Kokoda Trail Research Paper

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

It was named the Kokoda trail after the village of Kokoda which was in the middle of Gona and Port Moresby and was an important position due to its airfield and location. It was not just one trail but a combination of many which connected the villages across the Owen Mountains. In July 1942, although a strong fight was put up, the Japanese force over powered the Australian and Papuan

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

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

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.

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.

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

-there is a war memorial to remember all the lives that were lost during the Kokoda campaign.

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.

The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4-8 May 1942, ended as the first major Japanese failure of World War 2, and marked the end of the Japanese expansion well south of the Equator. The battle was between the Japanese Navy and the Allies, and fought off the north-east coast of Australia. The margin between victory and defeat was extremely small. Although it could be classified as a tactical victory for the Japanese in terms of ships sunk, the battle would prove to be a strategic victory for the Allies. (Navy History)

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

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

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

Start the trail that ascends sharply through the charming cloud forest. We keep on climbing going to Unshisa, here we can stop at a tea shop which is open during the primary trekking season. Then we follow the ascending trail to land at Kauma Danda.