Location
Lat 6° 35' 60S Long 147° 50' 60E  Located 50 miles east of Lae. There are several variations in the spelling of this town on different historical maps and at different periods. Also spelled "Finschhafen" during the German colonial era, and "Finschafen" during the wartime by Americans. 

Pre-War History
Founded in 1885, the town was the German New Guinea Kompagnie's (NGK) first unsuccessful attempt to begin the colonization of New Guinea. Prewar, there were about 80 Lutheran missionaries at Finschafen running several missions, schools, a port and a large radio station in the town.  In 1892, many moved west to Stephansort (on Astrolabe Bay, south of Madang). The area proved to be plagued with malaria and tropical diseases.

Wartime History
The Japanese occupied the area on March 10, 1942 and occupied the Lutheran Mission buildings as their HQ. The Allies thought the area was lightly defended, but in fact based the fresh Japanese 20th Division (less 78th Regiment) and a Special Naval Landing Force and Naval Base Unit occupied the area.

Allied & Japanese Mission Against Finschafen
December 21, 1942 - September 28, 1943

Liberation
At dawn on September 22, 1943, US Navy's Rear Admiral Daniel E. Barbey's Task Force 76 landed Australian Brigadier J. V. Windeyer's 20th Brigade at Scarlet Beach. Simultaneously the 22nd Australian Militia approached from the coast.  After a week of hard fighting, the Australians captured the town and nearby airfield.   The town was declared liberated on October 2, 1943. The Japanese had lost 1,500 defenders. But the victory was, in a sense, a hollow one, for the bulk of the Japanese garrison, 4,000 men, had retreated to the 3,000-foot-high Sattleberg, a peak that dominated Finschhafen and the surrounding area.

Today
Post war, much of the wartime gear was abandoned, buried or otherwise disposed. Little of the prewar town, remains except for one old Lutheran building, used by missionaries to this day. After WWII the town was moved from its original site.  A Lutheran building is used by holidaying missionaries. Its tower was a WWII lookout.

Finschafen Airfield (Dreger Field)
Built by Americans, developed into an important fighter and transport base

Finschafen Airfield (Prewar Airstrip)
Built prior to the war by Lutheran Missionaries

Scarlet Beach
Site of the Australian 20th Brigade amphibious landing, six miles north of Finschhafen town, consisted of a narrow sandy beach about 900 yards long and about 40 feet wide. Japanese fire came from well-constructed bunkers on the fringe of the jungle, causing casualties to the troops both in the landing craft and as they waded ashore. Japanese defenses barred the way with heavy bunker defenses behind thickets of barbed wire near the mouth of the Bumi River. Wading the river under fire, the 2/15th Battalion forced a crossing on 24 September. A grim struggle for Kakakog. Having crossed the Bumi River, the 2/15th Battalion was confronted by a sheer cliff face and a wild tangle of jungle. The 2/17th advanced and reached Finschhafen, and linked up with the 22nd Battalion of the 4th Brigade which had fought its way up the coast.

Kakakog (Kakakogwith)
A commanding crest in the area. Experienced Japanese troops (SNLF) defended the cliff area at Kakakogwith machine guns in solidly sandbagged positions. This slope had to be climbed, on occasions with the Australians on their hands and knees, hacking through jungle. Under continuous fire, they gained the crest. They stormed the gun positions and fought the Japanese with bayonets and grenades. Kakakog was deserted by the Japanese on 2 October.

Base F (Finschafen)
Finschafen became a large staging base (known as US Army Base F). It included the Finschafen Airfield and harbor facilities. Additionally, Dreger Haffen Harbor just to the south was part of this base.

119th Station Hospital
Built at Finschafen and was often swamped with malaria patients, just as the Germans had experienced during the colonial era.

Veteran Don Hubner, 1st Marine Division recalls:
"Evidently this unhealthy situation on Goodenough Island prompted those in authority to move the First Marine Division on over to New Guinea and under the jurisdiction of MacArthur's Sixth Army stationed around Finschafen."

American Cemetery at Finschafen
Cemeteries included USAAF Cemetery Finschafen #2, USAAF Cemetery Finschafen #5. American wartime cemetery. Post war, all graves were exhumed and reburied in either Manila American Cemetery or Hawaii Memorial Cemetery (Punchbowl) or the deceased hometown in the USA.

American Units Based in Finschafen
1st Marine Division - from Goodenough and Finschafen to Cape Glochester
African-Americans service units

US Army Road Grater
A road grater is abandoned near the road to Sattleburg.

C-47A Serial Number 43-30746
Crashed, circumstances unknown

P-38H Lightning 42-66547
Pilot Garrison MIA September 22, 1943

Unknown Wreck
Japanese shipwreck

Ume Maru
Japanese shipwreck

Tami Island
Pair of small islands seven nautical miles SSE of Finschafen

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Last Updated
December 16, 2011