During the Pacific war from 1941-45, the Japanese were controlling many countries and gaining territory in the Pacific. By 1942-43, Japan was planning a full scale attack on mainland Australia. To do this, they had to take many positions that the Australians were occupying in Papua New Guinea in order to isolate Australia. The Kokoda and Milne Bay military campaigns were both very successful in protecting Australia from Japanese aggression as they prevented the Japanese from taking the Kokoda track, the only possible route into Port Moresby, and from initiating Operation FS, a plan which would have been controlled from Port Moresby as Japan would have been able to launch aerial and naval assaults from Milne Bay’s strategic military facilities.
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Capture of Milne Bay would have provided the Japanese with airstrips from which Major General Horii's attack on Port Moresby could be supported by Japanese aircraft when his troops emerged from the southern end of the Kokoda Track. With this, Japan could establish forward air and naval bases from which it could strike deeply into the Australian mainland and intercept military support for Australia from the United States. They proposed an assault overland across the Owen Stanley’s range, combined with a sea-borne attack from Rabaul. These forces were to be protected by MiIne Bay. Approximately 95% of Japan’s war planes were capable of flying easily from Milne Bay to Port Moresby and then from Port Moresby to North Queensland. Hence, Milne Bay would play a significant part in the chain of defences in the newly conquered area as the Japanese were aware the Allies had built up their strength in Australia which they thought might be directed towards Rabaul. With the Japanese focused on gaining access to Milne Bay for their air force and navy, it was essential to also support the capture of Port Moresby with their army coming in through the Kokoda …show more content…
Port Moresby was situated on the southern coast of the Australian Territory of Papua and with recent unsuccessful naval attacks from Japan around the port, it became only accessible through the Kokoda track. The Japanese had initially intended to capture Port Moresby in April 1942, but American carriers USS Lexington and USS Yorktown launched aircraft on 10 March 1942 and smashed the invasion fleet at Lae. Shortly after this, the Japanese launched a powerful seaborne invasion force towards Port Moresby. Their first attempt to capture Port Moresby was frustrated by a joint United States and Australian naval task force. The Imperial Japanese Navy had operational responsibility for Japanese military operations in the South-West Pacific area, but with the loss of four of its six best aircraft carriers at Midway, and Shokaku badly damaged at the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Japanese Navy was no longer capable of mounting a seaborne invasion. These events only left the option of crossing the Kokoda Track, which was the only alternative left for the Japanese and the only possible chance for Japan to capture Port Moresby. Once the Kokoda track was firmly under Japanese control and the passage was open for the Japanese to send an army through it whilst the frontline held off the Australians at Owers’ corner, the main body of the Nankai Shitai embarked at Rabaul for Buna on 17
Capture of Milne Bay would have provided the Japanese with airstrips from which Major General Horii's attack on Port Moresby could be supported by Japanese aircraft when his troops emerged from the southern end of the Kokoda Track. With this, Japan could establish forward air and naval bases from which it could strike deeply into the Australian mainland and intercept military support for Australia from the United States. They proposed an assault overland across the Owen Stanley’s range, combined with a sea-borne attack from Rabaul. These forces were to be protected by MiIne Bay. Approximately 95% of Japan’s war planes were capable of flying easily from Milne Bay to Port Moresby and then from Port Moresby to North Queensland. Hence, Milne Bay would play a significant part in the chain of defences in the newly conquered area as the Japanese were aware the Allies had built up their strength in Australia which they thought might be directed towards Rabaul. With the Japanese focused on gaining access to Milne Bay for their air force and navy, it was essential to also support the capture of Port Moresby with their army coming in through the Kokoda …show more content…
Port Moresby was situated on the southern coast of the Australian Territory of Papua and with recent unsuccessful naval attacks from Japan around the port, it became only accessible through the Kokoda track. The Japanese had initially intended to capture Port Moresby in April 1942, but American carriers USS Lexington and USS Yorktown launched aircraft on 10 March 1942 and smashed the invasion fleet at Lae. Shortly after this, the Japanese launched a powerful seaborne invasion force towards Port Moresby. Their first attempt to capture Port Moresby was frustrated by a joint United States and Australian naval task force. The Imperial Japanese Navy had operational responsibility for Japanese military operations in the South-West Pacific area, but with the loss of four of its six best aircraft carriers at Midway, and Shokaku badly damaged at the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Japanese Navy was no longer capable of mounting a seaborne invasion. These events only left the option of crossing the Kokoda Track, which was the only alternative left for the Japanese and the only possible chance for Japan to capture Port Moresby. Once the Kokoda track was firmly under Japanese control and the passage was open for the Japanese to send an army through it whilst the frontline held off the Australians at Owers’ corner, the main body of the Nankai Shitai embarked at Rabaul for Buna on 17