Lat
5° 37' 60S Long 146° 28' 0E
History
Located on the coast, 110 miles northwest of Finschafen.
Saui Beaches
Occupied by a small Japanese force, this was a staging point for Japanese
barge traffic on the coast. Chosen for liberation by Allied forces,
for its airfield and to build a naval base. On January
2, 1944 General Martin's 126 RCT, 120th Field Artillery and other
units from the 32nd Infantry Division on in landing craft
and LST's. There were
approximately
200 Japanese defending the
area, but
they fled
inland. retreating Japanese bypassed Saidor, choosing to withdraw
on inland trails and roads towards Madang. The US Army used carrier pidgens for the last time in their history at Saidor. The pidgens were used to deliver messages from the ofshore boats to troops ashore. But, in their last useage, the pidgens still beat the radios - arriving before the radios could be setup.
American Missions Against Saidor
April 18, 1943 - March 4, 1944
Saidor Airfield
American built forward airfield
