page_title: Battle of Noemfoor
section_title: Invasion
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Noemfoor / Invasion
context_page_description: The Battle of Noemfoor was part of the New Guinea campaign of World War II. It took place on the island of Noemfoor, in Dutch New Guinea, between 2 July and 31 August 1944. During the battle, Allied forces landed on the island to capture Japanese bases as part of their advance through the Pacific towards the Philippines. The initial landing was largely unopposed and the Japanese defenders withdrew inland as the US troops came ashore. Sporadic fighting took place over the course of two months as the Allies secured the three airfields on the island and pushed the surviving Japanese troops to the southeastern coast. The island was later used by the Allies to support operations around Sansapor and on Morotai.
context_section_description: The landing force mounted at Finschhafen and Toem, in late June, and sailed to the objective in three groups after orders had been drawn up and rehearsals had been undertaken. From 04:30 on 2 July, warships from the U.S.-Australian Task Forces 74 and 75—under Rear Admiral Russell S. Berkey—bombarded Japanese positions on Noemfoor. TF 74 was commanded for the first time by Commodore John Collins, making him the first graduate of the Royal Australian Naval College to command a naval squadron in action. In response to the bombardment, Japanese antiaircraft guns briefly fired upon spotting aircraft until being knocked out by naval gunfire from Allied ships.
  At 08:00 on 2 July, the 158th RCT was taken to the beach by TF 77, made up of LCMs and LCTs under Rear Admiral William Fechteler. The initial landings were near Kamiri airfield, on the northwest edge of the island. The island was surrounded by "an almost solid ring" of coral, but this did not hinder the landing and American newspapers later reported "almost no loss" of troops before reaching the shore. Shimzu's force had largely retired inland before the US landing. The initial landing was carried by two battalions, which land abreast of each other, securing a beachhead about half a mile wide, supported by LVTs crewed by personnel from the 3rd Engineer Special Brigade.
  There had been extensive Japanese defensive preparations in the Kamiri area including wire entanglements, trenches, dugouts and prepared positions covering the Allied avenues of advance, but there was little resistance at Kamiri Airfield and the area was quickly secured as the assaulting infantry cleared the area. About 300 improvised land mines had been placed by the Japanese around the beach, but these were clearly marked and were dealt with quickly. A group of about 40 Japanese were killed around some of the caves in the area, but the majority of Japanese troops had withdrawn inland, as part of Shimzu's plan to move east towards Broe Bay to wait for evacuation; as a consequence the only opposition to the landing was an hour-long artillery bombardment from an inland battery, which fell on the landing beach and reef. One Allied soldier was killed in the bombardment, and two vehicles were destroyed before the battery was suppressed by naval guns.  
  In the words of the U.S. Navy official history: "Japanese encountered around the airfield were so stunned from the effects of the bombardment that all the fight was taken out of them." Kamiri was captured within hours of the landing. Reports indicated that approximately 45 Japanese soldiers were killed, and about 30 Japanese planes captured, although all of these were damaged as a result of the earlier bombardment and bombing. By 1750 hours on the first day, 7,100 troops had been landed, along with 500 vehicles and 2,250 tons of supplies, which had been unloaded from the eight assigned LSTs.
  The following day, 3 July, as a precaution against Japanese resistance elsewhere, the 2,000 paratroopers of the U.S. 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment began dropping onto the island. The regiment's 1st Battalion arrived first, suffering 72 non battle casualties as several sticks were dropped from low altitude, resulting in a large number of leg fractures. The 3rd Battalion followed the next day, incurring another 56 non battle casualties in the drop. As a result of the large numbers of injuries, the 2nd Battalion was brought ashore in LCIs instead of being dropped by air.
  The second base captured by US forces, Yebrurro airstrip, was secured by 4 July and the Allied beachhead was expanded towards Kamiri. That same day, the first elements of No. 10 Operational Group arrived on Noemfoor. There were no Japanese air attacks until the night of 4 July, when a light bomber dropped three bombs near Kamiri, without effect. A few days later, four single-engined fighters dropped about 40 incendiary bombs, causing some damage to Allied materiel. 
  Early on 5 July, there was an unsuccessful counter-attack by Japanese ground forces at Kamiri, around Hill 201, although it was defeated by 0630
caption: U.S. Army M4 Sherman tanks and other vehicles disembarking from LSTs onto Noemfoor
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