View source for Landing on Emirau

{{Short description|1944 landing operation}}
{{use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox military conflict|conflict=Landing on Emirau
| partof = [[World War II]], [[Pacific War]]
| image = Corsairs on Emirau.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| caption = [[F4U Corsair]]s on Emirau Island in position along a taxiway to the new airport which was operational less than two months after the landing
| date = 20–27 March 1944
| place = [[Emirau Island]], [[Territory of New Guinea]]
| coordinates = {{Wikidatacoord|Q6484643|display=inline,title}}
| result = Unopposed
| combatant1 = {{flag|United States|1912}}
| commander1 = {{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[William Halsey, Jr.]]<br />{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Lawrence F. Reifsnider]]<br />{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Alfred H. Noble]]<br />{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[William L. McKittrick]]
| combatant2 = {{flagcountry|Empire of Japan}}
| strength1 = 4,000
| casualties1 = 1 injured
}}
{{Campaignbox New Guinea}}

The '''Landing on Emirau''' was the last of the series of operations that made up [[Operation Cartwheel]], [[General (United States)|General]] [[Douglas MacArthur]]'s strategy for the encirclement of the major [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] base at [[Rabaul]]. A force of nearly 4,000 [[United States Marine Corps|United States Marines]] landed on the island of [[Emirau]] on 20 March 1944. The island was not occupied by the Japanese and there was no fighting. It was developed into an airbase which formed the final link in the chain of bases surrounding Rabaul. The isolation of Rabaul permitted MacArthur to turn his attention westward and commence his drive along the north coast of [[New Guinea]] toward the [[Philippines]].

==Background==

===Strategy===
In February 1943, General MacArthur had presented the US [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] with his Elkton Plan for an advance on the Japanese stronghold of Rabaul. In this "scheme of manoeuvre" the penultimate stage was the capture of [[Kavieng]], an important staging post for aircraft moving from [[Chuuk Lagoon|Truk]] to Rabaul. The Allied occupation of Kavieng would cut this route and isolate Rabaul.<ref>Hayes, ''History of the Joint Chiefs'', pp. 312–313</ref> The Allied victory in the [[Admiralty Islands campaign]] in March 1944 prompted the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] to consider accelerating the tempo of operations in the Pacific. They solicited opinions on the matter from the theatre commanders. On 5 March 1944, armed with detailed information about Japanese deployments and intentions as a result of the capture of Japanese cryptographic materials in the [[Battle of Sio]], MacArthur recommended omitting the proposed attack on [[Hansa Bay]] in favor of moving further up the coast of [[New Guinea]] to [[Jayapura|Hollandia]].<ref>Drea, ''MacArthur's ULTRA'', pp. 104–105</ref> As this would be out of range of his land-based aircraft, he proposed that [[aircraft carrier]]s of [[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]] [[Chester W. Nimitz]]' [[United States Pacific Fleet]], which were to cover the [[Manus Island|Manus]] and Kavieng operations could provide air cover until land-based aircraft could be established ashore. Admiral Nimitz, in [[Washington DC]] for consultation, objected to this proposal to retain forces in the [[South West Pacific theatre of World War II|South West Pacific theatre]] after the capture of Kavieng, as it would disrupt his plans for upcoming operations in the [[Pacific Ocean theater of World War II|Pacific Ocean theatre]]. The Joint War Plans Committee discussed these alternatives, and recommended to the Joint Chiefs that Hollandia be seized on 15 April, but that the Kavieng operation be canceled.<ref>Hayes, ''History of the Joint Chiefs'', pp. 554–556</ref>

MacArthur's Chief of Staff, [[Lieutenant General (United States)|Lieutenant General]] [[Richard K. Sutherland]], representing his commander before the Joint Chiefs, strenuously objected to the omission of Kavieng, which he believed could be captured on 1 April without delaying other operations. There was debate over how much of a threat the Japanese base at Kavieng was. Nimitz felt that as a result of the [[Battle of Eniwetok]], Truk itself would soon be under constant attack and the flow of aircraft to Rabaul would be cut off. On 12 March, orders went out to MacArthur and Nimitz canceling Operation <small>FOREARM</small> [Kavieng] and ordering them to "complete the isolation of the Rabaul-Kavieng area with the minimum commitment of forces".<ref>Hayes, ''History of the Joint Chiefs'', pp. 558–559</ref> In the opinion of the commander of the [[Pacific Ocean Areas (command)|South Pacific Area]], Admiral [[William Halsey, Jr.]], "the geography of the area begged for another bypass".<ref>Shaw and Kane, ''Isolation of Rabaul'', p. 518</ref> On receipt of orders from MacArthur revoking plans for Kavieng and ordering him to occupy [[Emirau]], Halsey ordered the commander of the [[III Amphibious Force]], [[Rear Admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]] [[Theodore S. Wilkinson]], to occupy Emirau on 20 March.<ref name="Miller_p380">Miller, ''CARTWHEEL: The Reduction of Rabaul'', p. 380</ref>

