Battle of Wau

Battle of Wau
Part of the New Guinea Campaign of the Pacific Theater (World War II)
A 25-pounder of the 2/1st Field Regiment is unloaded from a Dakota on the airfield at Wau. The gun was assembled and fired at Japanese positions around Wau later that day.
Date 29 January – 4 February 1943 Location Wau, Territory of New Guinea Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Australia  United States	Imperial Japan
Commanders and leaders
Thomas Blamey Murray Moten	Hitoshi Imamura Toru Okabe
Strength
3,000	4,000
Casualties and losses
349 killed, wounded or missing	1,200 dead from all causes (estimate), includes 361 lost on Nichiryu Maru

The Battle of Wau, 29 January – 4 February 1943, was a battle in the New Guinea campaign of World War II. Forces of the Empire of Japan sailed from Rabaul and crossed the Solomon Sea and, despite Allied air attacks, successfully reached Lae, where they disembarked. Japanese troops then advanced overland on Wau, an Australian base that potentially threatened the Japanese positions at Salamaua and Lae. A race developed between the Japanese moving overland, hampered by the terrain, and the Australians, moving by air, hampered by the weather. By the time the Japanese reached the Wau area after a trek over the mountains, the Australian defenders had been greatly reinforced by air. In the battle that followed, despite achieving tactical surprise by approaching from an unexpected direction, the Japanese attackers were unable to capture Wau.