Professional Documents
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JAN. FEB.
1943
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EVALUATION R
AIR EVALUATION BOARD
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA
APO 925
10 June 1945
Wi. E. L
Maj Gen, USA,
Director.
BRIEF
5
THE SITUATION
New Guinea had continued. The enemy had landed at Lae and
convoy had been under attack by Allied Air Power. From this
Wau.
out the Ward and Jackson dromes at Port Moresby, and sub-
into the area. The intention was to prepare for and fore-
10
FACTORS IN THE OPERATION
approaches.
them of the Douglas type. Many had been taken over from
12
be salvaged from crashed planes and from dumps. Miracles
of improvisation had been performed by the understaffed
area. For the most part, pilots took off from Port Moresby
Australian mobile signal unit had been flown into Wau with
13
The difficulties of landing C-.7s on
Wau strip are apparent in this picture
and that on page 12. The strip was
located in the Wau Valley 3,300 feet
above sea level, some 30 miles in from
the coast, and surrounded by high mountains.
14
frequently interfered with, however, for a period of as
was 3,600 feet long, 450 feet wide at the northeast end,
was only one approach, from the northeast low end to the
rough landings. Drainage was only fair and during the wet
normal operations.
Jap ground forces had reached the
perimeter of the strip on 27 Jan. '[3
and practically surrounded the beleaguered
Australian garrison. In the course of
four days Air Transport made 214 landings,
shuttling troops and material from Port
Moresby. Only these reinforcements by air
saved the day.
THE OPERATION
not until noon of the 27th that the gravity of the situation
the next morning Wau Valley was dense with clouds, they
back-to Port Moresby that the field was open. During that
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between WVau and Lae, and to all intents and purposes the
ly pressed command.
(29 Jan), the 57 landings were made with no losses and only
minor damage. The following day 3 C-47s were lost when one
the vicinity.
19
Not only indispensable troop reinforce-
ments were landed by air but also 25 pounder
field guns. The enemy was forced back into
the surrounding hills where shells from these
guns decimated him.
20
were made unopposed. Allied planes, moreover, made persistent
far as the Jap was concerned, the Wau battlefield was isolated.
55fighters came over the Wau area, achieved little damage and
Fighters 20 0 8 0 2 0
Bombers 3 o o o 5 o
Unidentified 2 0 0 0 0 0
line units, and poor weather, air transport planes dropped many
21
CONCLUSION
the Huon Gulf whereby the vital enemy bases of Lae and
22
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Unit pe of Operaton
MCLARENS, MELBOURNE