The Battle for Milne Bay – Japan’s first defeat on land in the Second World War – was a defining moment in the evolution of the indomitable Australian fighting spirit. For the men of the AIF, the militia and the RAAF, it was the turning point in the Pacific, and their finest – though now largely forgotten – hour. Forgotten, until now.
|
Told for the first time, this is the epic story of the Milne Bay campaign of 1942 – which saw Japanese land forces suffer their first defeat of the war – and has properly been called the RAAF’s forgotten finest hour. September 1942 marked the high-point of Axis conquest in World War II. In the Pacific, Japan’s soldiers had seemed unstoppable. However, the tide was about to turn. On Sunday, 6 September 1942, Japanese land forces suffered their first conclusive defeat at the hands of the Allies. At Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea, a predominantly Australian force – including 75 Squadron (fresh from their action in 44 DAYS) – fought for two weeks to successfully defend a vital airstrip against a determined Japanese invasion. The victorious Australian army units were crucially supported by two locally-based squadrons of RAAF Kittyhawks. The Battle for Milne Bay and victory for the Allies was a significant turning point in the Pacific War, but while it received worldwide publicity at the time, it has since been largely forgotten… It deserves to be remembered. |
xvii, 334 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, 1 map, portraits ; 20 cm. #0521/151122