===Geography===
[[File:Karta PG Bismarck Archipelago.PNG|thumb|upright=1.5|Bismarck Archipelago]]
Emirau (or Emira) is an island in the Bismarck Archipelago in the south eastern portion of the [[St. Matthias Islands]], located {{convert|25|mi|km}} from [[Mussau Island]], the other principal island in the St. Matthias group, and {{convert|90|mi|km}} from Kavieng. Emirau is about {{convert|8|mi|km}} long and {{convert|2|mi|km}} wide, hilly, and heavily wooded. Inland is a {{convert|90|acre|ha|adj=on}} plateau. The climate is tropical, with high humidity and heavy rainfall. There is a small harbor, Hamburg Bay, on the north west coast. About 300 natives lived on the island;<ref>''Building the Navy's Bases'', p. 303</ref> but all available intelligence indicated that the Japanese had not occupied the islands in any appreciable strength. Emirau was considered suitable for development as an airbase and base for [[PT boat]]s. A photo reconnaissance mission on 16 March revealed no indication whatsoever of enemy activity or installations.<ref name="Shaw_p521">Shaw and Kane, ''Isolation of Rabaul'', p. 521</ref>

==Preparations==
[[File:Emirau and Kavieng.png|thumb|upright=1.3|Landing on Emirau]]
Halsey's message reached Wilkinson on [[Guadalcanal]] on 15 March, by which time ships were already loading for the Kavieng operation, which had originally been scheduled for 18 March. This operation was to have been carried out by [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[Roy S. Geiger]]'s [[I Amphibious Corps]], with the [[40th Infantry Division (United States)|40th Infantry Division]] and [[3rd Marine Division (United States)|3rd Marine Division]], reinforced by the [[4th Marines]]. For Emirau, [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]] [[Alan Shapley]]'s 4th Marines would be sufficient, reinforced by Company C, [[3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion|3rd Amphibian Tractor Battalion]]; Company A (Medium), [[3rd Tank Battalion]], equipped with [[M4 Sherman]] tanks; a company of [[Pioneer (military)|pioneers]] from the [[Combat Logistics Regiment 3|2nd Battalion, 19th Marines]]; signals, ordnance and motor transport detachments; and a composite anti-aircraft battery of the [[14th Defense Battalion]].<ref>Rottman, ''U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle'', p. 318</ref> This would be the first operation for the 4th Marines, which had been reformed on 1 February 1944 from four battalions of [[Marine Raiders]], the original 4th Marines having been destroyed in the [[Battle of Corregidor]]. [[Commodore (United States)|Commodore]] [[Lawrence F. Reifsnider]] was appointed to command the amphibious operation. [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]] [[Alfred H. Noble]], the Assistant Division Commander of the 3d Marine Division would command the expeditionary troops. Noble, who was also slated to become island commander, was given a small staff created from I Amphibious Corps and 3rd Marine Division personnel. An air command was organized for Emirau under [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] [[William L. McKittrick]] from the larger one intended for the Kavieng operation.<ref name="Shaw and Kane, p. 519">Shaw and Kane, ''Isolation of Rabaul'', p. 519</ref>

