The Sunset War
The 41st Infantry Division in the South Pacific
by
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In this book an infantry foot soldier gives a firsthand account of the 41st Division’s war in the jungles of New Guinea and the Philippines. The 41st Division was also known as the Sunset Division and Tokyo Rose named it the Butchers! Very few articles have been written about the South Pacific war, especially, from the perspective of the infantry. If it is about the South Pacific, it usually is about the marines. As I waited, I grasped my M-1 with sweaty palms while my heart raced and pounded with apprehension. This would be my first beach landing. We were all perspiring from the hot weather of this tropical island which is only sixty miles south of the equator, but at the time, this was the least of our concerns. Company-I was part of the 162nd infantry regiment which in turn was part of the 41st Division. We watched as wave after wave of B-24’s flew over the beach and dropped their bombs. In addition to the troop ships, two heavy cruisers, three light cruisers, 21 destroyers, five rocket gun ships stood offshore and pounded the beach. An addition three rocket ships stood by to give support to the landing. We were getting ready to capture Biak’s three strategic air strips. Soon the time arrived for us to land. The bombardment retreated inland and our LCI came to life, gathered speed and headed for a pier on the beach. As I looked out over the side of the ship, I could see other LCI’s and various other landing craft all heading toward the beach at high speed parallel to our vessel. As we approached the beach, we could see several large naval guns mounted there and pointing out to the sea: aimed right as us! Fortunately, when our landing craft hit the shore, these guns were not manned. No living thing could have survived the bombardment preceding the landing. We did, however, receive fire from artillery located far back from the beach, but nothing gave a hint as to the trap the Japanese had waiting for us.
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About the Book
This book gives the reader a rare view of army life during WWII, as it traces the experiences and the adventures of an army private from induction, through basic training, combat in the South Pacific, occupation of Japan, and finally home. One highlight is the visit to Hiroshima two months after the bomb.
About the Author
The author is a veteran of WWII who is recounting his experiences in the army during the war. The account includes his entry into the army including his experiences in basic training. After basic training, he chronicles his activities traveling across the United States and then to the South Pacific where he was engaged in combat against the Japanese. After the war, he tells about his experiences in occupying Japan, including his visit to Hiroshima two months after the A-bomb. Finally, he returns home and resumes civilian life.