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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.
700:, 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
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724:; 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.
748:, 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.
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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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797:
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
756:
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
739:
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
727:
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
585:. 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".
673:. 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.
777:
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
743:
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
790:, 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.
669:, 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
696:, 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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735:
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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1245:. 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
765:, which had landed at Tambu Bay, relieved the 17th, as the
1332:. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press.
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were also in the area over the course of the fighting.
1306:. Ringwood East, Victoria: 2/5 Battalion Association.
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was planned for mid-September in conjunction with an
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Map showing key locations in the Salamaua-Lae region
1289:. Tokyo: Japan Papua New Guinea Goodwill Society.
665:Between 22 April and 29 May 1943, the Australian
1272:. Melbourne, Victoria: Grayflower Publications.
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1220:. Sydney, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin.
707:Between 30 June and 19 August, the Australian
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1386:Battles of World War II involving Australia
1381:South West Pacific theatre of World War II
757:the drive north along the coast by the US
641:, which formed part of Lieutenant General
581:in mid-September 1943 in conjunction with
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637:. At this time, Japanese troops from the
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1391:Battles of World War II involving Japan
997:. Veterans Review Board. Archived from
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561:was a series of actions fought in the
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1065:"The Battles For and Around Salamaua"
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926:"24th Battalion (Kooyong Regiment)"
65:22 April 1943 – 19 August 1943
1396:Australia–Japan military relations
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1243:Australia in the War of 1939–1945
930:Second World War, 1939–1945 units
839:Second World War, 1939–1945 units
593:In late January 1943, during the
573:. Part of the Allied advance on
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1216:Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1998).
688:, which had been defending the
605:under the command of Brigadier
583:airborne landings around Nadzab
1302:Trigellis-Smith, Syd (1994) .
1:
1354:Pushing Back: Wau to Salamaua
718:58th/59th Infantry Battalion
835:"2/3rd Independent Company"
1412:
1270:South West Pacific 1941–45
775:airborne landing at Nadzab
1328:Bradley, Phillip (2010).
1238:The New Guinea Offensives
1194:. Australian War Memorial
1168:. Australian War Memorial
932:. Australian War Memorial
841:. Australian War Memorial
619:2/3rd Independent Company
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1376:1943 in Papua New Guinea
1285:Tanaka, Kengoro (1980).
667:2/7th Infantry Battalion
655:115th Infantry Regiments
519:Neutralisation of Rabaul
485:Markham-Ramu-Finisterres
18:Second Battle of Bobdubi
862:, pp. 23, 173–174.
780:42nd Infantry Battalion
759:162nd Infantry Regiment
686:24th Infantry Battalion
567:Territory of New Guinea
246:115th Infantry Regiment
75:Territory of New Guinea
1235:Dexter, David (1961).
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639:80th Infantry Regiment
241:66th Infantry Regiment
236:80th Infantry Regiment
162:Commanders and leaders
995:Campaign Publications
798:of the 3rd Division.
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288:Salamaua–Lae campaign
1113:Coulthard-Clark 1998
901:Coulthard-Clark 1998
872:Trigellis-Smith 1994
611:fighting around Mubo
541:Bombing of Hollandia
380:New Guinea campaign
1151:, pp. 318–321.
1139:, pp. 298–311.
1127:, pp. 171–175.
1049:, pp. 171–172.
1037:, pp. 159–160.
1025:, pp. 107–113.
903:, pp. 239–240.
821:, pp. 281–285.
722:hand-to-hand combat
633:'s campaign around
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546:Western New Guinea
1371:Conflicts in 1943
623:guerilla campaign
579:seaborne landings
559:Battle of Bobdubi
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505:Bombing of Rabaul
425:Goodenough Island
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96:5.500°S 141.000°E
30:Battle of Bobdubi
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1196:. Retrieved
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1188:"Bobdubi II"
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1170:. Retrieved
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988:"New Guinea"
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738:
726:
709:15th Brigade
706:
683:
664:
631:3rd Division
615:George Warfe
607:Murray Moten
603:17th Brigade
599:Port Moresby
592:
571:World War II
565:area of the
558:
556:
534:
478:
466:
461:Bismarck Sea
435:
415:Kokoda Track
305:
228:
222:17th Brigade
217:15th Brigade
211:3rd Division
209:
186:Murray Moten
127:Belligerents
37:World War II
1330:To Salamaua
1162:"Bobdubi I"
1149:Dexter 1961
1125:Tanaka 1980
1098:Tanaka 1980
1086:Tanaka 1980
1047:Dexter 1961
1035:Tanaka 1980
1023:Dexter 1961
975:Tanaka 1980
963:Dexter 1961
951:Dexter 1961
913:Dexter 1961
884:Dexter 1961
860:Dexter 1961
786:commander,
746:Mount Tambu
524:Admiralties
500:New Britain
99: /
41:Pacific War
1365:Categories
1256:19 January
1198:16 January
1172:16 January
1137:Keogh 1965
1071:23 January
1008:19 October
936:23 January
845:23 January
819:Keogh 1965
802:References
714:Nassau Bay
589:Background
490:Wewak Raid
316:Nassau Bay
807:Citations
784:18th Army
752:Aftermath
535:Take Ichi
479:Chronicle
430:Buna–Gona
420:Milne Bay
410:Coral Sea
141:Australia
1268:(1965).
635:Salamaua
613:, Major
575:Salamaua
563:Salamaua
436:Lilliput
326:Mt Tambu
87:141°00′E
70:Location
35:Part of
1295:9206229
1278:7185705
1251:2028994
511:1944–45
442:Merauke
311:Lababia
306:Bobdubi
118:victory
84:05°30′S
1336:
1310:
1293:
1276:
1249:
1224:
694:Bulolo
661:Battle
529:Emirau
336:Nadzab
152:
138:
116:Allied
112:Result
1002:(PDF)
991:(PDF)
155:Japan
1334:ISBN
1308:ISBN
1291:OCLC
1274:OCLC
1258:2016
1247:OCLC
1222:ISBN
1200:2016
1174:2016
1073:2015
1010:2014
938:2016
847:2016
653:and
651:66th
617:'s
557:The
467:I-Go
448:1943
392:1942
301:Mubo
62:Date
645:'s
629:'s
456:Wau
331:Lae
1367::
1241:.
1190:.
1164:.
1105:^
1054:^
993:.
928:.
891:^
837:.
826:^
39:,
1342:.
1316:.
1297:.
1280:.
1260:.
1230:.
1202:.
1176:.
1075:.
1012:.
940:.
849:.
370:e
363:t
356:v
278:e
271:t
264:v
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
