- Organization of Japanese fortifications in New Guinea area
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Organization of the Japanese fortifications in the New Guinea area during World War II.
Japanese Invasion of the New Guinea sector
On the first of January 1942, Admiral Nagumo's Carrier Fleet departed from Hiroshima Bay, with four carriers: Akagi, Kaga, Shōkaku and Zuikaku to Southeast Asia to support Admiral Kajioka's invasion force in the New Guinea sector.
Later supported by bombardments from Navy embarked aircraft, Naval detachment forces landed on February 23, 1942, in Rabaul at the northwesterly point of New Britain, Admiralty Archipelago at same meridian of another important Japanese Base, Truk, in the South Pacific Mandate.
Immediately the Navy engineers groups aiding with Korean civil workers and some Indian and now Australian and British prisoners commenced the construction of the most important Japanese Bases in the area with five adequate airfields:
- Lakunai
- Keravat
- Vunakanau
- Rapopo
- Tobera
Other localities was captured by the Japanese on the island were Talasea, Sag Sag, Gasmata and Kokopo.
In subsequent operations, Naval detachments took Kavieng, at the northeast of New Ireland. This place offered another adequate naval base and airfield too. Other sites in area were Lawagan and Muliama. Forces also landed in New Hannover and Hermit Island.
Rabaul and Kavieng were important points of coordination in subsequent Army and Navy operations, there being a short distance between proper New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
When finalizing the Java Campaign, Japanese forces commenced the occupation of Northwest New Guinea in the first five weeks of February. The Carrier group of Admiral Chuichi Nagumo was realizing some air incursions over Lae and Salamaua with the purpose of weakening the local defense.
On the morning of March 8, 1942, Japanese forces disembarked in Huon Bay, Lae and Salamaua. These towns possessed one little airfield. The reason for the airfield was Gold Mines. On-site were two small private companies.
Japanese saw in such towns the last important point for an eastern defensive chain, coordinated with Rabaul and Kavieng. Also one springboard in the direction to Port Moresby, a great port on the south coast, and an Australian administrative center.
In the following days, the Japanese continued their conquests - in the North coasts in a westerly direction, until Hollandia, in Humboldt Bay, and taking Aitape, Wewak, Bogia, Hansa Bay, Sarang, Madang, Melamu, Bibi, Sialum, Finch Harbor, until Buna, Tufi, Gona, Baniara, Morobe and Kokoda - all localities in the East sector.
Other forces captured in Northwest area at Sarmi, Demta Nuboai, Bosnek (in Biak Island), Serui (in Yapen island) among others. They advanced to the Southwest sector to take up to Tanahmerah, near at Digul River in the interior.
When the Japanese stay commenced they created new airfields and expanded the existing ones, for use as airbases in subsequent campaigns.
Proper Japanese Fortification System in New Guinea area
Japanese Army pilots would be accompanied by ground personnel flying in transports and bombers. The bulk of the ground staff, and equipment would go by ship. The regular air route from Japan would go by way of Taiwan, Manila, Davao, Menado, and Amboina to New Guinea.
The most important fighting period when the New Guinea air war was concentrated in a zone roughly running from Lae on the Huon Gulf to Wewak. Inland it stretched over the Markham Valley and Ramu Valley and extended eastward across the Vitiaz Straights to western New Britain.
Rabaul remained a focal point of aerial conflict for several months but its airspace was contested by the Japanese navy and Allied units operating from the Solomons.
Most Army combat aircraft were based at the four airfields of the Wewak-But complex (called Wewak, Boram, But, Rapopo, Tobera and Dagua by the Allies). Forward airfields at Alexishafen and Madang were in use as were rear area bases at Hollandia, Aitape and Wakde Island. Tuluvu (Cape Gloucester) on New Britain, Hyane (Momote) in the Admiralty Islands and a few other fields could support limited operations or emergency landings. Hollandia and Rabaul also lacked an operational warning radar systems
Others airfields are Aitape No 2 (called Tadji by the Allies) Hollandia (No. 3 Airfield, called Cyclops by the Allies), Sarmi, Windensi, Babo, Kokas, Halmahera, Tual and others.
