Biak

also spelled Wiak Is.

BIAK Is., Netherlands New Guinea

Biak is the largest of the Schouten Islands, off the northern coast of Irian Jaya (the Indonesian part of New Guinea) at the entrance to Cenderawasih (Geelvink) Bay. In May 1944, it was a part of what was then known as Netherlands New Guinea.

For the Empire of Japan, in late 1943, Biak Island was critical to their new defensive position "with no thought of withdrawal." There were three major airfields on Biak - Mokmer, Sorido and Borokoe.

The Japanese made a determined effort to reinforce Biak, considering its loss critical to their interests both in the immediate region and to the Philippines, 900 miles to the northwest.
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To support Biak, they assembled naval strength easily capable of destroying the naval units under MacArthur's control and sent about half their land-based aircraft in the Carolines and the Marianas to airfields in western New Guinea. No sooner had this redeployment been accomplished than the Japanese learned of the presence of the U.S. naval force in the Marianas.

On May 27, amphibious forces landed on Biak Island. It was the site of the only tank vs. tank combat in New Guinea - but their light (5-ton) Ha-Go tanks driving a wedge between the first waves and the primary attacking American forces were no match for the heavier Shermans. The measure of the difficulty of the campaign is that General Krueger, the U.S. Sixth Army Commander, did not declare the operation over until 20 August.