The Bushmasters PTO (id:#65575)

(ASL 13 - Rising Sun (2021) ID: 66)   [next]   [previous]

13 miles SE of Sarmi, Netherlands New Guinea 1944-05-24 (6 others)

No balance information available

Overview:

The 158th Infantry, originally part of the Arizona National Guard, was composed primarily of Pima, Papagos, and Maricopa Indians plus some Mexican-Americans. For reasons known only to high command, these men of the great Southwest desert were sent to the Canal Zone for jungle training, where they acquired the nickname "Bushmasters." On 21 May 1944 the 158th Regimental Combat Team landed at Arare on the north coast of New Guinea with orders to capture Sarmi and its valuable airfields. Unfortunately, intelligence estimates of the enemy were wildly inaccurate. Instead of the 6,500 Japanese they had been led to expect, the region was held by some 11,000 enemy troops: two regiments of the veteran 36th ("Tiger") Division plus miscellaneous engineer, construction, and service units. Attacking westward on the 23rd, the RCT made modest gains against stiffer than anticipated resistance. The plan for the next morning was to lay in an artillery preparation, then have the 3rd· Battalion capture a tiny village dubbed Maffin #1 and seize a bridgehead over the diminutive Tirfoam River.

Defender: Japanese (223rd and 224th Infantry Regiments)  

Errata (source)