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The Battle of Milne Bay 1942
By 1942 the formidable Japanese military had conquered swathes
of territory across south-east Asia and the Pacific Ocean. Despite
its defeat at the Battle of Midway, Japan remained a potent enemy
committed to the creation of a defensive arc to shield its captured
possessions in the Pacific.
The capture of Port Moresby would cement the southern border of
this defensive arc and sever the vital lines of communication between
Australia and the United States. It was the Japanese plan to seize
Moresby that would set the course for the Battle of Milne Bay.
Situated on the eastern tip of New Guinea, Milne Bay was a
wretched hell-hole: swamp-riddled, a haven for malaria and cursed
with torrential rain. It was here that General Douglas MacArthur
ordered the secret construction of an Allied base with airfields to
protect the maritime approach to Port Moresby.
But the Japanese soon discovered the base at Milne Bay and
despatched a task force to destroy its garrison and occupy the base.
All that stood between the Japanese and their prize was a brigade
of regular Australian soldiers untrained in tropical warfare and a
brigade of Australian militia with no combat experience whatsoever.
While the Kokoda campaign is etched in public memory, its sister
battle at Milne Bay has long been neglected. However the bitter
fighting over this isolated harbour played an equally important role
in protecting Port Moresby and made a valuable contribution to
shifting Allied fortunes in the Pacific War.
of territory across south-east Asia and the Pacific Ocean. Despite
its defeat at the Battle of Midway, Japan remained a potent enemy
committed to the creation of a defensive arc to shield its captured
possessions in the Pacific.
The capture of Port Moresby would cement the southern border of
this defensive arc and sever the vital lines of communication between
Australia and the United States. It was the Japanese plan to seize
Moresby that would set the course for the Battle of Milne Bay.
Situated on the eastern tip of New Guinea, Milne Bay was a
wretched hell-hole: swamp-riddled, a haven for malaria and cursed
with torrential rain. It was here that General Douglas MacArthur
ordered the secret construction of an Allied base with airfields to
protect the maritime approach to Port Moresby.
But the Japanese soon discovered the base at Milne Bay and
despatched a task force to destroy its garrison and occupy the base.
All that stood between the Japanese and their prize was a brigade
of regular Australian soldiers untrained in tropical warfare and a
brigade of Australian militia with no combat experience whatsoever.
While the Kokoda campaign is etched in public memory, its sister
battle at Milne Bay has long been neglected. However the bitter
fighting over this isolated harbour played an equally important role
in protecting Port Moresby and made a valuable contribution to
shifting Allied fortunes in the Pacific War.
363 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 22, 2019
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About the author
Nicholas Anderson
2 booksNicholas Anderson was the acting Senior Historian with the Australian Army History Unit, with more than ten years service to the Canberra-based Unit.
He was born in Bathurst and completed his high school at the Scots School Bathurst.
He holds degrees in degrees in Arts and Law from the University of Canberra, and a Masters in Philosophy from the University of New South Wales, attained for a research thesis on the Australian Army's collection and use of tactical intelligence in the Pacific Theatre during the Second World War.
His first book To Kokoda, is a narrative history of the Kokoda campaign.
His second book is The Battle of Milne Bay.
Nicholas has travelled extensively in Papua New Guinea, having visited, trekked and led groups to many of the WW2 battlefields.
He was born in Bathurst and completed his high school at the Scots School Bathurst.
He holds degrees in degrees in Arts and Law from the University of Canberra, and a Masters in Philosophy from the University of New South Wales, attained for a research thesis on the Australian Army's collection and use of tactical intelligence in the Pacific Theatre during the Second World War.
His first book To Kokoda, is a narrative history of the Kokoda campaign.
His second book is The Battle of Milne Bay.
Nicholas has travelled extensively in Papua New Guinea, having visited, trekked and led groups to many of the WW2 battlefields.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 31, 2019
History (especially Military History) is not a strong point for me, so I was never really going to be the target audience for this book. However, I am visiting PNG soon and specifically doing a Milne Bay tour so thought I should actually brush up on some of my PNG/Milne Bay history to get the most out of the experience.
This book was really well researched, well written and easy to read (which is not something I usually find with Military history). It was a perfect blend of fact, military strategy, military politics and the human side of war (including a strangely comedic chapter 9 concerning local cows, beer, land mines and some bad assumptions). I confess that some of the specifics in terms of times/dates/battalions went a little over my head, but again I am so not the target audience and I understood the need for the specific details as they are important aspects.
I finished and felt my knowledge about the geography and history had increased by 1000 fold...so that is a good thing and was well worth the read :-)
This book was really well researched, well written and easy to read (which is not something I usually find with Military history). It was a perfect blend of fact, military strategy, military politics and the human side of war (including a strangely comedic chapter 9 concerning local cows, beer, land mines and some bad assumptions). I confess that some of the specifics in terms of times/dates/battalions went a little over my head, but again I am so not the target audience and I understood the need for the specific details as they are important aspects.
I finished and felt my knowledge about the geography and history had increased by 1000 fold...so that is a good thing and was well worth the read :-)
Displaying 1 of 1 review