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Casualty Info
Home Town Phoenixville, PA
Last Address 919 W Bridge St Phoenixville, PA (Parents)
Casualty Date Oct 26, 1944
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Artillery, Rocket, Mortar
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Buried at Sea - N/A, Pacific Ocean
Description The Battle of Hollandia (code-named Operation Reckless) was an engagement between American and Japanese forces during World war II. It took place in spring of 1944 and was part of the New Guinea campaign. The landings were undertaken simultaneously with the amphibious landings at Aitape ("Operation Persecution") to the east. The battle was an unqualified success for the US forces, resulting in a withdrawal by the Japanese to a new strategic defence line in the west of New Guinea and the abandonment of all positions in the east of the island.
Initial operations commenced in the second week of March 1944 with air raids by the Fast Carrier Force on Palau and islands in the Carolines, while aircraft of the US 5th Air Force and the RAAF attacked Japanese airfields along the New Guinea coast from Wewak to the Vogelkop and on Biak Island.
On 30 March and continuing to 3 April these air forces attacked Hollandia itself and the airfields on the Sentani plain. Achieving complete surprise they were able to destroy nearly 100 aircraft on the ground, leaving 6 Air Div unable to resist the planned invasion.
On 16 to 18 April the amphibious forces sailed from their bases at Finschafen and Goodenough Island, taking evasive routes to confuse their intentions until they arrived off Hollandia during the night of 21/22 April. The landings took place at dawn on 22 April after a supporting naval bombardment at each site.
At Tanahmera Bay the two RCT’s from 24 Div. were able to land without opposition, but found the beach to be highly unsuitable. Backed by a swamp just 30 yards from the shoreline, and with just one exit trail unsuitable for vehicles, Tanahmera Bay was quickly written off as a landing site; while the infantry already ashore pressed on to the Sentani plain the remainder of 24 Div was diverted to Humboldt Bay, which had by this time been secured. After four days under these conditions the two units had reached the western airfield and on 26 April it was secured.
Meanwhile at Humboldt Bay 41 Div. also achieved complete surprise, and though the beaches were defended after the naval bombardment the Japanese troops there uncharacteristically abandoned their positions and fled inland. There was some opposition as they pressed forward, but by 24 April they had reached the lake and by 26 April secured the two eastern airfields. The two forces linked up the same day.
The collapse of Japanese resistance has been attributed to lack of preparedness, due to changes in the command structure and to a lack of combat troops; many of the 11,000 men based there were administrative and support units. None of the senior officers present had been in post more than a few weeks and the senior air officer had been relieved following the destruction of his air forces at the beginning of April. Neither Kitazono nor Endo had been able to prepare a comprehensive defence plan, and in any event had neither the men nor the resources to carry it out. On the other hand the Allied operation had been over-insured; concerns over the strength of the Japanese garrison had left the Allies with a four to one advantage in the event.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
April / 1944
To Month/Year
June / 1944
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories In November 1943, his ship provided air support for the Gilbert Island landing on 'Bloody Tarawa' in November. George's ship participated in the Marshall Islands campaign (Kwajalein, and Eniwetok) in January 1944, and the Hollandia landings on New Guinea by shuttling replacement aircraft to the larger fleet carriers in April.
In June, the Suwannee supported the landings on Saipan and Guam in the Marianas and drew first blood in the Battle of the Philippine Sea when she sunk the Japanese submarine I-184 on June 19th.
In October, George's ship supported our return to the Philippines when we landed on Leyte Island on October 20, 1944. The Japanese reacted with a complicated plan for the Naval Forces, involving a decoy force to draw away Halsey's fast fleet carriers and battleships, and three fleets flanking our forces to destroy the unprotected troop transports and cargo ships. The result was the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in history. The battle covered 100,000 square miles, involved 200,000 participants and 6 battle fleets on October 24-25.
The Japanese plan almost worked, as a battle fleet snuck through and spotted the escort carriers with only destroyers and destroyer escorts to protect them and the transports. The attack of these escorts and the escort carrier aircraft returning (most without bombs and low on fuel) against a Japanese battleships, is vibrantly described in James Hornfischer's The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors.
George' ship was in 'Taffy 1'further south of Taffy 3 which was involved in the running surface battle. But danger came from another quarter - the first kamikaze attacks of the war at 7:40 a.m. on October 25th. Suicide attacks were yet unknown and completely surprised the crews of the American ships. The first kamikaze hit a sister ship, the USS Santee CVE 29. The antiaircraft gun crews destroyed the next two and damaged a third, which rolled over and smashed into Suwannee opening up a 10-foot hole in the flight deck into which the aircraft's bomb exploded opening the hole to 25 feet and causing a number of casualties.
Aviation Machinist Mate 3rd Class George Warren Dobson was Killed In Action on October 25th 1944 by the kamikaze.
