Huon Peninsula campaign

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Huon Peninsula campaign
partof=World War II, Pacific War


caption=A Matilda tank, named "Clincher", from the Australian 4th Armoured Brigade, moves towards Japanese strong points near Finschhafen, on November 9, 1943.
date=22 September 1943-15 January 1944
place=Huon Peninsula, Territory of New Guinea
result=Allied victory
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=George Wootten
commander2=Shigeru Kitagiri
strength1=~10,000
strength2=~5,000
casualties1= 1,028
casualties2=~3,000The Huon Peninsula campaign was a series of battles in the New Guinea campaign of World War II. Australian forces assaulted Japanese bases on the Huon Peninsula.

The campaign began with an amphibious landing at Scarlet Beach, near Finschhafen on 22 September 1943. It included the battles of Finschhafen and Sattelberg. It concluded with the capture of the village of Sio on 15 January 1944.

The Japanese 20th Division faced the Australian 9th Division during the campaign. The Japanese lost almost two thirds of their original 12,600 personnel (killed, wounded or ill), while the Australians lost 1,028 soldiers. [http://ajrp.awm.gov.au/ajrp/remember.nsf/pages/NT00002CF6?openDocument]