page_title: Battle of Buna–Gona: Japanese forces and order of battle
section_title: Japanese order of battle
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Buna–Gona: Japanese forces and order of battle / Japanese order of battle
caption_attribution_description: 1943-01-08. AN AUSTRALIAN CLIMBING TO A JAPANESE OBSERVATION POST BUILT HIGH UP IN A TREE TO ALLOW THE ENEMY TO DIRECT THE FIRE OF TWO 3-INCH NAVAL GUNS AGAINST ALLIED TROOPS ADVANCING ON BUNA. AUSTRALIANS CAPTURED THE GUNS AND OBSERVATION POST. THEY USED THE OBSERVATION POST TO DIRECT THE FIRE OF OUR 25-POUNDERS.
context_page_description: The Battle of Buna–Gona was part of the New Guinea campaign in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. It followed the conclusion of the Kokoda Track campaign and lasted from 16 November 1942 until 22 January 1943. The battle was conducted by Australian and United States forces against the Japanese beachheads at Buna, Sanananda and Gona.
  The Japanese forces at the start of the Battle of Buna–Gona had an effective strength of 5,500 or 6,500 after the landing of reinforcements on the night of 18 November 1942. The total force at the start of the battle is estimated at 9,000 and included several hospitals, their patients and labour units from the army and navy. The Japanese defensive positions at Buna, Gona and forward at the Sanananda track junction had been strongly developed before the arrival of the Allied forces. They have been described as some of the strongest encountered by the Allies in the course of the war. They made excellent use of terrain, which limited the tactical possibilities for attackers and consisted of hundreds of bunkers and machine gun emplacements developed in depth.
context_section_description: Bullard reports the disposition of Japanese forces at the beachheads as of 26 November 1942 as follows.
  Buna
  Commanded by Captain Yoshitatsu Yasuda (IJN)
  229th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion
  38th Mountain Artillery Regiment, 2nd Company
  47th Field Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion (one company)
  14th Pioneer Unit
  15th Pioneer Unit
  5th Yokosuka Special Landing Party (SLP)
  Sanananda-Soputa
  Commanded by Colonel Yosuke Yokoyama
  Detachment 5th Sasebo SLP
  South-east sector (south of Giruwa)
  Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Tsukamoto Hatsuo (144th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion commander)
  144th Infantry Regiment (with elements II/144 and III/144 and Regt HQ)
  Detachment 41st Infantry Regiment (approximately 300 troops led by Lieutenant Takenaka)
  Field Hospital patients (Takeda Unit)
  Takasago Volunteer Unit (small number)
  Central sector
  South Seas Force Headquarters (commander and staff officers missing)
  55th Mountain Artillery Regiment, 1st Battalion
  15th Independent Engineer Regiment main strength (approximately 300 troops)
  47th Field Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion main strength
  South Seas Force Medical Unit (total with two hospitals approximately 2,500 men, mainly patients)
  South Seas Force field hospital
  Line-of-communication hospital
  Murase Battalion (South Seas Force reinforcements, approximately 800 troops)
  Rear sector (area north of Giruwa to the north of central sector units)
  Line-of-communication units
  South Seas Force cavalry units
  41st Infantry Regiment (less 1st Battalion)
  Gona
  Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Yoshinobu Tomita
  Gona area
  41st Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion
  Basabua sector
  Uchida Unit (formed from patients of the Line of communication hospital)
  Nakamura Unit (formed from the Takasago Volunteers)
  Mori Unit (formed from the Disease Prevention and Water Supply Unit)
  Sōda Unit (Detachment 41st Infantry Regiment – 69 men)
caption: A Japanese tree-top observation post constructed on the edge of the Old Strip at Buna.  It was used to direct fire from two 3-inch naval guns against Allied troops. AWM 014023
exif: {}