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Biak
Numfor : Japan World War II Memorial Tour Goa
Jepang (Japanese Cave) is the local name for a cave which used to be used as a
defense fortress by Japanese soldiers. The Japanese discovered the three-kilometer-long
cave in 1943. Its gate is located in Paray beach in Paray village, Biak city.
Japanese soldiers entered the cave from Paray beach.The
soldiers occupied three large rooms built inside the cave. The Japanese soldiers
managed to shoot down a U.S. plane from their hiding place. However, eventually
the US army came to know where the Japanese soldiers were hiding.
So in the early
morning of July 7, 1944, the US Army attacked the cave. The cave was bombarded.
The Americans also dropped drums of gasoline into the hideout and blasted them
from the air, setting the cave into fire. The cave burned for several months.
Some 3,000 Japanese soldiers were trapped and killed in the attack. Located
in a forest, the cave is one of Biak main tourist attractions. The forest is kept
intact; tree cutting is strictly forbidden to keep the historic site as it is.
The cave is surrounded by fences. |