No opposition was expected on Emirau, but strong naval and air support was provided. A covering force under Rear Admiral Robert M. Griffin, consisting of the [[battleship]]s {{USS|New Mexico|BB-40|2}}, {{USS|Mississippi|BB-41|2}}, {{USS|Idaho|BB-42|2}} and {{USS|Tennessee|BB-43|2}}, accompanied by the [[escort carrier]]s {{USS|Manila Bay|CVE-61|2}} and {{USS|Natoma Bay|CVE-62|2}}, and 15 [[destroyer]]s, carried out part of the original Kavieng plan—the bombardment of Kavieng and the surrounding area. In all, some 1,079 rounds of 14-inch and 12,281 rounds of 5-inch ammunition were fired.<ref>Morison, ''Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier'', p. 423</ref> Unfortunately, the bombardment gave Rear Admiral Ryukichi Tamura the impression that the expected invasion by Allied forces was imminent and he gave the order to kill all the European prisoners in Kavieng. At least 25 of them were executed in the Kavieng Wharf Massacre, which later led to six of the perpetrators being sentenced for war crimes in 1947. Sentenced to death by hanging, Tamura was executed at [[Stanley Prison]] on 16 March 1948.<ref>Dunbar, ''The Kavieng Massacre''</ref>

==Operations==
The assault force left in two echelons. The Marines of the two assault battalions, the [[1st Battalion 4th Marines|1st]] and [[2nd Battalion 4th Marines|2nd]] Battalions, 4th Marines, traveled on nine high speed transports (APDs) while the remainder of the force were on the [[dock landing ship]]s (LSDs) {{USS|Epping Forest|LSD-4|2}}, {{USS|Gunston Hall|LSD-5|2}} and {{USS|Lindenwald|LSD-6|2}}, and the [[attack transport]] (APA) {{USS|Callaway|APA-35|2}}. One LSD carried the 66 [[Landing Vehicle Tracked|LVTs]] for crossing Emirau's fringing reef, one carried three [[Landing craft tank|LCT]]s, two of them loaded with tanks, and the third carried three LCTs with [[radar]] sets and anti-aircraft guns.<ref name="Shaw_p521"/>
[[File:Landing on Emirau AWM305252.jpeg|thumb|left|Supplies and equipment being brought ashore from landing craft to support the US Marine landing force. LVTs ferrying supplies ashore in the distance while a chain of men stretches from a landing craft to the shore to manhandle supplies to the beach.]]

The attack group arrived in the transport area at 06:05 on 20 March. The LVTs were launched, and the assault troops transferred to the amphibious tractors using the APDs' boats, supplemented by those from ''Callaway '' while [[Vought F4U Corsair]]s of [[VMF-218]] flew overhead to make a last-minute check of the island for any signs of the Japanese. The assault waves touched down on schedule. The reserve 3rd Battalion's boats grounded on the reef soon afterwards, and its marines waded ashore through knee deep water. The only problem encountered was with launching the LCTs carrying the tanks. The LSD's flooding mechanism failed and the LCTs had to be dragged out by a fleet tug.<ref name="Shaw_p522"/> While the detachment sent to occupy Elomusao Island was approaching the beach, some supposed opposition caused the amphibious tractors and then a destroyer to open fire, and a man was wounded by a shell fragment. However, the natives informed the marines that the Japanese had left Emirau two months before and only a small detachment remained on [[Mussau Island]].<ref>G-3 Journal, GHQ AFPAC 9 April 1944, "Emirau Operation&nbsp;— Operations of the Emirau Landing Force", NAA(Vic): B6121/3 99A</ref> Supplies began landing at around 1100, first from the APDs and then from ''Callaway''. Some 3,727 troops and 844 tons of cargo were ashore by nightfall when the ships sailed.<ref name="Shaw_p522">Shaw and Kane, ''Isolation of Rabaul'', p. 522</ref> Within a month, some 18,000 men and 44,000 tons of supplies had been landed.<ref name="Miller_p380"/>

Intelligence reports indicated that there were Japanese fuel and ration dumps on Mussau, and a radio station on a nearby island, so on 23 March these areas were shelled by destroyers. On the 27th, a destroyer intercepted a large canoe carrying Japanese troops about {{convert|40|mi|km}} south of Mussau. The Japanese soldiers replied with their rifles and machine guns, and the destroyer returned fire, destroying the canoe and killing the occupants. Thus ended the only fighting in the St. Matthias Group.<ref name="Shaw_p522"/>

