What happened during the Kokoda Track Campaign?

Answer 1

The conditions were really tough for both the Japanese and the Australian army. That had to climb through thick, waist deep mud, climb high mountains, walk through razor sharp kunai grass and walk along the narrow dirt tracks. The fought day and night putting up with the cold wet rainfall especially the cold nights.

Answer 2

Muddy, wet and disease infested

The Japanese landed on the north coast of Papua New Guinea at Gona, with a force of 1500 men on July 21, 1942. Shortly thereafter the force was built up to approx 20,000 men of the South Seas Regiment - experienced and seasoned troops. The Japanese objective was Port Moreseby, taking Kokoda was just because it was there and it had an airfield. So the took it. The Australina force totalled approx 540 men. The Japanese never fielded in one bit all their 20,000 troops against the Australians and intially the Australians didn't defend with all their total strength of 540 men.

The Japanese plan was to cross the Owen Stanley Range and take Port Moreseby. The Japanese would then attack and occupy Port Moresby. From here, the Japanese would have a staging post to attack Australia but most of all it allowed them the knowledge that their bases in other areas in and around New Guinea would be secure by taking Port M.

Kokoda is a small plateau on the north-east slopes of the Owen Stanley Range.

The first engagement between the Australian and Japanese troops was on the 23rd. The Australians were completely outnumbered and were forced to begin a long fighting withdrawal over the next two months. In their efforts to defend many fierce battles were fought, including one at a place known as "Brigade Hill." Then back to where the 400 or so Australians who were left were ordered to make a stand and retreat no more. In Japanese military manuals of the time there was no expanation for retreat, so it has passed down that the order to consolidate by withdrawing WITHOUT retreating is what the Japanese did. However at this point the Australians started receiving FRESH reinforcements - which assaulted the Japanese lines and found that the Japanese had overextended themselves and so the Australians (with their reinforcements of experienced veterans and

25-pounder guns brought from Moresby to Imita Ridge by hand over the difficult terrain soon, the Japanese were on the run, all the way back to Buna and Gona. These were taken in bloody action.

The Australians were the first allied troops during 2WW to repluse a Japanese invasion force ( at Milne Bay) and push the Japanese back in to the water. on land. The conditions in New Guinea were the most dreadful of any theartre in the entire war any where on the planet, infestation, disease, extreme temperature vaiations, fighting at height , swollen rivers, constant monsoonal rains, thick jungle, mud, swamps, narrow passages in which to fight and defend. No where for supplies to be properly made available.

Answer 3

Hot, exhausting and dangerous.

Visibility in the jungle was poor, usually from ten to fifty metres, or less when fog and rain intervened. Quite often soldiers would see no live enemy at all during an engagement.

Steep slopes, thick jungle and deep dangerous streams hindered communication, issuing and receiving orders was a problem. Conditions were like night fighting.

Answer 4

The Kokoda Track Campaign was, According to Pacific War, was Japan's second attempt at capturing Port Moresby to keep Australia from the U.S during World War II. News of the war in 1942 was controlled by General Douglas MacArthur, an American. It is said that the threat from the Japanese was grossly exaggerated by the Prime Minister Curtin for political reasons.