Invasion of Rabaul
.While the Japanese Army trampled over most of Southeast Asia, the Imperial Navy had set its sights on British colonies father to the south. Their final goal was Royal Air Force stronghold at Port Moresby in New Guinea, but before that could happen, there were several strategic islands standing in the way. Among them were the small islands called New Britain and New Ireland.
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Located sixty kilometers northeast of New Guinea, New Britain
and New Ireland are a short three-hour flight to the Australian mainland.
Capturing New Britain would effectively cut off lines of communication between Australia
and the United States. The only thing standing in the Japanese Navy’s way was a
garrison of 700 soldiers of the Australian Army and another 700 men from the
local militia.
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On
January 20th, Japanese Carriers Kaga and Akagi led an attack fleet
of seven battle cruisers, fourteen destroyers, and a small armada of escort
ships arrived off the coast of New Britain. A 100-plane force, led by Pearl Harbor
mastermind Mitsuo Fuchida, attacked the tiny airstrip at Rabaul.
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The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was also poorly
equipped, with only 10 Wirraway fighter training planes and 4 Hudson light
bombers. In the ensuing dogfight, all but two of the Wirraways were shot down
and only one Hudson Light Bombers remained operable.
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As Australian commanders ordered the three remaining planes
to retreat to New Guinea, the remaining troops began dismantling the airstrip,
digging potholes, destroying fixtures, and making it inoperable for the
incoming Japanese troops. However, once the Japanese Army moved into Rabaul,
their engineers quickly set to work, repairing the airstrip. It was not long at
all until the Japanese Air Force would use New Britain for their next attack:
New Guinea.
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