22 April 1944
Allied Forces Land at Hollandia, New Guinea
With eastern New Guinea secure, and Rabaul isolated, MacArthur’s next target was the Philippines. Before such an operation could be attempted, however, Allied military planners decided that the Japanese had to be driven from the western half of New Guinea, so that air strikes could be launched against the Philippines from bases on New Guinea. After subjecting the Japanese base at Hollandia to weeks of severe bombardment, U.S. and Australian forces landed there on April 22, then proceeded westward along the coast, overrunning Japanese positions and seizing the various islands offshore. By the end of the summer all of northern New Guinea was in Allied hands. The remaining Japanese retreated to the mountainous interior of the island, but lacking any means of supply, MacArthur did not regard them as a serious threat.

Histories:
The Problem of New Guinea
The New Guinea Campaign

Campaign Maps:
Netherlands New Guinea: Hollandia, 1944
Allied seizure of Marianas and New Guinea, 1944

Personal Accounts:
Rutgers Oral History Archives of World War II: Interview with William Neubauer
Rutgers Oral History Archives of World War II: Interview with Bert Tryon
Rutgers Oral History Archives of World War II: Interview with George Boggs III
Rutgers Oral History Archives of World War II: Interview with Charles Whitlock
Rutgers Oral History Archives of World War II: Interview with Arthur Jiannine
Rutgers Oral History Archives of World War II: Interview with Reece Haines

Photographs:
American troops of the 163rd Infantry Regiment hit the beach from Higgins boats during the invasion of Wadke Island, Dutch New Guinea
Signal Corps cameramen, wading through stream while following infantry troops in forward area during invasion at a beach in New Guinea
A PT marksman draws a bead with his 50 caliber machine gun on his boat off New Guinea
PT's patrolling off coast of New Guinea