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729:
the attack was successful and, the
Japanese abandoned Bobdubi Ridge. The fighting over the six weeks to that point had been heavy, with Japanese losses at the hands of the 15th Brigade being estimated at around 400 killed, against 46 killed and 152 wounded for the Australians. In mid-August, the Australians continued the attack. On 14 August, heavy aerial bombing reduced Japanese positions around "Coconut Ridge" – consisting of three positions dubbed "North Coconut", "Central Coconut" and "South Coconut" – which was followed by an attack by the 2/7th Infantry Battalion; advancing up a steep slope, they nevertheless managed to gain a foothold around the northern end of the ridge and that night, the Japanese withdrew from the southern end.
689:, and the area around Missim. One patrol succeeded in reaching the mouth of the Bituang River, to the north of Salamaua. On 11 May, the 2/3rd sent patrols to Bobdubi Ridge and subsequently occupied it, having found that the Japanese had abandoned it; long range exchanges of fire with Japanese troops on Komiatum Ridge followed, and a full scale Japanese attack followed, supported with artillery, pushing the commandos from the ridge on 14 May. This was followed by heavy air attacks on Australian positions on 15 May. Elsewhere, in an effort to defend the approaches to Wau, troops from the 2/7th Infantry established themselves in a defensive position around
182:
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713:; meanwhile, on the northern Australian flank the 24th Infantry Battalion set up ambushes and clashed with small groups of Japanese along the Malolo Track. During the initial attack on Bobdubi, the Japanese forces holding it equated to about one company from the 115th Infantry Regiment, but over the course of several days, these were reinforced by about 200 troops from the 66th Infantry Regiment, and then a battalion of the 80th Infantry, which was hurriedly dispatched from Lae.
737:, their supply routes between Komiatum and Davidson Ridge having been cut. In an effort to prevent a break out between Komiatum and Bobdubi, the Australian divisional commander, Savige, ordered a follow-up attack by the 15th Brigade towards the Salamaua Track. On 17 August, the 2/3rd Independent Company secured the junction of the Bobdubi–Salamaua Track, and then held it against heavy Japanese counter-attacks, which were finally defeated on 19 August.
38:
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fierce counterattacks in an attempt to retake it. These counterattacks occurred over the course of the following three days and four nights, however, the platoon from the 2/3rd, consisting of only 52 men, managed to hold the knoll. Later in the month, the 2/3rd attacked the
Japanese around the "Timbered Knoll", launching a successful flanking attack which pushed the Japanese off the position.
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786:
to units that participated in the battle: "Bobdubi I" for the initial phase between 22 April 1943 and 29 May 1943 and "Bobdubi II" for actions between 30 June 1943 and 19 August 1943. The units chosen to receive these battle honours were from the 15th and 17th
Brigades, which were under the command
745:
Following actions around
Bobdubi, further fighting in the Salamaua area followed. As the Japanese divisional commander, Nakano, ordered the withdrawal of his forces from around Komiatum and Bobdubi to a final defensive line to the rear, the Australian advance towards the coast, in conjunction with
728:
At the end of July, the 2/6th
Infantry Battalion put in a company-level attack on the Japanese flank and managed to secure one of the feature's in front of Ambush Knoll. Meanwhile, the 58th/59th attacked around a position dubbed "Old Vickers". Heavily supported with indirect fire and machine-guns,
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cleared
Bobdubi Ridge, in order to relieve pressure on the forces around Mubo, and gain control of the Komiatum Track, thereby cutting off the Japanese forces in front of Mubo and disrupting Japanese efforts to resupply them. This was undertaken in conjunction with the landing of US troops around
716:
In early July, the 2/3rd
Independent Company launched an attack against "Ambush Knoll", a feature which controlled Bobdubi Ridge, and captured it. By capturing the knoll, the 2/3rd threatened the Japanese supply lines to Mubo and Salamaua and because of this it forced them to launch a number of
574:. The initial phase of the fighting around Bobdubi was characterised mainly by small unit harassment and reconnaissance operations, while the second phase saw the capture of a number of Japanese defensive positions in locations dubbed "Old Vickers", "Timbered Knoll", and the "Coconuts".
662:. While the 2/7th made little progress, they provided a diversion for the 2/3rd Independent Company, which advanced in an arc and raided Japanese positions at Bobdubi Ridge, inflicting severe losses. Later in May, the 2/7th repelled a number of strong Japanese counter-attacks.
