This article is about the World War II military battle. For other uses, see Wau.
Battle of Wau
Part of the New Guinea Campaign of the Pacific Theater (World War II)
A 25-pounder of the 2/1st Field Regiment is unloaded from a Dakota on the airfield at Wau. The gun was assembled and fired at Japanese positions around Wau later that day.
Date
29 January – 4 February 1943
Location
Wau, Territory of New Guinea
Result
Allied victory
Belligerents
Australia United States
Imperial Japan
Commanders and leaders
Thomas Blamey Murray Moten
Hitoshi Imamura Toru Okabe
Strength
3,000
4,000
Casualties and losses
349 killed, wounded or missing
1,200 killed (estimate)
v
t
e
New Guinea campaign
1942
Battle of Rabaul
1st Lae-Salamaua
Coral Sea
Kokoda Track
Milne Bay
Goodenough Island
Buna–Gona
Lilliput
Merauke
1943
Wau
Bismarck Sea
I-Go
2nd Lae-Salamaua
Chronicle
Markham-Ramu-Finisterres
Wewak Raid
Huon Peninsula
New Britain
Bombing of Rabaul
1944–45
Neutralisation of Rabaul
Admiralties
Emirau
Take Ichi
Bombing of Hollandia
Western New Guinea
The Battle of Wau, 29 January – 4 February 1943, was a battle in the New Guinea campaign of World War II. Forces of the Empire of Japan sailed from Rabaul and crossed the Solomon Sea and, despite Allied air attacks, successfully reached Lae, where they disembarked. Japanese troops then advanced overland on Wau, an Australian base that potentially threatened the Japanese positions at Salamaua and Lae. A race developed between the Japanese moving overland, hampered by the terrain, and the Australians, moving by air, hampered by the weather. By the time the Japanese reached the Wau area after a trek over the mountains, the Australian defenders had been greatly reinforced by air. In the battle that followed, despite achieving tactical surprise by approaching from an unexpected direction, the Japanese attackers were unable to capture Wau.
The BattleofWau, 29 January – 4 February 1943, was a battle in the New Guinea campaign of World War II. Forces of the Empire of Japan sailed from Rabaul...
government) Wau State Wau, South Sudan City Wau railway station Wau football stadium Wau River The Roman Catholic Diocese ofWau Nuelson Wau (born 1980)...
assault in the ensuing 29–31 January 1943 BattleofWau. "Within a few days, the enemy was retreating from the Wau Valley, where he had suffered a serious...
defeated in the BattleofWau. Most of the 20th Division was landed at Wewak from naval high speed transports on 19 January 1943. The bulk of the 41st Division...
Japanese base areas. The Japanese were subsequently defeated in the BattleofWau in January and February 1943, relieving the pressure on the NGVR. The...
During the BattleofWau the Australians, after flying in reinforcements, had repelled a Japanese attempt to capture the vital airfield around Wau with two...
to units of the Australian Army, who used them during the BattleofWau and the Battleof Milne Bay. They were used by various allied units on the Anzio...
"Coconuts". In late January 1943, during the BattleofWau a Japanese attempt to capture the vital airfield around Wau had been repelled. In the process, the...
the Battleof Buna–Gona and the BattleofWau, the Japanese retreated to Lae and Salamaua. However, the Salamaua–Lae campaign involved many weeks of fierce...
the Australians since the BattleofWau, being replaced by two battalions of the 66th Infantry Regiment, under the command of Colonel Katsutoshi Araki...
This is a list of all battles involving the United States during World War II. http://www.usmm.org/casualty.html U.S. Merchant Marine Casualties during...
in the BattleofWau and the Salamaua campaign. The 7th Division, under Major General Arthur Allen and other Australian units formed the body of the Allied...
capture Wau, as the Australian defenders had been greatly reinforced by air. Salamaua-Lae: April - September 1943 After the successful defence ofWau, which...
from Guadalcanal, in the last major naval battleof the Guadalcanal Campaign. January 29–31 – WWII: BattleofWau – Australian forces, with United States...
Timeline of Kobe Timeline of Kyoto Timeline of Nagasaki Timeline of Nagoya Timeline of Osaka Timeline of Tokyo; and History of Tokyo, with "significant...
Pacific Theater of Operations, including the BattleofWau, New Guinea, and Operation Topside, parachute drops on Corregidor in 1945. For each of these operations...
January–February 1943, the group supplied Allied forces during the battleofWau airstrip, making landings at the airstrip under enemy fire and earning...
Global Information
Australia
United States
Imperial Japan