I have long been thinking (yep that is what that noise you keep hearing is . What if the Aussies who in the Mid East and Western desert fought tooth and nail with the Brits to keep the Australian forces together and a concentration of forces, however when the Imperial Japanese arrived in WW2 that seemed to be thrown out the window and panic took over, so many men sacrificed just so it looks to the Brits USA etc that we are fighting. However the Aussies were conned into sending 2 Bgdes+ of the 8th Div to Singapore every one knew it was a death trap. They then spread the remaining brigade between Ambon, Rabaul and Timor. One Btn and some support troops at each location. Now what if they kept that same attitude, "their our troops we send and use them the way we want", Well what if the 2/21st 2/40th and 2/22 Btns along with Black force (Java) and the main part of 8th Div and others were sent to rabaul around Sept to Feb of 1941/42, Heaps of room for the RAN and RAAF, they could of turned it into what the Imperial Japanese did, a base that could be very hard to take. Thus possibly making the Imperial Japanese forget about the Solomons etc. Imagine it, after the damage one Btn did to the invading Imperial japanese, imagine what a Bgd+ with time to dig in and set up proper defences, with proper heavy arms in support along with the RAN, & RAAF flying from Rabaul, Milne bay yep we should of manned that six (6) months earlier. The Imperial Japanese probably would of looked for a easier target somewhere along the north coast of PNG, however with the ADF in force in the area already life would of been hard for them. Well it's a bit rough and looking backwards can be easy esp[ when the exact opposite happened.
Its a question of taking with one hand and giving with the other. The advantages of having more troops at Rabaul and possibly retaining the position is outweighed by the pasrt played by the Australians in the fighting in North Africa. In the longterm strategic sense the defeat of the Germans in North Africa etc played a greater part in teh vitory of the Allies than anything that could have been achieved in Rabaul. And though some Australian units may have made some difference if they had been there in force, there is also the question of the lack of aerial and naval support.
True, Japanese involvment in ww2 did not help at all,cause alot of problems. Not only caused Australian soldiers to leave Europe,made England strech out her convoys across to Australia, which Britain could not afford to do. All is not lost in this situation,this action may have put the hold on the Allies efforts but in the end it all evens out when America was force into ww2.
No where did i mention not posting the 6th, 7th, and 9th AIF Divisions in the Western Desert and the Holy lands, they of course along with the 1st Armoured should of remained in Africa etc untill they were recalled early 1942. I have allways been a believer that 1st Australian Armoured should of stayed in North Africa and used in the war against the Nazi Germans, as they were of no use in Australia and they Rgts used in the Jungles could of been raised and outfitted with their Matilda's regardless of the needs of the 1st AIF Armoured Division. I do understand that the Aussie Govt and General Staff did not know if it would be needed for the defence of the Australian Continent. The 8th Div and the AMF Divisions which IMO should of been raised as AIF Divisions, could of been placed in Rabaul, Milne bay and smaller forces along the north coast of PNG, during late 1941 and early 1942, what i wrote up top was really just a re assessment of the way the 8th AIF Division and the AMF forces were used in the first months of the war in the Pacific. As for aerial and naval support by early 1942 almost all RAN ships were back in the Indian Pacific and the air forces were their in force regardless. OK the planes were not of a class that could defeat countless zero's etc, we went though that all through the western desert Greece and Syria with Nazi planes in force compared to allied planes.
The problem I see with air support around Rabaul etc, and I am by no means an expert as I've read very little of this particular time, is that, even without occupying Rabaul strongly beforehand, we were already very stretched in New Guinea and had been decimated in the defence of Malaya and Singapore. The Americans were the same early in 1942. Yes we had aircraft that were inferior (but with the right strategies capable) to Zeroes and, at the time, the Japanese pilots were very, very experienced but as you correctly say, Cobber, we had been the underdogs in North Africa and done okay. I just don't think we had enough to go around even in 1941 which is when you're proposing we occupy Rabaul with a much stronger force than was ultimately the case.
You've probably seen this already Cobber ..... but just in case ..... Warangoi River, New Britain. 1942-01. The Adler River, in the Bainings Mountains on the eastern side of the Gazelle Peninsula, an obstacle to the Australian troops retreating from Rabaul after the successful attack by Japanese forces. This is the point where at least two parties of retreating Australian troops crossed the Adler River. The first party of twenty one men from the Anti-aircraft Battery Rabaul and the 17th Anti-tank Battery crossed here on 1942-01-26 securing a lawyer vine rope to cross the river. This image was taken in late January 1942 and shows some of the men of Sergeant L. I. H. (Les) Robbins' party fording the river as they make their way south toward Palmalmal Plantation and rescue in April 1942.
Heck that looks like hard work just getting down the valley then cross the river and climb up the other side very heavy going. VALE Sgt Robbins and men
The political and military leaders (sometimes one and the same) prior to 1941 did not think Japan will go make grab for all the marbles in Asia. The focus of the western leaders was Europe. British, French and American military deployment all over Asia prior to Dec 7,'41 could hardly offer credible defense against the Japanese juggernaut. As I have mentioned in another thread, Japan could have delayed the attack on the USA and the Philippine Islands and focused first its consolidation of the rest of Asia then invade Australia from the west or northwest. That would have secured the Straits of Malacca and the eastern approaches to the Indian Ocean thereby blocking the flow of war materiel to/from Europe.
Cobber - my apologies; i did not mean to rain on your dream parade. I agree, it would have a heck of a difference if the Allies recognized early Japan's intentions and deployed adequate and credible defensive forces. Yes, strengthening Rabaul was one way and would have presented a high mountain for the Japanese to climb.
