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Sorong (131.270E
0.905S) is a port near
the
westernmost tip of New Guinea.
The nearby Klasmano oil field was
just
beginning to be
exploited when war broke out, though the Japanese
did not expand production
much after seizing the area in early 1942. The Allies formulated plans
to
make the port a major refueling point after its recapture, but the
stunning successes of American
logistics meant that the
time and
resources needed to develop the fields could not be justified.
Thus, invasion
plans were
canceled in July 1944 and the port was bypassed by the Allied
counteroffensive.
At the time war broke out, the port based GVT-2
with
three Do-24 flying boats. The
Japanese built an airfield
here following their occupation of the port on 4 April 1942. The
port and surrounding points were seized by a force consisting of seaplane carrier Chitose, a light cruiser, two destroyers, nine smaller
escorts, and two transports.
References
Smith (1952; accessed 2011-7-1)
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