Cause of the Kokoda campaign
If the Japanese overtook Port Morseby, they would be close enough to easily invade Australia.
The Kokoda campaign started when Japan began to conquer all of Asia and then to invade Papua New Guinea and possibly Australia if they weren’t stopped. Japanese troops landed on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea (near Gona) on 21 July, 1942 where they had planned to capture Port Moresby. Australia was under threat from Japan as they were close to home, so this is why Port Moresby was thought to be the last place to stop Japan. Port Moresby was vital to the defense of Australia. If they took Port Moresby the Japanese had planned to begin a bombing offensive against north Queensland and, if they had decided to invade Australia, the invasion would have been launched from Port Moresby.
Why did the Japanese want Port Moresby?
For more information:
The Japanese came to within 40 kilometres of Port Moresby but everything had changed by September. The Australians then pushed back the Japanese from where they had come, but it cost the lives of many soldiers. The Japanese then retired to their north coast strongholds at Buna, Gona and Sanananda after being forced to abandon their plan to take Port Moresby by mid-November.
The Kokoda campaign started when Japan began to conquer all of Asia and then to invade Papua New Guinea and possibly Australia if they weren’t stopped. Japanese troops landed on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea (near Gona) on 21 July, 1942 where they had planned to capture Port Moresby. Australia was under threat from Japan as they were close to home, so this is why Port Moresby was thought to be the last place to stop Japan. Port Moresby was vital to the defense of Australia. If they took Port Moresby the Japanese had planned to begin a bombing offensive against north Queensland and, if they had decided to invade Australia, the invasion would have been launched from Port Moresby.
Why did the Japanese want Port Moresby?
- It would protect their right flank (the Dutch East Indies or Indonesia) which had oil fields, tin mines and rubber plantations.
- It would take away a strong base from the Allies to launch attacks against strategic targets such as Rabaul.
- It would act as a base from which to launch bombing missions on Australia, making it harder for the Americans to reinforce and strengthen that land.
- The Torres Strait and the Timor Sea would no longer be open, preventing Allied shipping passing through.
For more information:
The Japanese came to within 40 kilometres of Port Moresby but everything had changed by September. The Australians then pushed back the Japanese from where they had come, but it cost the lives of many soldiers. The Japanese then retired to their north coast strongholds at Buna, Gona and Sanananda after being forced to abandon their plan to take Port Moresby by mid-November.
Timeline:
· 7 Dec 1941 – Japanese attack Pearl Harbour
· 3 Jan 1942 – Australia's 39th Battalion arrive in PNG
· 23 Jan 1942 – Japanese invade Rabaul, East New Britain, PNG, and slaughter captured Australian soldiers
· 15 Feb 1942 – Singapore falls to the Japanese. 14000 Australian soldiers are taken captive
· 18 Apr 1942 – General Douglas MacArthur appointed Supreme Commander In-Chief of Allied Military Forces in the Southwest Pacific
· 5-8 May 1942 – Battle of the Coral Sea. Japanese thwarted from invading Port Moresby by sea
· 21 Jul 1942 – Japanese forces land at Buna, Gona and Sanananda on the northern beaches and head inland along the trail (or track)
· 22 Jul 1942 – First contact between Austalian and Japanese troops at Awala, 40 km north of Kokoda
· 25-26 Jul 1942 – B Coy 39th Battalion push back to Oivi. Captain Templeton disappears
· 28-29 Jul 1942 – Japanese take Kokoda. Australians fall back to Deniki
· 1-8 Aug 1942 – A Coy 39th Batallion re-take Kokoda whilst the Japanese buy time, patrolling the Kokoda and Yodda Valley and building roads and bridges along the trail (or track)
· 3 Aug 1942 – Lake Myola established as a solution to the Australians supply problems
· 7 Aug 1942 – Allied troops land at Guadalcanal
· 8-13 Aug 1942 - Japanese re-take Kokoda and push the Australians back to Isurava where they make a stand
· 26-29 Aug 1942 – The Battle of Isurava. The 39th and 53rd batallions are reinforced by the 2nd AIF. PTE Bruce Kingsbury is killed in action (KIA), is posthumously awared the first Victorian Cross on Australian soil. Harold 'Butch' Bisset is wounded in action and dies in his brother, Stan Bissets hands
· 26 Aug-26 Sep 1942 – The Battle of Milne Bay. The Japanese are defeated
