BLUF
How the allies countered the Japanese invasion of the territory of PNG, leading to eventual Japanese defeat.Summary
Picture: A No. 100 Squadron Lockheed Hudson. 100 Sqn Based at Port Moresby during WW2.
A chronology of military events South West Pacific Area Theatre New Guinea Campaign
- July 1937: Japan launched a full-scale invasion of China with the goal of expanding its territory and gaining access to Chinese resources. War with China lasted until the end of World War II in 1945. Second Sino-Japanese War | Summary, Combatants, Facts, & Map | Britannica
- Sep 03, 1939: When Nazi Germany attacked Poland, the UK declared war on Germany. Australia as a member of the British Empire also declared war on Nazi Germany. 1939 - ‘Australia is at war ...’ - ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee
- December 7, 1941: The Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, drawing the United States into the war. Pearl Harbor attack | Date, History, Map, Casualties, Timeline, & Facts | Britannica
- The primary reason for the attack was to eliminate the US Pacific Fleet as a deterrent to Japan's planned military expansion in Southeast Asia. Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor? | Imperial War Museums (iwm.org.uk)
- Japan had developed a very effective multi-aircraft carrier force group known as the Kido Butai - Japanese Carrier-Centered Mobile Force - Pearl Harbor
- January 23, 1942: The Japanese capture Rabaul, a major Allied base in PNG, beginning their campaign to seize control of the island. Fall of Rabaul - Anzac Portal (dva.gov.au)
- Feb 15, 1942: Fall of Singapore, allied troops taken into captivity including Australia’s 8th Division. The Fall of Singapore - Historic UK (historic-uk.com)
- Feb 1942: John Curtin brings back the 7th Division from the Middle East. Curtin brings home troops | National Museum of Australia (nma.gov.au)
- February 19, 1942: Japanese forces launched a surprise air raid on Darwin, using the same carrier group that had attacked Pearl Harbour. Bombing of Darwin | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)
- February 27, 1942: The Battle of the Java Sea resulted in a significant victory for the Japanese navy. Battle of the Java Sea | World War II | Britannica
- March 8, 1942: The Japanese capture Lae, a major town on the northern coast of PNG. Capture of Lae | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)
- Japanese Strategy: After the capture of Lae and Rabaul, the Japanese strategy was to capture Port Moresby and try to cut links between Australia and its allies in the wider Pacific region. 1942 - An Overview of the Battle for Australia - ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee
- April 1942: The Japanese launched air attacks on Port Moresby, the capital of PNG, in an attempt to establish air superiority in the region. The defence of Moresby - Anzac Portal (dva.gov.au)
- May 4-8, 1942: The Battle of the Coral Sea marked the first time in naval history that two opposing fleets fought without actually coming into sight of each other. It was a strategic victory for the Allies as it prevented a Japanese invasion fleet from attacking Port Moresby. Battle of the Coral Sea | Royal Australian Navy
- June 1942: The Battle of Midway between the Japanese Imperial Navy and the United States Navy. It was a decisive naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, resulting in a significant victory for the US and the destruction of the Japanese carrier group, the Kido Butai. Battle of Midway | Significance & Outcome | Britannica
- August-September 1942: The Battle of Milne Bay resulted in a significant victory for the Allies and marked the first time that Japanese land forces had been defeated in the Pacific War. Battle of Milne Bay | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)
- July-November 1942: The Kokoda Track Campaign takes place, with Australian and Allied forces defending against a Japanese advance across the Owen Stanley mountain range towards Port Moresby. Kokoda Trail Campaign | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)
- November 16, 1942-January 22, 1943: The Battle of Buna-Gona takes place, resulting in an Allied victory. Battle of Buna | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)
- Mar 02 – 04 1943: Battle of the Bismark Sea. Japanese convoy carrying forces to reenforce Japanese occuped Lae. All eight Japanese transports were destroyed. 1943 March 2-5: Battle of the Bismarck Sea (navy.mil)
- Apr 1943: Yamamoto, who planned the attack on Pearl Harbour, was shot down and killed over PNG. Death of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto - Warfare History Network
- 1943-1944: The Allies launch a series of air attacks on Japanese-held positions in PNG, using bases in Australia and New Guinea as staging points. Weapon of Denial: Air Power and the Battle for New Guinea (defense.gov)
- September 4, 1943: Allied forces make an amphibious landing at Lae, marking the beginning of their counteroffensive in PNG. Battle of Lae, 4-16 September 1943 (historyofwar.org)
- October 1943-January 1944: The Battles of Shaggy Ridge take place, with Australian and Allied forces fighting to secure the Finisterre Range and open the way for an Allied advance on Madang. The Hell of Shaggy Ridge | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)
- November 1944 to August 1945: The Aitape-Wewak campaign was a series of battles fought between Allied forces and the Japanese on the northern coast of PNG. Aitape-Wewak 1944-1945 - Anzac Portal (dva.gov.au)
- Aug 06 & 09, 1945: Atom bombs dropped on Japan. Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Date, Facts, Significance, Timeline, Deaths, & Aftermath | Britannica
- Sep 02, 1945: Japan surrenders. Surrender of Japan (1945) | National Archives
Notes:
- Supreme Allied Commander Douglas MacArthur | Biography, Command, & Facts | Britannica
- Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Military Forces commander of Allied land forces in the Pacific Field Marshal Thomas Albert Blamey.
- During World War II, the Japanese treated the local people with severe brutality in Japanese-occupied PNG. Angels and Victims: The People of New Guinea in World War II | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans (nationalww2museum.org)
- During WW2, the Japanese used approximately 10000 captured Indian troops in PNG. "Great in adversity": Indian prisoners of war in New Guinea | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au).
- During WW2, many Papua New Guineans acted as stretcher bearers for allied forces. Papua-New Guinea, c. 1943. Native stretcher-bearers (often called fuzzy wuzzy angels) carry a ... | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)