New Guinea--HOLLANDIA, AITAPE

LANDING AT HOLLANDIA

In order to complete the reconquest of New Guinea, it was decided to push far to the northwest, seize the coastal area in the vicinity of Aitape and Hollandia, and thereby by-pass and neutralize the enemy's holdings in the Hansa Bay and Wewak areas. American and Australian surface units were organized to carry out the amphibious landings. In the attack group were 161 ships. Reinforcement groups totalled 50 ships among which were two Coast Guard manned frigates, the PF USS Glendale and the PF USS Coronado.1 Altogether all U.S. ships embarked 25,430 army personnel for landing in the assault phase of the operation, while it was planned that 44,960 troops should be ashore at the objectives at the end of D plus 2 day. This powerful force was landed on 22 April, 1944, at Hollandia and Aitape. The attack force of cruisers and destroyers raked the landing beaches for more than an hour, with a smothering fire. This was followed by heavy bombing and straffing of gun positions by dive bombers and fighters from carriers. Then in every type of landing craft gathered from the entire Pacific, the

--93--

COAST GUARD-MANNED LST-68 DROPS ITS RAMP AT THE END OF AN IMPROVISED WHARF AND TRUCKS ROLLED OUT INTO THE THICK GOING TO CARRY SUPPLIES TO THE INVADERS

COAST GUARD-MANNED LST-68 DROPS ITS RAMP AT THE END OF AN IMPROVISED WHARF

--94--

first waves of infantry were carried ashore from transports and destroyer transports. Landings were made at two points in the Hollandia area, one on the shores of Humboldt Bay, east of the airfields, and the other in Tanah Merah Bay, northwest of the fields. Numerous beachheads were quickly secured against virtually no opposition from the surprised Japanese, many of whom fled into the mountainous interior. Against negligible opposition our forces continued to advance and captured Hollandia airfield on the 25th. Hollandia Town, virtually in ruins after the heavy bombing and shelling, was captured on the 23rd. The important airdromes of Cyclops, Hollandia, and Sentani were seized on the 26th. Conquest of these fields put our planes within 700 miles of the Japanese naval base in the Palau Islands. Hollandia Bay is the best anchorage in this part of New Guinea.

LANDING AT AITAPE

The landing of U.S. troops at Aitape, over 125 miles east of Hollandia also took place at dawn on the 22nd of April, 1944, after a heavy preliminary shelling and bombing of the beach and coastal installations. Combat teams quickly established lines, after overcoming slight opposition on the beaches and within 2 hours after landing, LST's were unloading on the beach. Pushing rapidly inland our troops were in possession of Tadji airfield shortly after noon. On the 23rd following naval and air bombardments, units of our amphibious force landed on Tumleo and Seleo Islands, just off the coast and opposite the beachhead. Seleo was quickly overrun but more stubborn resistance was encountered on Tumleo. There was little reaction by the enemy's air force. Aside from two minor attacks, the landings were unchallenged by the Japanese air forces. This was because all enemy airfields in western New Guinea were under heavy air attack for several days before the landings and during the actual operations. The night before, surface units shelled airfields on Wakde Island and at Sawar on the mainland, a few miles away. Our naval aircraft, covering the operations destroyed 101 enemy aircraft, 13 in air combat and 88 on the ground, most of them at Hollandia. These landings virtually isolated an estimated 60,000 troops of the enemy caught between our forces at Madang and those at Hollandia and Aitape. One possible reason for the completeness of the surprise may be found in the tactics used. Vessels making up the three task forces steamed in the direction of Palau from a rendezvous north of the Admiralties, and at the last moment the huge convoy swung south at 0900 on the 21st and at 0500 on the 22nd were standing off the various landing beaches.

