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New Britain 1945 |
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Australian troops had suffered their first defeat at the hands of the Japanese in New Britain, in January 1942, when it became the first Australian territory to be invaded and occupied. The loss of New Britain in the 1942 campaign cost the lives of over a thousand Australians. Its re-occupation was not so costly to Australia. In late 1944, Australian troops took over from the United States forces holding the islands north of Australia. The Australians reversed the United States policy of simply holding the Japanese at bay, and fought a series of campaigns - such as Bougainville and Aitape-Wewak - to destroy the Japanese forces. In these battles, over 1,200 Australians died. Many soldiers questioned the need to fight isolated Japanese forces that posed no threat. The exception to the aggressive, wasteful campaigns was the Australian operation on New Britain. Rabaul, New Britain's largest town, was a major Japanese base occupied by 93,000 men. Australian troops, who had returned to New Britain in November 1944, were outnumbered by about four to one. Concealing their precarious position, the Australians continued to patrol extensively and fought several small battles to force the outlying Japanese posts back towards Rabaul. The New Britain campaign was fought entirely by Militia units, supported by RAN and US Navy ships and by RAAF squadrons. The Militia formation was the 5th Division, commanded by Major General Alan Ramsay. The most active battalions were the 37th/52nd, 14th/32nd (both Victoria), the 19th and 36th (both New South Wales) Battalions. The 1st New Guinea Infantry Battalion operated inland, patrolling and fighting as guerrillas. The main (perhaps the only) AIF unit was the 2/14th Field Regiment, one of the original 8th Division artillery units which had not gone to the islands with the division. RAAF units operating from Goodenough Island and New Britain (especially 5 (Boomerang) and 6 (Beaufort) Squadrons) provided most air support. The Japanese, not realising their advantage, did not attack the small Australian force. The Australian bluff succeeded, at a remarkably low cost, and one weak Australian division effectively defeated a force of five Japanese divisions. Only 75 Australians died in this campaign. The Japanese occupation of New Britain had, however been costly to the people of the island. Almost as many of the indigenous people of New Britain died as Australia lost in the entire war. The Japanese, cut-off and starving, looted the native gardens as well as ruling with brutality. When Rabaul was re-occupied Australian troops discovered thousands of interned Chinese civilians, Indian prisoners of war (taken at Singapore) and a very few Allied prisoners of war. The island campaigns prompted a serious debate, at the time and since. The fighting on the islands in 1944-45 did not make the war end one second sooner. The Japanese were cut off and posed little threat beyond these islands. At the time, of course, no Australian knew that the war would end in August 1945. The Japanese were occupying Australian territory and General Blamey decided that they had to be cleared out before his men could fight elsewhere or go home. Even so, the commitment of Australian troops to operations so far from the Japanese homeland prompted expressions of concern, both among the troops and in the press. In retrospect the campaigns have become known as 'the unnecessary war'. |
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