What was the Kokoda Track campaign and when did it take place?
The Kokoda Track campaign was a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 in the Australian Territory of Papua, forming part of the Pacific War during World War II. It was primarily a land battle between the Japanese South Seas Detachment under Major General Tomitaro Horii and Australian and Papuan forces under New Guinea Force. The Japanese objective was to seize Port Moresby by an overland advance along the Kokoda Track over the Owen Stanley Range.
Why did Japanese forces withdraw from the Kokoda Track campaign?
Japanese forces withdrew primarily because they had outrun their supply line and because Imperial General Headquarters ordered a withdrawal following reverses at Guadalcanal. By the time they reached Ioribaiwa, within 32 km of Port Moresby, extreme rationing had reduced the daily rice ration to 180 ml per man. Senior Japanese officers interviewed after the war also cited stronger-than-anticipated Australian resistance at Kokoda as a key factor influencing the decision to halt the advance.
Who were the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels on the Kokoda Track?
The Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels were Papuan carriers who transported supplies forward along the track and carried Australian wounded to safety. They were conscripted under the Employment of Natives Order issued on the 15th of June 1942. Captain Henry Steward wrote that the wounded were tended with "the devotion of a mother and the care of a nurse," and accounts record carriers sleeping four to each side of a stretcher through the night to attend to patients.
What advantage did Japanese artillery give in the Kokoda Track campaign?
Japanese forces carried thirteen artillery pieces over the Owen Stanley Range, including 75 mm Type 41 mountain guns and 70 mm Type 92 battalion howitzers, while Australian forces initially deployed forward without mortars or medium machine guns. Historian Anderson estimated that Japanese artillery caused around 35 per cent of Australian casualties and concluded it was a decisive force multiplier throughout the campaign. Historian Williams described Japanese artillery as having provided an "important, perhaps decisive, role" on the Kokoda battlefields.
What was the command crisis during the Kokoda Track campaign?
The command crisis resulted in the dismissal of three senior Australian officers: Lieutenant General Sydney Rowell, who was relieved by General Blamey on the 28th of September 1942; Major General Arthur Allen, replaced by Major General George Vasey on the 28th of October; and Brigadier Arnold Potts, who was recalled to Port Moresby. Historians including David Horner have criticised the generalship of MacArthur and Blamey for unrealistic perceptions of the terrain and conditions under which the campaign was fought.
How were Australian forces supplied along the Kokoda Track?
Australian forces were supplied primarily through aerial resupply after Lieutenant Bert Kienzle identified a dry lake bed called Myola near the crest of the Owen Stanley Range on the 3rd of August 1942. On average, 50 per cent of supplies dropped were lost, with losses reaching up to 90 per cent, as parachutes were scarce and most supplies were free-dropped in blankets or sacks. A Japanese air raid on Port Moresby on the 17th of August 1942 destroyed or damaged seven transport aircraft, leaving only one serviceable at a critical point in the campaign.