Battle of Noemfoor The Battle of Noemfoor was a battle of World War II that took place on the island of Noemfoor , in Dutch New Guinea , between 2 July and 31 August 1944 . United States and Australian forces attacked to capture Japanese bases on the island . Background . Noemfoor is an elliptical , almost circular shape . It is approximately in diameter and encircled by coral reef s . The landscape is dominated by limestone and coral terraces , topped by a tall hill , which is covered by tropical rainforest , like much of the interior . Noemfoor lies just north of Cenderawasih Bay ( Geelvink Bay ) , between the island of Biak and the east coast of the Doberai Peninsula ( Vogelkop / Bird ' s Head Peninsula ) , on mainland New Guinea . The island was occupied by Japanese forces in December 1943 . The indigenous civilian population numbered about 5 , 000 people , most of whom lived a subsistence lifestyle in coastal villages . The island was also hosting about 1 , 100 laborers taken to Noemfoor by the Japanese : a 600 - strong Formosan ( Taiwanese ) auxiliary labor unit and 500 Indonesia n civilian forced laborers . According to the official U . S . Army history , over 3 , 000 Indonesian men , women , and children were shipped to Noemfoor by the Japanese military . Most came from Soerabaja ( Surabaya ) and other large cities on Java . These Javanese civilians were forced to construct roads and airfields , mostly by hand . Little food , clothing , shelter or medical attention were provided . Many attempted to steal Japanese supplies , and were executed . Others died from starvation and preventable disease . Survivors also alleged that sick Javanese were buried alive . The Formosan labor troops had originally numbered about 900 men . They had also worked on airfield and road construction , on ½ the ration of rice issued to regular Japanese troops . When they became ill from exhaustion , hunger , or tropical diseases , they were put in a convalescent camp . In the words of the U . S . official history : " There , their rations were again cut in half , and the shelter and blankets provided covered but a fraction of the inmates . Medical care was given only to the worse cases , and then was inadequate . " The Japanese built three airfields on the island , turning it into a significant air base . Bombing of the island by the United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) and Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) began as early as April 1944 . Noemfoor was also used as a staging area for Japanese troops moving to reinforce Biak , which was invaded by the Allies in May 1944 . Japanese barges could travel from Manokwari to Noemfoor — about — during one night . Japanese forces on Biak had been defeated by 20 June . In describing his preparations for the Western New Guinea campaign , General Douglas MacArthur wrote in his memoirs that : " [ t ] he Hollandia Invasion initiated a marked change in the tempo of my advance westward . Subsequent assaults against Wakde , Biak , Noemfoor , and Sansapor were mounted in quick succession , and , in contrast to previous campaigns , I planned no attempt to complete all phases of one operation before moving on to the next objective . " Ultimately , Noemfoor was selected for invasion for four reasons : Forces . MacArthur selected the 158th Regimental Combat Team , primarily units from the Arizona National Guard , United States Army — commanded by Major General Edwin D . Patrick — to assault the island in Operation Cyclone , from 2 July . In mid - June , No . 10 Operational Group RAAF , under Air Commodore Frederick Scherger , was designated the controlling Allied air force unit for Operation Cyclone . The USAAF units attached to 10 OG for the invasion comprised : the 58th and 348th Fighter Groups and the 307th , 309th and 417th Bombardment Groups . The 8 , 000 - strong invasion force — composed primarily of the 158th RCT and No . 62 Works Wing RAAF — was known as Cyclone Task Force . A 40 - strong contingent of Dutch civil administration personnel was also included . Facing them were approximately 2 , 000 Japanese troops , mostly from the 219th Infantry Regiment as well as some from the 222nd Infantry Regiment , who had been in transit to Biak . The garrison was commanded by Colonel Suesada Shimizu , also CO of the 219th Regiment . At the beginning of July 1944 , various kinds of Japanese aircraft were at the Noemfoor airfields . It appears that elements of " 61° Hiko Sentai " ( " No . 61 Air Group " / " 61st Flying Regiment " ) in particular , flying Mitsubishi Ki - 21 ( " Sally " ) bombers , were based at Kamiri . ( However , Japanese aircraft played no significant role in the ensuing battle ; see below . ) Invasion . From 04 : 30 on 2 July , warships from the U . S . - Australian Task Forces 75 and 74 — 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 . At 08 : 00 , the 158th RCT was taken to the beach by TF 77 , made up of LCM s and LCT s under R . Adm . William Fechteler . The initial landings were near Kamiri airfield , on the northwest edge of the island . Although the island is surrounded by " an almost solid ring " of coral , newspapers reported " almost no loss " of troops before reaching the shore . Although there were extensive Japanese defensive preparations in the Kamiri area , there was little resistance at Kamiri Airfield . 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 . The following day , as a precaution against Japanese resistance elsewhere , the 2 , 000 paratroopers of the U . S . 503rd Parachute Regiment were dropped onto the island . The second base captured by US forces , Yebrurro airstrip was secured by 4 July . 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 . On 5 July , there was an unsuccessful counter - attack by Japanese ground forces . That same day , a detachment of U . S . forces from Noemfoor also secured the smaller neighboring island of Manim . Namber Airfield came under Allied control , without resistance , on 6 July . The island was officially declared secure on 7 July . However , individual Japanese soldiers continued guerrilla activities , and it was 31 August before all fighting had ceased . Casualties . On 9 July , " The New York Times " put the total number of Japanese killed at 871 and those captured at 24 , and stated that 144 Javanese forced laborers , held by the Japanese had been freed . American losses were categorized as " very light . " By 31 August , Cyclone Task Force had lost 66 killed or missing and 343 wounded . It had killed approximately 1 , 714 Japanese and taken 186 prisoners . According to the U . S . Army official history , only 403 of the original 3 , 000 Javanese civilian laborers were alive by 31 August . About 10 - 15 were reported to have been killed accidentally by Allied forces . The rest had died from mistreatment before the invasion . About 300 Formosan labor troops had died before the invasion . Others fought the Allies , allegedly as a result of Japanese coercion . Over 550 surrendered ; more than half of these were suffering from starvation and tropical diseases . Less than 20 were reported killed by Allied action . According to the U . S . Army historian , Allied personnel found evidence that human bodies , of Japanese , Formosan and Allied personnel , had been partly eaten by starving Japanese and Formosans . Aftermath . Allied airfield repair and construction work by the RAAF and U . S . Army Engineers began on 2 July . On the afternoon of 6 July , before the formal cessation of hostilities on the ground , an RAAF P - 40 fighter squadron had landed at Kamiri , supporting operations on Noemfoor and becoming the first of many Allied air force units to be based there . Namber Airfield was assessed as too rough and badly graded to be effectively used by Allied aircraft . It was abandoned in favor of expansion and improvements at Kornasoren . On 25 July , a USAAF P - 38 Lighting fighter group was able to land there . By 2 September , two parallel runways had been completed ; soon afterwards , B - 24 Liberator heavy bombers began operating from Kornasoren Airfield , against Japanese petroleum facilities at Balikpapan , Borneo . Allied aircraft based on Noemfoor played an important role in the battles of Sansapor and Morotai .