Kokoda Trail Research Paper

Australia entered the war in 1939 and it became at their doorstep on the 19th February 1942, Nazi Germany and Japan were major enemies to Australia during the war. Australia’s foreign policy and changing alliance during 1942 impacted our national identity because Australia developed a new relationship with America, while it weakened the strong connection with Britain, which demonstrates that Australia was starting to become its own independent country. At the beginning of war, Australia had a strong relationship and alliance with Britain, making Britain their leaders when entering the war. Secondly, as the war progressed Australia began to look to America as an opportunity for protection from the Japanese, while Britain was fighting their own

Importantly for Australia has been the take over of land by the British under the doctrine of

In the duration of the 20th century after WWII, in which two significant events occurred which were the fall of Singapore to the Japanese army and the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese- the fear and the threat towards the system of communism started to emerge and expand throughout Australia. As these events occurred they also encouraged the Australian government to really think more closely about issues of national security in the post war environment. Also in order to protect Australia from future attacks or wars, Prime Minister Robert Menzies set out to ally Australia more closely with the United States. In the decades after WWII, a fear of the growing influence of communism in Asia also meant that Australian governments were willing to send troops to conflicts in Asia. As

Papua New Guinea was crucial to the Japanese, as capturing Port Moresby would enable the Japanese to set up an airfield in the Pacific. If they had concerned Port Moresby then Australia would of go under threat and many Australian lives would have been lost. A quote from Lawrence Downs of the 36 Infantry Battalion “... The rest of them are

The Japanese attack on Darwin on the 19th February 1942, did not happen by chance but from the work of a major contributing factor leading to various consequences and eventually cementing the event as a significant one.

Asia was seen as a key regional area of conflict by both the United States and the Soviet Union. For Australia, this area was extremely crucial, as if communism was to take over South-East Asia, there would be a good chance that it would take over Oceania as well. This area was not seen as a concern until World War 2, as Western Governments had control of most of Indo-China. For example, The Dutch ruled Indonesia,The British ruled India, Pakistan and Malaya and The United States ruled The Philippines. These changes were seen as a big threat to Australian security once they were

World War 2 undoubtedly shook Australia’s ties with international powers. From hostile to hospitable; Australia and Japan forged a strong relationship after being at war with each other. Australia’s previously loyal allegiance to the British Empire was uneasy during the Second World War, but the two countries are still strongly allied. The United States had repeatedly come to Australia’s aid during World War 2 and because of this, a strong allegiance was formed between Australia and the United States.

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

They would start by capturing Port Moresby in New Guinea, then attack Midway and the Aleutians to gain a decisive victory. Thanks to Allied progress in deciphering JN-25, Japan’s plan to press south to Moresby was identified. The US navy was able to thwart the invasion of Port Moresby in the Battle of the Coral Sea on May 7, 1942. “For the first time in the Pacific war, American intelligence had been able to give adequate warning of enemy plans” (Bath 178). This was due to collaboration among agencies to decipher codes, and the newfound dedication of the agencies to report their findings. The trend was to continue in the Battle of

I am Coral and I live about 5000 feet below sea level in the Coral Sea. During the week of May 4-8, 1942, the first air- sea battle in history took place as I watched from below. Japan was looking to control the Coral Sea by taking all of New Guinea and the Solomon Islands to remove all of the Allied bases between Japan and Australia. They also wished to take over and destroy the American navy’s aircraft carriers since they were not able to do so in the Battle at Pearl Harbor. On the 3rd of May, the Japanese occupied Tulagi island and set up a seaplane base. The next day, the Allied forces, led by Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher, launched strikes against Tulagi. The attack eliminated the Japanese use of the base which sparked the beginning of this battle. The Yorktown sunk a Japanese destroyer and five merchant ships and join the Lexington later that day. May 6th, Australia spotted the Japanese but failed to shoot it down. They both continued to search for each other unsuccessfully due to partial visibility in the area of operations. Admiral Fletcher decided to separate his forces so that one was more susceptible to Japanese air attack without being under any coverage. Although, neither American force was successful in finding the Japanese forces, the Japanese aircraft was able to find and sink several U.S. ships and aircrafts. On May 8th, the Japanese and the Allies found each other and launched all accessible aircrafts. The Japanese shot down the Yorktown and the Lexington with bombs and torpedoes. At the same time, the Allied forces attacked a Japanese carrier but was unable to

To start it off,the first day of the first modern naval engagement in history, called the Battle of the Coral Sea, a Japanese invasion force succeeds in occupying Tulagi of the Solomon Islands in an expansion of Japan’s defensive perimeter.Yamamoto was the leader of the Japanese,he decided that he wanted to destroy the US Pacific Fleet before they can get stronger.So they made their way to the island of Midway.In the website,”Battle of the Coral Sea” it states, “Yamamoto wished to fight the decisive battle which would complete the destruction of the US Pacific Fleet before it was able

You might think of this as “The Battle of Midway, Round Two.” Fought near the island of Saipan in the Marianas group, the Battle of the Philippine Sea set the rebuilt Japanese carrier force, commanded by Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa, against Admiral Spruance’s Fifth Fleet. Both navies had studied the Battle of Midway, and both had learned from it, but it was only the U.S. Navy that had created a carrier force that could advance deep into enemy territory and defeat both land-based and carrier-based air forces. In two days of multiple air battles, the Japanese lost over 90% of the aircraft that they had used against Spruance’s carriers and surface ships. Philippine Sea was the “last gasp” of the Japanese fleet’s carrier aviators.

Australia’s geographical proximity to Asia is a natural reason for its strong alliances to that region. Also, “Since 1960 Asia, the largest and

The events of World War Two such as the failed Malaya campaign, the fall of Singapore, the bombing of Pearl Harbour and the stretched resources of Britain, led to Australia developing a more independent foreign policy however, independent of Britain. The changing of alliance between Britain, Australia and the United States of America has led to a substantial impact on shaping Australian society and where Australia are today. The fall of Singapore and the Malaya campaign brought the war extremely close to Australia even reaching Australian soil for the first time and generated new opinions and perspectives on the war for all Australians. Furthermore, with its greatest military defeat of all time, Britain had to recover and Australia had to

Today while in transit to Mumbuk, we climb on tough switchbacks for some time till reaching the highest point of the ridge, at 3840m. Here you can have the mesmerizing perspective of Chhamlang, Peak 6 and Peak 7. Then the trail goes through rhododendrons forest and reaches to Ghungru La one of the principal passes among the three passes we will cross today while heading to the Barun Khola. From here plunging a little lake we move up to Shipton La later to Keke La (4150m). The path at that point enters to a valley flourishing with rhododendrons. At last, we make a lofty downward trail through backwoods of firs. We land at Mumbuk.