Atlas of Battles

battle, interwar and Second World War

Battle of Finschhafen

Battle of Finschhafen was a battle fought in 1943 in what is now Papua New Guinea. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at its recorded location. It was part of World War II, which ran from 1939 to 1945. The recorded result: Allied victory. Recorded strength: ~5,300 (first phase) against 4,000 – 5,000 (first phase); ~ 12,000 (second phase).

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A view of the Finschhafen area, September 1943. Sattelberg sits in the left hand corner of the scene.
A view of the Finschhafen area, September 1943. Sattelberg sits in the left hand corner of the scene.. Buchanan, Robert John, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought1943
WherePapua New Guinea6.600S, 147.850E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeAllied victory
BelligerentsAustralia; United StatesagainstEmpire of Japan
Part ofWorld War II1939 to 1945

Where it sits in World War II

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313 placed engagements of World War II in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1943 (year precision)
to 1943
PlacePapua New Guinea
6.600S, 147.850E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Strength~5,300 (first phase)4,000 – 5,000 (first phase); ~ 12,000 (second phase)
Casualties and losses73 killed, 285 wounded (first phase); 49 killed, 179 wounded (second phase)679 killed, 821 wounded (second phase only)
Commanders
  • George Wootten
  • Victor Windeyer
Battle of FinschhafenBattle of FinschhafenBattle of Scarlet BeachBattle of SattelbergBattle of WareoBattle of the Bismarck SeaBattle of SioBattle of SattelbergBattle of WareoBattle of the Bismarck SeaBattle of SioLae100 km6.600S, 147.850E
Placed at its recorded location; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1943

Battle of Finschhafen is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 54 in present-day Papua New Guinea.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q4871014, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Finschhafen, revision 1377536904, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.