Military strategies - HSIE - Modern History - The Kokoda Campaign - LibGuides at Saint Patrick's College, Campbelltown

Japanese soldiers

The Military Strategy of Japan
The military strategy of Japan from December 1941 to mid-1942 was an aggressive one: To advance to occupy locations of strategic importance, either resource rich areas, or places that would allow them to better defend their gains. The Allied strategy in the same period was defensive, simply to prevent the Japanese achieving their strategic goals.

Video - Counter-Offensive

Overview

The Kokoda Campaign - Virtual War Memorial Australia
The first contact between Japanese and the Australian 39th Battalion with elements of the Papuan Infantry occurred at Awala on 23 July 1942. The Australian force could not hold its ground and was pushed back to Isurava on 27 August 1942.
Australia's Kokoda Campaign - The Cove
Between 21 July and 13 November 1942, fighting against Imperial Japanese forces, Australian soldiers twice traversed the Kokoda Trail – an arduous route across the rugged jungle terrain of Papua New Guinea. This hard-fought campaign in some of the worst conditions experienced by Australian soldiers ensured the name Kokoda a special place in the Anzac legend.
Kokoda - The Battle in Brief
The first Japanese attempt to seize Port Moresby was thwarted by the allied victory in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. The second attempt, an overland attack across the Owen Stanley Range via the Kokoda Track, commenced with Japanese troops landing at Gona on the eastern coast of Papua on 21 July 1942...

Battles and key points of the campaign

Battle of Awala : The New Guineans - Department of Veteran Affairs
The Japanese landed in Papua on 21 July 1942. Two days later at Awala their advanced guard was ambushed by 38 men of the PIB. Joined by a platoon of Australians of 39th Battalion the ambush was repeated the following day as the Japanese crossed the Kumusi River, and again at Gorari on 25 July.
Battle of Isurava: Australian War Memorial
The village of Isurava was the site of one of several desperate battles fought by Australian troops during their retreat along the Kokoda Trail...
Battle of Isurava - Kokoda Historical
On 26 August the Japanese clashed with the 39th's forward outposts at Isurava heralding that their next attack was developing. The same day the first two companies of the 2/14th Battalion arrived to relieve the 39th's exhausted young soldiers, the average age of whom was 18. The next afternoon the 39th's left flank was heavily attacked and, fow while the Japanese were able to penetrate one of the company positions but they were beaten off by two quick counter-attacks...
Battle of Brigade Hill - Kokoda Historical
Over two days' fighting in September 1942, Japanese forces engaged the forward Australian elements at Mission Ridge, before flanking and sending an attack force up Brigade Hill. Despite fierce resistance, the Japanese exploited gaps in the line and forced the Aussies off the high ground and into the jungle...
Battle of Brigade Hill - Network Kokoda
Battle of Ioribaiwa (included guided map) - Department of Veteran Affairs
Ioribaiwa - Australian War Memorial
Ioribaiwa was a small village, atop a ridge, on the Kokoda Trail, approximately 50 kilometres north-east of Port Moresby. It was the site of one of the many delaying actions fought by Australian troops during their withdrawal along the Kokoda Track...

Podcast

Podcast : Kokoda

After the Fall of Singapore in February 1942, the focus of the Pacific War moved closer to Australia. Japanese forces bombed Darwin and began to launch attacks on Papua New Guinea, with a view to capturing its capital Port Moresby. If the Japanese had captured that city, they would have been able to bomb vital Allied bases in northern Australia - potentially turning the tide of the war in their favour. This podcast episode details the ferocious, desperate, and incredibly vicious seven-month struggle that followed.

Map

Battle of Brigade Hill
(click to enlarge map)

HSIE - Modern History - The Kokoda Campaign: Military strategies

Japanese soldiers

Video - Counter-Offensive

Overview

Battles and key points of the campaign

Podcast

Map