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| Location Lat 2° 17' 60S Long 147° 49' 0 Rambutyo Island is located to the east of Manus Island in the Admiralty Island Group (Admiralty Islands). Also spelled Rambutso. Prewar and during the Pacific War part of the Territory of New Guinea. Today located in Manus Province in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Prewar During the German administration coconut palm plantations were established on the island including a plantation owned by a Japanese trader Isokichi Komine until 1930 when sold to Burns, Philp & Co. Wartime History On March 23, 1944 in the morning PT 324 and PT-325 land native scouts on Rambutyo and pick them up the same day. On April 2, 1944 both PT 366 and PT-326 land ANGAU and native scouts on Rambutyo who report Japanese defenders were concentrated at Malambok and both PT Boats strafe the village without results. On April 3, 1944 as part of Operation Brewer after a morning U.S. Navy (USN) shore bombardment, U.S. Army 12th Cavalry, 2nd Squadron (reinforced) with two platoons of engineers and two platoons of shore battalion personnel landed at noon with no immediate resistance ashore. Some Japanese were thought to be hiding in the rugged interior, so the 2nd Squadron was tasked with mopping-up operation trekking over unusually steep country and heavy jungle, where water was hard to find. By April 23, 1944 with the aid of an ANGAU warrant officer and native guides and patrols, a total of 30 Japanese were killed and 5 prisoners. After mopping up, further patrols were left to the native police recruited by ANGAU. Postwar At the conclusion of the war, Rambutyo islanders began a cargo cult by a local named Wapi who believed the spirits of the dead would return with cargo. In 1953, the cargo cult phenomenon was reported by anthropologist Margaret Mead, reported a cargo cult movement began on Rambutyo at the end of World War II. References At Close Quarters PT Boats in the United States Navy Part IV Southwest Pacific -- Conquest of New Guinea pages 230, 231 (Page 230) "On the morning of March 23, Lt. (jg.) Ernest W. Pannell, USNR, in PT 324, and Lt. (jg.) Stuart A. Lewis, USNR, in PT 325, landed Army, ANGAU, and native scouts on Tong Island, and native scouts on Rambutyo, picking them up the same day except for the natives on Tong" (Page 231) "On April 2 PT's 366 and 326 put ANGAU and native scouts ashore on Rambutyo and Tong Islands. They reported that the Japanese were concentrated at Malambok Village. The boats strafed the village without visible results. The next morning PT's 365, 323, 331, and 364 covered the landing of troops by LCV's and LCM's. There were only about 40 Japanese on the island, but it took 3 weeks to ferret them out because of difficult terrain and dense vegetation." Naval History Heritage Command (NHHC) Gamble at Los Negros: The Admiralty Islands Campaign 29 February 1944 "bombardments and landings at Manus, Hauwei, Ndrilo, Pityiluu, Koruniat and finally Rambutyo on 3 April" The Army Air Force in World War II IV The Pacific: Guadalcanal to Saipan August 1942 to July 1944 page 570 "Rambutyo was attacked on 3 April with no resistance but mopping up took about three weeks" Walter Krueger, “Report on the Brewer Operation,” Series 4, Box 3/14, Walter Kruger Papers, Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M University, 2 August 1944 Contribute
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