World War II Western New Guinea Campaign: Noemfoor Island (1943-44)

World War II New Guinea Noemfoor Island
Figure 1.--These Indonesian (Javanese) boys are some of the very fortunate survivors of the civians brought to Noemfoor for forced labor. It is notable that the civilians the Japanese rounded up for forced labor included women and children. Few survived the Japanese regime of hard labor, brutal treatment,nd lack of shelter and medical care as well as very little food. The press caption red, "Noemfoor Boys Eat U.S. Army Rations: Javanese boys of Noemfoor Island grin as they prepare a meal of U.S. Army canned rations. Noemfoor, off the coast of Netherlands New Guinea, was wrested from the Japanese on July 6, 1944. Netherlands Government administrators are in charge of civil affairs in liberated Netherlands territory. Workers are hored by the allied forces, fed free of charge and paid in allied currency." The photograph was taken July, 26, 1944.

Noemfoor is a little-known island off the northeastern coast of New Guinea. Noemfoor is a small, roundsh island about 18 kilometers miles in diameter and sirronded by coral reefs. It is covered by limestone and coral terraces and dominated by a 200 meter hill covered by tropical rainforests. Noemfoor is north of Cenderawasih Bay (Geelvink Bay). It was part of the Dutch colonial empire until the Japanese launched the Pacific War by attacking the American naval base at Pearl Harbor (December 1941). Their goal was the resource-rich Southern Resource Zone (SRZ), especially the Dutch East Indies (DEI). The Japanese completed their conquest of the DEI a few months later (March 1942). The Japanese were not especially interested in the resources of New Guinea. It is a huge island, the second largest in the world. Rather they saw New Guinea as the needed stepping stone to Australia. It took some time to ccupy New Guinea and with their limited resources could not occupy the whole island. Noemfoor in fact was not occupied until 2 years after seizing New Guinea (December 1943). The Japanese strategic thinking was that as an island, the air bases there and on Biak could be defended by relatively small garrisons. This was because the Allied military offensive began to move west along the northern coast of New Guinea. The Japanese tried to turn Noemfoor and nearby Biak into important air bases. They committed terrible atrocities thre, not only on th native population, but forced Indonesian labor brought in from the DEI. As was the case in the DEI proper The Indoneian politicans collaborating with the Japanese ignored the attrocities committed against their own people. The Japanese could see that Allied possession of these islands would allow the Americans to project air power not only on the DEI, but also the Philippines. United States and Australian forces invaded Noemfoor (July 2). They quickly seized the island and within days the main air stri was operational. Isolated Japanese defenders held out until for some time. The island was declared secure (August 31). Noemfoor became a part of the Allied air offensive which played an important role in the Pacific War beginning with the battles of Sansapor and Morotai.

The Island

Noemfoor is a little-known island off the northeastern coast of New Guinea. Noemfoor is a small, roundsh island about 18 kilometers miles in diameter and sirronded by coral reefs. It is covered by limestone and coral terraces and dominated by a 200 meter hill covered by tropical rainforests. Noemfoor is north of Cenderawasih Bay (Geelvink Bay). The island's population toaled some 5,000 people eaking out a meagre subsistence living in a number of coastal villages. [Smith, p. 397.] There was no agricultural surplus nor were the local popultion capable of significantly increasing their output..

Japanese Seizure

It was part of the Dutch colonial empire until the Japanese launched the Pacific War by attacking the American naval base at Pearl Harbor (December 1941). Their goal was the resource-rich Southern Resource Zone (SRZ), especially the Dutch East Indies (DEI). The Japanese completed their conquest of the DEI a few months later (March 1942). The Japanese were not especially interested in the resources of New Guinea. It is a huge island, the second largest in the world. Rather they saw New Guinea as the needed stepping stone to Australia. It took some time to ccupy New Guinea and with their limited resources could not occupy the whole island. Noemfoor in fact was not occupied until nearly 2 years after seizing New Guinea (December 1943).

Importance

The Japanese strategic thinking was that as an island, the air bases there and on Biak could be defended by relatively small garrisons. The Japanese decesion was taken because the Allied military offensive began to move west along the northern coast of New Guinea. The Japanese turned Noemfoor and nearby Biak into important air bases. They built three airfields on Noemfoor: Kornasoren Airfield/Yebrurro Airfield, located toward the northern end of the island, Kamiri Airfield, on the northwestern edge of the island, and Namber Airfield, on the west coast of the island. The Japanese could also see that Allied possession of these islands would allow the Americans to project air power not only on Japanese facilities in the DEI, but also the Philippines.

