Salamaua

Salamaua

Morobe Province | Papua New Guinea

Location
Lat 7° 1' 60S Long 147° 4' 0E Peninsula located on the north coast of New Guinea, south of Lae. On the mainland to the south is Logui.

History
Had a role in New Guinea's early gold rush days. Evacuate by Australian forces on January 22, 1942. Japanese troops left Rabaul to occupy Lae and Salamaua, and developed into a base, landed on March 8, 1942.

Robert Manning adds:
"Salamaua was the raid by 75 Austrlaian commandos on June 29 , 1942 and another raid a few days later. There was intense interest by Allied intelligence in reccon photos of the Salamaua peninsula from about the 28 June to about the first week in July 1942. I have yet to find any aerial photos of this period. The interest is over a house that sat high up of the seaward end of the peninsula above the tennis courts that can be seen in pre-war photos. The house belonged to Mr O'Dea a prewar pilot and it was the target for a raid by several Australians."

The area was turned over to the Army on November 15. After the fall of Buna and Gona, it was directly assaulted. Liberated by the Australian 42nd Infantry on September 12 , 1943. Before its fall many of the surviving Japanese escaped including 5,000 by barge to Lae, 600 and by submarine to Rabaul and 200 on the overland trek to Lae.

American Missions Against Salamaua and Salamaua AIrfield
March 10, 1942 - December 13, 194

Japanese Gun Enplacements & Tunnel

Ian Williams 1998

Located in the hills behind the Salamau peninsula are several emplaced guns. A steep path leads up to four Japanese gun emplacements and great views of the harbor. Near the start of the path is an entrance to a Japanese tunnel.

Type 3 (1914) 76.2 mm naval gun
There are two of these guns emplaced here. Also designated as a Type 3 (1914) 8 cm high angle gun. A third was salvaged in 1971 by the Japanese and is displayed at Yasukuni Jinja.

Veteran George Munroe, B-17 pilot recalls:
"I had an experience once, we were on a flight over Lae and Salamaua looking for a destroyer, reportedly up a creek. We knew there was no creek there, but were told to look at the area. We were flying along, fat dumb and happy and all of a sudden, all hell broke loose - anti-aircraft fire was all around us. We could see it we could hear it, I did a quick wing over and got out of there but we werent touched."

Coastwatcher's Ridge
Location where Australian Coastwatcher was stationed to report Japanese shipping and troop movements.

Mt. Tambu
A full days walk to the Mount with spectacular views of huge battlefield where Australians met the Japanese advance towards Wau. Local guides are available for those who want to make this treck.

Kotoku Maru (Kotoko Maru)
Previously damaged, bombed on August 8, 1942 drifted and grounded at Salamaua

Yokohama Maru
Sunk by USN carrier planes on March 10, 1942

P-40E Serial Number A29-38
Pilot Brown, force landing April 11, 1942 wreckage sunk during 1980s failed salvage attempt

DB-7B Boston Mark III Serial A28-3 Tail DU-Y
Pilot Newton ditched March 18, 1943

F-4 Lightning Serial Number 41-2177 Tail Number 77
Pilot Blackard MIA May 21, 1943

B-25D Mitchell 41-30313
Pilot Webster ditched July 9, 1943

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