Lat
1° 55' 60S Long 139° 1' 0E Located 225 miles east of Biak.
History
Occupied
by the Japanese in April 1942, after their occupation of the Netherlands
East Indies, and developed into an airfield complex. Read Japanese
Operations at Wakde Island for more historical information about
operations from the island. Thanks to Richard Dunn for information
on the Japanese occupation of Wakde.
American
Liberation
"Operation
Straight Line" was preformed by Task Force
77, commanded by RAdm William M. Fechteler, and supported by DD
Stockton. On
May 15, 1944, the 3rd Engineer Special Brigade, 593d EBSR landed
the 163rd Regimental
Combat Team (RCT) of the 41st Infantry Division went ashore at
Wakde after an unopposed landing at nearby Arara.
on the mainland.
The Japanese
force of 763 defenders had built 100 pillboxes and bunkers, 12 caves
and aircraft cannons used as pillboxes. After a bitter two day battle
and mopping up, 759 were KIA and only 4 POWs were taken
alive. The cost the U.S. Army were 40 KIA and 107 WIA. On
May 18, 1944 the capture of Wakde was announced. On May 31, 1944,
two battalions of the 163rd were pulled off Wakde and rushed to
Biak, where the other elements of the 41st Division had landed four
days earlier. On 1 Sep 1944, the 33rd Infantry Division's 123rd RCT
relieved the 31st Infantry Division and patrolled the Wakde airdrome
and Toem-Sarmi sector
until 26 January 26, 1945.
American
& Japanese Missions Against Wakde
April 7, 1944 - July 10, 1944
Today
In November 2005, several Japanese researchers, along with Indonesian security apparatus members and local people, have found thousands of skeletons of Japanese soldiers inside a cave on Wakde Island. Along with the skeletons, the researchers discovered weapons, military helmets, manual telescopes and other equipment. [Japan Today | Japan Times ]
Wakde Airfield
Built by the Japanese, occupied by American forces and developed into a major base
