Battle Of Sio Analysis

The battle of the Kokoda Trail ,21 July 1942-January 1943, was a turning point in World War Two because it brought Australia into the World War Two and if they can’t join the war and fight in Papua New Guinea the likelihood of Japan taking over Papua New Guinea and then invading Australia was considered high The orthodox point of view is that the reason for Japan invading Papua New Guinea was if Japan took Port Moresby they could if they wanted to bomb Australia and invade the country. Australia was disadvantaged at the start of the battle because they had no high powered weapons were Japan had heavier artillery but at the end of the battle the Australians had the advantage because they could carry the light weaponry through the dense

As the Kokoda fighting began in July 1942 , the scheme of both sides was in transition. The Japanese felt it was time to defend their gains, and halt the fighting and advancing. But the Allies were thinking differently. Having massive amount troops, ships, aircraft and supplies in New Zealand and Australia, they made the decision to launch a counterattack to defend and retake some of the islands that were occupied by the Japanese. Papua had no particular resource that they desired, but it was a useful link in the chain of defences of the newly conquered area of Japan. So because Japan was quickly gaining new lands closer to Australia, posing a threat to Australia’s safety, the battle of Kokoda was the most important Australian-fought victory, in terms of winning the war. The campaign helped to shape Australia’s post-war training practices and military operations. Although it was not they first victory against Japan, it allowed the allies to make thrust forward through ‘island hopping’ and ultimately win the war. Kokoda was the battle that ended Japan’s dominance and permitted the Allies to go on the offence. Australia greatly learned from their Kokoda experience, and subsequently improved their strategic thinking. They learned to not purely rely on naval defences, and realised that they cannot just let other countries dot the fighting. “…the modern Australian professional army was

The Battle of the Philippine Sea was an engagement between the United States Pacific Fleet and the Japanese navy in World War II. This Battle occurred started on June 19 and ended on June 20 in 1944. The Japanese goal at the very beginning of this conflict was to discourage American forces by incurring such great damage to the military that the public majority would become weary of the war and discontinue its support of the war. The loss of support from the public would then cause the US Government to retract its forces from Japan.( Willmott, H.P. June 1944. New York, NY: Blandford Press, 1984. ISBN 0-7137-1446-8) Willmott 1984, p. 143.)

General Kuribayashi knew all too well the size of the American force that was arrayed against him and also knew that his defeat was virtually assured. However, being an excellent commander, he could not allow his troops to believe this and made morale a high priority by promising victory. He departed from conventional defensive tactics, which normally would have advocated a concentration of forces on the beach. Instead he chose the high ground and based his operations to a large extent on the highest point on the island, __Mt. Suribachi__. He had miles of tunnels dug inside the mountain, which included big artillery pieces that would fire down on the beach. So ingenious were his preparations that he had large steel doors close each time the gun fired so Marines could not fire on the position.

In February 1942 Darwin was bombed by Japanese aircrafts and in May three Japanese submarines penetrated Sydney harbor . The Japanese found that to be able to invade Australia effectively they would have to capture Port Moresby the main Australian base in New Guinea. This location was significant as it could be used as an aircraft base that they needed to protect the Japanese fleet. The Japanese sent a force of 7,000 which captured Gona which was a base on the other side of New Guinea and then 3 weeks later where joined by the main Japanese force of over 10,000 soldiers . To reach Port Moresby the Japanese would have to walk along the Kokoda trail which lead over the Owen Mountains.

Following previous defeated attempts such as Battle of Coral Sea, Midway and Bombing of Darwin, ‘(Prime Minister of Warfare) encouraged his arms operations chief on 30 Jan (1942) to actively pursue the plans for FS Operation’s’ , which resulted with the Japanese withdrawing and not being able to complete the operation, and this is a moment in history where the Australian population grew as one and gained a sense of pride and accomplishment. The four-month campaign, (21st June – 16th November 1942), was fought under applying conditions in the South Pacific region of the world between the Imperial Forces, who were recognised as the ‘best equipped jungle (warfare) troops’ , and the ill-trained Australian Militia, also known as the ‘choco soldiers’, and the battle was fought with the aim of using Port Moresby as a stepping stone to launch an amphibious attack with the intention to invade and isolate Australia from the USA, interfere with Pacific shipping and eliminate Australia from the war; this was also known as Operation FS. The campaign wouldn’t have occurred if it were not for World War, which came about due to Germany feeling hard done by regarding the Treaty of Versailles and seeking revenge/justice, the Italians feeling a sense of pity and

Secondly, as well there was the battle of Isurava which was intense. Lastly, how long the 39th battalion held the Japanese is an achievement in itself. Firstly, the battalions that protected Ports Moresby and Australia from being used as a tactical benefit is both significant and successful. “Since the terrain and weather were just horrendous since it can be very hot, or it would rain a lot” according to the Kokoda film the terrain is very hard since it can be very muddy.