==Base development==
Construction activities were taken in hand by the US Navy [[Seabee (US Navy)|Seabee]]s of the 18th Construction Regiment, which consisted of the 27th, 61st and 63rd Construction Battalions and the 17th Special Battalion, which arrived between 25 and 30 March, and the 77th Construction Battalion which arrived on 14 April. The 27th built a PT boat base, an LCT floating [[drydock]] and [[slipway]], and roads. The 61st constructed housing, ammunition storage facilities, a runway, and some of the buildings at the PT boat base. It also handled [[sawmill]] operations. The 63rd assisted at the sawmill and worked on the roads, camps, harbor facilities, [[warehouse]]s, [[Magazine (artillery)|magazines]] and [[avgas]] dumps. The 77th built [[taxiway]]s, hardstands, aviation workshops and the avgas tank farm. The 88th worked on runways, roads, radar stations and a causeway at the eastern end of the island.<ref name="BOYD">''Building the Navy's bases'', pp. 303–304</ref>

[[Emirau Airport#World War II|Two airfields]] were constructed, Inshore and North Cape. These were heavy bomber strips, {{convert|7000|ft|m}} long and {{convert|300|ft|m}} wide. The former had parking for 210 fighters or light bombers; the latter for 84 heavy bombers. Both were fully equipped with towers, lighting, and a dispensary. The aviation tank farm consisted of three {{bbl to t|10000|lk=on|adj=on}} storage tanks and nineteen {{bbl to t|1000|adj=on}} storage tanks, together with the appropriate filling and distribution points. A reserve of {{bbl to t|40000}} was stored in drums. Three hospitals were established, a 100-bed naval base hospital, the 160-bed 24th Army Field Hospital, and the 150-bed Acorn 7 Hospital. The anchorage at Hamburg Bay could accommodate up to five capital ships. Port facilities included eight cranes, {{convert|42000|ft3|m3}} of refrigerated space, and {{convert|400000|ft2|m2}} of covered storage. The port could handle {{convert|800|MTON|lk=on}} of cargo per day. Connecting the various facilities was {{convert|40|mi|km}} of coral-surfaced all-weather road. All this work was completed by August and Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 502 assumed responsibility for maintenance work. All the construction battalions departed by December.<ref name="BOYD"/>

