Japanese naval infantry troops attacked the Allied airfields at Milne Bay that had been established on the eastern tip of New Guinea. Allied air superiority helped tip the balance, providing close support to troops in combat and targeting Japanese logistics. Finding themselves outnumbered, lacking supplies and suffering heavy casualties, the Japanese withdrew their forces. The battle is often described as the first major battle of the war in the Pacific in which Allied troops decisively defeated Japanese land forces. As a result of the battle, Allied morale was boosted and MilneBay was developed into a major Allied base, which was used to mount subsequent operations in the region.
About Battle of Milne Bay in brief
Japanese naval infantry troops attacked the Allied airfields at Milne Bay that had been established on the eastern tip of New Guinea. The Japanese miscalculated the size of the predominantly Australian garrison and, believing that the airfields were defended by only two or three companies, initially landed a force roughly equivalent in size to one battalion. The Allies, forewarned by intelligence from Ultra, had heavily reinforced the garrison. Allied air superiority helped tip the balance, providing close support to troops in combat and targeting Japanese logistics. Finding themselves heavily outnumbered, lacking supplies and suffering heavy casualties, the Japanese withdrew their forces, with fighting coming to an end on 7 September 1942. The battle is often described as the first major battle of the war in the Pacific in which Allied troops decisively defeated Japanese land forces. As a result of the battle, Allied morale was boosted and MilneBay was developed into a major Allied base, which was used to mount subsequent operations in the region. The Allied Supreme Commander, General Douglas MacArthur, authorised the construction of airbases to protect the west of Port Moresby, west of the Philippines. To protect the West Pacific Area, General MacArthur decided to establish an airbase at Port Portby. To this end, he authorised Operation RE, which saw the creation of an airbase at the western tip of the Territory of Papua.
The airbase was established on 25 August 1942. It is 22 miles long and 10 miles wide, and is deep enough for large ships to enter. The bay is bounded to its north and south by the Stirling Ranges, which at points rise to 3,000–5,000 feet and are covered in Kunai grass and dense scrubland. In 1942 this area was occupied by plantations of palm oil, coconuts and cocoa, as well as a number of jetties and villages, connected by what was described by Major Sydney Elliott-Smith of the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit as a dirt track 10–12 metres wide. After floods, the coastal plains become \”virtually impassable quagmires of glutinous mud\”, and the ground is not suited for development. Ahioma was situated the farthest east, and together with Gili Gili in the west, it bounded Lilihoa, Waga Waga, Goroni, KB Mission, Rabi and Kilarbobo. The area was sparsely populated, although there were a numberof villages along the track, The main area of firm ground suitable for construction and development is found directly at the head of the bay. The area is prone to malaria and flooding, and after floods, about 200 inches per year, the area was prone to malarial and flooding. In 1942, the bay is bounded by Lili Hoa, Gili Waga,. Goroni,. KB Mission,. Rabi, and the Dutch East Indies, Rabor, Rabaul, and Rabaul. It was also the site of the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942.
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This page is based on the article Battle of Milne Bay published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 08, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
