Kokoda Campaign Analysis

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

Kokoda was an insignificant campaign that didn’t have a major impact on the result of the war in comparison to the

The Battle of Kokoda was a four-month struggle, which began with the Japanese landing in Papua in July

The Japanese landed at Gona on the north coast of Papua New Guinea on the 21st of July 1942. The Australians were forced to fight back against the Japanese over the next four months. The Japanese had intended to invade Port Moresby, the main Australain base. They intended to do so by an overland strike across the Owen Stanley Range. The simplest and quickest way for them to reach their destination wad across rough, uneven mountains was to go through a trail known as the Kokoda Track. Up until the 16th of November 1942 the Australian soldiers fought against the Japanese trying to keep what was rightfully theirs. The Australians fought to keep the Japanese away from Port Moresby anf later to repel them back over the mountain to Buna, Gona and

Australia had already been threatened by the Japanese when they bombed Darwin, Broome and Townsville and also when the Japanese submarines entered Sydney Harbour (Australia Oxford Word Humanities). At the time Australian citizens were terrified for their safety, so Australia had to gain victory at the Battle of Kokoda. Australia and Japan fought for the control of Port Moresby as it held an important tactical position and it contained and airfield which could be used to move troops overseas to fight as well, since Australia won it forced Japan to use the Kokoda trail to advance on the city and make a base for attacking the Australian mainland. Having gained victory after the battle of Kokoda, Australians moral was significantly boosted due to the fact that they had won against staggering odds,

Due to this conscription was reintroduced and the 39th Battalion was formed out of conscripted teenagers. They were sent to Papua New Guinea extremely outnumbered, with an estimated 10 Japanese soldiers to 1 Australian soldier. Going into the Kokoda campaign, the Australians were not mentally prepared to face the hardships of war, including watching their friends die and become victim to illnesses like malaria and dysentery. During some of the first battles the 39th Battalion were a part of their officers were killed, leaving them without leaders during and directly after the battle. The Australian soldiers were inadequately trained, which in contrast with the Japanese soldiers training, which focused on jungle and night fighting.

In was on this day 19th February 1942, during World War II, where Australia as a Nation was changed forever. The Japanese launched a major attack on the Northern Territory’s capital, Darwin, causing major chaos in the town, due to the lack of essential necessities being destroyed and being cut-off. This attack led by Japanese Naval Air Service Captain Mitsuo Fuchida, was one of the many attacks in the Pacific by the Japanese, in their hope to take control of all the countries and islands in the Pacific Rim.

The Kokoda Campaign (1942-1943) in World War Two impacted Australia greatly because it saved Australia from isolation by the Japanese forces, their values the soldiers demonstrated shaped Australia’s identity and it enabled the Allies to improve their military operations and plan their attack on Japan more effectively. The victory in the Kokoda Track meant that the Japanese never captured Port Moresby, reducing the possibility of an attack on Australia. Australia’s identity was developed because of the courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice of the Australian soldiers, despite the hardships they faced. The victory at Kokoda, helped the Allies immensely, as regaining Port Moresby and the territory that the

It was also believed that if the Japanese were able to complete this airfield that it would be too advantageous for them and would also aid in invading Port Moresby on the Western coast of New Guinea.

………Japan plan a attack that was the turning point in the war, just not in the way they expected. The battle of midway was supostto take out Americas already weekend nave. In the end it failed they tried a sneak attack which back fired on them losing more than they gained. The battle of midway was japans down fall.

The weather was different to what the soldiers were used to back under the hot Australian sun. Half way through the year the weather became hot. Plagues and diseases carried by fleas and flies, were spread around. Soldiers/Troops that arrived in perfect health conditions, were very soon seen developing and suffering from from health problems; dysentery, diarrhoea, gastroenteritis and infestations of lice. Water was supplied from Egypt, but it was never enough, therefore it was near impossible to keep clean, and stay hygienic. Germs, plagues and diseases were spread due to the lack of cleanliness. Toilets were large, deep holes in the ground. By October, troops experienced the harsh,bitter winter cold. This poor lack of hygiene, led to around 20% of the men sick from diseases. During the war the ANZACs had to face terrible conditions, from the constant noise of machine guns, bullets, cramped and dirty places, hunger, thirst, tiredness, deaths of soldiers, diseases, smell, unsanitary food.

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.

By this time the Japanese had begun their attack on Singapore, the island at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula and the home of Britain’s navy in Asia. The Japanese attack on Singapore began on 8th February and within six days had reached Singapore city. Japanese soldiers made their way through the Malay jungle towards Singapore, with Japanese aircraft bombing Singapore’s key sites, at the same time. The British army was convinced the Japanese assault would come from the sea, to the south of the island and had fortified its coastal defenses accordingly. It was a fatal miscalculation. On the 8th forces streamed into Singapore across the narrow straights of Jahore, on the island’s north west. The British troops were unable to reach the beaches in time to stop the Japanese and the Australian defenders were spread to thinly and were quickly forced back by wave after wave of Japanese invaders.

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.)

Before their attack on Midway Island, the Japanese had to take over Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in early May of 1942. Yamamoto planned the Battle of the Coral Sea with hopes of gaining new islands in the Pacific Ocean that would aid the Japanese during its attack on Midway