- Hansa Bay
Hansa Bay is a bay located on the north coast of
Papua New Guinea , inMadang Province , betweenMadang andWewak , north east ofBogia .World War II history
During the
New Guinea campaign , Hansa Bay was a major Japanesenaval base and transit station, between the Wewak region and south eastern bases.The
airfields andencampment s ofAwar and Nubia were also located nearbyOn June 12, 1944 the Australian 35th Battalion reached Hansa Bay, pushing inland to the
Sepik River .The abandonment of Japanese stores made it one of the largest arms dumps captured in the New Guinea campaign to that date.
The extensive number of marine and aircraft engagements in the area during World War II, resulted in many wrecks, which are still to be found. These include approximately 35
shipwreck s, which are popular with recreational divers.Wrecks in the area include:
*USS PT-337 : United States Navy motor torpedo boat
* "Sydney Maru" (also known as ("Shishi Maru"): an Imperial Japanese Navy cargo ship
*a B-25D Mitchell (serial number 41-30345 tail "Y")United States Army Air Forces bomber
*a B-24J-35 (serial number 42-73338) USAAF bomber
*aP-39 Airacobra USAAF fighterSee also
* [http://www.pacificwrecks.com/airfields/png/hansa/missions-hansa.html List of US missions against Hansa Bay 1943-1944]
* [http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/075912 Photograph of Gunner H.J. SWIFT, 2/14 Australian Field Regiment, reading a sign among wrecked boats in the area controlled by the Australian 5th Div. Salvage Unit] from The Australian War Memorial
* [http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/075946 photograph of Australian Army Barges loaded with Japanese salvage on the run between Hansa Bay and Madang] from The Australian War MemorialReferences
* [http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/png_hansa_bay.html PacificWrecks.com]
*" [http://books.google.com/books?id=OI45jCzvcJYC&pg=RA1-PA340&lpg=RA1-PA340&dq=%22hansa+bay%22&source=web&ots=fEQaGikg3T&sig=qrvmf1uva8sczoSHqG_28kue-8o Intelligence and Military Operations] " by Michael I.(ed.) Handel atGoogle Books
* [http://www.army.mil/CMH/books/wwii/MacArthur%20Reports/MacArthur%20V1/ch06.htm Chapter VI - The Westward Drive Along New Guinea] from Reports ofGeneral MacArthur The Campaigns of Gen. MacArthur in the Pacific - Vol. 1
*" [http://books.google.com/books?id=gadwyIkiY38C&pg=PA306&lpg=PA306&dq=%22hansa+bay%22&source=web&ots=LQu9lNXb3x&sig=PbrlLCdIOxq1HkutBtQIGbfyV6s A Chronology of Australian Armed Forces at War 1939-45] " by Bruce T. Swain atGoogle Books
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