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| Location Lat 5° 36′ 39″ S Long 146° 26′ 29″ E Wab is located at an elevation of 65' / 19m above sea level on the Rai Coast portion of the north coast of New Guinea. To the north is Helmholtz Point. To the east is the Nankina River and beyond Saidor and Saidor Airfield. Prewar and during the Pacific War located in Madang District in the Territory of New Guinea. Today, located in Rai Coast District of Madang Province in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Wartime History On January 2, 1944 at dawn, a U.S. Task Force "Operation Michaelmas" enters Dekays Bay. Nine destroyers USS Beale (DD-471), USS Mahan (DD-364), USS Drayton (DD-366), USS Lamson (DD-367), USS Flusser (DD-368), USS Reid (DD-369), USS Smith (DD-378) and USS Hutchins (DD-476) commence a preinvasion shore bombardment firing 1,725 5" shells at the landing area and targets including target area no. 2 at Wab. Afterwards, occupied by the U.S. Army 32nd Infantry Division (32nd ID) and developed into a camp area for 114th Engineer Battalion (114th ENGR BN). On April 6, 1944 during the night a single Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) bomber, likely a Type 99 / Ki-48 Lily from 75th Hiko Sentai (75th Flying Regiment) or 34th Hiko Sentai (34th Flying Regiment) dropped three bombs over Wab that cause damage and casualties, killing Pvt Ernest B. Francis and wounded Sgt William H. Boynton Jr., 31005383 who died of his wounds later in the day. References NARA U.S. Navy, COM 7th Fleet Report of Saidor Operation page 29 (map) 1st Australian Army Weekly Intell. Summary page 4 date unknown "Saidor was raided by one enemy bomber on the night of 6 Apr. Three bombs were dropped causing some damage and casualties." 1st Aus Army Intelligence, Land Ops Revisit No. 619 to 080015Z Apr, April 1944 "New Guinea 061209Z one br dropped 3 bombs Saidor causing some damage and casualties." 1 Aus Army Weekly Review No. 101 page 8, April 1944 "After a period of almost a month during which the enemy has conducted no offensive air operations, a single enemy bomber over Saidor dropped three bombs causing some damage and casualties." FindAGrave - Pvt Ernest B. Francis (grave photo) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - William H Boynton Jr. FindAGrave - SGT William H Boynton Jr. (grave photo) Thanks to Richard Dunn for additional information Contribute
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 Map January 2, 1944 Map Fallingrain Map Mapcarta |
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