Dying For Thirst

The island of Biak in Western New Guinea was very hot but very dry. It had few sources of fresh water, so any source would be worth fighting for. This small surface stream was one such source. The Japanese needed …

1944-06-03

P14

The island of Biak in Western New Guinea was very hot but very dry. It had few sources of fresh water, so any source would be worth fighting for. This small surface stream was one such source. The Japanese needed the water and meant to keep it. The Americans brought tank support and would take the stream away. They meant to make things a little harder on the enemy and drive them further into the jungle.

Biak, New Guinea

The Battle of Biak was part of the Western New Guinea campaign of World War II, fought between the United States Army and the Japanese Army from 27 May to 17 August 1944. Taking place on the island of Biak, in Geelvink Bay, in present-day Indonesia, it was part of General Douglas MacArthur's Southwest Pacific Command's offensive drive to clear New Guinea in preparation for an invasion of the Philippines. It was the first major effort by the Japanese to allow uncontested landings for the purpose of creating a kill zone inland. The main Allied objective was to capture the island so that they could construct airfields there. The battle resulted in the capture of the island by Allied forces, which were then used to support operations elsewhere in the Pacific.

Wikipedia: Battle of Biak

Japanese

American