page_title: Battle of Wareo
section_title: Pursuit of Japanese forces to Bonga
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Wareo / Battle / Pursuit of Japanese forces to Bonga
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of part of Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea, showing details of Battle of Wareo
context_page_description: The Battle of Wareo was fought by Australian and Japanese forces in New Guinea during the Huon Peninsula campaign of World War II in the later part of 1943. Coming after the capture of Sattelberg by the Allies, the battle took place amidst the Australian advance north towards Sio. The Australians committed elements from four infantry brigades from the Australian 9th Division with supporting elements including artillery, engineers and tank support, while the Japanese force consisted primarily of two depleted infantry regiments from the 20th Division, with limited artillery support.
  The Australian advance in this region developed into three drives. In the west, forces advanced north from Sattelberg following its capture, while in the east, an advance was made from North Hill on the coast, north of Scarlet Beach, where the Australians had landed earlier in the campaign. A smaller drive was made in the centre from Nongora, which lay in between the two, although this was limited and subsequently linked up with the coastal drive. Although possessing significant forces, the Australian advance proved slow.
context_section_description: Along the coast, the 2/28th Infantry Battalion was assigned the task of leading the Australian advance along with a troop from the 1st Tank Battalion and engineers from the 2/7th Field Company. Commencing in the afternoon of 27 November, they began clearing operations between Bonga and North Hill along the coast with a secondary task of sending a company towards Pabu to facilitate the relief of the 2/32nd. In the vicinity, the Japanese 20th Division, consisting of the remnants of the 79th, 80th and 238th Infantry Regiments, numbered 4,670 men, of which 2,500 were combat effective. The lead company of the 2/28th Infantry Battalion moved off shortly after midday, passing through the 2/43rd Infantry Battalion's lines. Initially there was no opposition and by the afternoon they established a defensive position near a waterfall. The following morning, the advance continued. The ground astride the coastal track, although flat, was covered in dense jungle, which was not suitable for tracked vehicles to move across. The result of this was that the Australian tanks had to remain on the track, advancing behind the infantry, which limited the rate of their advance and prevented them from being able to apply the full weight of their firepower.
  As the Australians advanced, the engineers used bulldozers to improve the track to facilitate the flow of supplies, nevertheless the advance was slow. Sabotage of the bridges that spanned the various creeks that crossed the track held up the tanks, which were forced to wait while engineers came forward. While a bridge was being prepared for the tanks to cross a stream, attempts were made to attack the Japanese with infantry, however the ground was too rough and hard to penetrate and after suffering two casualties, the attack was called off. The Japanese attempted to delay the oncoming Australian units with snipers and suicide actions, however the supporting fire from the Australian tanks, which had joined the combat after crossing the stream and which  at some points closed to 100 yards (91 m) to fire at the Japanese, was used effectively where Japanese resistance was heaviest. In the face of this, the Japanese fell back. At the same time, a platoon advanced north from Pabu and occupied a position named "Exchange" by the Australians, capturing a 75 mm artillery piece in the process.
  The two companies from the 2/32nd Infantry Battalion around Pabu had been reinforced by the remaining two companies which had fought their way through on 26 November, having also captured "Pino Hill" with four Matilda tanks and artillery support. They were then relieved by the 2/43rd, who were warned out to begin an advance to the west. The following morning, 29 November, the 2/28th Infantry Battalion once again led the Australian advance. By mid-morning Bonga had been taken and shortly after midday, Australian reconnaissance patrols found Gusika undefended and so the main body subsequently occupied  a local feature called "Oriental" to its south. It was the site of a large Japanese headquarters, but was found to be abandoned, with piles of equipment left behind.
  The fall of Bonga put the Japanese forces firmly on the back foot; their supply route through Bonga having been cut, they had to send supplies and reinforcements along the rough track that passed between Kiligia and Wareo. The next step for the Australians was the capture of Gusika to the north on the coast and a position known as "Horace's Ears" further inland to the west. To that point, the advance had been going well for the Australians, so they split their forces, with the 2/28th pushing on to Gusika and the 2/43rd turning west towards "Horace". At this point the Australian forces received a boost in the form of the 4th Infantry Brigade, which was assigned to the 9th Division to begin the advance north up the coastal track towards the high features that existed around Fortification Point. At the same time, the 24th Infantry Brigade would advance on Wareo from Bonga, in the east.
  The terrain over which the two brigades were to advance was generally stee
caption: Battle of Wareo, 1943
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