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By 6 February 1943 the critical moment of the battle for Wau had passed, but it had been a close run thing. Without the support of the United States Army Air Forces transport squadrons, Wau would have been lost. Though now reinforced with an infantry brigade, Kanga Force still required 23 transport planes per day to maintain operations.
Only one month earlier the only units operating in the Wau/Salamaua theatre had been the 2/5th and 2/7th independent companies. In response to the Japanese threat, evident since the landing of the Lae convoy in early January, the USAAF air transports had flown in the majority of two AIF battalions, the 2/5th and 2/6th, prior to the Japanese force appearing at Wandumi. Then, in response to the Japanese move, another AIF battalion, the 2/7th, another independent company, the 2/3rd, and an artillery battery from the 2/1st Field Regiment had been brought in during the critical days of 29 and 30 January while the airfield was still under threat.
It was fortunate that the USAAF 317th Troop Carrier Group (TCG), with 52 new C-47 transports, had reached Australia in January. The 317th TCG and its subordinate 39th, 40th, 41st and 46th Troop Carrier Squadrons, with their new C-47 transport aircraft, had flown directly from the US west coast to Australia, landing at Garbutt Field near Townsville. These new aircraft were transferred to the 374th TCG, which swapped over its own assorted transport fleet for use by the 317th TCG in Australia.
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