Pacific Wrecks
Pacific Wrecks    
  Missing In Action (MIA) Prisoners Of War (POW) Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)  
Chronology Locations Aircraft Ships Submit Info How You Can Help Donate
 
    Cape Torokina (Torokina Point) Autonomous Region of Bougainville Papua New Guinea
Click For Enlargement
USMC December 1943

PacificWrecks.com
USMC November 1943

Click For Enlargement
USN c1944

Click For Enlargement
USN c1944

Click For Enlargement
David Paulley 1982

Click For Enlargement
Harumi Sakaguchi 2003

Location
Lat 6° 13' 60S Long 155° 3' 0E  Cape Torokina (Torokina Point) includes Torokina (Torakina) village on the western coast of Bougainville Island. Also known is "Cape Torakina" or "Torakina Point". Borders Empress Augusta Bay on three sides and further to the east is Piva. Visible in the distance is Mount Bagana. Offshore to the west is Torokina Island and Puruata Island. Parallel to the coast was the Empress Trail. To the north was the Buretoni Mission Trail. Prewar and during the Pacific War, part of Kieta District in the Territory of New Guinea and considered part of the North Solomons, Northern Solomons. During 1975 became Bougainville Province in Papua New Guinea (PNG). On June 25, 2002 became the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB).

Prewar
Torokina Plantation was established at this location with coconut palms harvesting copra. In 1910, Torokina mission was established by Marist missionary Father Leon Chaize.

Wartime History
During early 1942, occupied by the Japanese. Afterwards, the Torokina area was lightly defended with only a small garrison. They established coconut log bunkers connected by trenches defended by machine guns and a 75mm regimental gun emplaced in a coconut log bunker.

Allied missions against Torokina
November 1, 1943–January 1, 1944

On November 1, 1943 the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), 3rd Marine Division aboard LCVPs and LCI land craft in Empress Augusta Bay amphibious landing spanning from the Koromokina Lagoon in the northwest to Cape Torokina in the southeast. The invasion beaches were designated Red 1, Red 2, Red 3, Yellow 1, Yellow 2, Yellow 3 and Yellow 4, Blue 1 (Cape Torokina) Blue 2 and Blue 3, Green 1 (Puruata Island) and Green 2. The Cape Torokina area was designated Blue 1 with landing areas to the north and south side of the cape. The pounding surf was very rough and 84 landing craft (62 LCVPs and 22 LCIs) broached during the landing.

During the landing, four landing craft were sunk by a single Japanese 75mm regimental gun emplaced in a concealed bunker southwest of Torokina village on Torokina Point. While Marines fired ineffectively at the bunker, Sgt Robert Allen Owens managed to charge into the fire port of the bunker and disperse the gun crew, before he was mortally wounded and died. Later, he earned the Medal of Honor for his actions. Immediately, construction of Torokina Airfield (Cape Torokina Airfield) began further to the west.

On December 17, 1943 the U.S. Army Americal Division occupied the Torokina perimeter until January 12, 1944. On January 2, 1944 the 182nd Infantry Regiment took the line and the 132nd Infantry Regiment on January 9, 1943. Using intensive infantry and tanks, the immediate beachhead area was cleared of Japanese defenders.

On March 10, 1944 a Japanese counterattack from the interior and assaulted the south knob of Hill 260 defended by the 182nd Infantry Regiment. Later, they retook Hill 260 and drove the Japanese back. During April 1944, the US Army pushed the Japanese east of the Mavavia River and secured the Hill Mass of Hill 165, Hill 155, Hill 5500, and Hill 501 and extended the outpost line past the Torokina River. The division continued patrolling to the Torokina River, Numa Numa Trail, and across the mountain divide.

On December 10, 1944 the Australian Army 3rd Division took over Bougainville operations, to mop up the Japanese forces on Bougainville that were now concentrated in three main areas: Buka Passage in the north, Numa Numa and Kieta in the east, and Buin-Mosigetta in the south.

During November-December 1944 the Australian Army, II Corps (2 Corps) under the command of Lt. General S. G. Savige assumed responsibility for Bougainville, and continued offensive operations against the Japanese on southern Bougainville until the middle of August 1945.

On August 16, 1945 after Japan surrendered, a RAAF Corsair dropped surrender instructions over southern Bougainville with instructions to be delivered to General Masatane Kanda commander 17th Army detailing Allied instructions about how to begin the surrender processes.

On August 20, 1945 Japanese envoys including Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) Captain Takenaka with civilian interpreter Mr. Takahashi met with the staff from Australian Army at headquarters 2 Corps to discuss the surrender of the Japanese forces on southern Bougainville.

On September 8, 1945 Japanese surrender delegation is transported aboard HMAS Diamantina (K377) disembarks at Torokina including Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) Lt. General Masatane Kanda commander 17th Army and Vice Admiral Baron Tomoshige Samejima plus their senior staff to surrender Japanese forces under their command in southern Bougainville and offshore islands. Their surrender is accepted by Australian Army Lt General Stanley G. Savige, commander 2 Corps.

Postwar
On September 21, 1945 HMAS Glenelg (J236) and SS River Burdekin arrived and disembarked to landing barges Japanese Prisoners of War (POW) from Nauru Island. Afterwards, the prisoners were marched ten miles inland along the Piva Road to a prison camp near Mount Bagana.

Today
The remains of a pier extend near the point, also the rusting remains of a large pontoon. Ashore is the remains of another large pontoon.

Torokina Airfield (Cape Torokina Airfield)
Built by US Navy Seabees in forty days, based USN, USMC, USAAF and RNZAF aircraft

Contribute Information
Do you have photos or additional information to add?

Last Updated
September 12, 2023

 

Map
Map
Nov 1, 1943

Map
Map
Nov 7-8, 1943

Map
Map
Oct 1944

Map
Map Fallingrain

Map
Map
Mapcarta

Photos
Photo Archive
  Discussion Forum Daily Updates Reviews Museums Interviews & Oral Histories  
 
Pacific Wrecks Inc. All rights reserved.
Donate Now Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram