The Bougainville Campaign
1944-1945
An account of the Militia at war
By Anthony Staunton
|
The largest of the Solomon Islands is
Bougainville. It is 120 miles long and 40 miles in width at the widest part.
The
mountain chain which forms its backbone rises to 9,000 feet at Mount Balbi, an
active volcano.
The main population areas are in the southeast and east in wide
flat country with high forest and dense undergrowth covering the rest of the
island to the 4500 foot contour; here scantier moss forest begins.
|
The
temperature is generally hot and humid although the beaches are pleasantly cool
at night.
Units making up II
Corps. |
7th Brigade |
3 Div |
9th, 25th and 61st Battalions |
11th Brigade |
5 Div |
26th, 55/53rd and 31/51st
Battalions |
15th Brigade |
3 Div |
24th, 57/60th and 58/59th
Battalions. |
23rd Brigade |
5 Div |
7th, 8th and 27th Battalions |
29th Brigade |
3 Div |
15th, 42nd
and 47th Battalions |
On 1 November 1943, the US 3rd Marine Division
landed at Torokina on the northern side of Empress Augusta Bay and secured the
beachhead. The Marines were relieved by the US XIV Corps on 15 November. In
March 1944, a full scale Japanese offensive against the American positions was
repulsed but the Americans did not extend their perimeter further and were in
the same positions when the Australian II Corps under the command of Lieutenant
General Stanley Savige took command in December 1944. In late 1944, the
Americans estimated that 12,000 Japanese remained in the islands, the
Australians estimated that 25,000 remained but in fact there were 40,000 of whom
8,000 were in the forward area.
The two US Divisions on Bougainville were
replaced by four Australian brigades, the 7th, 15th and 29th Brigades of the 3rd
Australian Division and the 11th Brigade. (The force was
designated II Corps) The militia was the pre-war
citizen forces which had been called up for full time duty and was separate from
the AIF which had been specially raised in 1939 for overseas service. By 1945
many militia soldiers had volunteered for the AIF and when 65% of a unit had
volunteered, the unit was entitled to be called an AIF unit. Eight of the 12
battalions in these brigades were Queensland units - all the militia battalions
from that State. Although reinforcements were sent to battalions without regard
to the state in which they were raised, more than half of the men in each unit
still belonged to its home State. The burden of the Bougainville campaign thus
fell particularly heavily on Queenslanders.
The
Bougainville Campaign was controversial, particularly with the
troops. It was seen as a 'political' campaign that was not any
benefit to the objective of defeating Japan. Just a clean up
operation. The 42nd Battalion History reads;
"In the first place the campaign was futile and unnecessary. At
Salamaua the men went for the Jap because every inch of ground won
meant so much less distance to Tokyo. But what did an inch or a mile
mean on Bougainville? Nothing ! Whether Bougainville could be taken
in a week or a year would make no difference to the war in general.
Every man knew this. The Bougainville campaign was a politicians war
and served no better purpose than to keep men in the fight....Every
risk taken on Bougainville was one that could not be avoided; every
life was begrudged. Men fought because there was no alternative.
None wanted to lose his life on Bougainville....but despite all this
the men did fight and fought well". |
Numa Numa Trail
The main Japanese force was concentrated in
the south of the island but it was in the central sector along the Numa Numa
trail that the Australian campaign opened. The Numa Numa trail traversed the
island from the Torokina perimeter along a gorge, up an escarpment then along a
saddle of the main range to the east coast. The 9th Bn (7th brigade, 3rd
Division) relieved the Americans above the escarpment on 22 November 1944 and a
week later captured the nearest Japanese position. With both air and artillery
support, the next position, arty Hill, was taken on 18 December when the
Japanese left 25 dead. The 25th Bn relieved the 9th Bn and took the next
feature, Pearl Ridge a few days before the 11th Brigades took over the central
sector on 1 January 1945. The Australians could now see the sea on both sides of
the island from the newly won positions but were restrained from advancing
further and held their positions while heavily patrolling the forward areas.
Each of the battalions of the 11th Brigade did a tour of four to six weeks in the
central sector - the 26th Bn until 2 February; the 55th/53rd Bn until 15 March;
and the 31st/51st Bn until 18 April. The second battalion of the brigade during
this time was in the northern sector and the third was resting.
