41^st Infantry Division

The 41st Infantry Division entered the Southwest Pacific in 1942 and participated in operations in New Guinea through regimental commitments. The 163rd Infantry Regiment arrived at Dobodura in January 1943 and began clearing the road to Salamaua on January 8, while the 186th Infantry Regiment was flown to New Guinea to relieve the 32nd Infantry Division in the Buna-Gona area and the 162nd Infantry Regiment made an unopposed landing at Nassau Bay on June 30, 1943, advancing toward Salamaua in conjunction with Australian forces. The 163rd Infantry stormed Roosevelt Ridge on August 14, 1943, before the Salamaua campaign ended in September.

In April 1944, the 163rd Infantry landed at Aitape as the primary unit of Task Force PERSECUTION while the 162nd and 186th Infantry landed at Humboldt Bay near Hollandia as Task Force RECKLESS, capturing both Hollandia and the Sentani airdromes. The division's principal campaign came at Biak Island, where the 186th Infantry landed on May 27, 1944, and the 162nd Infantry was forced back from positions west of Parni on May 29. All three regiments were eventually committed; the Parni Defile was not cleared until June 12 and the 186th Infantry seized Mokmar Airfield before mopping up continued through August.

In 1945, the division shifted to the Philippines: the 186th Infantry assaulted Palawan Island on February 28, and the division landed on Zamboanga Peninsula on Mindanao on March 10. The 162nd Infantry seized Mount Capisan on March 24 and the 163rd Infantry took the heights near Mount Pulungbatu on March 29, ending organized resistance. Operations continued across the Sulu Archipelago — the 162nd Infantry on Sanga-Sanga on April 2 and the 163rd Infantry on Jolo Island on April 9 — while elements also supported fighting on Mindanao. The division's campaign was defined by repeated amphibious assaults followed by inland clearing operations across widely dispersed terrain.