New Guinea and the Solomans

New Guinea and the Solomans

Americans Land at Buna

During the Coral Sea battle, the Japanese Army and Marines were trying to take Port Darwin, on the southeastern coast of New Guinea.This plan failed when the American Navy stopped the Japanese Navy from covering the landings at Lae and Buna.After the battle of Midway, General MacAuthur decided that he should start his road back to the Philippines in southern New Guinea.This was a good plan.Japanese air bases in New Guinea threatened Australia and the American Navy at Guadalcanal.
After the failed Japanese plan, Dutch, Australian, and American forces took the offensive.They inched their way through New Guinea, taking Buna, Gona, Salamaua, and Lae.But the Japanese base at Rabual still threatened Allied shipping in the area.During the year of 1943, the Allies leap-frogged, like the Japanese a year ago, through the Solomans, taking important bases to strike at Rabual, Truk, and New Guinea with.In December, 1943, Allied troope landed on New Britian, effectively cutting off the Japanese still fighting in the Solomans.After the Admirality Islands fell in March 1944, the Japanese were in encircled.

Also during 1943, MacAurthur and his troops continued to steadily make their way through New Guinea, taking Aitape, Hollandia (now Djajapura), Wakde, and Biak.At the end of 1943, the Japanese were defeated, but still fighting.But with the encirlcement of the South Pacific, the Japanese were cut off from supplies.They continued to fight until early-1945, when they surrendered.

Some Afterthoughts

The Japanese fought like hell to keep the Allies from gaining any ground in the South Pacific.But, the Japanese still had some tricks up their sleeves.The hard part is still to come...

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