In April 1945, the 23rd Brigade (7th, 8th and
27th Bns), having moved to Bougainville from the outer islands, replaced the
11th Brigade in the central sector. The 27th Bn patrolled deeply but was under
orders not to attack in strength. In six weeks, it made 48 patrols and killed
122 Japanese for the loss of 4 killed and 9 wounded. The 7th Bn relieved the
27th Bn in June and was given a more active role. Advancing from Pearl Ridge,
the 7th Bn attacked and captured a series of Japanese positions. It took McInnes
Hill in August and used strong patrols to probe deeply into Japanese territory.
From Kuraia to Soraken
In January 1945, the 31st/51st (11th Brigade)
advanced north from Sipaai and ran into the Japanese on Tsimba Ridge, forward of
the Genga River and some five miles south of Soraken. On 6 February in an attack
preceded by artillery and mortar barrages the ridge was captured. The last
pocket of resistance was not overcome until the next day. 66 Japanese were
killed in the fighting and 7 pieces of artillery and 9 machine guns were
captured. The Australians moved forward with air and artillery support and
captured the ridge overlooking Soraken on 19 February 1945. Two days later, the
31st/51st Bn which had suffered 34 killed and 19 wounded in six weeks of
fighting was relieved. During March, the 26th Bn cleared the Japanese from the
Soraken Peninsula and nearby island in hard fighting that obtained good
observation of Soraken Harbour and Buka Island. In early April 1945, the 26th Bn
was relieved by the 55th/53rd Bn. It moved towards Pora Pora with one company
advancing along the coast and another along an inland track. It pushed the
Japanese back to a line from Ruri Bay to Ratsua Inlet stretching across the neck
of the Bonis Peninsula. Late in May 1945 the 26th Bn relieved the 55th/53rd Bn
and continued northward but met opposition so stern that the 31st/51st Bn was
again brought forward. The Japanese doggedly resisted the Australians who by now
were weary and far below strength. On 8 June, a rein-forced company of the
31st/51st, in 6 landing craft, tried to outflank the Japanese by landing behind
the lines at Parton but was forced to withdraw after 48 hours, having lost 23
killed and 106 wounded.
Bonis Peninsula
The 11th Brigade was relieved at the end of
June by the 23rd Brigade which was ordered to contain the Japanese in the Bonis
Peninsula and to patrol towards Buka passage. Initially, the 8th and 27th Bns
operated on separate sides of the peninsula but deadly Japanese raids ambushed
ration parties and cut signal wires behind Australian lines.
On 21 July 1945, the 27th Bn recorded that it
had suffered 10 killed and 34 wounded in the previous month although it had made
no forward movement. Approval was given on 22 July for the 23rd Brigade to
concentrate on a 3,000 metre front around the Buoi plantation. On 23 July, the
8th Bn with air and tank support attacked a ridge that the Japanese had strongly
entrenched. Next day, another attack was halted by heavy fire from well
camouflaged positions until a wounded 20 year old Private Frank Partridge dashed
forward knocking out one bunker and leading the attack against a second. He was
awarded the Victoria Cross. The Japanese later abandoned the position.
South Bougainville
The 3rd Australian Division was given the role
of destroying the Japanese in south Bougainville. In late November 1944, the
29th Brigade (15th, 42nd and 47th Bns)
replaced the Americans north of the Jaba
River and began extensive patrols. On 28 December 1944 the brigade was given the
task of advancing south along the coast. The Japanese resisted the advance but
the Australians steadily gained ground. By mid January 1945, the brigade had
advanced 13 miles and secured the coast as far south as Mawarak which was
entered without opposition on 17 January. The brigade was relieved on 23 January
by the 7th Brigade (9th, 25th and 61st Battalions) which continued the
advance towards the Puriata River.
The 9th Bn advanced towards Mosigetta against
Japanese tactics of fighting from ambush positions flanked by swamps and dense
bush, mining the road, cutting signal wires and night counter attacks. The
Australians responded with mortar and artillery fire but if this failed, wide
and deep outflanking moves were made. Although losses were not heavy, conditions
were extremely uncomfortable and there was a constant sense of danger. The 61st
Bn linked up with the 9th Bn at Mosigetta on 17 February 1945 and by 1 March
patrols from both battalions and a detachment of the 25th Bn had reached the
Puriata River along a wide front.
