Battle of Biak

Battle of Biak
Date May 27, 1944-June 22, 1944 Location Biak, Cenderawasih Bay Present-day Indonesia Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United States Australia	Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
MajGen Horace Hayes Fuller LtGen Robert L. Eichelberger RearAdm William Morrow Fechteler	Colonel Kuzume Naoyuki †
Strength
Land: 12,000 infantry, 29 artillery pieces, 12 tanks Sea: Task Group 77.2 Attack Group Air: 5 and 13 Air Forces from Nadzab and the Admiralties, A-20s based at Hollandia	Land: 11,000 infantry, unknown artillery, unknown light tanks Sea: unknown naval forces Air: initially 18 aircraft of 23 Air Flotilla (Ito) at Sorong, 70 fighters and 20 bombers from Japan and the Marianas on 5/28/44, and 20 bombers, 8 reconnaissance aircraft and 48 fighters were redeployed from the Carolines on 5/30/44
Casualties and losses
474 killed, 2428 wounded	~6,100 killed, unknown wounded, ~450 captured

The Battle of Biak was part of the New Guinea campaign of World War II. It was fought between the United States Army and the Japanese Army from May 27 to June 22, 1944. It was the first major tactical use of an ambush by the Japanese during the war.

Background

The assault on Biak, infantrymen moving up, May 1944

The island of Biak dominates the entrance to Geelvink Bay, near the western end of New Guinea. The island was held by 11,000 Japanese troops under the command of Colonel Kuzume Naoyuki. Disdainful of the doctrine of destruction at the water's edge, he decided instead to allow the Americans to come ashore unopposed so that they would stroll unwarily into the trap he had prepared for them. This would turn the area around the vital airfield there into a martial honeycomb of caves and pillboxes filled with riflemen, automatic weapons, artillery, batteries of mortars, and Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks. Kuzume also stockpiled these positions with enough ammunition, food and water to sustain his defense for months. Water was less than abundant on Biak, where heat and humidity would take a toll equal to enemy gunfire.

It was known from an intercepted message dated May 5, 1944 that the IJA 2nd Area intelligence thought that next allied landing would probably be on Biak, and a preliminary landing was made on May 17 at Wakde on the way to Biak. There a smaller airfield was available, which could be used as an advanced base until the Biak strips were ready. While initial G2 estimates of enemy troops was approximately 5000, an intercepted message at the end of April gave the ration strength as 10,800, though it was thought this was a figure based upon projected, rather than, current strength.

Battle

The 162nd Infantry Regiment of the 41st Division of the United States Army landed on Biak on May 27, 1944, and by 5:15 in the afternoon had landed 12,000 troops, with 12 Sherman tanks, 29 field guns, 500 vehicles and 2400 tons of supplies. The supplies included ice cream, which was served on the first day. The island was of solid coral, which required dynamiting before even bulldozers could make an impression

A captured Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, now on display in the United States.

They moved confidently inland expecting little opposition, until they reached the vital airfield. Then, from the low-lying terrain around them and the ridges above, there fell a terrible storm of shot and shell that pinned them to the ground. It was not until dark that the amphibious tractors were able to extricate them from the trap. The next day they reached the end of Mokmer airstrip, Sorido airstrip was the objective. The Japanese held firm, delaying the capture of Mokmer airstrip for ten days.

With the delay, the 5th Air Force Command at Nadzab arranged the capture of the nearby island of Owi on June 2, and built two 7,000 ft airstrips. An advanced echelon was stationed there with 15,000 troops, a bombardment group, two fighter groups and a Black Widow night fighter group.

From an intercept, 1WU the RAAF intercept unit learned that Lieutenant General Takuzo Numata, the Chief of Staff of the 2nd Area Army was on the island on an inspection tour. He outranked Colonel Kuzume, and sent messages pleading for evacuation. He was evacuated by float plane at night from Korin Bay about June 20. Soon after, on June 22, Colonel Kuzume burned his regimental colours and committed hara kiri.

As Admiral Toyoda needed the Biak airstrips for attacks on the US Pacific Fleet, he initiated Operation Kon, the relief of Biak. An attack on 8 June was driven off by American and Australian naval forces. The first attack on June 1 was turned back when a Japanese aircraft mistakenly reported a US aircraft carrier, and a third attack on 13 June was diverted north to the Philippine Sea and the US 5th Fleet carriers; this attack was to include the super-battleships Yamato and Musashi.

An M4 Sherman tank.

The Americans broke through the Japaneses defences on June 22, with a coastal strip from Bosnek to Sorido captured, including the three airfields at Sorido (4500 ft), Borokoe (4500 ft) and Mokmer (8,000 ft). There were about 3,000 Japanese remnants trying to organize a final counter attack up to August 17. Bleakley recalls that a bamboo shack of Japanese recreational equipment in a sort of PX contained "dozens of pairs of ice skates" – "on a Godforsaken island on the equator!". He kept a pair as a souvenir for a while, and says the Japanese troops were told they were on an island off San Francisco and were soon to invade America. He was with 1WU, the only Australian forces on the island.

Aftermath

The capture of Biak Island cost the Americans 474 killed, and 2,428 wounded. The Japanese lost about 6,100 killed and 450 captured, thus over 4,000 unaccounted for, that is, missing in action and presumed dead. Effectively, they had been annihilated. Thereafter, there was no furious Banzai by which the Japanese enemy customarily bled itself to death. Biak was a grinding, shot-for-shot battle. Ambush, or delay tactics were repeated at the Battle of Peleliu, Battle of Okinawa, and the Battle of Iwo Jima, battles the United States Marines and the United States Army expected to be won within days or weeks but instead lasted for months, with staggering losses not only in valuable time but in still more valuable life and equipment.

References

• Bleakley, Jack The Eavesdroppers (AGPS Canberra, 1991) ISBN 0-644-22303-0
• Eggenberger, D.(ed.) An Encyclopedia of Battles. Dover Publications inc.,
• Leckie, Robert. Okinawa: The Last Battle of World War II. Penguin Books USA inc.