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Location
Lat
5° 16' 0S Long 145° 46' 0E Bay to the south of Popondetta.
Wartime History
In November 1942, Australian and American troops consolodated
in the area, for the drive to the north to liberate the Buna/Gona/Sanananda. This
bay area was developed into a staging area for Allied ships, with a wharph
at the
southern
end of
the bay,
and many
installations
along
the shore, and gun batteries in the surrounding hills. Oro Bay was the target of several Japanese
air raids.
Operation Lilliput was a convoy effort to move supplies from Milne Bay to Oro Bay during December 1942 and June 1943. Within six months, the convoys had delivered 60,000 tons of supplies and 3,802 troops from Milne Bay to Oro Bay. Corvettes provided the majority of the escort force
Japanese Missions Against Oro Bay
January 23 - October 17, 1943
US Army Base B (Oro Bay)
After the battle, it was further developed into a US Army base area, known as a Base B. The area was developed further, including a detention center at Oro Bay, for rehabilitating soliders back to combat. In May 1944, a gallows was constructed to hang six Black GIs who were court martialed and found gulty for the crime of rape allegedly comitted in Milne Bay.
Units based at Oro Bay
USMC 7th Marines from Melbourne September 1943 - Cape
Glochester December
26, 1943
31st Infantry Division
(amphibious training) April 24 - June 25, 1944 to Aitape
491st Port Battalion - July 17, 1943 - HQ company and A, B & D tll 1945,
C to Lae in 1944.
Today
A
new wharph is built over the wartime one, and the the bay is used by passenger
ferry going from Oro Bay to Lae and other locations in PNG. There are many
smaller bits of wreckage from the war in the vicinity. Unused bomb
casings litter the area, used as foundations for huts, guard rails or
abandoned
in the bush.
Kaeve
Located inland from Oro Bay, near the mission school.
Oro Bay Airfield
Wartime emerfency airfield
SS
Masaya (Formerly USS Dale DD-290)
Sunk March 28, 1943 by Japanese aircraft
SS Bantam
Sunk March 28, 1943
by Japanese aircraft
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Last Updated
October 28, 2009
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