Key Facts
- Date of landing
- 22 September 1943
- Australian formation
- 20th Infantry Brigade
- Japanese strength (actual)
- ~5,000 around Sattelberg and Finschhafen
- Japanese strength (estimated)
- 350 (faulty Allied intelligence)
- Finschhafen captured
- 2 October 1943
- Distance from beach to Finschhafen
- ~9 km south of landing beach
Strategic Narrative Overview
Navigational errors on 22 September 1943 caused Australian troops to land at the wrong beach, with some coming ashore at Siki Cove under heavy Japanese fire. After reorganising, Australians pushed inland and overcame stiff resistance at Katika. Japanese air attacks on the Allied convoy were repelled by US fighters. The following days saw hard fighting at the Bumi River, where the 2/15th Infantry Battalion crossed under fire and took Japanese positions at bayonet point before the 2/13th advanced on Finschhafen from the west.
01 / The Origins
Following the faster-than-expected fall of Lae in September 1943, Allied commanders sought to exploit momentum along the Huon Peninsula in New Guinea. Faulty intelligence severely underestimated Japanese strength in the Finschhafen area, leading planners to assign only Brigadier Victor Windeyer's 20th Infantry Brigade for the amphibious assault. Capturing Finschhafen was deemed essential to establish air and naval facilities supporting further Allied operations against Japanese bases in New Guinea and New Britain.
03 / The Outcome
Japanese naval troops withdrew from Finschhafen, which fell to the Australians on 2 October 1943. The 20th Infantry Brigade linked up with the 22nd Infantry Battalion, which had advanced overland from Lae. Japanese forces retreated into the mountains around Sattelberg. The capture of Finschhafen enabled the construction of Allied air and naval facilities, significantly advancing the strategic Allied campaign along the New Guinea coast.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Brigadier Victor Windeyer, General Douglas MacArthur.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.