Papua Campaign (23 Jul 42 - 23 Jan 43) in the Pacific Theater
In another effort to take Port Moresby the
Japanese landed troops at Buna, Gona, and
Sanananda in July 1942. At first the Allies
could offer only feeble resistance to the
enemy forces that pushed southward
through Papua, but the Allies were building
up their strength in Australia. By
mid September Fifth Air Force had superiority
in the air over New Guinea, and
the Japanese drive had been stopped. The
Allies then began to push the enemy back,
with Fifth Air Force ferrying supplies and
reinforcements to the troops fighting in the
jungle. Buna was taken on 2 January
1943, and enemy resistance at Sanananda
ended three weeks later.
Divisions that Fought in the Papua Campaign
View the U.S. Army Divisions in World War II Print