The Navy airfields were located in Rabaul, Talasea, Namatanai Lakunai, Keravat, Vukanau, Kolopo, Muliama, Kavieng, Buna, Gona, Gavuvu, Lae and Salamaua, Dobodura between other points.
The Aircraft were shipped from Japan to the Philippines at the Dutch Indies for finally arriving disarmed, or in takeoff to New Guinea bases or take off from Navy Carrier. (For example, the carrier Shoho shipped 30 Mitsubishi A6M to Rabaul base; sometimes the Army used landing craft escort carriers Ko, Otsu and Hei for transport of planes directly from Japan to the New Guinea area.) The spare parts, oil, munitions, gasoline, repair tools were shipped by fast transport vessel "Yi-Go", transport submarine "Maru-Yu", landing craft carrier "Shinshu Maru", tank landing ship "SS-Tei", personnel landing craft "Shohatsu", vehicle landing craft "Daihatsu", vehicle landing craft "Toku-Daihatsu", vehicle landing craft "Mokusei-Daihatsu" and other Army transport vessels or regular civil transport boats.
The pumice hills of Rabaul, and other sectors were perforated with over 500 km of tunnels, including 15 hospitals (one such being 4 km in length, and having capacity for 2,500 patients). Indian P.O.W's captured at Singapore, and local inhabitants were used as labour for digging the tunnels - extreme hardship and many deaths resulted.
Also the Japanese constructed some pillboxes and other surface fortifications for their defensive AT-Cannons and Heavy Machine guns positions along with Light (20 or 25mm), medium or Heavy (75 or 88mm) Anti aircraft defenses in these fortresses. Some examples were:
- The Barge Tunnel at Karavia
- Pillbox on the beach between Praed Point and Nodup
- Japanese tunnel entrances cut into the pumice hillside immediately behind the town of Rabaul
In Rabaul and Kavieng were existing important naval bases for receiving material and personnel from Japan. The capacity was enlarged with Lae and Salamaua, the naval bases in the East New Guinea area. Another important port was Hollandia.
Army Air Groups sometimes protected certain convoys in Wewak Harbor and the Hollandia area. Similarly Navy Groups provided some cover for naval convoys in these areas too. In 1943 there were about 110,000 Japanese troops based in Rabaul base.
Army Aircraft in New Guinea Campaign
Japanese Army aircraft in New Guinea Campaign were:
- Long Range Reconnaissance plane Mitsubishi Ki-46 "Dinah"
- Fighter Nakajima Ki-43 I/II Hayabusa "Oscar"
- Fighter Kawasaki Ki-61 I Hien "Tony"
- Heavy fighter Kawasaki Ki-45 KAI Toryu "Nick"
- Short recon plane Tachikawa Ki-36 "Ida"
- Light Bomber Kawasaki Ki-48 "Lily"
- Light Bomber Mitsubishi Ki-51 "Sonia"
- Heavy Bomber Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally"
- Heavy Bomber Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu "Helen"
- Transport Mitsubishi Ki-57 "Topsy"
Japanese Army Air units
- 6th Army Flying Division (New Guinea Air Army's fighter Command)
- 4th Air Army
- 22nd Air Army
- 2nd chutai
- 3rd chutai
- 248th Sentai
- 4th Sentai
- 12th Sentai
- 13th Sentai
- 59th Sentai
- 78th Sentai
- 6th Sentai
- 26th Sentai
- 19th Sentai
- 22nd Sentai
- 24th Sentai
- 7th Sentai
- 68th Sentai
