In late January 1943, during the Battle of Wau a Japanese attempt to capture the vital airfield around Wau had been repelled. In the process, the last Japanese attempt to capture Port Moresby was turned back. In the aftermath, the Australian force – consisting mainly of the 17th Brigade under the command of Brigadier Murray Moten – had advanced into the area surrounding Wau and towards Mubo. As elements of the 17th Brigade were engaged in fighting around Mubo, Major George Warfe's &lt;a href="2/3rd%20Commando%20Squadron%20%28Australia%29"&gt;2/3rd Independent Company&lt;/a&gt; moved around the Japanese flanks to Missim, from where they began a guerilla campaign and reconnaissance operations along the Komiatum Track to harass the Japanese, in support of Major General Stanley Savige's 3rd Division's campaign around Salamaua. At this time, Japanese troops from the 80th Infantry Regiment, which formed part of Lieutenant General Hidemitsu Nakano's 51st Division, were positioned around Bobdubi Ridge, which dominated the Missim area, situated to the north of Komiatum. Elements of the 66th and 115th Infantry Regiments were also in the area over the course of the fighting.