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Wewak |
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Despite the US landing at Saidor on the northern coast, many Japanese soldiers fleeing from the Huon Peninsula made their way via inland tracks and roads to Wewak. This was to be the last enemy bastion to be reduced by the Australians. Some 25- 35,000 Japanese defenders occupied the Wewak area. Blamey, as Australian commander, decided that Wewak should be captured rather than leave the garrison left to wither and die on the vine - again, the decision to assault the place ties into arguments about the 'unnecessary war'. In April 1944, American forces had captured the airfield and harbour at Aitape, 90 miles west of Wewak. In October, the Australian 6th Division under the command of Major-General J.E.S. Stevens relieved the Americans and began to look at ways of moving through the rugged terrain between Aitape and Wewak. The principal terrain feature was the Torricelli Mountains, which were intersected with swift running rivers. Large forces would struggle to move with any speed through such areas. As a preliminary move the 2/6th Cavalry (Commando) regiment was sent into the mountains to clear them of opposition. Following this a two-pronged advance was settled on. One brigade would move via the coast toward Wewak while the other, accompanied by engineers, would cross the Torricellis and move east with a view to coming in from the south against the Wewak garrison. The 19th Brigade began the push along the coast but was replaced in mid January by the 16th Brigade. At Danmap River midway between Aitape and Wewak torrential rains held up the advance. Seven men of the 2/3rd Battalion drowned when swept away by the raging torrent on one occasion. A month later the Japanese were driven from their defences at Nambut Hill after heavy fighting in which RAAF squadrons were called upon to strike the Japanese positions. By the middle of March the airfield at But had been captured and the Australians within ten miles of Wewak. Though faced by fewer defenders the 17th Brigade's inland drive was the more difficult. It had to be supplied from the air and a near month long delay ensued from February when a shortage of parachutes forced the postponement of operations in the Maprik area. The transport and supply problem was relieved to some extent in May through the construction of a new airstrip at Maprik. It was not until early August, however, that the 17th moved to within striking distance of Wewak. The 19th Brigade, back in the saddle, had commenced its assault on Wewak in early May. RAAF planes and RAN ships (HMAS Hobart, Arunta, Warramunga and Swan as well as HMS Newfoundland of the British Pacific Fleet) bombarded the Wewak defences. The 2/4th Battalion supported by tanks drive the Japanese defenders back into the town while the 2/6th Cavalry landed on a beach east of the town from barges launched from the Swan, Dubbo and Colac. A few days later the airfield was captured and the Japanese withdrew into the Prince Alexander Mountains to the south and put up a stubborn resistance. A two-brigade pincer movement aimed at eradicating the new defence line was in operation when the war ended. Australian casualties in the Aitape-Wewak campaign were approximately 450 killed and 1400 wounded while 5,200 Japanese dead were counted (though it was believed close to twice that had been killed) and 219 prisoners taken. This disproportionate ratio of dead to captured suggests a war of extermination by the Australians. |
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