Battle of Talasea

Battle of Talasea
Part of World War II, Pacific War
Map depicting the US Marine operation, March 1944
Date 6–9 March 1944 Location New Britain, Territory of New Guinea 5°17′S 150°01′E / 5.283°S 150.017°E / -5.283; 150.017Coordinates: 5°17′S 150°01′E / 5.283°S 150.017°E / -5.283; 150.017 Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United States  Australia	Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
William H. Rupertus Oliver P. Smith	Yasushi Sakai Kiyamatsu Terunuma
Units involved
Combat Team A 1st Marines 5th Marines 11th Marines 17th Marines 533rd EBSR 592nd EBSR	17th Division 54th Infantry 23rd Field Artillery
Strength
~3,000	596
Casualties and losses
17 killed and 114 wounded	150 killed

Combat Team A

17th Division

The Battle of Talasea (6–9 March 1944) was a battle fought in the Pacific theater of World War II between Japanese and Allied forces. Dubbed "Operation Appease" by the Allies, the battle was part of the wider Operations Dexterity and Cartwheel, and took place on the island of New Britain, Territory of New Guinea, in March 1944 as primarily US forces, with limited Australian support, carried out an amphibious landing to capture the Talasea area of the Willaumez Peninsula, as part of follow up operations as the Japanese began withdrawing east towards Rabaul following heavy fighting around Cape Gloucester earlier in the year. The assault force consisted of a regimental combat team formed around the 5th Marines, which landed on the western coast of the Willaumez Peninsula, on the western side of a narrow isthmus near the Volupai Plantation. Following the initial landing, the Marines advanced east towards the emergency landing strip at Talasea on the opposite coast. Their advance south was stymied by a small group of Japanese defenders who prevented the US troops from advancing quickly enough to cut off the withdrawal of the Japanese force falling back from Cape Gloucester.

Japanese forces captured the island of New Britain in February 1942 after overwhelming the small Australian garrison stationed around Rabaul. The Japanese subsequently built up a large garrison on the island, which became a lynchpin in the defensive barrier that they established following the failure of attempts to capture Port Moresby in late 1942. Actions around Cape Gloucester and Arawe – part of Operation Dexterity and the wider Operation Cartwheel – had been launched by the Allies to capture vital airfields and provide access through the sea passage between the straits separating New Britain from New Guinea, where during late 1943 the Allies had fought to secure the Huon Peninsula. In addition, the operations had sought to isolate the major Japanese base at Rabaul, as it had been decided that rather than destroying the base with a costly direct assault, a more prudent strategy would be to surround the base and therefore nullify it as a threat. The 1st Marine Division's operations to secure Cape Gloucester would continue until April under the command of Major General William H. Rupertus. However, by early February US commanders were confident that their forces would prevail in securing western New Britain and they began planning to expand towards the east, advancing towards Talasea – which offered a low grade airstrip and a potential base  – on the northern coast of the island, as part of actions to follow up the Japanese forces under Iwao Matsuda (Matsuda Force) who were withdrawing towards Cape Hoskins and Rabaul.

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