The 32D
'Red Arrow' Veteran Association
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The 32D
Infantry Division
in
World War II
"The Red
Arrow"
New Guinea Campaign -
Biak
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Mr. Howard Kelley, a 32nd Infantry Division Veteran, has
written a book describing his service during World War II. In Born in
the U.S.A. - Raised in New Guinea, he shares some of his most
personal experiences as a member of the 'Red Arrow's' 3rd Battalion, 127th Infantry.
This book offers a rare, first-hand glimpse of the 32nd Infantry Division in
World War II, as seen through the eyes of an enlisted GI. Click on the book
cover to the left, it will take you to Mr. Kelley's web site, where you will
find information about how to purchase this book. |
New Guinea Campaign: Biak
The successful Allied seizure of the key
Japanese air bases at Hollandia at the end of April
1944 was quickly exploited by further westward assaults along the north coast
of New Guinea. The 163rd RCT (41st 'Jungleer'
Division) established a beachhead at Maffin Bay
(about 150 miles west of Hollandia) on 17 May 1944,
in preparation for attacks on nearby Wakde Island and
the airfields near the village of Sarmi (on the coast
about 18 miles east of the beachhead). Part of the 163rd assaulted Wakde Island on 18 May, and secured it after several
days of stubborn fighting. On 22 May the 158th RCT (a nondivisional unit) pushed east from the beachhead toward Sarmi and to secure the high ground around Maffin Bay. The 158th encountered strong opposition and,
vastly outnumbered, pulled back toward the beachhead to wait for
reinforcements, in the form of the entire 6th Infantry Division (which would
relieve them on 14 June). After Maffin Bay was
secured, it became a major staging area to support further operations westward
on New Guinea, as well as the eventual operations in the Philippines. One of
the New Guinea operations it supported was Biak.
The island of Biak is 45 miles long and 23 miles wide, and lies off the center of strategic Geelvink
Bay, near the western end of New Guinea. The Japanese had established 3
airstrips on Biak, and these air bases could support Allied heavy bombers. The
seizure of Biak was important, not only to complete Allied dominance of all of
New Guinea, but also to support looming operations against the Philippines and
Borneo.
"Biak was different from most of the
Pacific islands on which American troops had fought. It had been described as
“one huge lump of coral.” Cliffs rise abruptly from the sea, and innumerable
caves honeycomb the island. Much of it is covered with rain forests and jungle.
Drinking water is scarce." (Blakeley 175)
The unit tasked with the capture of Biak was named Hurricane Task Force. The
majority of this force was comprised of the 41st 'Jungleer'
Infantry Division, but one unit from the 32nd Division played a key role in
this operation. "From early in the Aitape operation until the latter
part of the Leyte campaign, one battalion of the 32d Division was detached, and
it led an orphan’s existence (Blakeley 175)." The
121st FA BN, commanded by LTC Arthur E. Solem, was
attached to the 41st Division on 10 May 1944, during the opening stages
of the 32nd Division's operations at Aitape (250 miles to the east). The 121st,
normally equipped with 155mm howitzers, but now equipped with truck-drawn M-1,
75mm howitzers, was assigned to direct support for the 186th Inf. Regiment
(41st Division).
On 25 May Hurricane Task Force departed from Hollandia.
At 0715 on 27 May the initial assault elements from the 186th landed on
Biak with minimal resistance, the enemy had been caught by surprise.
"Battery
C of the 121st Field Artillery Battalion was the first artillery unit to land.
It was ashore and ready to fire by 0730. The rest of the battalion was not far
behind, but only Battery C actually went into action on the first day.
Resistance was feeble that day although the enemy attacked the ships and
beaches from the air." (Blakeley 175)
The high level planners had envisioned the seizure
of Biak to only take about a week, and the activities on the 1st day indicated
that this estimate might be met. However, it soon became evident that the
planners had underestimated the enemy, both in strength and tenacity. After the
battle, it was learned that there were about 11,400 Japanese troops on Biak.
The assault landings had been relatively easy, because the Japanese commander,
with insufficient troops to effectively defend the entire coast, had
concentrated his strength inland around the airfields.
On 28 May, as the
Americans started to push inland and toward the airfields, enemy resistance
increased dramatically. Patrols from
the 162nd Infantry (41st Division) were only 200 yards from the airfields when
a determined Japanese counterattack pushed them back. The soldiers of Hurricane
Force also encountered stubborn Japanese positions established in the numerous
caves that dotted the island's mountainous interior. "Much bitter
and involved fighting ensued in which the rough terrain and lack of water added
to the problems of the invading forces (Blakeley 176)."
