RARE WWII 1944 Battle of Biak New Guinea Hurricane Task Force Infantry Map for Sale

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RARE WWII 1944 Battle of Biak New Guinea Hurricane Task Force Infantry Map For Sale

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RARE WWII 1944 Battle of Biak New Guinea Hurricane Task Force Infantry Map:
$900.00

Comes with a hand-signed C.O.A.

Size: 20 x 22.5 inches

This incredibly rare and museum-grade WWII artifact is an original 1944 dated Battle of Biak (Schouten Islands, New Guinea) combat map used by the U.S. “Hurricane Task Force” 24th Infantry Division and 41st Infantry Division during General Douglas MacArthur’s New Guinea Operations in the Pacific Theater. The Battle of Biak would go down in WWII history as General Douglas MacArthur’s costly victory that paved the way for his return to the Philippines.

Colonel Harold Riegelman admitted he knew little about Biak, a strategic island in New Guinea, before landing there in June 1944. The U.S. Army’s 41st Division had been fighting Japanese forces on Biak since May 27, 1944, aiming to capture its three airfields at Mokmer, Sorido, and Borokoe to support future operations in the Philippines. Initially, resistance was light, but Japanese forces, unexpectedly numbering over 11,400, soon fortified their positions in caves, significantly delaying the American advance.

On May 27, 12,000 U.S. troops landed using amphibious vehicles due to a coral reef, but progress was stalled by intense Japanese resistance from fortified cave positions. Despite heavy naval and artillery support, the 162nd Regiment faced significant challenges, requiring a tactical withdrawal and re-landing. The Japanese counterattacked with light tanks, but American Sherman tanks repelled them effectively.

The battle for Biak\'s airfields involved grueling jungle warfare, intense heat, and severe water shortages. The Japanese used complex cave systems for defense, making them hard to dislodge.