22 APRIL 1944 – BATTLE OF AITAPE BEGINS

In a supporting effort for the assault on Hollandia (Operation RECKLESS), a task force spearheaded by the 163rd Regimental Combat Team of the 41st Infantry Division simultaneously invaded Aitape on New Guinea’s north coast, securing an important airbase for the campaigns to come.

U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur’s bold plan for Operation RECKLESS would take the American forces attacking Hollandia outside the range of supporting Allied land-based aircraft; with U.S. Navy carrier-based aircraft cover a rare and precious commodity, General MacArthur sought to seize a closer airbase.

MacArthur elected to attack Aitape, a coastal Japanese base and airdrome about 140 miles east of Hollandia, in an assault codenamed Operation PERSECUTION.

On 22 April 1944, as the 24th Infantry Division and the rest of the 41st Infantry Division attacked Hollandia, the 41st Infantry Division’s 163rd Regimental Combat Team waded ashore unopposed at Aitape.

The ill-prepared Japanese garrison fled into the jungle, driven away from Aitape by an effective naval bombardment and the oncoming American infantrymen.

Within days, Allied engineers repaired, expanded, and upgraded the existing airdrome at Aitape into a major facility for Allied aircraft, and the 32nd Infantry Division landed in early May to relieve the 163rd Regimental Combat Team.

Aitape subsequently became the target of Japanese counteroffensives in the summer of 1944; the Allies stubbornly resisted these Japanese attacks, holding onto Aitape and its critical airbase.

Comments

A great story about a little bit of 'humanity' during a terrible war.

A great story about a little bit of 'humanity' during a terrible war. In April 1945, 2nd Lt. Peter During was a South African fighter pilot (N.7 Squadron) running missions over Italy when his Spitfire was shot down by German AA fire. He managed to crash land his plane behind enemy lines where he was immediately captured. Whilst been escorted to a German Lufwaffe Prisoner of War (POW) camp (he was a pilot and thus his interrogation and imprisonment was the responsibility of the German airforce), he opened a conversation with his captors. He was quickly able to establish that they could already see the writing on the wall, that the war was at an end and Germany would lose it. ...

He said the family were "acutely aware" there were "extremists of all sides who are keen to hijack this incident for their own ends".

The family of a man who was kicked in the head by police at Manchester Airport has appealed for "calm in all the communities", an MP has said. Paul Waugh, Rochdale MP, said the "traumatised" family wanted to make it clear they had "no political agenda whatsoever" and did not condone political violence. Anger over the video led to protests outside Rochdale police station on Wednesday and Thursday nights, with another protest also held in Manchester city centre on Thursday. Mr Waugh said the family would not be attending any protests or giving any media interviews as they wanted their privacy protected. "The strong message they wanted to give is that they have no political agenda whatsoever," he told BBC Breakfast. "They wanted me to issue an appeal for calm among all sorts of different communities in Rochdale. "We've had a history of unfortunate division in our town and we do not want to go back to those days." He said the famil...

Can a woman ra*pe a man?

Can a woman ra*pe a man? WHENEVER rape is mentioned, the picture that comes to mind is that of a man having sexual intercourse with a woman without her consent. That is why laws and policies often seek to protect women against men. For example, S. 258 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011 states that any man who has unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman or girl without her consent is guilty of an offence called rape and is liable to imprisonment for life. This section makes it clear that it is only men and not women that can commit “the offence called rape”. On other hand, Section 259 of the same law defines sexual assault by penetration using the words “any person” who penetrates sexually any opening in the body of another person with apart of his body or anything else without consent is guilty of a felony and liable to life imprisonment. This is what the law says. Practically, can a woman physically overpower a man and sexually assault him by penetrating an opening in his bo...

WORLD OF ALL

Search This Blog