The Battle of Nashville by Howard Pyle.
“On May 27, 1944, the experienced veterans of the 41st Infantry Division, made up originally of National Guardsmen from Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana, landed unopposed on Biak. It was a feint: the 41st, which had earned its “Jungleer” nickname in New Guinea, was about to enter its toughest fight of World War II. Oregon’s 162nd and 186th Infantry were moving inland toward the airfields when the enemy struck. The 163rd Infantry (Montana) was quickly brought in to join the horrible jungle fighting, where despite the heat and steep terrain, water was rationed to one canteen every 24 hours.
“On June 15, I Corps commander LTG Robert Eichelberger assumed command, prompting a new plan of attack. On June 16th, the 2nd Battalion, 186th Infantry, attacked to close a gap between their regiment and the 162nd. The battalion overran dozens of machine gun nests, log bunkers, and even a naval gun, and opened the battle’s second phase when they discovered a second major cave system. These caves were not cleared until June 27th, and not until August 20th would the fight for Biak be declared over.”
Painting by Keith Rocco