Battle of Buna–Gona: Allied forces order of battle

General Thomas Blamey and Lieutenant General Robert Eichelberger inspect a captured bunker at Buna. AWM 014092[notes 1]

This is an order of battle listing the Allied forces involved in the Battle of Buna–Gona from 16 November 1942 – 22 January 1943.

Order of battle

American forces deployed included service units but were largely bereft of supporting arms units.[1][notes 2] Australian units were well below establishment, especially those that had come directly from fighting along the Kokoda Track. Most other Australian units deployed to the beachheads had already been engaged in fighting in New Guinea. The 36th and 49th Militia battalions, which had not seen previous active service at all, were significantly under strength before being deployed forward. The 49th Bn arrived with a strength of 505 all ranks.[2] The establishment strength of an Australian battalion at this time was 910 troops including all ranks.[3] The American forces were deployed to New Guinea at something close to their full strength and, notwithstanding sickness, arrived on the battlefield with a force much closer to their establishment than the Australian forces.[notes 3] The Americans deployed a total of 13,645 troops to the combat zone.[6] It is estimated that the Australians deployed in excess of 7,000 troops.[notes 4] The Papuan Infantry Battalion patrolled in the vicinity for Japanese stragglers from the Kokoda Track Campaign but was not engaged directly in the battle.[7] The contribution of Papuans engaged as labourers or porters was a significant part of the Allied logistic effort.[8][9][10] More than 3,000 Papuans worked to support the Allies during the battle.[11][notes 5]

US units

Troops of I/128th Bn being moved ashore at Oro Bay in outrigger canoes from the ketch in the background. AWM069274

Headquarters, US I Corps Commanding General (CG) Lt Gen Robert Eichelberger

Infantry

32nd Division

126th Infantry Regimental Combat Team
III/126th Battalion detached to 7th Division at Sanananda Track
Strength on 21 November: 56 officers and 1268 other ranks.[13]
Returned to command 9 January with a strength of 165 all ranks.[14]
128th Infantry Regimental Combat Team
127th Infantry Regimental Combat Team
Arrived from 4 December (advance elements) [15]
III/127th Bn Arrived 9 December [16]
II/127th Bn Arrived by 17 December [17]
I/127th Bn Arriving from 17 December [17]
41st Division troops arriving at Dobodura airstrip 4 February 1943.

41st Division

163rd Infantry Regimental Combat Team
Arrived 30 December

Artillery

Battery 'A', 129th Field Artillery Battalion: One 105-mm howitzer

Arrived about 29 November[notes 6]

Australian units

Headquarters 7th Division

General Officer Commanding (GOC) Maj Gen G. A. Vasey
A 37mm anti-tank gun in action at Buna Government Station

2/7th Cavalry Regiment (Cav Regt)

Trained and employed as infantry.
Arrived 16 December. Strength – 350 All ranks.[22]

2/6th Armoured Regiment

A composite squadron of 19 M3 Stuart tanks[23]

Infantry

25th Brigade AIF

The brigade had been committed to fighting along the Kokoda Track since 13 September.
Withdrawn to Port Moresby on 4 December.
Soldiers of the 128th Inf Regt on the move at Wanigela as they head towards Buna.
2/25th Infantry Battalion.
Strength on withdrawal: 15 officers and 248 other ranks.[24]
2/31st Infantry Battalion
Strength on withdrawal: 9 officers and 197 other ranks.[24]
2/33rd Infantry Battalion
Strength on withdrawal: 8 officers and 170 other ranks.[24]
3rd Infantry Battalion AMF (attached)
Returned to Fighting on Kokoda Track on 3 November
20 November – Strength 179 all ranks[25]
Troops were continually faced with having to move and fight through the mud and slush of the swamp around Buna-Gona. AWM013971
Chaforce (attached)
A composite force initially formed in September from the fitter men of the 21st Brigade and initially numbering about 400.
Initial strength of each company by parent battalion at the start of the battle:
2/14 Bn – 6 officers and 103 other ranks.[26]
2/16 Bn – 6 officers and 103 other ranks.[27]
2/27 Bn – 6 officers and 105 other ranks.[28]

16th Brigade AIF

The brigade had been committed to fighting on the Kokoda Track since 20 October
2/1st Infantry Battalion
18 November – Strength 320 all ranks.[29]
Withdrawn to Port Moresby 17 December. Strength: 105 all ranks.[30]
At sea, off Papua. 1942-12-14. A photograph taken from HMAS Broome, with the Australian corvettes Ballarat and Colac ahead, all three ships heading towards Buna to disembark troops of the 18th Bde. AWM041250
2/2nd Infantry Battalion
2/3rd Infantry Battalion

