Does somebody happens to know a lot about Munda Point? Because I've got some questions. 1) The Villages around Munda Point were fled by the locals when the Japanese gained control over the Island. --> Does somebody have photo's of how those towns and inhabitants looked like at that time? 2) During December 1942 until the middle of 1943, Munda Airfield was used by both the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and later by the Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) as a forward operating base for fighters and bombers. --> Was the airfield guarded by Japanese 229th Infantry Regiment? (Were airfields in general day and night guarded by soldiers?) 3) If Japanese planes took off towards Guadalcanal, they were most likely spotted by Coastwatchers (Donald Kennedy at Segi (I think?)). --> How did that work exactly? When the Japanese were spotted, did the Coastwatchers just used basic radio equipment to call the Ground Control at Guadalcanal to report this? 4) If an Allied plane was crashed, I assume the Japanese start with a search party to the bailed-out airmen? --> How many soldiers took part of those search parties? --> Were they soldiers from the Special Naval Landing Forces? --> If they captured the Allied airmen, where would they kept them as a prisoner, and what would they do to them? Thank you for your help!
...the only way to get word in time was to use radio ...Kennedy had a lot more ''excitement'' than just radioing in reports.....I think he had Japanese prisoners in his compound....the Japanese were getting ''close'' to him, so the US sent USMC units over there ..Kennedy had some action with the Japanese HyperWar: US Army in WWII: CARTWHEEL--The Reduction of Rabaul
Munda Trail by Hammel page 82: '''In addition, the artillery commander at Bairoko Harbor was ordered to dispatch two 140mm guns and two lighter field pieces.....a company of the 229th Infantry was ordered in from....Kolombangara'''' .... General Sasaki: ... ''was suddenly struck by the realization that the forces he had thus far ordered to Munda had not the remotest hope of successfully defending the airfield against a concerted effort by so many Americans. In view of this, he ordered the entire 3rd Battalion, 229 Infantry, to Munda to occupy a defensive sector''' ..it seems similar to what the Americans did sometimes--moving sub-units of regiments and battalions here and there---sometimes not the whole regiment or battalion would be together ....here's more starting at page 38 regarding the Viru Harbor operation--American and Japanese using sub-units of Regiments and Battalions: ''''...the plan detailed ...P Company 4th Raiders to proceed from Segi.......''''' ..and the 229th: ''''''the [Viru ] plan did not account for the arrival of the main body of the 1st Battalion, 229th Infantry''' ..so it looks like the 229th was parceled out here and there....... ...the fighting in the Solomons/etc was with very '''small'' units for very ''small'' areas --especially compared to the European Theater ..they were not taking over a whole big island, but just enough for the airfield/etc
...from same book page 35: ''Kennedy's immediate adversary.....was First Lieutenant Tagaki.....commander of a 235-man outpost ....of his own 229th Infantry''''' ..so we see more of this parceling out of regiments, battalions, etc ..all over the place..so if they say the 229th/etc defended here or there, it sometimes is not the whole unit ..I see it's an LT in charge of about 200 men....normally I thought a Captain did that ..same page: ....'''the commander of his [ Tagaki ] own 3rd Company''''
At this point Japan had been at war since 1937 so gaps in the authorized strength would likely be common and the IJA saw China as its primary zone of interest so replacements are going to be at a premium.
