Sausapor (alternates: Sansapor
Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography
''The Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography'' () was written by Trevor N. Dupuy, Curt Johnson and David Bongard, and was issued in 1992 by HarperCollins Publishers. It contains more than three thousand short biographies of military figures fr ...
; Dupuy; HarperCollins 1992; pages=462 or Tandjong Sausapor) is a small town and district in the
Tambrauw Regency
Tambrauw Regency is a regency of Southwest Papua Province, Indonesia.
Geography
Tambrauw Regency is a new regency located in Bird's head region of Papua Island. Geographically, Tambrauw. Regency is located at 132035' East Longitude (East Longitude ...
of
Southwest Papua
Southwest Papua ( id, Papua Barat Daya) is a province of Indonesia, and is a fraction of Western New Guinea. Despite being named southwest, it is a misnomer and this province is actually located in the northwest edge of Papua. The area that belo ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. The town is located on the northern coast of the
Bird's Head Peninsula
The Bird's Head Peninsula ( Indonesian: ''Kepala Burung'', nl, Vogelkop) or Doberai Peninsula (''Semenanjung Doberai''), is a large peninsula that makes up the northwest portion of the island of New Guinea, comprising the Indonesian provinces o ...
, also known as the Vogelkop Peninsula. According to the 2010 census, the ''kecamatan'' has a population of 2,633, and more recent figures reveal around 1000 people living in the main town of Sausapor. Sausapor is a major breeding ground for
sea turtle
Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, ...
s and bird habitat.
History
Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
spread to Sausapor during the Dutch colonial period when the villagers favoured a Catholic mission effectively governing them rather than a formal Dutch Protestant government. Historically, it has been noted as a cloth producing centre.
World War II
In preparation for Operation Typhoon (code name for the planned US Army landings on the Vogelkop Peninsula), on June 17, 1944,
S-47, under Lieutenant
Lloyd V. Young, sailed from the
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are an archipelago group of 18 islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island.
These rainforest-co ...
for
Waigeo
Waigeo is an island in Southwest Papua province of eastern Indonesia. The island is also known as Amberi, or Waigiu. It is the largest of the four main islands in the Raja Ampat Islands
Raja Ampat, or the ''Four Kings'', is an archipelago loc ...
, with the mission to insert elements of the
Alamo Scouts
The Alamo Scouts (U.S. 6th Army Special Reconnaissance Unit) was a reconnaissance unit of the Sixth United States Army in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. The unit is best known for its role in liberating American prisoner ...
, Allied Intelligence Bureau agents, terrain experts of the Fifth Air Force, and hydrographic survey men of the VII Amphibious Force. The reconnaissance force landed near Sausapor-Mar on June 23 where the party spent the week surveying the region. As a result of both the ground and aerial reconnaissance the landing facilities was diverted to land northeast of
Sorong
Sorong is the largest city and the capital of the Indonesian province of Southwest Papua. The city is located on the western tip of the island of New Guinea with its only land borders being with Sorong Regency. It is the gateway to Indonesia's ...
.
On June 30, 1944 Operation Typhoon landed at Sansapar (Green Beach), Mar (Red Beach), Middelburg Island and Amsterdam Island. In charge of the Operation Typhoon ground forces was Major General Franklin C. Sibert, commanding general of the 6th Infantry Division. General Sibert was to command an organization designated the TYPHOON Task Force, which comprised the 6th Division (Reinforced), less the 20th Regimental Combat Team. Combat units for the D-Day echelon of the TYPHOON Task Force were the
1st Infantry Regiment, the
1st Battalion, 63d Infantry Regiment, the 1st Field Artillery Battalion, the 6th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, a company of the 6th Engineers, and four antiaircraft batteries. All of the landings ultimately proved to be unopposed and it was not until August 16 that elements of the Japanese
35th Division were able to reach the area of the landings. By 31 August the 63d Infantry had killed 155 Japanese and taken 42 prisoners. The American regiment lost only 3 men killed and 4 wounded. The 1st Infantry, on the west flank, killed 197 Japanese and captured 154, while losing only 4 men wounded itself. The 6th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, during its series of far flung patrols, killed 42 Japanese and captured 5 others. Total battle casualties for the TYPHOON Task Force from 30 July through 31 August were 14 killed, 35 wounded, and 9 injured. Japanese losses during the same period were estimated to be 385 killed and 215 captured.