766:
to capture the town in a pincer movement, the
Australian and US forces continued to clash with the Japanese for the next fortnight. The Japanese resisted heavily, but nevertheless, the Francisco River was crossed on 21 August, and in the first week of September, the
732:
Meanwhile, two days later, the 2/6th
Infantry exploited further, attacking and taking Komiatum Ridge with two companies, after a heavy artillery preparation. The result of this was the encirclement of Japanese troops on
779:, to withdraw back from the Salamaua region to reinforce Lae, transferring between 5,000 and 6,000 troops by barge. The town of Salamaua and its airfield was eventually taken by the Allies on 11 September.
658:, at the end of a long and tenuous supply line, attacked the southern extremity of the Japanese lines, the Mubo area, at features known to the Allies as "The Pimple" and "Green Hill" during the
685:, detached several platoons to reinforce the 2/3rd Independent Company. During the month of May, they were heavily engaged in patrolling the 3rd Division's northern flank, around the
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724:
Troops from the
Australian 2/3rd Independent Company take up position in weapon pits during an attack on Timbered Knoll, north of Orodubi, between Mubo and Salamaua, 29 July 1943.
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headquarters took over from the 3rd Division. Advancing towards Salamaua in an effort to draw reinforcements away from Lae, where a
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a Japanese attempt to capture the vital airfield around Wau had been repelled. In the process, the last Japanese attempt to capture
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The fighting around Bobdubi took place in two phases and as a result after the war, the Australian Army issued two
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captured "Charlie Hill". Bad weather held up the Allied advance, and finally, Nakano received orders from the
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and reconnaissance operations along the Komiatum Track to harass the Japanese, in support of Major General
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Operations of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in the Papua New Guinea Theater During World War II
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between Australian and Japanese forces which took place from 22 April to 19 August 1943, during
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was turned back. In the aftermath, the Australian force – consisting mainly of the
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Australians from the 2/3rd Independent Company around Timbered Knoll, 29 July 1943
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All the King's Enemies: A History of the 2/5th Australian Infantry Battalion
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1234:. Series 1 – Army. Vol. 6. Canberra: Australian War Memorial.
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in an effort to prevent Japanese movement into the area from
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At the same time as the fighting around Mubo the Australian
754:, which had landed at Tambu Bay, relieved the 17th, as the
1321:. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press.
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were also in the area over the course of the fighting.
1295:. Ringwood East, Victoria: 2/5 Battalion Association.
762:
was planned for mid-September in conjunction with an
669:
Map showing key locations in the Salamaua-Lae region
1278:. Tokyo: Japan Papua New Guinea Goodwill Society.
654:Between 22 April and 29 May 1943, the Australian
1261:. Melbourne, Victoria: Grayflower Publications.
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1209:. Sydney, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin.
696:Between 30 June and 19 August, the Australian
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8:
1375:Battles of World War II involving Australia
1370:South West Pacific theatre of World War II
746:the drive north along the coast by the US
630:, which formed part of Lieutenant General
570:in mid-September 1943 in conjunction with
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626:. At this time, Japanese troops from the
1207:The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles
1380:Battles of World War II involving Japan
986:. Veterans Review Board. Archived from
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550:was a series of actions fought in the
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1054:"The Battles For and Around Salamaua"
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915:"24th Battalion (Kooyong Regiment)"
54:22 April 1943 – 19 August 1943
1385:Australia–Japan military relations
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1232:Australia in the War of 1939–1945
919:Second World War, 1939–1945 units
828:Second World War, 1939–1945 units
582:In late January 1943, during the
562:. Part of the Allied advance on
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1205:Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1998).
677:, which had been defending the
594:under the command of Brigadier
572:airborne landings around Nadzab
1291:Trigellis-Smith, Syd (1994) .
1:
1343:Pushing Back: Wau to Salamaua
707:58th/59th Infantry Battalion
824:"2/3rd Independent Company"
1401:
1259:South West Pacific 1941–45
764:airborne landing at Nadzab
1317:Bradley, Phillip (2010).
1227:The New Guinea Offensives
1183:. Australian War Memorial
1157:. Australian War Memorial
921:. Australian War Memorial
830:. Australian War Memorial
608:2/3rd Independent Company
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1365:1943 in Papua New Guinea
1274:Tanaka, Kengoro (1980).