· 31 Aug 1942 – Austalians begin a tactical fighting withdrawal, resisting the advancing Japanese and cutting off their supply lines at every opportunity
· 6-8 Sep 1942 – The Battle of Brigade Hill. Japanese forces overun Australian positions with disastrous results, hence, its name change to Butchers Hill. Lake Myola is evacuated
· 11 Sep 09 – Australians withdraw to Ioribaiwa
· 11-16 Sep 1942 – The Battle of Ioribaiwa. This as far as the Japanese advance, within sight of Port Moresby. The Emperor directs them to withdraw
· 17 Sep 1942 – The Austalians make a last and final stand on Imita Ridge. The Japanese never arrived
· 24 Sep 1942 – Japanese begin withdrawing from Ioribaiwa
· 26 Sep 1942 – The Austalians begin the offensive
· 11-18 Oct – The Japanese dig in at Templeton's Crossing but are pushed back by fresh Austalian troops to Eora Creek. Lake Myola re-opens
· 16-29 Oct 1942 – The Battle of Eora Creek and Templeton's Crossing area. Australians fight stubborn Japanese resistance to clear the area at great cost
· 3 Nov 1942 – Australian troops re-take Kokoda unopposed
· 5-12 Nov 1942 – The Battle of Oivi and Gorari. Over 1000 Japanese troops are killed
· 15 Nov 1942 – The Battle of the Beacheads (also Northern Beaches) commences. 1522 Australians are killed and thousands wounded in the ensuing battles
· 21 Jan 1943 – Japanese resistance ceases in PNG
· 6 Aug 1945 – US drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima
· 9 Aug 1945 – US drops atomic bomb on Nagasaki
· 15 Aug 1945 – Japanese surrenders unconditionally
· 3 Jan 1942 – Australia's 39th Battalion arrive in PNG
· 23 Jan 1942 – Japanese invade Rabaul, East New Britain, PNG, and slaughter captured Australian soldiers
· 15 Feb 1942 – Singapore falls to the Japanese. 14000 Australian soldiers are taken captive
· 18 Apr 1942 – General Douglas MacArthur appointed Supreme Commander In-Chief of Allied Military Forces in the Southwest Pacific
· 5-8 May 1942 – Battle of the Coral Sea. Japanese thwarted from invading Port Moresby by sea
· 21 Jul 1942 – Japanese forces land at Buna, Gona and Sanananda on the northern beaches and head inland along the trail (or track)
· 22 Jul 1942 – First contact between Austalian and Japanese troops at Awala, 40 km north of Kokoda
· 25-26 Jul 1942 – B Coy 39th Battalion push back to Oivi. Captain Templeton disappears
· 28-29 Jul 1942 – Japanese take Kokoda. Australians fall back to Deniki
· 1-8 Aug 1942 – A Coy 39th Batallion re-take Kokoda whilst the Japanese buy time, patrolling the Kokoda and Yodda Valley and building roads and bridges along the trail (or track)
· 3 Aug 1942 – Lake Myola established as a solution to the Australians supply problems
· 7 Aug 1942 – Allied troops land at Guadalcanal
· 8-13 Aug 1942 - Japanese re-take Kokoda and push the Australians back to Isurava where they make a stand
· 26-29 Aug 1942 – The Battle of Isurava. The 39th and 53rd batallions are reinforced by the 2nd AIF. PTE Bruce Kingsbury is killed in action (KIA), is posthumously awared the first Victorian Cross on Australian soil. Harold 'Butch' Bisset is wounded in action and dies in his brother, Stan Bissets hands
· 26 Aug-26 Sep 1942 – The Battle of Milne Bay. The Japanese are defeated
· 31 Aug 1942 – Austalians begin a tactical fighting withdrawal, resisting the advancing Japanese and cutting off their supply lines at every opportunity
· 6-8 Sep 1942 – The Battle of Brigade Hill. Japanese forces overun Australian positions with disastrous results, hence, its name change to Butchers Hill. Lake Myola is evacuated
· 11 Sep 09 – Australians withdraw to Ioribaiwa
· 11-16 Sep 1942 – The Battle of Ioribaiwa. This as far as the Japanese advance, within sight of Port Moresby. The Emperor directs them to withdraw
· 17 Sep 1942 – The Austalians make a last and final stand on Imita Ridge. The Japanese never arrived
· 24 Sep 1942 – Japanese begin withdrawing from Ioribaiwa
· 26 Sep 1942 – The Austalians begin the offensive
· 11-18 Oct – The Japanese dig in at Templeton's Crossing but are pushed back by fresh Austalian troops to Eora Creek. Lake Myola re-opens
· 16-29 Oct 1942 – The Battle of Eora Creek and Templeton's Crossing area. Australians fight stubborn Japanese resistance to clear the area at great cost
· 3 Nov 1942 – Australian troops re-take Kokoda unopposed
· 5-12 Nov 1942 – The Battle of Oivi and Gorari. Over 1000 Japanese troops are killed
· 15 Nov 1942 – The Battle of the Beacheads (also Northern Beaches) commences. 1522 Australians are killed and thousands wounded in the ensuing battles
· 21 Jan 1943 – Japanese resistance ceases in PNG
· 6 Aug 1945 – US drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima
· 9 Aug 1945 – US drops atomic bomb on Nagasaki
· 15 Aug 1945 – Japanese surrenders unconditionally