The authority at Port Moresby, believing that the Maroubra Force had been reinforced by fresh troops, ordered Potts to cease his retreat and make a stand at Efogi. Potts divided the three battalions with him, placing the former rearguard battalions, 2/14 and 2/16, on Brigade Hill behind the fresher battalion, 2/27, which had been placed on Mission Ridge. Both positions were south of Efogi, holding a commanding view of the valley. Behind these three battalions, Potts placed his headquarters with a company from the 2/16th Battalion on the southern slopes of Brigade Hill, leaving a gap between. The Japanese, upon arrival, did not immediately attack but rather positioned their artillery just north of Mission Hut in the valley and began fire on the 2/27th battalion while secretly scouting the positions open to them and those held by the opponent. Colonel Kusunose, who was in command of the Japanese battalions of 2/144 and 3/144, decided to attack the Australians frontally on Mission Ridge with the 3/144th battalion while secretly sending the 2/144th around to their rear at night on Brigade Hill which he was unaware was also held by the Maroubra Force. The attack commenced in force on 7 September; however the Japanese were unable to take any land that day as the Australians were at a vantage point on high ground. As night fell, the 2/144th battalion began their move to the supposed rear of the Maroubra Force on Brigade Hill. With a lot of luck, the 2/144th found their way through the gap between the 2/16th and 2/14th battalions and HQ (Headquarters) which they still did not know was there. As day dawned, the Japanese were able to see the before-unknown positions of the 2/14th and 2/16th on Brigade Hill and the attack switched from Mission Ridge to Brigade Hill. The artillery in the valley were ordered to switch targets to Brigade Hill.…
The Kokoda Trail fighting happened from the 21st of July 1942 to the 18th of November 1942. The Kokoda Trail had Australian and Papuan forces fighting the invading Japanese forces. There were many factors that influenced the fighting, such as the terrain, the supplies and reinforcements, the climate and the attitude of the…
In 1942, in the midst of World War II, the allied forces in the Pacific fought a series of naval battles. In one, known as the battle of the Coral Sea, the allied fleet was, for the first time, victorious against the Japanese fleet. This battle thwarted any attempt by the Japanese to invade New Guinea via sea at Port Moresby. This resulted in the Japanese forces, making an overland assault across the Owen Stanley Ranges and along the Kokoda Track. It was this overland assault for the capture of Port Moresby, which led to a fierce campaign on the Kokoda Trail. This battle signified an important event in Australia's history, because of the severe threat of invasion of Australia and the impact it had in shaping the Australian identity.…
Kokoda Track, one of the most vital battles in World War II, was the last defense against invasion of Australia by the Japanese. The soldiers who fought on the Kokoda Track had to experience some of the most severe climate and terrain of WWII. They were not prepared for it. The troops (many of whom who were conscripted) were young and inexperienced as well as naïve as to what they were about to endure. A large shortage of troops and supplies for the Kokoda battle, and a poor understanding of war by the troops were major disadvantages, yet the Australians persevered and were determined and managed to win the battle of Kokoda. Many of the troops kept their mental and physical battle scars for life.…
Operation Ranch Hand; 1961-1972; The heart of the Vietnam War, and the U.S. needs an advantage. “[The military] sprayed more than 19 million gallons of herbicides over 4.5 million acres of land in Vietnam...Agent Orange, which contained the chemical dioxin, was the most commonly used of the herbicide mixtures, and the most effective,” (“Agent”). In total, this agent accounted for 11-13 million gallons of the total herbicides released. Agent Orange was later found to be the origin of various health problems; these include tumors, birth defects, skin irritation, psychological changes, and cancer. The herbicides main purpose was to clear the vegetation, allowing the front line to detect approaching enemies in time for defensive action; the…
War not only affects people but the land where the combat takes place also suffers damage or is changed. During the second Indochina war or Vietnam War as commonly called the demilitarized zone was the location where most battles between the US and south Vietnam against North Vietnam took place. Several tons of bombs were dropped within the zone and instead of fleeing the place known as home, civilians living within the zone created an underground community known as the Vinh Moc Tunnels. These tunnels were finished in just two years, about 2 kilometers long, and was three floors deep. The famous tunnels homed about 60 families and…
When America left Vietnam that South Vietnamese people were most likely feeling intimidated, scared, but at the same time relieved. In the “Doc-Lap at Last” section of the article, it states “ On April 30, 1975, columns of North Vietnamese soldiers entered Saigon, meeting little resistance for the demoralized South Vietnamese army.” The phrase, “columns of soldiers,”…
15. Who was the victor, who was the loser in the Battle of Midway? The Allies Japan…
The Vietnam War was a place of death, destruction, and confusion. Not only was the war a failure, but many soldiers were forced to fight. This lead to many negative effects that I must bring to your attention in this paper. The negative effects on soldiers during and after the war were depression, regret, desensitization, insanity, and the loss of friends.…
The raid on Tokyo, a month earlier had stirred the Japanese to extend their sphere of influence and establish air bases; and soon enough operation Mo Sakusen- a Japanese plan to take control of the Australian Territory of New Guinea- was mounted to capture Tulagi and Port Moresby covered by large Japanese carriers (Pelvin, 2018). According to Dr David Stevens who is a Naval historian and currently an author on the Official History of Australian Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, “what the Japanese was trying to do was control the waters around Australia”. While the main Japanese invasion force that was headed for Port Moresby -on May 4- Allied outposts were held at Lae and Salamana in Northern New Guinea; 650km south of Talugi (Battle of The Coral Sea Summary, 2018).…
Australia won some battles along the trail but were forced to retreat towards Port Moresby by the threat of the Japanese. By early September 1942, the Japanese were within 48 kilometres of Port Moresby but they were far from their supply base and were weakening. Both sides were suffering from hunger and disease. American forces destroyed Japanese supply ships and Japan withdrew from the battle. This is how Kokoda is remembered now as The efforts of the Australian soldiers are often seen as being critical in the defense of Australia against the threat of Japanese…
The United States of course has the superior army and weaponry and military know how so the Vietnamese had to find a way to fight the United States on a even the playing field. A conventional warfare was out the question instead of traditional battle they fought in open fields with tanks and such. They utilize and implemented a more of a hit and run attacks and ambushes. Furthermore, they even constructed elaborate tunnel systems under many villages allowing Vietnamese soldiers to move freely underground without being seen, but also allowing for the solider to stay underground for long periods of times to evade capture, plan and execute ambushes to perfection. This form of warfare, called guerrilla warfare which has been used for years, especially…
The Guadalcanal is a part of the Solomon Islands and sets to the north-eastern part of Australia. Guadalcanal is a humid, jungle-covered, tropical island. The atmosphere made it important for both sides in the Pacific War. If Japanese were to take the island, they would cut off the sea route between Australia and America. If the Americans took control of the island, they would be more likely to protect Australia from Japanese invasion and protect the Allied build-up in Australia, which would be a major assault on the Japanese.…
May 6, 1942 - Japanese take Corregidor as Gen. Wainwright unconditionally surrenders all U.S. And Filipino forces in the Philippines.…
“Australia and New Zealand are now threatened by the might of the Imperial Japanese forces, and both of them should know that any resistance is futile” – Hideki Tojo, General of the Imperial Japanese Army.…