Appendix VII
Task Organization

Over-all commander in the New Britain Campaign was General Douglas MacArthur, within whose area it took place. More directly concerned, however, was Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, simultaneously commanding the New Britain (ALAMO) Force and Sixth Army, to which the 1st Marine Division was operationally attached although under administrative control of I Marine Amphibious Corps, commanded by Major General Roy S. Geiger. The first groups listed below under BACKHANDER Task Force constituted the organization for the landing, 26 December 1943. The ADC Group task organization was established to carry out the drive to the southeast, while a new task grouping was set up for the APPEASE (Talasea) operation.

BACKHANDER TASK FORCE1 (1st Marine Division, Reinforced) (15 December 1943)--MajGen William H. Rupertus

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*  *  *  *  *
ADC GROUP TASK ORGANIZATION--BrigGen L. C. Shepherd, Jr. (1 January 1944)
*  *  *  *  *
APPEASE OPERATION TASK ORGANIZATION (1 March 1944)

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Footnotes

1. The Garrison Group and the Amoeba Group (Division Rear Echelon) have been omitted. Company B, 1st Tank Battalion remained in New Guinea until 9Jan44 when it joined the Army forces at Arawe. Third Battalion, 11th Marines (less Battery H) remained at Finschhafen until it rejoined the division on 19Feb44.

2. The Reserve Group was set up by the BACKHANDER Task Force, but it was not included in the 5th Marines' operation order, nor was it ever committed on the Willaumez Peninsula.

Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Jerry Holden for the HyperWar Foundation