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Location
Lat
5° 16' 0S Long 145° 46' 0E Bay to the south of Popondetta.
In November 1942, Australian and American troops consolodated
in the area, for the drive to the north to liberate the Buna / Gona / Sanananda area. 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, and was the target of several Japanese
air raids.
Japanese Missions Against Oro Bay
October 15, 1943 - 50+ P-38's and P-40's intercept around 100 Japanese aircraft
attacking
Allied shipping in Oro Bay; the US fighters claim 40+ shot down.
October 17 - 40+ American fighters intercept a large group of enemy aircraft
attempting
to attack Oro Bay; US fighters claim 24 shot down.
April 12, 1943 - Japanese planes attack Oro Bay and destroy two merchant
vessels.
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, 1944 by Japanese aircraft
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Last Updated
May 13, 2009
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