Drive on Munda Point

Drive on Munda Point
Part of the New Georgia campaign
U.S. Army soldiers from the 172nd Infantry Regiment cross a creek during the drive towards Munda Point in July 1943
Date 2–17 July 1943 Location New Georgia, Solomon Islands Result Limited tactical gains by Allied forces
Belligerents
United States  New Zealand	Japan
Commanders and leaders
John H. Hester Leonard F. Wing Oscar Griswold	Minoru Sasaki Genjiro Hirata
Strength
Elements of two infantry regiments (initially) One company of Fiji Guerrillas	4,500
Casualties and losses
90 killed 636 wounded 1,000 evacuated with illness	Unknown

The Drive on Munda Point was an offensive by mainly United States Army forces against Imperial Japanese forces on New Georgia in the Solomon Islands from 2–17 July 1943. The Japanese forces, mainly from the Imperial Japanese Army, were guarding an airfield at Munda Point on the western coast of the island that the U.S. wished to capture as one of the key objectives of the New Georgia campaign. After landing around Zanana on 2 July from Rendova, U.S. troops began a westward advance towards the airfield at Munda. Held up by difficult terrain and stubborn Japanese defense, elements of three U.S. regiments advanced slowly along the Munda trail over the course of two weeks. The slow progress resulted in a reorganization of the U.S. forces assigned to the drive, and preparations were made for a corps-level offensive, but before this could be launched, the Japanese launched a counterattack on 17 July.