May 1944 (2)

Fuel drums being unloaded on Biak

9 May – per a request from MacArthur, Gen. Kenney went to Finschaven for a conference with the the 6th Army, 7th Fleet and Allied Air Forces to discuss Biak, New Guinea.  It became a bit heated when the 6th Army’s supply staff said that making Biak an objective was impractical and there was no way of getting matériel ashore.  Kenney replied that the Japanese had put 8-10,000 troops and equipment for 3 airfields.  Adm. Flechtler said he wasn’t worried about getting everything ashore. Kenney reminded Gen. Krueger that Mac got them together to decide how to carry out the operation, not when or if they should.

Maffin Bay and airfield

16-17 May – The US Army’s 41st and 6th divisions landed on northern New Guinea in the Wadke-Toem area with Kenney’s 5th Air Force giving support.  These operations went so successfully, MacArthur decided to put the “Tornado Task Force/163rd RCT into Maffin Bay to take an airfield.  Another unit would take the airfield at Wadke.  The Army Intelligence crew kept the general informed of the enemy’s weaknesses in up-to-the-minute detail which aided their success.

Simultaneously, US carrier aircraft attacked Soerabaja, Java.  At least 10 Japanese ships were damaged, 26 enemy aircraft destroyed and ground installations were crushed.  The destroyers were sent to bombard Maloelap.

Soerabaja, Java, 17 May 1944

19-20 May – US carrier aircraft spent these 2 days bombing and strafing Marcus Island.  Cruisers and destroyers bombarded enemy positions in the Shortland Islands, south of Bougainville.

21-26 May – Heavy bombardments continued in the Pacific: Land-based aircraft hit Wotje in the Marshalls; the following day destroyers also hit Wotje and the carrier aircraft bombed Mille. (as per the US Naval Dept. report).

27 May – after a week of bombing, the US Army 158th, 162nd and 186th Infantry Regiments invaded Biak Island, off New Guinea as part of the Cartwheel Operations.  They were supported by shelling from the 7th Fleet.  Biak is 45 miles long and 20 mile wide.  It held 3 airstrips that were defended by 10,000 Japanese.

Troops approaching battle on Biak, Sherman tank visible.

The landing was unopposed, by as the troops neared the airstrip at Mokner, the enemy sprang from caves and camouflaged areas with machine-gun, artillery and mortar fire from cliff-side positions.  A huge fire-fight ensued.  The US and Japanese troops also engaged in their first tank battle of the Pacific and ended in a Japanese defeat.  Biak is only 80 miles from Davao in the Philippines.

29 May – Medina, on the northern coast of New Ireland, was bombarded by Pacific Fleet destroyers, yet no invasion was planned.  This was merely a preliminary for what was to come.

Click on images to enlarge.

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Military Humor – 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Donald Atkins – Walbridge, OH; US Army, MP

Max Clark – No. Huntington, PA; US Navy, WWII, PTO, SeaBee

Victor Davis Sr. – Decatur, TN; US Army, WWII

Elwood Euart – Field Artillery, RI; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Captain, KIA

Frank George – Broad Channel, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII

Bob Hill – Eugene, OR; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Korea & Vietnam, 11th, 82nd & 101st A/B Div., 4 Purple Hearts

Tom Jarvis – Ft. Lauderdale, FL; US Navy, USS Yancey

Noel Peacock – Tuggeranong, AUS; RA Air Force & RA Navy

Maxine Priest – Newton, KS; ‘Harvey Girl’ for troop trains

Milton Schwartz – Bronx, NY; US Army, Korea

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