- 63rd Sentai
- 33rd Sentai
- 77th Sentai
- 14th Sentai
- 18th Sentai
Japanese Army Land Forces in Rabaul and New Guinea
- 1st Base Unit (Buin)
- 87th Guard Unit (Buka)
- 8th Base Unit (Rabaul)
- 14th Base Unit (Kavieng)
- 81st, 84th, 85th, 86th Guard Units (Rabaul)
- 27th Special Base Unit (Wewak)
- 18th Guard Unit (Manokwari)
- 19th Guard Unit (Biak)
- 90th Guard Unit (Hollandia)
- Nakai Detachment (Buna)
- Sepic River Crossing Unit (Sepic river area)
- 55° Infantry Group
- 20th Division
- 51st Division
- Tank Company/222nd Infantry Regiment(Biak) - First Lieut. Iwasa
- Tank Unit/36th Division (Sarmi Area) - Captain Fujimura
- 82nd Guard Unit (later detached to Bougainville)
- 88th Guard Unit (later detached to Bougainville)
- Ichiki Detachment (28th Infantry unit) (later detached to Guadalcanal)
- 10th Independent Mountain Gun Regiment (3 batteries only) (later detached to Guadalcanal) - Lt. Col. Kitayama
- 20th Independent Mountain Gun Battalion (later detached to Guadalcanal) - Lt. Col. Kaji
- 4th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment (laterdetached to Guadalcanal) - Col. Akamatsu
- 2nd Battery/7th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment (later detached to Guadalcanal) - 1st Lt. Tani
- 2nd Battery/21st Independent Field Heavy Artillery Battalion (later detached to Guadalcanal) - Captain Tanaka
- 2nd Field Artillery Regiment (later detached to Guadalcanal) - Col. Ishizaki
- 3 Batteries/38th Mountain Gun Regiment (later detached to Guadalcanal)
- 1st Independent Tank Company (later detached to Guadalcanal) - Captain Maeda
- 38th Division (later detached to Guadalcanal) - Tadayoshi Sano
Japanese Navy Aircraft in New Guinea Campaign was:
- Long Range Reconnaissance plane Mitsubishi Ki-46 "Dinah"
- Long Range Reconnaissance plane Nakajima J1N1-C "Irving"
- Short range Reconnaissance plane C5M2 "Babs"
- Fighter Mitsubishi A5M4 "Claude"
- Fighter Mitsubishi A6M2 Reisen "Zero"
- Fighter Mitsubishi A6M3 (Mk 22) Reisen "Zero"
- Fighter Mitsubishi A6M3 (Mk 32) Reisen "Hamp"
- Night Fighter Nakajima J1N1-S "Irving"
- Medium Bomber Mitsubishi G3M2 "Nell"
- Medium Bomber Mitsubishi G4M2 "Betty"
- Land Based Dive bomber Aichi D3A2 "Val"
- Land Based Torpedo bomber Nakajima B5N2 "Kate"
- Land Based Bomber Mitsubishi B5M1 "Mabel"
- Hidro Fighter Nakajima A6M2-N "Rufe"
- Hidro Reconnaissance Aircraft Aichi E13A1 "Jake"
- Hidro Reconnaissance Plane Mitsubishi F1M2 "Pete"
- Long Range Flying Boat Kawanishi H6K2 "Mavys"
- Long Range Flying Boat Kawanishi H8K2 "Emily"
- Transport Showa/Nakajima L2D2 "Tabby"
- 6th Air Fleet
- 23rd Koku Sentai
- 253rd Air Group
- Tainan Air Group
- Tainan Air Group (1st unit)
- 3rd Air Group
- Genzan Air Group
- 2nd Air Group
- Kanoya Air Group
- Takao Air Group
- Mihoro Air Group
- 204th Air Group
- Chitose Air Group
- Yokohama Air Group
- 11th Air Flotilla
- 251st Air Group
- 751st Air Group
- Tank Platoon/Kure 5th SNLF (New Guinea)
- Yokosuka 8th SNLF (Rabaul)
- Sasebo 6th SNLF (later detached to Bougainville)
- Kure 7th SNLF (later detached to Bougainville)
Categories:- Military history of Japan during World War II
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