Japanese Atrocities

The Japanese committed terrible atrocities thre, not only on th native population, but forced Indonesian labor brought in from the DEI. Whereever the Japanese advanced in the Pacific Sar, atrocites followed in their wake. Noemfoor was no exception. As was the case in the DEI proper The Indoneian politicans collaborating with the Japanese ignored the attrocities committed against their own people. To build their airstrips and other facilities, the small native opulation as inadequate. The Japanese thus brought in several thousand laborers. There was a 600-strong Formosan (Taiwanese) labor unit. This was standard practice for the Japanese. They drafted men in both Korea and Taiwan for military service, using them mostly in labor brigades. More than 3,000 Indonesian men, women, and children were also forcibly rounded up and moved to Noemfoor. It is unclear why the Japanese would move such a diverse population rather than just the men. Presumably they would be easier to control, but we are not sure about that. The Japanese Army rounded up civilians in Soerabaja (Surabaya) and other large cities on Java for forced labor in places like Noemfoor. The civilians along with the Taiwanese labor brigade were forced to construct roads and airfields, mostly by hand with no heavy equipment. No thought was given to clothing, shelter or medical care and only starvation rations were provided despite the back-breaking labor demanded. There was no agricultural surplus on the island before the Japanese arrived, the arrival of several thousand Jaoanese, Taiwanese, and Indonesian forced laborors meant that there would be starvation. This was standard Japanese practice in the south Pacific. They did not have the logistical capability of supplying isolted garrisons. Rather the island garisons and civilian populations were expected to fend for themselves. And the inevitable Japanese practive of seizing food from the local popultion only reduced whatever food production capability that exisisted. The starving cvilians tried to steal Japanese supplies and as aesult there were many executions. Many more perished from from starvation and nutrition related diseases. Civilians who got sick and unable to work were relegated to a 'convalescent' camp. Rather than cared for, there they were expected to die as quickly as possible. A U.S. account reports, "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." [Smith, pp. 421-22.] There were even reports that sick Javanese were buried alive. It needs to be mentioned that the atrocities did not just involve the forced laborors and native population. The Taiwanese labor brigade worked on half rations. Over one-third had died even before the invasion. The death toll of the civilans were much more horific. The Allies report only 403 of the original 3,000 Javanese civilian laborers were left alive at the end of the battle. Some 10–15 civilians were reported to have been killed in the fighting. The rest perished from starvation and mistreatment by the Japanese. [Smith, p. 421-22.] We are unsure about the condition of the Japanese soldiers. Similar Japanese garisons starved on many Pacific islands. This may not have occurred yet only because the Japanese had so recently arrived on the island. It should be stressed that the Japanese commanders in Tokyo were not idiots. They knew very well what would happen if they ordered a large garison and civilan labors on a small island or mainland area when they did not have the logistical cability to supply it. The people involve would starve which is exactly what hapened across the Pacific.

Preparations (April 1944)

There are of course countless islands located all over the Pacific. And just because the Japanese occuied an island was not reason enough to justify an Allied invasion. Allied commanders decided to invade Noemfoor for several reasons. The already developed air strips were the primary reason, but other factors were involved. The allies did not beleve that it was heavily garisoned, thus the airfields could be seized without a major operation requiring a major force or sacarce landing craft. And although thee were three airfields, the number of serviceable Japanese aircraft on or near Noemfoor were negligible. [Odgers, pp. 236–37.] In many ways the seizure of the important port of Hollandia was the culmination of the Allied New Guinea campaign. None of the subsequent operations in western New Guinea were on the same magnitude as the battles for eastern New Guinea. Gen. MacArthur wrote that the "... 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." [MacArthur] The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) began bombing Noemfoor (April 1944). The United States first commenced landings on Biak to the east (May 1944). Noemfoor was used as a staging area for Japanese forces reinforcing Biak. [Smith, p. 397.] Japanese transport barges based in Manokwari had a lmited range. They could reach Noemfoor, a voyage od about 110 km during a night, but could not reach Biak. This had to be done at night because of the danger of Allied air attack. Once the Allies had control of Biak (June 20), they turned their attention on Noemfoor.

Allied Invasion (July 1944)

United States and Australian forces invaded Noemfoor (July 2). The landng force was designated Cyclon Force and included 8,000 men. It was primarily the 158th RCT and No. 62 Works Wing RAAF. also included was 40 Dutch civil administors. they were opposed by some 2,000 Japanese troops, mostly from the 219th Infantry Regiment. There were also troops from the 222nd Infantry Regiment who had been in transit to Biak until that island fell to the Allies. The Japanese garrison was commanded by Colonel Suesada Shimizu, the 219th Regiment commander. Although nearby Biak was taken, major defesive preparations do not seem to have been taken except Kamiri area. Some authors suggest that the Japanese were badly demoralized by the pre-invasion air strikes. The Allies quickly seized the island and within days the main air strips was operational. Casualties were light. The Japnese staged a counerttack (July 5), but suffered heavy casualties. Isolated Japanese defenders held out until for some time. The island was declared secure (August 31).

Allied Usage

Noemfoor became a part of the Allied air offensive which played an important role in the Pacific War beginning with the battles of Sansapor and Morotai.

Sources

MacArthur, Douglas. Memoirs.

Odgers, George. "Chapter 15—To Noemfoor and Morotai" Air War Against Japan, 1943–1945: Australia in the War of 1939–1945 (Canberra: Australian War Memorial, 1957). Reprinted 1968.

Smith, Robert Ross "Operations on Noemfoor Island," United States Army in World War II: The War in the Pacific; The Approach to the Philippines. Chapter XVII ( Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History, 1953).









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Created: 9:18 PM 12/16/2016
Last updated: 9:18 PM 12/16/2016