Status Updates From Bloody Buna: The Battle for...

Conclusion
- Eichelberger falsely claims Buna was Japan’s first land defeat in the Pacific
- American Official History wrongly states the 32nd Division took it by themselves
- 2,817 Allied casualties, 40% American & 60% Australian

57
- 3,000 Japanese killed at Buna
- Eichelberger learns valuable lessons for future campaigns
- Blamey & Herring congratulate Warren & Urbana Forces
- Marshall thanks MacArthur for progress on Buna
- Allied equipment now directed to Sanananda

56
- Australians finally capture plantation
- Few Japanese prisoners consist of Koreans conscripts & Chinese labourers
- Warren & Urbana Forces link up
- Americans take Buna Mission Station
- Buna now fully in Allied hands

55
- Urbana Front: B-17 Flying Fortresses, Beufighters, Bostons & Kittyhawks raid Japanese positions
- Japanese spotted swimming to Sanananda
- They leave wounded behind with grenades

54
- Australians take Giroupa Point
- Infantry clears out Japanese bunkers
- Japanese pockets of resistance in Old Strip
- Victor Sampson awarded MC
- Japanese on Warren Front defeated
- Silk suffers a nervous breakdown & shipped back to Australia

53
- Australian tanks spearhead advance
- They are eventually countered by Japanese Molotov cocktails
- Alfred Dyne awarded MM
- Australians grateful to American medical staff, but impressed with infantry

52
- Warren Force plans all-out attack at Girupa Point, January 1943
- Urbana Front attacking Buna Mission
- Japanese inability to hold Buna becoming increasingly apparent

51
- Warren Force planning to attack plantation
- Japanese at Sanananda unaware of situation in Buna

50
- Japanese presence on Buna slowly fading
- George Spencer awarded DCM

49
- Japanese disguise as Australian & American troops
- Old Strip fully cleared of Japanese
- Eichelberger worried about condition of Buna situation
- American amphibious landing becomes disastrous failure
- Milan Miljitavich awarded DSC
- Papuan Infantry Battalion expecting Japanese withdrawal coming their way

48
- Japanese resistance at Old Strip fading
- Murray Brown awarded MC
- Americans capture the Triangle

47
- Reginald Brandon & Timothy Hughes awarded MM
- Alan McDougall awarded MC
- Australian 25-pounders decimate Japanese defences
- Sladen Bradley awarded Silver Star

46
- Americans continue pushing into Japanese-held territory in Buna
- Americans cannot find anymore resting areas for tired troops

45
- Australians fighting at Old Strip
- Only 2 Stuart tanks used in assault
- William McAullife awarded MM
- George Silk joining troops in the fighting
- Elmer Burr & Kenneth Gruennert awarded MOH
- Eichelberger reports fail to completely capture Buna to MacArthur

44
- Australians to clear the bridge between the occupation of Old Strip
- Japanese surprised by Australians crossing Simemi Creek
- Americans mopping up Japanese positions & emplacements
- Blamey warned about Japanese PT boats

43
- Australians push into remainder of Sememi Creek
- Infantry advance briefly halts, but soon provided with tank support
- Americans enter Entrance Creek & in range of Buna Government Station
- Eichelberger decides to maintain southern advance

42
- Australians look for crossing at Sememi Creek
- Tankers rest & replenish themselves whilst repairing their tanks
- Americans decimated by Japanese during attempted river crossing

41
- Australians easily capture Girupa Point
- Path ahead of them is marshy terrain for tanks
- Australians take most of Sememi Creek
- Americans’ failed attempts to clear out the Triangle
- Paul Whittaker & Donald Feury awarded Silver Star; John Rehak awarded DSC
- Japanese fire on American rescue parties
- Japanese assigned new beachheads in Lae, Salamaua & Madang

- Marauder & Boston bombers raid Buna Government Station; accuracy is mixed
- William Boice posthumously awarded DSC
- Japanese 8th Area Army orders Buna garrison to withdraw to Salamaua area

39
- Australian 2/9th Battalion spearheads advance on Old Strip
- Infantry & tanks destroy Japanese defences
- They reach their objectives
- 2/9th Battalion suffer 33% casualties
- Americans mopping-up Japanese positions near Australian spearhead

38
- Plans to launch large offensive at Buna
- Buna Government Station deemed important

37
- Daniel Rini & Bernardino Estrada awarded the DSC
- Coconut Grove captured by the Americans
- Eichelberger urged by MacArthur to hasten operations
- Upcoming offensive designed to surround & isolate Japanese positions

36
- Urbana Front: Americans fight for Coconut Grove
- Australians nearly reached Warren Front

35
- Australian reinforcements land at Oro Bay & march to Buna
- They compare it to the march from Tobruk in North Africa
- Americans capture Buna Village without firing a shot, noticing the Japanese abandoned it
- Japanese reinforcements arrive in New Guinea

34
- Urabana Front: Australian 25-pounders bombard Japanese at Buna Village
- Australian Armoured Division spearheading the assault
- Australian tankers used to desert fighting, but will learn jungle warfare

33
- Three-phase plan to capture Buna
- Japanese not reinforcing Buna

32
- Allied morale improved significantly
- Warren Front wants tanks to breach Japanese fortifications
- Urbana Front: Walter Bajdek awarded DSC

31
- Fresh officers replace weary battalion commanders
- Beufighters & A20 raid Old Strip
- Eichelberger prepares to hopefully knockout Japanese at Buna
- Australian Stuart tanks arrive at Oro Bay
- Japanese attempts to resupply Buna by submarine fail

30
- Australians captured Gona; Japanese at Sanananda & Buna no longer resupplied easily by sea
- Japanese bombers & Zero’s drop food & ammunition at Buna
- Continued assaults on Warren & Urbana Fronts
- James Downer posthumously awarded the DSC