pacific Style |
222 |
| X. |
Lone Tree Hill: The Initial Attacks |
232 |
| |
|
The Japanese at Wakde-Sarmi |
232 |
| |
|
The 158th Infantry Against Lone Tree Hill |
236 |
| |
|
Final Operations of the 158th Infantry |
253 |
| XI. |
Lone Tree Hill and Beyond |
263 |
| |
|
The 6th Division Against Lone Tree Hill |
263 |
| |
|
Final Operations in the Wakde-Sarmi Area |
275 |
| |
|
The Results of the Wakde-Sarmi Operation |
278 |
| XII. |
Biak: The Plan, the Landing, and the Enemy |
280 |
| |
|
The Biak Plan |
280 |
| |
|
The Landing |
289 |
| |
|
The Japanese on Biak |
299 |
| XIII. |
West to Mokmer Drome |
304 |
| |
|
An Initial Reverse |
304 |
| |
|
Preparations for a New Attack |
312 |
| |
|
The Seizure of Mokmer Drome |
316 |
| XIV. |
Frustration at Mokmer Drome |
326 |
| |
|
Reinforcements for the 186th Infantry |
326 |
| |
|
Operations North of Mokmer Drome |
331 |
| |
|
Allied Command at Biak |
340 |
| XV. |
The Japanese Reinforce Biak |
346 |
| |
|
Biak and Japanese Naval Plans |
346 |
| |
|
The KON Operation |
350 |
| |
|
Results of the KON Operation |
361 |
| XVI. |
Biak: The Reduction of the Japanese Pockets |
365 |
| |
|
The Reduction of the West Caves |
365 |
| |
|
Securing the Western Area |
377 |
| |
|
The Reduction of the East Caves |
380 |
| |
|
The Reduction of the Ibdi Pocket |
384 |
| |
|
The End of the Operation |
390 |
| XVII. |
Operations on Noemfoor Island |
397 |
| |
|
The Noemfoor Plan |
397 |
| |
|
The Landing |
406 |
| |
|
The Occupation of Noemfoor Island |
416 |
| |
|
Base Development on Noemfoor |
421 |
| XVIII. |
Airfields on the Vogelkop Peninsula |
425 |
| |
|
Early Plans for the Vogelkop |
425 |
| |
|
The Sansapor-Mar Plan |
431 |
| |
|
Operations in the Sansapor-Mar Area |
440 |
| XIX. |
The Palaus and Morotai: Strategic and
Tactical Planning |
450 |
| |
|
The Strategic Setting |
450 |
| |
|
The Objectives |
456 |
| |
|
Organization, Tactics, and Logistics |
463 |
| XX. |
The Morotai Operation |
480 |
| |
|
The Landing |
480 |
| |
|
Securing and Developing Morotai |
488 |
| XXI. |
The Landings on Peleliu and Angaur |
494 |
| |
|
Preliminary Air and Naval Bombardment |
494 |
| |
|
The Peleliu Beachhead |
496 |
| |
|
The Decision to Land on Angaur |
498 |
| |
|
The Assault on Angaur |
499 |
| |
|
Securing Southern Angaur |
508 |
| XXII. |
The Reduction of Northwestern Angaur |
515 |
| |
|
Into the Main Defenses |
515 |
| |
|
Overcoming the Last Resistance |
523 |
| |
|
Results of Operations on Angaur |
530 |
| XXIII. |
Securing Peleliu Island |
532 |
| |
|
Marine Operations in Southern Peleliu to 22 September |
532 |
| |
|
Dividing the Island |
536 |
| |
|
Northern Peleliu and the Offshore Islands |
543 |
| XXIV. |
Peleliu: The Last Resistance |
551 |
| |
|
Compressing the Umurbrogol Pocket |
551 |
| |
|
Entr'acte: The Relief of the 1st Marine Division |
559 |
| |
|
Overcoming the Final Resistance |
561 |
| |
|
Results of Operations in the Palaus |
573 |
| Conclusion: The Results and the Costs |
576 |
| Bibliographical Note |
579 |
| List of Abbreviations |
595 |
| Basic Military Map Symbols |
601 |
| Index |
605 |
| |
| |
TABLES |
|
| 1. |
American Casualties During the
Approach to the Philippines: April-December 1944 |
577 |
| 2. |
Japanese Casualties, Defending the
Approaches to the Philippines: April-December 1944 |
578 |
| |
| |
CHARTS |
|
| 1. |
Operational
Organization of the Southwest Pacific Area: April 1944 |
15 |
| 2. |
Air
Organization for the Hollandia-Aitape Operations (Amphibious Phase) |
25 |
| 3. |
Naval
Organization for the Hollandia-Aitape Operations (Amphibious Phase) |
28 |
| 4. |
Ground
Organization for the Hollandia-Aitape Operations (Amphibious Phase) |
33 |
| 5. |
Japanese
Army Operational Organization in the Southwest Pacific Area: April 1944 |
94 |
| 6. |
Japanese
Naval Operational Organization in the Central and Southwest Pacific Area: April 1944 |
96 |
| 7. |
The
PERSECUTION Task Force: 22 April-4 May 1944 |
104 |
| 8. |
The
PERSECUTION Task Force: 4 May-28 June 1944 |
115 |
| 9. |
