White Beach
1
162nd Infantry Regiment
secured the heights overlooking Hollandia town, meeting only minor
resistance and moving quickly. A
single bomber slipped thorough the mountains and appeared over White
Beach 1. It dropped four bombs, one of which ignited an ammunition
dump, that in turn set a gasoline dump on fire.
Today, it
is a popular holiday resort with facilities for accommodation and
water sports today. It is know as Tanjung Ria Beach. There are a few
rusted hulks of American vehicles either disabled or abandoned on the
beach.
Amtrac 1990 |
Vehicle 1990 |
Sherman 1990 |
Sherman 1990 |
Vehicle 1990 |
White
Beach 2
An unopposed landing by the 3rd Battalion,
186th Infantry.
White Beach 3
Occupied
by the 186th Infantry with the Regimental Cannon company blasting
the slight resistance offered by three Japanese positions along the
shore. Six US causalities, 16 wounded. 48 Japanese killed, and some
prisoners taken.
Kaiten Attack
Japanese submarine I-47, commanded by Zenji Orita launced four Kaiten manned torpedos (piloted by Lt. Kawakubo, Muramatsu, Sato and Hara) into Humbolt Bay begining at 4:15am at 5 minute intervals on January 12, 1945. At 5:21 a single explosion rocked the anchorage, damaging the Liberty ship Pontus Ross. The other Kaitens failed to do any damage.
Veteran George Walden adds:
"Coincidences like this keep amazing me; who would have thought I would live so close to where part of a ship was buried that was torpedoed in the same bay where our troop ship was anchored! It has taken me almost 60 years to find out what actually happenned that morning (Jan. 12, 1945) when we were jolted out of bed. I have tried to find the ship's log for the Holbrook, only to discover that all such logs were destoyed in the 50's.The concrete filled bow of this ship is one of many buried in a Liberty Ship Memorial Park, Oregon on the southern bank of the Willamette river between the Freemont and Broadway bridges on Naito parkway."
Cape Soeadja
Overlooks Humbolt Bay. US Army established a replacement camp at this site. Japanese submarine I-47 nicknamed it Cape Kongo, in honor of their Kaiten mission.
