Lat 3 32' 60S Long 143 37' 60E Located on the north coast of New Guinea, coastal town. Ofshore islands include Muschu and Kairuru.

Japanese Occupation: No Shots Fired In Defense
Occupied by the Japanese Army on December 18, 1942. Four ships landed unopposed between 8pm and 2am and unloaded about 2,000 troops and supplies onto the beach at Wewak to Wirui. Not a single shot was fired in the defense of Wewak, as most of colonial officers and families had fled inland and away prior to the invasion. These troops set off by barge down the coast towards Madang, and the transports departed. The war had come to Wewak. The area was quickly developed into a major Army base, airfields and port. The Wewak area, including the ofsore islands of Muscu and Kairuru became the largest concentration of Japanese Army troops on mainland New Guinea, along with a smaller Navy presence.

Wewak Area Aerodromes
There were several Japanese wartime airstrips in the Wewak area, used priarily by the Japanese Army Air Force. These bases created an air bridge from Hollandia (190 miles to the west) and to the south-east bases at Hansa Bay and Madang (100 and 160 miles away). Also, it was closer to the main Allied base at Port Moresby, 410 miles away, over a hundered miles closer than Rabaul to Port Moresby.

Isolated and Bypassed
Largely neutralized from the air by attacks from the USAAF 5th AF. Wewak was bypassed by the Allied landings further to the west at Hollandia and Ataipe, it became an isolated pocket of resistance, cut off from supply or escape.

Australian Liberation
At the end of the war, Australian troops advancing from the east engaged the Japanese in the area. The defenders were starving and without hope of survival, but fought vigorously. In May 1945 Wewak fell to the Allies and the remaining Japanese fled into the hills and high ground inland. At the end of the war, General Adachi surrendered near Yangoru. He was so weak from starvation that he had to be carried on a chair. The formal surrender took place a few days later on September 13, 1945 at Wom Point to the west of Wewak. Of the 100,000 Japanese troops of the 18th Army, only 13,000 survived the war to surrender.

Wewak Town (Wewak Point)
The main town at Wewak is built onto the peninsula of Wewak Point.   Cape Wom is to the west, and Mission Point to the east.

Wirui (Wewak Aerodrome)
Prewar Catholic Mission airstrip, expanded by the Japanese and  used as an airfield.

Mission Point (Wewak Harbor)
Located between Wewak Point and Cape Boram. This is the site of Wewak's wharf.

Boram (Cape Boram)
Located between Wewak Harbor, to the west and Boram Bay to the east. Airfield built by the Japaanese, and still in use today as Wewak's present day airport.

Cape Moem
Located past Wewak's Boram airport, and Brandi to the east. Today, PNG defense force Army base is located at the point.

Kreer
During the war near the beach at Kreer was a POW camp. Today it is a market area

Sauri
Village behind Wewak

Brandi
Located to the east of Cape Moem. Japanese army fortifications.

Cape Wom
Peninsula to the west of Wewak Point. Site of Japanese General Adachi offical surrender.

Cape Pus
Peninsula to the west of Wewak Point.