Battle of Madang

Battle of Madang
Part of World War II, Pacific War
Japanese prisoners of war at Madang, May 1944
Date February – April 1944 Location Madang, Territory of New Guinea 5°13′S 145°48′E / 5.217°S 145.800°E / -5.217; 145.800Coordinates: 5°13′S 145°48′E / 5.217°S 145.800°E / -5.217; 145.800 Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Australia  United States	Japan
Commanders and leaders
George Vasey Allan Boase	Hatazō Adachi
Units involved
5th Division 7th Division 11th Division 32nd Infantry Division	18th Army

5th Division
7th Division
11th Division

The Battle of Madang, fought between early February and late April 1944, was the break-out and pursuit phase of the Markham and Ramu Valley – Finisterre Range and Huon Peninsula campaigns, which were part of the wider New Guinea campaign of World War II. After overcoming the Japanese defences around Shaggy Ridge, the Australian forces descended the steep slopes of the Finisterre Range and pursued the withdrawing Japanese towards Bogadjim and then Madang on the north coast of New Guinea. There they linked up with US and Australian forces that had advanced along the coast from the Huon Peninsula, while the remnants of three Japanese divisions withdrew towards Wewak, where further fighting would take place throughout late 1944 and into 1945.

Situated on the north-eastern coast of Papua New Guinea on the Schering Peninsula, which juts out into the northern part of Astrolabe Bay, Madang offers a protected deep-water port open to communication through the Vitiaz Strait and the Bismarck Sea. Established as the capital of German New Guinea prior to World War I, during the German administration of the area, the town of Madang had been known as Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen. Following the war, the area had been placed Australian administration in 1920 and had subsequently been renamed. The pre-war population of the area was estimated at around 25,000 to 30,000 natives within the greater Madang area, with under 100 Asians and around 200 Europeans. The European population was largely evacuated from the town in late 1941 and early 1942.

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