The
PERSECUTION Task Force: 28 June-11 July 1944 |
136 |
| 10. |
The
PERSECUTION Task Force: 11 July-21 July 1944 |
160 |
| 11. |
The
PERSECUTION Task Force: 22 July-30 July 1944 |
175 |
| 12. |
The
PERSECUTION Task Force: 31 July-11 August 1944 |
189 |
| 13. |
The
PERSECUTION Task Force: 11 August-25 August 1944 |
203 |
| 14. |
Organization
for the Palau Operation |
465 |
| |
| |
MAPS |
|
| 1. |
Situation
in the Pacific, 12 March 1944 |
2 |
| 2. |
Hollandia Operation Area |
17 |
| 3. |
Aitape Landings, 22 April 1944 |
106 |
| 4. |
Yakamul Area |
124 |
| 5. |
Situation Along the Driniumor, Evening, 10 July 1944 |
141 |
| 6. |
Japanese Plan of Attack, 10 July 1944 |
149 |
| 7. |
Japanese Attack on Driniumor Line, Night, 10-11 July 1944 |
153 |
| 8. |
The TED Force Action, 31 July-10 August 1944 |
193 |
| 9. |
Wakde-Sarmi Area |
207 |
| 10. |
Capture of Wakde Islands, 17-19 May 1944 |
223 |
| 11. |
Advance to Lone Tree Hill, 23-26 May 1944 |
240 |
| 12. |
TORNADO Task Force, Night, 30-31 May 1944 |
254 |
| 13. |
Schouten Islands |
281 |
| 14. |
Bosnek-Sorido Coast |
282 |
| 15. |
Attack North of Mokmer Drome, 11-15 June 1944 |
333 |
| 16. |
Securing the Airfields, 18-24 June 1944 |
370 |
| 17. |
Capture of Noemfoor, 2 July-31 August 1944 |
399 |
| 18. |
Vogelkop Operation, 30 July-31 August 1944 |
431 |
| 19. |
Palau Islands |
458 |
| 20. |
Morotai Landings, 15 September 1944 |
476 |
| 21. |
Terrain of Umurbrogol Pocket |
552 |
| 22. |
Marines at Umurbrogol Pocket, 30 September-15 October 1944 |
557 |
| 23. |
321st Infantry at Umurbrogol Pocket, 16-25 October 1944 |
562 |
| 24. |
323d Infantry
at Umurbrogol Pocket, 26 October-27 November 1944 |
570 |
| |
Maps I-IX are in inverse order inside back cover |
|
| I. |
New Guinea |
|
| II. |
The Hollandia Operations, 22-26 April 1944 |
|
| III. |
Securing the Beachhead, 23 April-4 May 1944 |
|
| IV. |
Lone Tree Hill |
|
| V. |
Biak Landings and Seizure of Mokmer
Drome, 27 May-7 June 1944 |
|
| VI. |
Assault on Peleliu,
15-23 September 1944 |
|
| VII. |
Assault on Angaur,
17-20 September 1944 |
|
| VIII. |
Reduction of
Northwestern Angaur, 21 September-1 October 1944 |
|
| IX. |
Dividing the Island,
24-26 September 1944 |
|
| |
| |
ILLUSTRATIONS |
|
| Lake Sentani Plain,
Showing Airfields |
19 |
| Hollandia-Aitape Planners |
30 |
| Humboldt Bay |
44 |
| Tanahmerah Bay |
46 |
| Damaged Japanese Airplanes |
51 |
| Landings at Tanahmerah Bay |
54 |
| Unloading LST's |
57 |
| Hand-Carrying Supplies |
63 |
| General Douglas MacArthur |
69 |
| LVT's Crossing Lake Sentani |
75 |
| Troops Unloading Supplies at Aitape |
109 |
| Yakamul Area |
124 |
| Tadji Fighter Strip |
129 |
| Driniumor River |
142 |
| Lt. Gen. Hatazo Adachi |
146 |
| The Afua Area |
178 |
| Artillery Supporting TED Force |
198 |
| Native Litter Bearers |
201 |
| Brig. Gen. Jens A. Doe |
220 |
| The Assault on Wakde Island [1] [2] |
225 |
| Enemy Defensive Positions on Wakde [1] [2] |
229 |
| LCM Ferry |
253 |
| Mokmer Drome, Biak |
288 |
| Biak Coast Line |
292 |
| Unloading at Biak |
298 |
| East Caves Area |
305 |
| Scene of Tank Battle |
308 |
| The Parai Defile |
314 |
| Men of the 162d Infantry Seeking Cover |
331 |
| Disabled Japanese Tank |
339 |
| Infantrymen Moving Up to Attack |
367 |
| Entrances to the West Caves [1] [2] |
376 |
| Entrance to the East Caves |
383 |
| Dock Area, Biak |
394 |
| Base H and Hospital Areas on Biak |
395 |
| DUKW Burning on the Beach at Noemfoor |
410 |
| Paratroopers Landing on Noemfoor |
414 |
| Sansapor Planners |
435 |
| Bulldozer Clearing Jungle Undergrowth |
448 |
| Maj. Gen. Paul J. Mueller |
467 |
| LCI's at Morotai |
484 |
| Unloading at Morotai [1] [2] |
486 |
| RED Beach Unloading Operations |
502 |
| Saipan Town Area |
506 |
| Entrance to Lake Salome Bowl [1] [2] |
520 |
| Interior of Lake Salome Bowl |
525 |
| Mopping Up in Northwest Angaur |
528 |
| Southeast Corner of Umurbrogol Pocket |
554 |
| LVT Flame Thrower in Action |
564 |
| Moving into Mortimer Valley |
568 |
| Peleliu |
574 |