Battle of Wau
Wau, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea
What happened
Australian Kanga Force under Brigadier Murray Moten, reinforced by the 17th Infantry Brigade, fought a Japanese force under Major General Toru Okabe. Japanese troops crossed the mountains by a surprise route to capture the airfield at Wau. Australian reinforcements were flown in to the short, sloping grass airstrip, often while it was under fire. Supported by artillery and aircraft, the Australians held the airfield, and the Japanese were ordered to withdraw.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It showed how troops could be rushed into battle by air in places with no roads. Wau became a base for the next Allied campaign, toward Salamaua and Lae.
What came next
Allied forces went on to the Salamaua-Lae campaign later in 1943.
Did you know?
Wau was built largely by air: during the 1920s gold rush, almost everything there, from roofing iron to bulldozers, was flown in.
Timeline
- 1926A gold rush begins at Edie Creek above Wau.
- 1927Wau's airstrip opens.
- 29 January 1943Japanese forces attack Wau.
- 4 February 1943The Japanese are ordered to withdraw.