Eventually, the runway for fighter aircraft was built on Middleburg Island and for bombers near Mar to the northeast (the landing strip is still visible to this day), although the control of Sausapor was vital for the security of the base to launch the campaign and remained an air warning radar station.
Ships patrolled this area of the coastline throughout the month-long campaign, keeping the Japanese at bay. Operation Globetrotter ended on August 31 and
General MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
's last point of landing on the way back to the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
was at Sausapor.
Cape Opmarai Airfield
Cape Opmarai Airfield is a disused airfield located near Sansapor, in Southwest Papua, Indonesia. It is abandoned and overgrown, disused since 1944.
History
The airfield was used during the Sansapor-Cape Opmarai Operation, 30 July-31 August 1944 ...
is now a nearby, disused airfield.
After American troops landed in Sausapor in 1944, a
tsutsugamushi epidemic occurred. Subsequently, research was conducted on Sansapor's rats and mites, using
C-rations as rat bait, to better understand the
epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population.
It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...
of the illness.
The
First Infantry Regiment suffered nine dead and 121 hospitalized from the disease. Another 258 reported fevers but were not hospitalized.
Geography
![Sausapor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Sausapor.png)
Sausapor is located on the northern coast of the
Bird's Head Peninsula
The Bird's Head Peninsula ( Indonesian: ''Kepala Burung'', nl, Vogelkop) or Doberai Peninsula (''Semenanjung Doberai''), is a large peninsula that makes up the northwest portion of the island of New Guinea, comprising the Indonesian provinces o ...
of northwestern Papua. It is situated west of
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa.
A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...
, the northernmost point of New Guinea.
The mouth of the
Wewe River empties into the sea near Sausapor.
While it was known as Dutch New Guinea, Sansapor, just south of the equator, was its most northern area.
Sausapor has several zones which include rain forest, garden areas, beach, and
forest margin
A woodland edge or forest edge is the transition zone (ecotone) from an area of woodland or forest to fields or other open spaces. Certain species of plants and animals are adapted to the forest edge, and these species are often more familiar to hu ...
.
Thirteen miles to the northeast of the settlement is Mar and the islands off its coast;
Mios Soe Islands,
Middleburg Island
Middleburg Island or Pulau Middleburg, Tambrauw is an island in the Tambrauw in Southwest Papua province of eastern Indonesia. It's part of the Su Islands (Mios Su) or the Soe Island Group.
See also
*Amsterdam Island
Amsterdam ( , , , lit ...
and
Amsterdam Island
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban area ...
.
The area around the village is heavily forested, with hilly areas to the southeast. The extensive stretch of beach in the area is known as the "Green Beach".
Entrance into Sansapor's jetty is through a narrow opening in the coral reef. The sea bottom, to below water, is visible from above.
Annual rainfall is approximately per year.
Demography
Population
According to the 1983 census, the ''kecamatan'' of Sausapor had a population of 3325 people. The town itself according to more recent figures has a population of 1000 people; 400 people at least in the town speak a language known as the Je dialect of the
Abun language
Abun, also known as Yimbun, Anden, Manif, or Karon Pantai, is a Papuan language spoken by the Abun people along the northern coast of the Bird's Head Peninsula in Sausapor District, Tambrauw Regency. It is not closely related to any other langu ...
. The district contains seven villages.
The main religions group is under Sorong, most of them are
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
with
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
forming a major minority. The main ethnic groups are the Karon and Yeden constituted by the sub ethnic groups of Karon Pantai, Karondori, Marei, Madik, Meyah, Haram and Arfak.
Culture
A tribal dance native to this region is known as ''alin'' or ''sera'' (to the north of Sausapor) which involves the participants forming a circle.
Fauna and flora
Sausapor is an important wildlife spot, in particular it is a sea turtle breeding ground and host to a diversity of bird species. Birds which have been spotted at Sausapor include ''
Gymnocorvus'', ''
Manucodia ater ater'', ''
Manucodia chalybatus'' and ''
Craspedophora magnifica magnifica''.
A pigeon-sized, light blue coloured bird is called ''bocrocu'' by the inhabitants.
A variety of bananas grow here, including yellow-skinned, green-skinned, and "red bananas".
