Landing at Nadzab
Nadzab, Markham Valley, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea
What happened
The US 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment and Australian gunners of the 2/4th Field Regiment, under the overall command of Douglas MacArthur and Thomas Blamey, faced Japanese forces in New Guinea. To capture the Japanese base at Lae, the Allies dropped American paratroopers and Australian artillerymen onto the grassy plain at Nadzab, inland from Lae. They met no opposition on the ground, and the Australian gunners had a cannon ready to fire within about two and a half hours. Engineers then built an airstrip, and Australian troops were flown in to attack Lae from the west.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It is regarded as the first successful Allied airborne operation in the Pacific. Nadzab became the main Allied air base in New Guinea.
What came next
Allied troops entered Lae on 16 September 1943. The Japanese withdrew over the Saruwaged Range.
Did you know?
General MacArthur watched the parachute drop from a B-17 bomber circling overhead.
Timeline
- 8 March 1942Japan occupies Lae.
- 5 September 1943Allied paratroopers land at Nadzab.
- 16 September 1943Allied troops enter Lae.
- 1944Lae War Cemetery is established.