Many New Guineans allied with both sides. As shown in figure 5 Australian and Papuans allied on the Kokoda trail Ewer (2011). The Australians fought appallingly for the next four months, Australia put up a stubborn battle, but unfortunately fell and led Japan to capture Lae, Salamaua and Gona in July 1942, this was the official start and first defeats of the Kokoda War ss shown in the map by Hillman (2012), Figure 2. In August 1942 the Japanese set across the Owen Stanley ranges to try and reach their main goal, which was to attack Port Moresby. Hillman (2012) states that “The Kokoda Trail is the last place any solider would want to fight, almost sheer mountain sides climb up into the mist through dense tangles of tropical vines, ferns and jungle forest.

The Attack on Kokoda and Milne Bay During World War II in 1939-1945, Australians played a large part and were significant in the war. One of the most important battles Australia has fought to date was the Kokoda Trail Campaign which happened in 1942. The Australian military campaign in Kokoda and Milne Bay (1942) was significant in protecting from Japanese aggression due to the fact that it prevented Japanese taking control of Port Moresby, the airfields at Milne Bay and was the first land defeat of the Japanese, and therefore provided a morale boost for the Allied forces. The Japanese were planning to launch an attack toward the east coast of Australia’s mainland, nevertheless, they did not succeed.

The Pacific War was a series of bloody battles, unlike any other in American history, that was fought in many obscure areas between Japan and The United States of America. It dated from 1941 to 1945. The theatre of war in the Pacific was significantly different compared to any battle in Europe during World War II. If given the choice, any soldier would prefer to battle in Europe, a less treacherous and foreign land, compared to the islands and unfamiliarity in the Pacific. Japanese territory consisted of jungles, caves, and volcanic mountains that were exceedingly difficult to fight on.

The Australian soldiers were forced to rebel against the Japanese soldiers advancing deep into the jungle of Kokoda who landed at Gona on the north coast of New Guinea the Australians were forced to fight in horrendous conditions over the next four months. The main objective for the Japanese was to capture Port Moresby who at the time it was Australians main base in New Guinea. The easiest path of attack for the Japanese was through the rugged mountains and on to a path called the Kokoda trail. For another four months Australians and New Guinea soldiers fought the Japanese to keep them back from Port Moresby. The plan was to push the

In the beginning of war, Japanese victory in Pacific terrified West Cost Americans. Partial victory for Americans appeared when Japanese capital Tokyo was bombed. It was less of a material loss but huge in terms of psychological attack. It was followed by the Battle of Coral Sea in May 1942 and after that the decisive Battle of Midway Island took place. U.S. aircraft carriers destroyed three out of four Japanese carriers that sabotaged their further plans of invasion and they adopted a defensive strategy.

Brown led the Army’s 7th Division of three regiments of infantry, four battalions of artillery, the 13th Combat Engineer Battalion, and the attachment of the 50th Combat Engineer Battalion.1 Nearly a year before the battle took place, June 3rd, 1942, the Japanese seized Attu with only natives living there. The Japanese reestablished a base on Attu on October 29, 1942 under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Hiroshi Yanekawa.1 The Japanese set up strong defensive positions with antiaircraft and numerous caches of arms, ammunition and food spread across different locations on the island. U.S. forces did not have such advantage and had a difficult time with logistics due to the unforgiving elements. The islands beaches consisted of muskeg which created very difficult circumstances for U.S. vehicles that the engineers were crucial in resolving. Although the harsh climate and terrain caused many problems for both sides, it was more impactful against the Japanese due to the long period of acclimation they endured.2

The island was 350 miles away from their homeland ,Kyushu, making it a easy flight.The command of this invasion force was divided between MG John R. Hodge and MajGen Roy S. Geiger. Before the invasion they had dusted the area by land bombing before invading their mainland.The Japanese was led by GEN Mitsuru Ushijima with the number of 130,00 men. Japan lost a vast number of man due to the fact they couldn’t contend with newly trained troops. They were willing to fight to the bitter end instead of calling defeat. It brung honor to their family name to die with “pride” instead of coming home defeated. Some even committed suicide.

World War II consisted of many devastating battles in both the European and the Pacific Theater. The Battle of Okinawa was fought in the Pacific theater. In the beginning of the battle there was little opposition from the Japanese soldiers but as the American troops traveled more inland the more resistance they met. Eventually, the 10th Army came against the fierce challenge of the intricate defense lines the Japanese held up. Many caves and pillboxes in the hills created a formidable challenge for American troops. Slowly though the Allies gained ground and continued to push back the defensive lines of General Ushijima and his troops. The Japanese tried to use kamikaze air and land attacks as successful offensive measures, these