18th Brigade AIF

Initially attached to 32nd Division at Buna
2/9th Infantry Battalion
Arrived 16 December. Strength: 26 officers and 638 other ranks.[31]
2/10th Infantry Battalion
Arrived 19 December. Strength: 34 officers and 648 other ranks.[32]
An Australian mortar crew firing, Sanananda, January 1943. AWM030258
2/12th Infantry Battalion
Arrived 30 December. Strength – 33 officers and 582 other ranks.[33]

21st Brigade AIF

2/14th Infantry Battalion
Arrived 25 November – 350 all ranks[26]
2/16th Infantry Battalion
Arrived 29 November. Strength – 22 officers and 251 other ranks.[34]
2/27th Infantry Battalion
Arrived from 25 November. Strength – 21 officers and 353 other ranks.[28]
An Australian 25-pounder gun crew. AWM 013855

30th Brigade AMF

36th Infantry Battalion
Arrived from 15 December.[35]
49th Infantry Battalion
Arrived 4 December. Strength – 24 officers and 481 other ranks[2]
55/53rd Infantry Battalion
Arrived 5 December

14th Brigade AMF

Headquarters arrived 31 December. The allocation of battalions to the two AMF brigades had been blurred. The 36th Bn and 55/53rd Bn were more properly part of this brigade and returned to its command.[36]
A Wirraway of No. 4 Sqn RAAF at Popondetta strip. One flight was detached forward to Popondetta and another to Dobodura. AWMP00484.001

2/6th Independent Company

Attached to 32nd Division, Warren Force.
Flew to Wanigela in mid October and then marched to Pongani to link up with the advance of 32nd Division.
Strength when bought forward on 20 November – 9 officers and 109 other ranks.[37]
Withdrawn to Port Moresby 11 December[38]

39th Infantry Battalion AMF

Arrived 2 December.[39]

Artillery

One troop 2/5th Field Regiment (Fd Regt): four 25-pounders

One battery 2/1st Field Regiment (Attached): twelve 25-pounders

One troop 13th Field Regiment (Attached): four 4.5 in howitzers

1st Mountain Battery (Attached): three 3.7 in mountain howitzers[notes 7]

See artillery section for details of deployment.

Air

No. 4 Squadron RAAF (two detached flights)

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Australian War Memorial.
  2. ↑ Sources consulted do not give a clear picture of the support units deployed with the American infantry. On the other hand, sources are available which list Australian support units in detail. These details have been omitted in deference to their American counterparts. Sources give strengths and losses for units at various stages throughout the battle. Figures have been reported here where sources give a clear indication of a unit's strength upon entering the battle and losses incurred over the course of its engagement in the battle.
  3. ↑ The 126th Regimental Combat Team deployed from Brisbane by ship on 18 September. It embarked 180 officers and 3,610 enlisted men.[4] On 14 November, the division's forward strength was reported as 6,951. The forward strength consisted of the 126th and 128th Regimental Combat Teams and the forward echelon of division headquarters.[5]
  4. ↑ No precise figure has been identified. An estimate has been made from the strengths of the individual units identified herein. Where no strength has been reported, It has been assumed that the strength was similar to other units in the brigade (e.g., the strength of the 49th Bn is representative of the other two battalions of the 30th Bde). The strength of the 39th Bn was estimated at 300, based on strengths reported for battalions in the 21st Bde and considering that the battalion had seen similar service to these. The estimate does not include the strengths of supporting units nor does it include reinforcements made to individual units during the battle.
  5. ↑ Nelson reports that by the end of 1942, 5,500 men were employed by the ANGU in the Buna area.[12]
  6. ↑ McCarthy[18] and Milner[19] record it arrived on 29 November. Gillison records that it was landed on the 26th.[20] The Center of Military History publication records it had arrived by 26 November.[21]
  7. ↑ Milner[40] states that the mountain howitzers ran out of ammunition on 26 December and "could take no further part in the fighting." McCarthy[41] confirms that they ran out of ammunition on this day but does not make it clear that this concluded their involvement in the battle.

Citations

References

  • Kienzle, Robyn (2011). The Architect of Kokoda. Sydney: Hachette. ISBN 9780733627637. OCLC 710810025. 
  • McAuley, Lex (1992). To the Bitter End. Sydney: Random House. ISBN 0091825571. 
  • Milner, Samuel (1957). Victory in Paupa. United States Army In World War II. Washington, DC: Center Of Military History, United States Army. LCCN 56-60004. 
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