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Location Lat 5° 24' 0S Long 145° 43' 60E Erima village is located on the Rai Coast portion of the north coast of New Guinea. To the north is Bil Bil and beyond Madang. To the east borders Erima Harbor and Astralobe Bay and beyond the Bismarck Sea. To the south is the Gori River, Bom, Bogadjim, Gileb Creek, Stephansort and the Minjim River. Prewar and during the Pacific War located in the Territory of New Guinea. Today located in Astrolabe Bay Rural LLG, Rai Coast District in Madang Province in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Prewar Erima (Erimahafen) was established as a tobacco plantation to the north of Erima village by Germany for the Neu Guinea Kompagnie (NGK) under their subsidiary Astrolabe Company. At Erima, the Germans built a dock, administrative building, tobacco drying rooms and other buildings. To the southwest was Alternate Erima that was also a tobacco plantation. By 1893, the plantation imported from Germany narrow gague railway lines (600mm guage) to create tramways on the tobacco plantations known as the Erimahafen-Stephansort Railway. After 4.5km of line were established at Stephansort a bridge was built across the Gori River with another 4km of line passing Alternate Erima and ending at Erima. Wartime History By late February 1943, occupied by the Japanese Army 20th Division Headquarters plus attached units. The Japanese Army built a road from Erima northward to Madang and southward to Bogadjim then inland to Yaula that was spanned 29 kilometers and required 45 bridges to be built. By late 1943 the completed inland portion was known as the Bogadjim Road (Bogadjim-Yaula Road). Starting in early October 1943, targeted by Allied bombers and fighters until late March 1944. Japanese 75mm anti-aircraft guns emplaced on Eirma Plantation shot down a number of Allied planes including B-25D "Flying Ginny / Bette" 41-30017 on October 5, 1943, P-39Q Airacobra 42-19963 on January 5, 1944. American missions against Erima October 5, 1943–March 29, 1944 B-25D "Flying Ginny / Bette" 41-30017 Pilot Whipple crashed October 5, 1943 References End of the Line pages 37 (footnotes 23, 24), 160 References Mono. No. 38 "Construction of Madang – Lae Road February – September 1943" page 164 Richard Dunn adds: "This indicates HQ 20th Div and various attached units had arrived in Erima by late February 1943. Attached units in addition to 20th Eng Rgt included two indep Eng Regts, three coys of a Road Cons Bn and a transportation Regt." Contribute Information Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated July 6, 2026 |
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