Due to the scarcity of fresh water, the soldiers were often limited to just 1
canteen a day while enduring the equatorial heat (Biak is only about 60 miles
from the equator).
"The 121st was actively engaged throughout this period, probably more so
than the other artillery units which were sometimes handicapped by the fact
that they were manning heavier weapons. On 7 June, for example, the 121st fired
over 2,000 rounds." (Blakeley
176)
On 29 May the Japanese launched another
counterattack, this time supported by about 6 light tanks. The U.S. M-4 Sherman
tanks made short work of the Japanese tanks, and the 162nd repulsed the enemy
infantry.
On 1 June the 163rd RCT, organic to the
41st Division, arrived to reinforce Hurricane Force.
The 163rd had just been released from its mission on Wakde
Island. The airfields themselves were soon in American hands, but they couldn't
be used by Allied warplanes yet because the Japanese still controlled some of
the surrounding high ground and could place fire on the airfields.
"On
14 June, in a movement reminiscent of what had happened at Buna, General Eichelberger was sent in to take over command of the Task
Force when both Generals MacArthur and Krueger became dissatisfied with the
slowness of the operations and the failure to capture the airfields at an early
date. The fact that General MacArthur’s headquarters had already announced that
victory had been achieved on Biak did not help matters. Eichelberger
arrived on the island on the 15th. Even as he was in the process of taking over
command, a particularly bitter battle was in progress, a battle which included
a vigorous enemy counterattack employing both infantry and tanks."
(Blakeley 176)
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U.S.
Army Signal Corps photo
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The Approach to the Philippines, the Army's official history, describes the 121st's
performance at Biak, "The 121st Field Artillery Battalion, while it
had hit no tanks, had proved a real aid during the battle. It prevented
Japanese infantrymen from forming for the attack and neutralized a number of
enemy machine guns by firing 600 rounds into the area northwest of the 1st
Battalion, 186th Infantry. (qtd. in Blakeley 176)”
The Americans gained complete control of the high
ground around the airfields on 27 June, when they cleared the last of
the Japanese cave positions. However, the fight for total control of the island
would continue for 3 more weeks.
On 28 July the 121st FA BN fired its last
round in support of the infantry on Biak.
On 20 August 1944 Biak was officially declared clear.
"On 11 September, the 121st was
reequipped with tractor-drawn 155mm Howitzers. On 2 October the battalion
reverted to the 32d Division, but it remained on Biak until 13 November, when
it sailed for Hollandia.
"On 6 December, in company with some rear echelon
elements of the 32d, it sailed for Leyte. It was put ashore on the east coast
on 14 December and was back with the Division two days later."
(Blakeley 176-7)
Next Section - New Guinea
Campaign - Morotai
Bibliography:
Blakeley, H. W., Major General, Retired. The 32nd Infantry Division in World War II. The Thirty-second Infantry Division History Commission, State of Wisconsin, n.d.
Cannon, M. Hamlin. Leyte: The Return to the Philippines. U. S. Army Center of Military History, 1954.
Drea, Edward J. New Guinea - The U.S. Army Campaigns of World War II. U. S. Army Center of Military History, n.d.
Hill, Jim Dan, Major General, Retired. The Minute Man in Peace and War. Harrisburg: The Stackpole Company, 1964.
Jungwirth, Clarence J. Diary of a National Guardsman in World War II. Oshkosh, WI: Poeschl Printing Company, 1991.
Milner, Samuel. Victory in Papua. U. S. Army Center of Military History, 1957.
Papuan Campaign - The Buna-Sanananda Operation. Washington, D.C.: Historical Division, War Department, 1945.
The Red Arrow - 1955 - The 32nd Division, Wisconsin National Guard. n.p., 1955.
Smith, Herbert M., Lieutenant Colonel, Retired. Hannibal Had Elephants II. Eau Claire, WI: Rev. William A. Heins, 1995.Smith, Robert Ross. The Approach to the Philippines. U. S. Army Center of Military History, 1953.
Smith, Robert Ross. Triumph in the Philippines. U. S. Army Center of Military History, 1963.
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revised 22 December 2006
since 8 August 1999