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    Madang Province  Papua New Guinea

Location
Locatd on the north coast of New Guinea, with Morobe Province to the south and East Sepik Province to the north.

Wartime History
The Japanese occupied the town and surrounding area on January 1, 1943. During the war, Lt. General Hatazo Adachi, commander of Japanese XVIII Army briefly had his HQ at Madang. Also the 20th and 41 Division of the Japanese Army were stationed in Madang.

There are some interesting WWII sites in Madang and along the North Coast Road and in Alexishafen. These bases were bypassed by American forces, and not invaded until much later when Australian 15 and 21 Brigades and 7th Division recaptured Madang on April 25, 1944, and Alexishafen on April 26, 1944. The coastal waters around this area of the north coast contain several shipwrecks and sunken planes.

Inland is Dumpu, the base from where the attack on Shaggy Ridge was launched by Australians. The Finnesteire Mountain between Madang and Lae was where many Japanese died of starvation and disease while fleeing from battles to the south. Some of the Papuan people who live in these areas are almost small enough to be termed pygmies, and their highland homes are in some of the roughest country in PNG.

   Madang Area

Madang

 Occupied by the Japanese, liberated by Australians

Madang Harbor

 Harbor and ofshore islands
 Ship wrecks and sunken planes for SCUBA divers
  Village south of Madang, along Astrolabe Bay.
  Village south of Yabobo, along Astrolabe Bay.
  Located on Astrolabe Bay, south of Madang
  Coastal village on Astrolabe Bay south of Madang

Kepler Point

 North coast of New Guinea, south-east of Madang

Astrolabe Bay

 Bay to the south-east of Madang
   Ofshore Islands
  Island ofshore Madang with wreckage of MIA P-38
  Island off Madang Harbor, B-25 sunken wreckage
  Japanese had a supply base
 Island ofshore from Madang, to the north-west
 Island ofshore from Madang
   Alexishafen Area
 Japanese lookout

Alexishafen

 Japanese airfield, anti-aircraft batteries and harbor

St Fidelis College

 Former Alexishafen mission at Alexishafen
 Secondary Japanese airfield near Alexishafen
 Located to the north of Alexishafen
   Inland Areas
 Australian battle inland approach in the mountains
 MIA B-24 wreck discovered in 1989
 Village where A-20 "Hell'n Pelican" force landed
 Inland airfield along the Ramu River
 Inland village with aircraft wrecks.
   North Coast
 Japanese occupied base and airfields
 Japanese airfield and prewar strip at Hansa Bay
 Japanese airfield at Hansa Bay
 Town located sw of Hansa Bay
  Harbor between Bogia and Madang
 Village near the north coast, west of Kar Kar Island
 Mountains with aircraft crashes and MIA sites
   Finisterre Area
 Mountain chain with aircraft crashes and MIA sites
  Developed into a large American base.
 Highland town that had a brief role in the war.

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Last Updated
April 30, 2009

 

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Pacific Wreck Database
Pacific Wrecks Incorporated is a non-profit charity 501(c)(3)  Donate Now