COAST GUARD AT AITAPE

The night before the landing at Aitape a Coast Guard manned supply ship, USS Etamin (AK) was part of a convoy which broke off from the main body for the Aitape assault. Lt. Comdr. George Stedman, USCG, told his men exactly where they were headed and what might be in store for them. A hit on the ship, with her 6,000 tons of high explosives would probably be fatal. Next morning when general quarters was sounded, the atmosphere was strained. Certain men had already been picked to man the winches, put the heavy LCM's over the side and disembark the combat troops, all in complete darkness. Extra men had been assigned to both guns and powder magazines. Men groped their way to gun position, deck winch, or deck

--95--

STRETCHER BEARERS PLUNGING THROUGH THE SURF IN THE AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT WHICH RESULTED IN THE CAPTURE OF WAKDE ISLAND AND SARMI

STRETCHER BEARERS PLUNGING THROUGH THE SURF

--96--

house. The ship entered Aitape Harbor at 0545. In the mist ahead minesweepers were clearing a path. LSD's, LST's, destroyers and SC's were somewhere on each beam. All bridge personnel had been ordered to the wheelhouse below, in case of attack. The mist lifted slowly. The dark island of Tumleo and Seleo took form on either 3ide. Suddenly, the first destroyer shattered the dawn with a yellow belch of flame and then the ship's five inch gun began rythmically to pound target "B" on Tumleo Island. Up forward the three inch fifty was throwing its shells on target "A." These guns got credit for knocking out a Japanese barge with some eighty troops and two pillboxes. The first indication that the landing craft were over the side and troops disembarking was the soft purr of their diesel engines at 0620. The naval barrage ceased at 0630 and carrier based planes took over the job of pounding the beach and island. An ammunition dump on Seleo Island went up with a gigantic roar. The combat team from the Coast Guard manned ship hit the beach at about 0800 and 40 minutes later deck hatches were off, winches rigged and cargo was going over the side. Twelve hours later the winches were still whining and supply dumps were growing on the beach. The initial waves had encountered little opposition and had pushed 800 yards toward Todji airstrip, lying parallel to the beach, before any organized resistance was met. This resistance was blasted by tanks and the airstrips secured. Ashore it was easy to see the Japanese had been taken by surprise. Crumpled bodies, clad in underwear and lying in slit trenches indicated that the enemy had taken the initial shelling for an air raid.

NEW GUINEA--WAKDE ISLANDS

LANDING MADE FROM ARARA

On 17 May, 1944, allied forces from Hollandia moved nearly 125 miles west on the northern coast of New Guinea to capture Wakde airfield and gain a new bridgehead on New Guinea opposite the Wakde Islands. In an amphibious operation which was supported by allied fleet units and aircraft, our troops landed near the village of Arara on New Guinea, opposite the Wakde Islands. In an amphibious operation which was supported by allied fleet units and aircraft, our troops landed near the Wakde Group. There was a heavy bombardment of the landing beach by U.S. and Australian cruisers and U.S. destroyers. The landing was supported by allied aircraft which bombed and straffed enemy positions at Wakde, Sawar and Sarmi, as well as the landing beach itself. There was no opposition to our landing at Arara and a beachhead was gained without casualties. By evening of the 17th our forces controlled a beachhead 8 miles wide. A small group also landed on Insoemanai Island, just off Insoemoear Island on which Wakde airfield is located. Supported by heavy shelling by destroyers and by rocket fire from LCI's at close range, allied forces landed on Insoemoear Island early on the morning of the 18th without opposition. By the middle of the morning our troops were advancing across the airfield, meeting considerable mortar and sniper fire from scattered units of enemy troops and by the middle of the afternoon the airstrip was occupied and Japanese resistance reduced to a small area in

--97--

FROM A COAST GUARD-MANNED LST, NEGRO TROOPS ROLL OUT THE BARRELS OF OIL FOR AMERICAN PLANES AND MECHANIZED LAND EQUIPMENT ON THE BIAK ISLAND

NEGRO TROOPS ROLL OUT THE BARRELS OF OIL FOR AMERICAN PLANES AND MECHANIZED LAND EQUIPMENT

--98--

the northeast corner of the island. Next morning mopping up operations were begun and the Japanese put up a bitter fight, making a number of counter-attacks. Unlike the Japanese at Hollandia, the enemy troops at Wakde fought furiously until they were wiped out. By evening of the 19th, however, all resistance had ceased, 759 Japanese were killed with very few prisoners taken. Our losses were 41 killed, 135 wounded, and 1 missing in the entire operation, including that at Arara. Within less than 48 hours allied transport planes began landing at Wakde. The Transport Task Unit assaulting Wakde Island on D-day was composed of Navy and Coast Guard manned LST's all under the command of Captain F.D. Higbee, USCG, regularly in command of LST Squadron 21. The flagship was LST-18. The Task Force was commanded by Rear Admiral Barbee, USN. The ships were struck by sporadic enemy fire on D-day and reinforcements landing several days later sustained injuries to men in the ships from sniper fire.

