"Battle of Buna" Topic

"Gen. Douglas MacArthur's plan to defend Australia against impending Japanese invasion was not to hunker down in Australia itself, but to take the battle to New Guinea, which he correctly saw as the necessary staging area for any assault on Australia. Thus, the New Guinea Campaign was a defense by means of offensive, and the Battle of Buna, a village on the northeastern coast of Papua, was a key phase of the campaign. Here, during July 1942, the Japanese had established a beachhead, and here, beginning in November 1942, two Allied divisions attacked.
The 7th Australian Division attacked the fortified Japanese perimeter at its northwestern end, near the village of Gona, while the 32nd U.S. Division marched toward Buna village and its associated mission at the southeastern end. Simultaneously, elements of this unit attacked the two airstrips at Cape Endaiadere nearby. Gen. MacArthur was confident of a quick victory, which was even announced—very much prematurely—in the Allied press. However, intelligence had been wildly off the mark in its underestimate of Japanese strength at the perimeter. Moreover, the 32nd was green and entirely unfamiliar with jungle warfare. As the assault stalled and casualties multiplied, MacArthur dispatched Gen. Robert Lawrence Eichelberger to Buna, charging him to take the village "or not come back alive." It was vintage MacArthur, which meant that the do-or-die order had been delivered in all literal sincerity…"

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Full text here
weaponsandwarfare.com/?p=1621

Amicalement
Armand

The tanks were Australian Stuarts, the "Mech TP +" shown on the 2nd map was actually Bren carriers and the artillery was actually one battery of 25lb guns and a solitary US 105mm gun that had been brought forward. 32nd DIV had left their artillery behind, being told that 5th Air Force would supply all the support they needed……

Rather than the sources listed, which all give a very US-centric view of the battle (there were more Australians involved than Americans for example, despite it being described as "an American victory" by Mac's press releases), I recommend McAulay's To the bitter end: The Japanese defeat at Buna and Gona, 1942-43. McAulay uses sources from all the forces involved, including the Japanese. Nor does he pull any punches with any of the nations' troops, giving praise where due and criticism where appropriate to all the forces involved. He does have a slight anti-US bias, unfortunately, which detracts from the book's veracity. But compared to Mayo, etc, it's a more accurate, balanced look at the campaign.

Cheers.

Dal.

Thanks for the info my friend.

Amicalement
Armand