United States Army in World War II
The War in the Pacific

The Approach to the Philippines

Robert Ross Smith

CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY
UNITED STATES ARMY
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1996


U.S. Army Center of Military History
Brig. Gen. Douglas Kinnard, USA (Ret.), Chief of Military History
 
Chief Historian David F. Trask
Chief, Histories Division Col. James W. Dunn
Editor in Chief John Elsberg
 

Library of Congress Catalog Number: 53-60474

 

First Printed 1953-CMH Pub 5-8


. . . to Those Who Served


CONTENTS

  Foreword iii
  The Author iv
  Preface

v
Chapter     Page
I. The Strategic Background 1
    Determining the Strategy of the Approach 1
    Acceleration of Pacific Operations in Early 1944 6
    The New Directive for 1944 11
II. Planning and Preparation for the Hollandia-Aitape Operation 13
    Theater Organization 14
    The Hollandia Area 16
    The Decision to Take Aitape 19
    The Forces and Their Missions 23
    Logistics 32
    The Hollandia Tactical Plan 42
    Preliminary Operations and the Approach 48
III. The Hollandia Operations 53
    The Landings at Tanahmerah Bay 53
    The 24th Division's Drive to the Airfields 59
    The Seizure of Hollandia Town 68
    The Drive Inland from Humboldt Bay 71
    Logistic Problems of the RECKLESS Task Force 77
    The End of the Operation 82
IV. The Japanese: Pearl Harbor Through Hollandia 84
    Strategy and Dispositions to April 1944 84
    The Japanese at Hollandia 95
V. Prelude to the Battle of the Driniumor 103
    Securing the Airfield Area 103
    Contact with the 18th Army on the East Flank 114
VI. Deployment for Battle 131
    Reinforcement and Reorganization of the PERSECUTION Task Force 131
    Gathering Combat Intelligence 137
    The 18th Army Moves West 145
VII. The Battle of the Driniumor, Phase I: The 18th Army Attacks 152
    Withdrawal of the PERSECUTION Covering Force 152
    Restoration of the Driniumor Line 158
    Operations West of the Driniumor 167
    The Japanese Attack on the South Flank 170
VIII. The Battle of the Driniumor, Phase II: The 18th Army Retreats 177
    Securing the Afua Area 177
    Envelopment to the East 188
    The End of the Aitape Operation 200
IX. The Seizure of Wakde Island 206
    The Sarmi-Biak Plan 206
    The Wakde Plan 212
    Preparations for the Capture of Wakde Island 218
    Small-Island Warfare, Southwest Pacific Style 222
X. Lone Tree Hill: The Initial Attacks 232
    The Japanese at Wakde-Sarmi 232
    The 158th Infantry Against Lone Tree Hill 236
    Final Operations of the 158th Infantry 253
XI. Lone Tree Hill and Beyond 263
    The 6th Division Against Lone Tree Hill 263
    Final Operations in the Wakde-Sarmi Area 275
    The Results of the Wakde-Sarmi Operation 278
XII. Biak: The Plan, the Landing, and the Enemy 280
    The Biak Plan 280
    The Landing 289
    The Japanese on Biak 299
XIII. West to Mokmer Drome 304
    An Initial Reverse 304
    Preparations for a New Attack 312
    The Seizure of Mokmer Drome 316
XIV. Frustration at Mokmer Drome 326
    Reinforcements for the 186th Infantry 326
    Operations North of Mokmer Drome 331
    Allied Command at Biak 340
XV. The Japanese Reinforce Biak 346
    Biak and Japanese Naval Plans 346
    The KON Operation 350
    Results of the KON Operation 361
XVI. Biak: The Reduction of the Japanese Pockets 365
    The Reduction of the West Caves 365
    Securing the Western Area 377
    The Reduction of the East Caves 380
    The Reduction of the Ibdi Pocket 384
    The End of the Operation 390
XVII. Operations on Noemfoor Island 397
    The Noemfoor Plan 397
    The Landing 406
    The Occupation of Noemfoor Island 416
    Base Development on Noemfoor 421
XVIII. Airfields on the Vogelkop Peninsula 425
    Early Plans for the Vogelkop 425
    The Sansapor-Mar Plan 431
    Operations in the Sansapor-Mar Area 440
XIX. The Palaus and Morotai: Strategic and Tactical Planning 450
    The Strategic Setting 450
    The Objectives 456
    Organization, Tactics, and Logistics 463
XX. The Morotai Operation 480
    The Landing 480
    Securing and Developing Morotai 488
XXI. The Landings on Peleliu and Angaur 494
    Preliminary Air and Naval Bombardment 494
    The Peleliu Beachhead 496
    The Decision to Land on Angaur 498
    The Assault on Angaur 499
    Securing Southern Angaur 508
XXII. The Reduction of Northwestern Angaur 515
    Into the Main Defenses 515
    Overcoming the Last Resistance 523
    Results of Operations on Angaur 530
XXIII. Securing Peleliu Island 532
    Marine Operations in Southern Peleliu to 22 September 532
    Dividing the Island 536
    Northern Peleliu and the Offshore Islands 543
XXIV. Peleliu: The Last Resistance 551
    Compressing the Umurbrogol Pocket 551
    Entr'acte: The Relief of the 1st Marine Division 559
    Overcoming the Final Resistance 561
    Results of Operations in the Palaus 573
Conclusion: The Results and the Costs 576
Bibliographical Note 579
List of Abbreviations 595
Basic Military Map Symbols 601
Index 605
 
