Combat· World War II
Koli Point Actions
Koli Point lay east of the Marine perimeter, where the Japanese had landed troops as part of a scheme to attack the airfield from both sides.
A Marine battalion on a scouting move ran into these fresh enemy troops and began a fighting withdrawal. American commanders then put together a larger force to trap and destroy the Japanese in the area. Marines drove forward along the coast while Army troops tried to swing around the enemy in the jungle, backed by aircraft, naval gunfire, and newly landed heavy artillery. The running fight lasted several days. The Japanese fought hard to hold their ground, but eventually most slipped through a gap in the line and escaped inland, leaving many dead behind. The action broke up the enemy's two-sided attack plan before it could take shape.
Podcast episodes on World War II
Record no. 120