The 32nd Infantry Division’s Nightmare: The Battle of Buna
Premiered: Sep 26, 2025
Description
The U.S. Army’s return to the offensive in the Pacific Theater occurred at the Battle of Buna. On that
battlefield in New Guinea from 16 November 1942 until 22 January 1943, the untested 32nd Infantry
Division fought alongside elements of the Australian Army’s 7th Division against well-prepared elements
of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy. A nightmare unfolded for the Americans as they fought both the
Japanese and the jungle. Interviews and oral histories retrace the experiences of the soldiers of 32 ID
from its Wisconsin and Michigan National Guard origins, to Pearl Harbor, to training for war, and then
to the battlefield. This documentary covers U.S. Army doctrine found in ATP 3-90- 98 Jungle Operations.
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