==Garrison==
The 4th Marines were relieved as the garrison of Emirau by the [[147th Infantry Regiment (United States)|147th Infantry]] on 11 April 1944. The next day, Noble was replaced as island commander by a marine aviator, Major General [[James T. Moore (USMC)|James T. Moore]], the Commanding General of the [[1st Marine Aircraft Wing]].<ref>Shaw and Kane, ''Isolation of Rabaul'', p. 523</ref> In turn, the 147th Infantry was relieved as garrison by the [[369th Infantry Regiment (United States)|369th Infantry]] in June.<ref>Lee, ''The Employment of Negro Troops'', p. 524</ref> In August, General MacArthur directed that responsibility for garrisoning Emirau would be transferred to the Australian Army.<ref>Long, ''The Final Campaigns'', p. 93</ref> The Australian [[8th Battalion (Australia)|8th Infantry Battalion]] arrived to take over the garrison role on Emirau on 30 September.<ref>War Diary, 23rd Infantry Brigade, 30 September 1944, AWM52 8/2/3</ref> They were met by a small [[ANGAU]] detachment that had been on the island since May.<ref>Powell, ''The Third Force'', pp. 132–133</ref> [[Marine Aircraft Group 12]] operated from Emirau until December, when it moved to [[Leyte]]; its place was taken by squadrons of the [[RNZAF]].<ref>Shaw and Kane, ''Isolation of Rabaul'', p. 533</ref> On 20 March 1945, General MacArthur authorized a reduction in the garrison size to one company of the 8th Infantry Battalion. In June 1945, it too was withdrawn.<ref>Long, ''The Final Campaigns'', p. 201</ref> CBMU 502 departed for Manus that month.<ref name="BOYp202">U.S. Navy, ''Building the Navy's Bases'', p. 304</ref> The RNZAF maintained a bomber-reconnaissance squadron at Emirau until July 1945, and a fighter squadron until August, when all forces were withdrawn from the island.<ref>Ross, [https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2AirF-c19-8.html ''Operations from Emirau''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201085403/https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2AirF-c19-8.html |date=1 February 2023 }} Retrieved 18 January 2009</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Drea |first=Edward J. |author-link=Edward J. Drea |title=MacArthur's Ultra: Codebreaking and the War Against Japan 1942–1945 |location=Lawrence, Kansas |publisher=University Press of Kansas |year=1992 |isbn=0-7006-0504-5 |oclc=23651196 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/macarthursultra00drea |ref=none }}
* {{cite book |last=Dunbar |first=Raden |title=Kavieng Massacre: A War Crime Revealed |location=Binda, New South Wales |publisher=Sally Milner Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-86351-368-5 |oclc=166356047 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |last=Hayes |first=Grace P. |year=1982 |title=The History of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in World War II: The War Against Japan |publisher=United States Naval Institute |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=0-87021-269-9 |oclc=7795125 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |last=Lee |first=Ulysses |author-link=Ulysses Lee |title=The Employment of Negro Troops |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army |url=https://history.army.mil/html/books/011/11-4/CMH_Pub_11-4-1.pdf |year=1966 |oclc=22126862 |ref=none |access-date=11 May 2023 |archive-date=15 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215192029/https://history.army.mil/html/books/011/11-4/CMH_Pub_11-4-1.pdf |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Long |first=Gavin |author-link=Gavin Long |title=The Final Campaigns |location=Canberra |publisher=Australian War Memorial |year=1963 |url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070206/ |oclc=1297619 |ref=none |access-date=25 July 2016 |archive-date=9 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709074906/https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070206/ |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Miller |first=John Jr. |year=1959 |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-Rabaul/index.html |title=Cartwheel: The Reduction of Rabaul |series=United States Army in World War II: The War in the Pacific |publisher=Office of the Chief of Military History, U.S. Department of the Army |location=Washington, DC |access-date=17 January 2009 |oclc=1355535 |ref=none |archive-date=4 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204033846/http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-Rabaul/index.html |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Morison |first=Samuel Eliot |author-link=Samuel Eliot Morison |year=1958 |title=Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |series=History of United States Naval Operations in World War II |location=Boston, Massachusetts |isbn=0-78581-307-1 |oclc=10310299 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780785813071 |ref=none }}
* {{cite book |last=Powell |first=Alan |year=2003 |title=The Third Force:ANGAU's New Guinea War |publisher=Oxford University Press |series=Australian Army History Series |location=South Melbourne, Victoria |isbn=0-19-551639-7 |oclc=53173145 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |last=Ross |first=J. M. S. |year=2004 |title=Royal New Zealand Air Force |series=Official history of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945 |chapter=Operations from Emirau |location=Wellington, New Zealand |publisher=New Zealand Electronic Text Centre |url=https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2AirF-c19-8.html |access-date=22 April 2009 |oclc=226971024 |ref=none |archive-date=26 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026111425/http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2AirF-c19-8.html |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Rottman |first=Gordon L. |year=2002 |title=U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle: Ground and Air units in the Pacific War, 1939–1945 |location=Westport, Connecticut |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=0-313-31906-5 |oclc=45708111 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y56Dut69s5UC |access-date=19 April 2009 |ref=none }}
* {{cite book |last1=Shaw |first1=Henry I. Jr. |last2=Kane |first2=Douglas T. |date=1963 |title=Isolation of Rabaul |series=History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations of World War II |volume=II |publisher=Historical Branch, U.S. Marine Corps |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/History_of_the_U.S._Marine_Corps_in_WWII_Vol_II_-_Isolation_on_Rabaul__PCN_19000262500.pdf?ver=2018-10-30-092046-867 |access-date=4 July 2021 |oclc=8137576 |ref=none |archive-date=24 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324163214/https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/History_of_the_U.S._Marine_Corps_in_WWII_Vol_II_-_Isolation_on_Rabaul__PCN_19000262500.pdf?ver=2018-10-30-092046-867 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=U.S. Navy Department |title=Building the Navy's Bases in World War II, Volume II |series=History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940–1946 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |location=Washington, DC |year=1947 |oclc=1023942 |ref=none}}
{{refend}}



{{DEFAULTSORT:Emirau}}
[[Category:Conflicts in 1944]]
[[Category:Battles of World War II involving Australia]]
[[Category:1944 in Papua New Guinea]]
[[Category:Territory of New Guinea]]
[[Category:Battles and operations of World War II involving Papua New Guinea]]
[[Category:Operation Cartwheel]]
[[Category:Battles and conflicts without fatalities]]
[[Category:South West Pacific theatre of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps in World War II]]
[[Category:Battles of World War II involving the United States]]
[[Category:March 1944 events]]