The Battle of Biak

The Island of Biak, off the North-West coast of New Guinea, today is a small quiet place; in 1944 however a furious battle was fought between advancing American and retreating Japanese forces

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• Biak
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[pamcm1098]

(continued)........Another memorable event was a night time bonzai charge in which .50 cal machine guns and a 37mm cannon firing canister shot left the landscape red in the morning. He received the Purple Heart for a shrapnal wound to his lower leg. Since I will never have an opportunity to visit Biak, thanks for the video.

[brunvit]

If you wished to go to Biak consider that it is not very difficult to get there as there are a few flights per week from Jakarta that land at Biak. The little, messy museum there is very interesting even for me, so remote from those events. I can only try to imagine the emotions it would generate on you!

[600joe]

Kicking lit 55gal drums of gasoline down into these caves was that done here?

[Burtshulman]

My father, Hank Shulman, was a 35 mm combat cameraman, a Sgt. in the Army Signal Corps. He was part of the landing on Biak, and described being pinned down under intense Japanese fire for 2 weeks, as I recall. 10,000 Japanese soldiers had retreated into a massive coral cave system. U.S. artillery bombed the caves steadily. In the end, my father said perhaps 10 Japanese surrendered. He was among the 1st into the caves; had to film what remained; saw signs of cannibalism; a scene out of Dante.

[Vsshooter]

My father was bsed here for a time. He was mess sergeant for the 432nd fighter squadron of the 475th Fighter Group. He fed Charles Lindberg his meals while Lindberg was here. He got malaria here ahd had to go back to Australia to recover.

[chasfoot]

Are there no videos of the landing of US forces at Biak. I was there but the island was under US controll when I was there. This web site use to show some.

Charles Foot

[pamcm1098]

My father, a member of the 41st Division, 186 Regiment, I Company said that Biak was the worst place he served throughout the war. He came very close to being killed in a friendly fire incident in which American Hellcats straffed his unit. He also witnessed the attack in which 6 Zero fighters straffed the landing beaches and all were shot down by truck-mounted quad-50's on either end of the beach.

[jefrokindt]

My Father fought on Biak Island with the

41st Division,162 Reg, His best friend,who he went through college with and Army training at Ft Lewis,Wash,died there. Dad wept as he retold the story of how he nearly missed death by leaving the fox hole seconds before a direct morter hit. His friend was not so lucky.

[opop1155]

thank you up load.

nice video.

[jopelwatch]

Très émouvant ce coin du bout du monde. Le choix musical particulièrement approprié. Bravo

jopelwatch