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By January 1943, Australia had emerged from the shadow of war in a strong position. The victories in 1942 at Kokoda, Guadalcanal, Buna, Gona and Sanananda had secured the northern coastlines of Papua and Australia. Australian forces were now poised for afull scale offensive to liberate New Guinea from the Japanese, the largest and most complicated operations in their history. Australia 1943 explores the high point of Australia's influence on operations and strategy in the South West Pacific, a campaign that has been traditionally overshadowed by the drama of Kokoda. It investigates critical operations from January 1943 to April 1944, including Salamaua, Lae/Nadzab, Finschhafen, Shaggy Ridge, the Markham Valley and the Huon Peninsula. Australia 1943 is the first detailed single-volume study of Australia's military operations in the Pacific during 1943 - Australia's 'finest hour' in the Second World War.
List of contents
Introduction Peter Dean; 1. MacArthur and Curtin: deciding Australian war strategy in 1943 David Horner; 2. MacArthur's war: strategy, command and plans for the 1943 offensive Peter Dean; 3. The Japanese Army's search for a new South Pacific strategy, 1943 Hiroyuki Shindo; 4. On the offensive: US operations in the Southwest Pacific Area and the South Pacific Ocean Area in 1943 Kevin C. Holzimmer; 5. Perspiration, inspiration, frustration: the RAAF in New Guinea in 1943 Mark Johnston; 6. The naval perspective: the RAN in 1943 Ian Pfenningwerth; 7. Logistics and the Cartwheel operations Ross Mallett; 8. The 'Salamaua magnet' Karl James; 9. From the air, sea and land: the capture of Lae Peter Dean; 10. The Markham-Ramu Valley operation Lachlan Grant; 11. Applying the principles of war: securing the Huon Peninsula Garth Pratten.
About the author
Peter J. Dean is the Director of Studies at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, the Australian National University and a Senior Lecturer at the Australian Command and Staff College. He is the editor of Australia 1942: The Shadow of War (2012), the author of The Architect of Victory: The Military Career of Lieutenant-General Sir Frank Horton Berryman (2011), a contributing editor to the Second World War journal Global War Studies and a managing editor for the journal Security Challenges.
