speed transports and . On 15 December 1943 the regiment landed in three separate amphibious operations on New Britain. One of these landings involved Troop A of the 2nd Squadron landing in rubber boats off Sands against fierce defense that sank all but three of the boats. The destroyer sailed close as possible to the enemy defenders to shell them and rescue the survivors of A Troop. Troop B landed at Pilelo Island from Humphreys in 15 rubber boats on the same day. When meeting resistance from Japanese troops in caves, Troop B destroyed one with a bazooka and one with a flamethrower the first use of the weapon in the Southwest Pacific area. The main landings were from amphibious tractors launched from Carter Hall and landing craft from Westralia. In this landing the 112th Cavalry were the first to use the rocket firing DUKWs. After linking up with the 1st Marine Division, the 112th was assigned to the 32nd Infantry Division in Aitape Papua New Guinea. The regiment fought in the Battle of Driniumor River for 51 days taking 62% casualties. Two of the regiment's second lieutenants, Dale Eldon Christensen and George W. G. Boyce Jr. were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions during this period. On 1 October 1944 the 112th Cavalry was combined with the 114th Field Artillery Battalion became the 112th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) and departed Aitape for Leyte in the Philippines on 31 October 1944. The 112th RCT was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division for the Battle of Leyte and Battle of Luzon. Following the Japanese surrender, the 112th landed in Japan for Occupation Duties on 3 September 1945. During World War II the 112th Cavalry served 434 days in combat. They were the first U.S. Army unit in the Southwest Pacific to use bazookas and flame throwers against enemy defenses and first used rocket firing DUKWs in amphibious assaults. The 112th were the first unit in the Philippines to use helicopters to evacuate their wounded. Two of the regiment's late replacements authored books after the war ended. Norman Mailer wrote The Naked and the Dead, and Francis Gwaltney authored The Day the Century Ended, later filmed as Between Heaven and Hell. Postwar The regiment was inactivated in Japan in 1946 but was re-organized on 13 November 1947 as the 112th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, then reorganized on 12 September 1949