Gona, battle of

Gona, battle of, fought in mud and swamp during the New Guinea campaign when Allied troops attacked a Japanese defensive perimeter on Papua's northern coast on 16 November 1942. The perimeter, 18 km. (11 mi.) long, protected a beachhead established by the Japanese the previous July. While two regiments of 32nd US Division attacked Buna and Cape Endaiadere at its south-eastern end two brigades of 7th Australian Division attacked it around Gona village and, with a third US regiment, Sanananda Point.

After two months' hard fighting on the Kokoda trail the Australians were debilitated by disease and lack of food (see alsomedicine). The numbers defending the perimeter had been grossly underestimated and the division's 25th Brigade took more than 200 casualties in three days. On 28 November it had to be relieved, as did 16th Brigade which had been struggling towards Sanananda. Eventually, with the help of two extra battalions, 21st Brigade, which had relieved 25th Brigade, entered Gonaon 8 December. The Australians had 750 casualties, but there were more as fighting around the perimeter continued, and Sanananda Point was not finally cleared until 21 January 1943.