page_title: Battle of Piva Forks
section_title: Battle
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Piva Forks / Battle
caption_attribution_description: English: Marines from 3rd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marine Regiment on Bougainville in 1943. From Right to Left: John Myles, Thomas DeFeudis, unknown, Frank Dugo, unknown". Source: Joseph R. Goddard, USMC (Ret) Photograph taken by CPL. Angelo M. Dugo USMC Original Caption: "DEEP, SLIMY MUD characterized the trails and made infantry progress difficult." Source Original Caption: "Just getting to your assigned position meant slow, tiring slogging though endless mud." Source Original Caption: "Marines trudge forward through calf–deep mud on the Numa Numa Trail, Bougainville—November 1943". Source
context_page_description: The Battle of Piva Forks, also known as the Battle of Numa–Numa Trail, was an engagement that took place during the Bougainville campaign in World War II. Occurring between 18 and 25 November 1943 on Bougainville Island in the South Pacific, the battle involved troops from the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army fighting against Imperial Japanese Army forces and took place amidst the context of the expansion of a beachhead that US forces had established around Torokina on the western side of the island.
  In response to the US forward movement, the Japanese placed road blocks along the main axes of advance to delay the Americans; finding their way towards the Piva River checked near the junction of the Numa–Numa and East–West Trails, the US forces sought to remove the obstacles by force. After the initial US attack was repulsed, the Japanese counterattacked before the US Marines overcame this and continued their advance towards two forks in the Piva River. By 26 November the battle had subsided following the capture of a knoll overlooking the East–West Trail by US forces.
context_section_description: On 19 November, the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment—accompanied by light tanks—took up positions in front of the 129th Infantry Regiment. An artillery barrage by the 12th Marine Regiment preceded the attack; after it had ceased the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment flanked the Japanese position, routing the defenders and forcing them out of their positions. Sixteen Japanese dead were found and almost 100 foxholes located; the size of the position indicated that at least a reinforced company had occupied it. After this, a roadblock and a defensive perimeter were established at the junction of the Numa–Numa Trail and the Piva River to defend against a potential Japanese counterattack. Meanwhile, the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and the 1st Battalion, 21st Marine Regiment advanced to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment roadblock. The 3rd Marine Raiders also moved forward for support and the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment—under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Hector de Zayas—moved behind the Numa–Numa Trail roadblock and was sporadically shelled by the Japanese using 90 mm mortars.
  On the morning of 20 November, the Japanese counterattacked and attempted to outflank the Marine positions along the Numa–Numa Trail. The attack was driven back, taking up positions and then harassed the Marines with sniper fire and mortar fire. The 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment advanced towards the two forks of the Piva River, to clear the threat, and two light tanks were disabled during the close fighting along the trail. The 3rd Marine Raiders took up positions to cover the gap between the 129th Infantry Regiment and the 3rd Marine Regiment as the front expanded.
  The 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment advanced across the west fork of the Piva River, to capture the Japanese positions between the two forks of the Piva River. A river crossing was made using a hastily constructed bridge of mahogany, constructed by engineers. Moving forward under light opposition from scattered snipers and several machine gun nests, the enemy outposts were discovered to have been abandoned and had been booby-trapped. The 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment set up positions astride the East–West Trail between the two forks of the Piva River. The 21st Marine Regiment took up blocking positions behind the 3rd Marine Regiment.
  Late in the afternoon of 20 November, a small, 400 ft (120 m) high ridge was discovered that would provide observation of the entire Empress Augusta Bay area and dominated the East–West Trail and the Piva Forks area. A platoon—under the command of First Lieutenant Steve J. Cibik—was ordered to occupy the ridge with detachments of signals and a section of heavy machine guns. The trek began with a struggle up the steep ridge late in the afternoon, with signal wire being reeled out as the platoon climbed the ridge. Reaching the summit just before sunset, they set about establishing defensive positions, with machine guns sited along likely avenues of attack.
  With daybreak on 21 November, it was discovered that the crest of the ridge was a Japanese outpost position, used during the day as an observation post and abandoned at night. Approaching Japanese soldiers who were preparing to take up positions were fired upon and they withdrew and fled down the hill. The enemy having regrouped and having been reinforced launched numerous attacks against Cibik's platoon, which itself had been reinforced by more machine guns and mortars, and was able to hold onto the crest despite fanatical attempts by the Japanese to reoccupy the position.
  General Roy Geiger's expansion of the beachhead to Inland Defense Line "Easy" began at 07:30 on 21 November, with the gradual widening of the perimeter allowing the 21st Marine Regiment, under the command of Colonel Evans O. Ames, to set up positions between the 3rd Marine Regiment and the 9th Marine Regiment. The 1st Battalion and 3rd Battalion of the 21st Marine Regiment led the way, crossed the Piva River without difficulty and by early afternoon had reached the designated defense line. On the extreme 
caption: Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines advance through the mud
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