 In response to the Allied landings on <unk> , the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters assigned the Imperial Japanese Army 's 17th Army — a corps @-@ sized command based at Rabaul ( 4 ° 11 ′ 56 ″ S 152 ° 9 ′ 57 ″ E ) and under the command of Lieutenant @-@ General <unk> <unk> — with the task of retaking <unk> from Allied forces . The 17th Army — heavily involved with the Japanese campaign in New Guinea — had only a few units available to send to the southern <unk> area . Of these units , the 35th Infantry Brigade — under Major General <unk> <unk> — was at <unk> , the 4th ( <unk> ) Infantry Regiment was in the Philippines and the 28th ( <unk> ) Infantry Regiment — under the command of Colonel <unk> <unk> — was embarked on transport ships near Guam . The different units began to move toward <unk> immediately ; <unk> 's regiment — the closest — arrived first . The " First <unk> " of <unk> 's unit — consisting of about <unk> soldiers — landed from destroyers at <unk> Point ( 9 ° 24 ′ 38 ″ S 160 ° 20 ′ 56 ″ E ) , about 18 mi ( 29 km ) east of the <unk> perimeter , on August 19 . 