Slater's Knoll
The 25th Bn crossed the Puriata River on 4
March 1945 and soon ran into heavy Japanese resistance.
The Battalion
established its base close to where the Puriata converged with Buin Road at
Slater's Knoll. The Japanese were strongly dug in along the Buin Road and fired
some 600 shells at Slater's Knoll in March 1945.
A company advancing along Buin
Road was surrounded and persistently attacked for three days.
The 25th Bn
attacked on a two company front on 19 March and forced the Japanese back from
their positions to an extensive system of pill-boxes at a road junction.
|
|
On 22
March, after air and artillery bombardments the new position was attacked.
During the attack Corporal Reg Rattey, using a bren gun and grenades, knocked
out 4 pill-boxes. He was awarded the Victoria Cross; the first won by a member
of a militia battalion.
Intelligence indicated that the Japanese would
launch a major offensive in April 1945 with the brunt falling on the 25th Bn.
The attack was prefaced by a series of raids on the lines of communications and
on troops in the rear. The positions of the 25th Bn were probed and attacked
from 27 March. The offensive culminated with a major assault against Slater's
Knoll on 5 April. In10 days fighting 620 Japanese were killed and about 1000
were wounded. The 7th Brigade was relieved after 10 weeks in the front lines
during which the 25th Bn suffered 10 officers and 179 other ranks killed and
wounded.
A lull followed the Japanese offensive. The
Japanese were exhausted and the 15th Brigade (24th, 57/60the and 58/59th Bns)
was not able to attack until the roads were upgraded so that supplies could be
brought forward. On 17 April, 15th Brigade opened its advance with the 24th Bn
on the Buin Road and the 57/60th on Commando Road. At first, resistance was
light but as the Australians neared the Hongorai River it stiffened with forward
infantry coming under frequent artillery fire causing casualties. After three
weeks of fighting to gain 7000 yards, the Hongorai River was reached on 7 May.
The cost had been 120 killed or wounded; 169 Japanese dead were counted.
From the Hongorai River to the Mivo River
The 15th Brigade patrolled deeply in the
middle of May with the main crossing of the Hongorai River beginning on 20 May.
The Japanese were forced from the ridge overlooking the river and the main
advance resumed on 2 June behind deadly air and artillery bombardments. Patrols
were on the Hari River by 5 June but when the main body of the 58/59the advanced
along the Buin Road it met heavy fire and the tanks were delayed by boggy
ground. Meanwhile, the 57/60th moved along Commando Road and by mid June both
battalions were beyond the Hari. The Japanese put up a strong defence in front
of the Mobia River which was reached on 25 June. The next objective was the Mivo
River which was reached by a series of wide flanking moves carried out with few
casualties. However, many minor battles were fought by the 15th Brigade between
the major ones and its losses were heavier than any other brigade on
Bougainville - 32 officers and 493 men killed or wounded.
During the 3rd Division advance from the Jaba
River to the Mivo River, the 2/8th Commando Squadron protected its flank.
Further inland, the AIB, led by Australians but with native guerrillas, created a
reign of terror among the well-armed and trained Japanese troops. It is
estimated that this force killed over 2,000 Japanese in eight months of
operations. The 29th Brigade came back into the front lines and was to cross the
Mivo River on 3 July but continuing heavy rain caused a series of postponements.
Before the offensive could be launched, active patrolling ceased in all sectors
of Bougainville on 11 August. A Japanese envoy entered Australian lines on 18
August but Australian minesweepers at Moila Point were fired upon on 20 August
and the Japanese commander waited until the surrender at Rabaul in New Britain
on 3 September 1945 before surrendering his Bougainville command.
- It is estimated that 65,000 Japanese
were on the islands when the Americans attacked in late 1943. A year
later when the Australians took control the number had shrunk to 41,000
although this number was twice the Australian strength. During
the Australian Bougainville campaign 8,500 Japanese were killed in action
or died of wounds and 9,000 died of disease or illness. 23,500 Japanese
surrendered to the Australians in September 1945.
- During the whole of the Bougainville campaign,
516 Australians were killed or died of wounds and 1,572 were wounded.
|