;Avifauna
According to the ''
published in 1940, the various birds species collected or sighted near Sausapor are: ''Acipeter poliocephalus'' (at sea level), ''Pandion haliaetus cristatus,'' ''Megaphodius freycinet duperyii'' (along the shore), ''Gaura cristata cristata'' (common along the coast and not inland), ''
Psittrichas fulgidus
Pesquet's parrot (''Psittrichas fulgidus''), also known as the Dracula parrot or as the vulturine parrot (leading to easy confusion with '' Pyrilia vulturina'' from Brazil), is the only member of its genus. It is endemic to hill and montane rai ...
'' (found in flocks of 5 or 6), ''Geoffroyus Geoffroyi pucherani'', ''Podargus Papuensis'', ''Podargus ocellatus ocellatus'', ''Caprimulgus macrurus yorki'', ''Collocalia vanikorensis granti'', ''Ceyex lepidus solitarius'', ''Halcyon sancta sancta'', ''Tanysiptera galatea galatea'', ''Meropa ornatus'', ''Eurystomus orientalis pacificus'', ''Hirundo thahitica frontalis'', ''Gerygone chrysogaster notata'', ''Gerygone pelpebrosa pelpebrosa'', ''Rhipidura leucophyra melaleuca'', ''Rhipidura rufiventris gularis'', ''Monarcha cinerascens inornatus'', ''
Monarcha chrysomela melanonotus
''Monarcha'' is a genus of bird in the family Monarchidae. They are found in Australia and Melanesia.
Taxonomy and systematics
The genus ''Monarcha'' was introduced by naturalists Nicholas Aylward Vigors, Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield in ...
'', ''Arses telescophthalmus telescophthalmus'', ''Machaerirhynchus flaviventer albigula'', ''Poecilodryas hypoleuca hypoleuca'', ''Pachycephala griseiceps griseiceps'', ''Pitohui ferrugineus ferrugineus'', ''
Oriolus szalayi,'' ''
Cracticus cassicus'', ''Gymnocorvus tristis'', ''Manucodia ater ater'', ''
Manucodia chalybatus'', ''Craspedophora magifica magnifica'', ''
Parotia sefilata'', ''Cicinnurus regius rex'', ''Paradissea minor minor'', ''Cinnyris jugularsis frenata'', ''Toxorhamphus novaguineae novaguineae'' and ''Xanthotis chrysotis chrysotis''.
Conservation
![LeatherbackTurtle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/LeatherbackTurtle.jpg)
The coastline off Sausapor has been proposed for a reserve named Sausapor Nature Reserve, although a 1989 publication seems to indicate that a reserve named Sausapor Strict Nature Reserve protecting turtle nesting ground has existed in the area for quite some time. This is also corroborated by the action proposed to relocate 50 families living near the turtle nestling beach area of this reserve.
Along with the proposed Wewe-Koor and Jamursba-Medi reserves the three reserves combined would protect of the coastline.
The Sausapor Nature Reserve is part of the proposed Jamursba-Medi, Sausapor and Wewe-Koor Nature Reserves that extends over a length of 85 km of the northern coast of
Vogelkop peninsula
The Bird's Head Peninsula ( Indonesian: ''Kepala Burung'', nl, Vogelkop) or Doberai Peninsula (''Semenanjung Doberai''), is a large peninsula that makes up the northwest portion of the island of New Guinea, comprising the Indonesian provinces ...
. It is reported that these sites have the world's largest number of
leatherback sea turtle
The leatherback sea turtle (''Dermochelys coriacea''), sometimes called the lute turtle or leathery turtle or simply the luth, is the largest of all living turtles and the heaviest non-crocodilian reptile, reaching lengths of up to and weights ...
(''
Dermochelys coriacea
The leatherback sea turtle (''Dermochelys coriacea''), sometimes called the lute turtle or leathery turtle or simply the luth, is the largest of all living turtles and the heaviest non-crocodilian reptile, reaching lengths of up to and weights ...
'') colonies.
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...
(WWF) in association with the
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
n officials has been active in this area, since 1993, by patrolling the area to prevent poaching of the turtle and their eggs.
References
Populated places in Southwest Papua
Port cities and towns in Indonesia
Populated places in Tambrauw
{{SwPapua-geo-stub
Southwest Papua