US, Japan mark 80 years since the end of the Battle of Okinawa
By the spring of 1945, Japan was on the retreat. In April that year, American troops landed on the beaches of Okinawa and claimed victory over Japan three months later—but at a cost.
1. War Begins — Support for Britain (1939–41)
- Early contributions focused on distant campaigns:
- RAAF crews flew with the RAF in Europe. No 460 Squadron suffered 589 Australian combat deaths.
- Australian soldiers fought in North Africa, Greece, Syria, and Crete.
- The RAN escorted convoys and fought in the Mediterranean.
2. The Pacific Threat Changes Everything (1941–42)
- Japan’s entry into the war brought the fighting much closer to home.
- The fall of Singapore in February 1942 was a shock — Australia lost a key defensive line.
- Darwin was bombed repeatedly, and attacks reached as far south as Broome.
- Australia shifted its strategic dependence from Britain to the US.
3. Fighting in the Pacific (1942–45)
- Australian forces played central roles in stopping Japan’s advance:
- Kokoda Track in Papua & the battles on the Owen Stanleys.
- Milne Bay — the first major land defeat for Japanese forces.
- Campaigns in New Guinea, Bougainville, Borneo, and the islands of the SW Pacific.
- The RAAF expanded rapidly — from a small peacetime force to one of the world's largest by 1945.
4. Home Front and National Effort
- The entire economy shifted to war production — munitions, aircraft, and shipbuilding.
- Women entered industries and services in unprecedented numbers.
- Conscription was expanded to allow service in the South-West Pacific zone.
- The government introduced rationing, censorship, and tighter security.
5. Cost and Legacy
- Around 1 million Australians served in uniform.
- More than 39,000 died and roughly 30,000 became prisoners of war — many under brutal Japanese captivity.
- The war accelerated Australia's move toward a more independent foreign policy and closer alignment with the US.