  TABLES  
1. American Casualties During the Approach to the Philippines: April-December 1944 577
2. Japanese Casualties, Defending the Approaches to the Philippines: April-December 1944 578
 
  CHARTS  
1. Operational Organization of the Southwest Pacific Area: April 1944 15
2. Air Organization for the Hollandia-Aitape Operations (Amphibious Phase) 25
3. Naval Organization for the Hollandia-Aitape Operations (Amphibious Phase) 28
4. Ground Organization for the Hollandia-Aitape Operations (Amphibious Phase) 33
5. Japanese Army Operational Organization in the Southwest Pacific Area: April 1944 94
6. Japanese Naval Operational Organization in the Central and Southwest Pacific Area: April 1944 96
7. The PERSECUTION Task Force: 22 April-4 May 1944 104
8. The PERSECUTION Task Force: 4 May-28 June 1944 115
9. The PERSECUTION Task Force: 28 June-11 July 1944 136
10. The PERSECUTION Task Force: 11 July-21 July 1944 160
11. The PERSECUTION Task Force: 22 July-30 July 1944 175
12. The PERSECUTION Task Force: 31 July-11 August 1944 189
13. The PERSECUTION Task Force: 11 August-25 August 1944 203
14. Organization for the Palau Operation 465
 
 
MAPS
 
1. Situation in the Pacific, 12 March 1944 2
2. Hollandia Operation Area 17
3. Aitape Landings, 22 April 1944 106
4. Yakamul Area 124
5. Situation Along the Driniumor, Evening, 10 July 1944 141
6. Japanese Plan of Attack, 10 July 1944 149
7. Japanese Attack on Driniumor Line, Night, 10-11 July 1944 153
8. The TED Force Action, 31 July-10 August 1944 193
9. Wakde-Sarmi Area 207
10. Capture of Wakde Islands, 17-19 May 1944 223
11. Advance to Lone Tree Hill, 23-26 May 1944 240
12. TORNADO Task Force, Night, 30-31 May 1944 254
13. Schouten Islands 281
14. Bosnek-Sorido Coast 282
15. Attack North of Mokmer Drome, 11-15 June 1944 333
16. Securing the Airfields, 18-24 June 1944 370
17. Capture of Noemfoor, 2 July-31 August 1944 399
18. Vogelkop Operation, 30 July-31 August 1944 431
19. Palau Islands 458
20. Morotai Landings, 15 September 1944 476
21. Terrain of Umurbrogol Pocket 552
22. Marines at Umurbrogol Pocket, 30 September-15 October 1944 557
23. 321st Infantry at Umurbrogol Pocket, 16-25 October 1944 562
24. 323d Infantry at Umurbrogol Pocket, 26 October-27 November 1944 570
  Maps I-IX are in inverse order inside back cover  
I. New Guinea  
II. The Hollandia Operations, 22-26 April 1944  
III. Securing the Beachhead, 23 April-4 May 1944  
IV. Lone Tree Hill  
V. Biak Landings and Seizure of Mokmer Drome, 27 May-7 June 1944  
VI. Assault on Peleliu, 15-23 September 1944  
VII. Assault on Angaur, 17-20 September 1944  
VIII. Reduction of Northwestern Angaur, 21 September-1 October 1944  
IX. Dividing the Island, 24-26 September 1944  
 
  ILLUSTRATIONS  
Lake Sentani Plain, Showing Airfields 19
Hollandia-Aitape Planners 30
Humboldt Bay 44
Tanahmerah Bay 46
Damaged Japanese Airplanes 51
Landings at Tanahmerah Bay 54
Unloading LST's 57
Hand-Carrying Supplies 63
General Douglas MacArthur 69
LVT's Crossing Lake Sentani 75
Troops Unloading Supplies at Aitape 109
Yakamul Area 124
Tadji Fighter Strip 129
Driniumor River 142
Lt. Gen. Hatazo Adachi 146
The Afua Area 178
Artillery Supporting TED Force 198
Native Litter Bearers 201
Brig. Gen. Jens A. Doe 220
The Assault on Wakde Island [1] [2] 225
Enemy Defensive Positions on Wakde [1] [2] 229
LCM Ferry 253
Mokmer Drome, Biak 288
Biak Coast Line 292
Unloading at Biak 298
East Caves Area 305
Scene of Tank Battle 308
The Parai Defile 314
Men of the 162d Infantry Seeking Cover 331
Disabled Japanese Tank 339
Infantrymen Moving Up to Attack 367
Entrances to the West Caves [1] [2] 376
Entrance to the East Caves 383
Dock Area, Biak 394
Base H and Hospital Areas on Biak 395
DUKW Burning on the Beach at Noemfoor 410
Paratroopers Landing on Noemfoor 414
Sansapor Planners 435
Bulldozer Clearing Jungle Undergrowth 448
Maj. Gen. Paul J. Mueller 467
LCI's at Morotai 484
Unloading at Morotai [1] [2] 486
RED Beach Unloading Operations 502
Saipan Town Area 506
Entrance to Lake Salome Bowl [1] [2] 520
Interior of Lake Salome Bowl 525
Mopping Up in Northwest Angaur 528
Southeast Corner of Umurbrogol Pocket 554
LVT Flame Thrower in Action 564
Moving into Mortimer Valley 568
Peleliu 574

The illustration on p. 146 is an Australian War Memorial photograph. All other illustrations in this volume are from the files of the Department of Defense.



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