sentences:  As the Allies began advancing towards the Philippines, the Allied South West Pacific Area Headquarters received intelligence reports that Aitape was only lightly garrisoned, and General Douglas MacArthur decided in March 1944 to invade Aitape in order to bypass the large Japanese garrisons at Hansa Bay and Wewak.The objective was to isolate the Japanese 18th Army, under General Hatazō Adachi at Wewak, which was home to the largest Japanese airbase in mainland New Guinea, so that they could provide flank protection against any westward movement by the Japanese 18th Army towards Hollandia, secure Tadji Airfield to provide support to the more important Hollandia landings after the carriers of Task Force 58 (TF 58) departed, and establish light naval facilities at Aitape to support further operations.Operations Reckless and Persecution were supported by 217 ships, along with almost 23,000 personnel of all types of service units, to transport and protect the 52,000 men, their equipment, and supplies over to conduct the separate amphibious landings at Aitape and Hollandia deep in Japanese territory.