656:2/7th Infantry Battalion
644:115th Infantry Regiments
508:Neutralisation of Rabaul
474:Markham-Ramu-Finisterres
851:, pp. 23, 173–174.
769:42nd Infantry Battalion
748:162nd Infantry Regiment
675:24th Infantry Battalion
556:Territory of New Guinea
235:115th Infantry Regiment
64:Territory of New Guinea
1224:Dexter, David (1961).
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628:80th Infantry Regiment
230:66th Infantry Regiment
225:80th Infantry Regiment
151:Commanders and leaders
984:Campaign Publications
787:of the 3rd Division.
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277:Salamaua–Lae campaign
1102:Coulthard-Clark 1998
890:Coulthard-Clark 1998
861:Trigellis-Smith 1994
600:fighting around Mubo
530:Bombing of Hollandia
369:New Guinea campaign
1140:, pp. 318–321.
1128:, pp. 298–311.
1116:, pp. 171–175.
1038:, pp. 171–172.
1026:, pp. 159–160.
1014:, pp. 107–113.
892:, pp. 239–240.
810:, pp. 281–285.
711:hand-to-hand combat
622:'s campaign around
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535:Western New Guinea
1360:Conflicts in 1943
612:guerilla campaign
568:seaborne landings
548:Battle of Bobdubi
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494:Bombing of Rabaul
414:Goodenough Island
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85:5.500°S 141.000°E
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1185:. Retrieved
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1177:"Bobdubi II"
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1159:. Retrieved
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988:the original
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977:"New Guinea"
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752:29th Brigade
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698:15th Brigade
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620:3rd Division
604:George Warfe
596:Murray Moten
592:17th Brigade
588:Port Moresby
581:
560:World War II
554:area of the
547:
545:
523:
467:
455:
450:Bismarck Sea
424:
404:Kokoda Track
294:
217:
211:17th Brigade
206:15th Brigade
200:3rd Division
198:
175:Murray Moten
116:Belligerents
26:World War II
1319:To Salamaua
1151:"Bobdubi I"
1138:Dexter 1961
1114:Tanaka 1980
1087:Tanaka 1980
1075:Tanaka 1980
1036:Dexter 1961
1024:Tanaka 1980
1012:Dexter 1961
964:Tanaka 1980
952:Dexter 1961
940:Dexter 1961
902:Dexter 1961
873:Dexter 1961
849:Dexter 1961
775:commander,
735:Mount Tambu
513:Admiralties
489:New Britain
88: /
30:Pacific War
1354:Categories
1245:19 January
1187:16 January
1161:16 January
1126:Keogh 1965
1060:23 January
997:19 October
925:23 January
834:23 January
808:Keogh 1965
791:References
703:Nassau Bay
578:Background
479:Wewak Raid
305:Nassau Bay
796:Citations
773:18th Army
741:Aftermath
524:Take Ichi
468:Chronicle
419:Buna–Gona
409:Milne Bay
399:Coral Sea
130:Australia
1257:(1965).
624:Salamaua
602:, Major
564:Salamaua
552:Salamaua
425:Lilliput
315:Mt Tambu
76:141°00′E
59:Location
24:Part of
1284:9206229
1267:7185705
1240:2028994
500:1944–45
431:Merauke
300:Lababia
295:Bobdubi
107:victory
73:05°30′S
1325:
1299:
1282:
1265:
1238:
1213:
683:Bulolo
650:Battle
518:Emirau
325:Nadzab
141:
127:
105:Allied
101:Result
991:(PDF)
980:(PDF)
144:Japan
1323:ISBN
1297:ISBN
1280:OCLC
1263:OCLC
1247:2016
1236:OCLC
1211:ISBN
1189:2016
1163:2016
1062:2015
999:2014
927:2016
836:2016
642:and
640:66th
606:'s
546:The
456:I-Go
437:1943
381:1942
290:Mubo
51:Date
634:'s
618:'s
445:Wau
320:Lae
1356::
1230:.
1179:.
1153:.
1094:^
1043:^
982:.
917:.
880:^
826:.
815:^
28:,
1331:.
1305:.
1286:.
1269:.
1249:.
1219:.
1191:.
1165:.
1064:.
1001:.
929:.
838:.
359:e
352:t
345:v
267:e
260:t
253:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
