095 - Beyond the Owen Stanleys

Operation "MO"

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With the Imperial Japanese Navy’s prolonged success in the South Pacific, Admiral Yamamoto knew it was time to push towards Australia. However, the Japanese Army was unable to cross Papua New Guinea because the island was divided by the treacherous Owen-Stanley Mountain range.

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The Japanese Air Force continued their regular bombing raids on Port Moresby from mid-March to early May with little success. Without the help of the Army and the Navy, capturing Port Moresby would be impossible. For the Japanese Army, the task was even greater, since most of the combined Allied Forces, like the Australian Army (pictured left) waited in Papua New Guinea as they prepared for the upcoming attacks.

Admiral Yamamoto and the Japanese Navy were eager for a clash of Carrier Forces in the Coral Sea. After the Kido Butai failed to locate the carriers responsible for the Doolittle Raid, they retired to their Naval Bases to prepare for “Operation MO” the combined attack on Port Moresby. A Naval victory would equal domination in the Pacific.
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For the Imperial Japanese Navy, the time to strike at the heart of the American Forces was now.