1944 Manuscript Map of the Allied Invasion of Los Negros in the Admiralty Islands

This is an enigmatic c. 1944 manuscript map of the Allied invasion of the island of Los Negros in the Admiralty Islands. It illustrates a decisive gamble by Allied forces to neutralize the Japanese stronghold of Rabaul, on New Britain.

A Closer Look

Oriented towards the east, the map depicts the westernmost portion of Los Negros Island, with Hyane Harbor, the site of the first landing at Los Negros, situated in the bottom third of the sheet. Momote Airfield, though unlabeled, is illustrated in detail along the left side of Hyane Harbor. This airfield, constructed by the Japanese and later expanded by the Americans, was one of the main objectives of the invasion. Troop movements from the airfield are shown by arrows, with dates indicating the speed of their advance.

Why Invade Los Negros?

One of several amphibious assaults of Operation Brewer, part of the larger push across the Pacific codenamed Operation Cartwheel, the invasion of Los Negros and the Admiralty Islands was designed to, as General MacArthur stated, 'put the cork in the bottle' of the Japanese stronghold at Rabaul, New Britain. By 1943 over 110,000 Japanese troops were based at Rabaul. Instead of assaulting such a strongly fortified position, the Allies elected to 'leapfrog' Rabaul and render the base useless by cutting it off from resupply. Los Negros and the Admiralties also provided airbases from which the Allies could put increased pressure on Rabaul.

The Invasion of Los Negros

Historians, naval historian Samuel Eliot Morrison in particular, refer to the invasion of Los Negros as 'a gamble'. The decision to invade the island followed Allied reconnaissance flights revealing that the Momote Airfield was dormant for at least a few weeks and that there were not many, if any, signs of Japanese occupation. Thus, MacArthur and the Allies were hoping that the Japanese had deserted Los Negros. Orders were pushed through in the space of less than a week and Allied troops hit the beach at 0817 on February 29, 1944. Unfortunately, the Japanese had not completely evacuated, so they encountered some resistance. However, the Japanese defenders believed that any landings would occur on the opposite side of the island, near Seeadler Harbor. By March 2, the airfield was secured, with reinforcements arriving. Another landing occurred on March 9 on the Seeadler Harbor side of the island. Papitalai, Papitalai Mission, and Lombrum, all of which are labeled here, were part of the expanding operations on Los Negros, with troops arriving at these locations on March 7 and 8.

Publication History

This map is drawn in manuscript; thus it is one-of-a-kind. We have been unable to locate any other similar pieces. The piece is unsigned and remains a mystery.