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| Location Lat 1° 57' 0S Long 147° 13' 0E Pityilu Island is roughly three miles long and roughly 250-650 yards wide to the northeast of Manus Island in the Admiralty Island Group (Admiralty Islands). Borders the Bismarck Sea to the north and Seeadler Harbor to the south. Prewar and during the Pacific War part of the Territory of New Guinea. Today located in Manus Province in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Wartime History By early 1944, a small Japanese garrison of approximately 60 troops were station on Pityilu Island. On March 14, 1944 targeted by USS Oyster Bay (AGP-6) that bombards the island plus destroyers to suppress the defenders while U.S. Navy vessles clear potential sea mines from the approaches to Lorengau and Lugos Mission. On March 30, 1944 at 6:30am, two destroyers fired 30 rounds each at the island until 7:30. An air strike followed with P-40s dive-bombing the landing beach for ten minutes followed by more P-40s and Spitfires that strafed the entire island. Immediately afterwards the 105mm howitzer fire from 61st Field Artillery Battalion, which registered the previous day opened fire on Pityilu from positions on the south side of Lorengau Airfield. When the artillery barrage was lifted, two LCS's (Landing Craft, Support) fired rockets at either flank of the beach. The first wave of the assault force consisted of the US Army 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry, reinforced made an amphibious landing. The landing beach at the southern coast had white, hard sand and was the only location suitable for a landing. A total of six waves were landed in LVT's, LCM's, and LCV's. After landing, the soldiers advanced into the coconut plantation covering the western two-thirds of the island. The successive waves landed unopposed and the troops established a beachhead with Troop C as the left wing, Troop A in the center, and Troop B on the right. At 10:00am patrols reported no contact with the enemy. The reconnaissance platoon moved by LVT to the west, while Troop C in reserve on the beach sent patrols west into the interior. Troops A and B, with one medium tank leading the way, began an advance east toward the rain forest which covered that end of the island. As the troops advanced, they ran into light machine gun and sniper fire which was easily silenced. Enemy guns in a hut, encountered by Troop B after moving 1,000 yards along the south coast, were neutralized by the tank, which blew up the entire position. At 1212, after progressing 1,500 yards, Troop A ran into heavy resistance from dug-in positions midway between the north and south shores. Troop A started to withdraw to permit an artillery concentration to be placed on the position, but the Japanese followed the withdrawal so closely that it was impossible to evacuate our wounded until a light tank was brought up to cover this operation. A 45-minute artillery concentration was placed on the enemy bunker, after which Troop A, aided by the light tank, attacked the position and killed 14 Japanese. Troop B came upon a hastily constructed trench containing 21 Japanese, who gave their position away by loud chatter. When 2nd Lt. John R. Boehme and two privates went out to investigate the position, they were wounded by fire from the group. In spite of his wound, Pvt. Paul A. Lahman advanced on the position, firing clip after clip from his BAR. He was credited by Lt Boehme with the destruction of practically the entire force. At 1720 the squadron withdrew on regimental orders to a position on the western edge of the rain forest and established a perimeter for the night. The Reconnaissance platoon patrolled the western end of the island and returned to report no contact. Although the attacking force then did not know it, the entire Japanese garrison were killed or wounded. After a bombardment the next morning, the squadron advanced and discovered more dead Japanese, which made a total of 59 killed against 8 cavalrymen killed and 6 wounded on Pityilu. Seizing Pityilu was an expensive operation compared with the other small islands that were unoccupied. Afterwards, a detachment of the 140th US Navy Construction Battalion "Seabees" arrived on the island and began constructing Pityilu Airstrip. Pityilu Airfield Built by Americans and used by the US Navy and turned over to the Royal Navy. JM-1 Marauder Bureau Number 66617 Plot Auer crashed December 29, 1944 References Portable Flame Thrower Operations in World War II, page 67-68 Contribute
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 Map February 1945 |
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