Battle of Morotai

Battle of Morotai
Part of the Western New Guinea campaign, World War II
LSTs landing supplies at Blue Beach, Morotai
Date 15 September – 4 October 1944 (initial period), intermittent fighting continued until the end of the war Location Morotai, off North Halmahera, Maluku Islands 02°01′52″N 128°17′26″E / 2.03111°N 128.29056°E / 2.03111; 128.29056 Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United States  Australia Netherlands	Japan
Commanders and leaders
John C. Persons (land until September 23) Clarence A. Martin (land) Daniel E. Barbey (naval)	Takenobu Kawashima (initial commander) Kisou Ouchi (POW) (from 12 October)[1]
Strength
57,020 (initial force)	~500 at the time of the Allied invasion, later reinforced
Casualties and losses
30 dead 85 wounded 1 missing (initial invasion period)	300+ dead 13 captured (initial invasion period)

The Battle of Morotai, part of the Pacific War, began on 15 September 1944, and continued until the end of the war in August 1945. The fighting started when United States and Australian forces landed on the southwest corner of Morotai, a small island in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), which the Allies needed as a base to support the liberation of the Philippines later that year. The invading forces greatly outnumbered the island's Japanese defenders and secured their objectives in two weeks. Japanese reinforcements landed on the island between September and November, but lacked the supplies needed to effectively attack the Allied defensive perimeter. Intermittent fighting continued until the end of the war, with the Japanese troops suffering heavy loss of life from disease and starvation.

Morotai's development into an Allied base began shortly after the landing, and two major airfields were ready for use in October. These and other base facilities played an important role in the Liberation of the Philippines during 1944 and 1945. Torpedo boats and aircraft based at Morotai also harassed Japanese positions in the NEI. The island's base facilities were further expanded in 1945 to support the Australian-led Borneo Campaign, and Morotai remained an important logistical hub and command center until the Dutch reestablished their colonial rule in the NEI.