Western New Guinea campaign
The Western New Guinea campaign brought soldiers from three different armies onto the same stretch of tropical coastline in 1944 and 1945. Forces of the Dutch East Indies army, known as the KNIL, fought alongside American and Australian troops. Their target was a string of Japanese bases and positions along the northwest coast of Netherlands New Guinea. The fighting also reached into neighbouring parts of the Australian Territory of New Guinea. The campaign was one chapter inside the larger New Guinea campaign of World War II. How did it begin, which places did it touch, and how long did it last?
On the 22nd of April 1944, the U.S. I Corps went ashore at two places at once: Hollandia and Aitape. The two landings carried their own code names. Operation Reckless was the assault at Hollandia, and Operation Persecution was the matching landing at Aitape. Both were amphibious operations, meaning troops came from the sea directly onto Japanese-held beaches. Those two landings opened the whole campaign. Their names still mark the starting point for everything that followed along the coast.
Hollandia and Aitape gave their names to the first two entries in a long list of engagements. The Battle of Wakde came next on that list, followed by the Battle of Lone Tree Hill and the Battle of Biak. After those came the Battle of Noemfoor and the Battle of Driniumor River. The Battle of Sansapor and the Battle of Morotai complete the roll of named battles. Each of these is treated as its own fight within the larger campaign. The final entry on the list is different in kind. It is a sub-campaign rather than a single battle, the Aitape-Wewak campaign.
Western New Guinea did not stop being a battlefield once the major named engagements were over. Fighting in the region continued until the end of World War II itself. That means the campaign ran from the landings of April 1944 through to the closing of the war in 1945. The Aitape-Wewak campaign, last in the list of sub-campaigns, is a reminder that the struggle for this coast carried on well beyond its dramatic opening landings.
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Common questions
What was the Western New Guinea campaign?
The Western New Guinea campaign was a series of actions in the New Guinea campaign of World War II. KNIL, United States and Australian forces assaulted Japanese bases and positions on the northwest coast of Netherlands New Guinea.
When did the Western New Guinea campaign begin?
The Western New Guinea campaign began on the 22nd of April 1944 with amphibious landings by the U.S. I Corps at Hollandia and Aitape.
What were Operations Reckless and Persecution in the Western New Guinea campaign?
Operations Reckless and Persecution were the amphibious landings that opened the Western New Guinea campaign. The U.S. I Corps carried them out at Hollandia and Aitape on the 22nd of April 1944.
Who fought in the Western New Guinea campaign?
Dutch East Indies KNIL forces, United States forces and Australian forces fought in the Western New Guinea campaign. They attacked Japanese bases and positions along the northwest coastal areas.
What were the major battles of the Western New Guinea campaign?
The major battles and sub-campaigns were the landing at Aitape, and the battles of Hollandia, Wakde, Lone Tree Hill, Biak, Noemfoor, Driniumor River, Sansapor and Morotai. The Aitape-Wewak campaign is also listed.
How long did the Western New Guinea campaign last?
Fighting in western New Guinea continued from the landings in April 1944 until the end of World War II.
All sources
8 references cited across the entry
- 1BookSouth West Pacific 1941–45Eustace Keogh — Grayflower Publications — 1965
- 2BookThe Final CampaignsGavin Long — Australian War Memorial — 1963
- 3BookNew Guinea and the Marianas, March 1944 – August 1944Samuel Eliot Morison — University of Illinois Press — 2001
- 4BookThe Approach to the PhilippinesRobert Ross Smith — Center of Military History, U.S. Army — 1996