COAST GUARD LST AS HOSPITAL SHIP

The first waves which began landing on Insoemoear Island at 0905 on the 18th were under small arms fire coming almost entirely from a well concealed machine gun position close to the water's edge. This flank position placed each wave in enfilade. When called upon to knock out the machine gun the reply from the destroyer Wilkes was that no further gunfire would be delivered except as specifically requested by the army, and that the planes would probably take care of the machine gun nest. It was finally silenced by tanks. Crews of some of the landing craft received a high percentage of wounds and were accompanied back to the beach near Toem. On arrival there the medical facilities were found to be so limited that all other casualties were taken to the medical LST (#18), which was Coast Guard manned. Some of them were taken from there to the destroyers. Other Coast Guard manned vessels included the Morris, Van Buren, El Paso, and Ogden and LST's 22, 26, 66, 67, 170, 202, and 206.

SCHOUTEN ISLANDS--BIAK ISLAND

HEAVY RESISTANCE AFTER BIAK LANDING

Because of the urgent need for a forward base from which to operate heavy bombers, an amphibious assault was made on Biak Island beginning on 27 May, 1944. The landing followed a series of almost daily aerial attacks on Biak's three airfields at Borokoe, Sorido, and Mokmer, These raids began soon after our occupation of the Hollandia area and increased in weight and frequency throughout the attack on Wakde. Nearly 1,300 tons of bombs had been dropped on Biak's installations during the months preceding the invasion and reached a climax on the day of landing. The amphibious landing was made near Bosnek village, about 8 miles east of Mokmer airfield, easternmost of the three fields strung along the south coast of Biak all within a distance of 4 miles. Cruisers and destroyers heavily bombarded the beaches and shelled inland positions for about 20 minutes just before dawn. This was followed by bombers and rocket ships before the assault boats moved in. Because of the fringing reefs offshore, transports and LST's were forced to unload troops and supplies some distance

--99--

WESTERN PACIFIC AREA

WESTERN PACIFIC AREA

--100--

from the beach and send them in in small landing craft. These were stopped by coral about 100 yards from the beach and the troops had to wade in through water nearly waist deep. Fortunately no opposition was met on the beach or casualties would have been heavy. Enemy troops had been driven from the Bosnek beaches by the preliminary bombardments and had retired to prepared positions on high ground overlooking the narrow coastal flat. Here they offered determined resistance and had to be blasted from hillside dugouts and natural caves. On the 28th our troops reached Soriari, a village 2 miles east of Bosnek, while other units pushed westward toward the airfields encountering some of the stiffest resistance met in any of the previous New Guinea operations. Harassed with sniping from bluffs overlooking the coastal road all the way, we reached the vicinity of Mokmer village the same day, but extremely bitter fighting took place on the 29th and 30th. Three counterattacks, spearheaded by medium tanks and 75 mm guns, were launched by the Japanese on the 29th and ground east of Mokmer changed hands several times. On the same day our positions were raided by 9 enemy fighter planes, while our planes were constantly attacking enemy positions on high ground dominating the coastal terrace. On the 30th our forces from Bosnek moved into the hills north of the village encountering sniper and mortar fire. It was not until 6 June that Mokmer airfield was captured. Total Japanese casualties for the first four days of fighting were 679 dead and 2 captured. Control of the Biak airfields gave us forward bases only 900 miles from Davao and less than 600 miles from Palau, putting the latter within easy range of land based bombers. Coast Guard manned Morris, (PC) and Van Buren, Coronado and San Pedro (PF's) and LST's 18, 22, 26, 66, 67, 68, 170, 204, 205, and 206 participated on D-day or later in this operation.

--101--

Table of Contents
Previous Part (12) ** Next Part (14)


Footnotes

1. Other Coast Guard manned vessels are listed in Appendix A.



Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Larry Jewell & Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation