Battle for Australia

The Battle for Australia was a series of military actions fought in 1942–43, during World War II, by Allied forces, to defend Australia against direct attacks by the Empire of Japan.

These actions included some fighting over or near the Australian mainland. However, the main focus of Allied defensive efforts was to halt the Japanese advances through New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, in order to prevent a more serious threat to Australia from developing. It was feared at the time that Japanese offensive operations in New Guinea and northern Australia were aimed at invading the Australian mainland, and it was rumoured that a supposed "Brisbane Line", would leave the north undefended, to concentrate Allied defenses on a line from Brisbane to Adelaide, or Brisbane to Perth. There is little evidence that such a plan existed.

Post-war research has found that the Japanese leadership never intended to conduct an invasion. The Japanese did, however, intend to isolate Australia by occupying New Guinea, New Caledonia and Fiji. As a result, while it is not correct to state that the Battle for Australia prevented an invasion of Australia, it did prevent Australia from being cut off from a major Allied power, the United States.

In a 2006 speech, the principal historian at the Australian War Memorial, Dr. Peter Stanley, argued that the concept of a Battle for Australia is invalid as the events which are considered to form the battle were only loosely related. Stanley argued that "The Battle for Australia movement arises directly out of a desire to find meaning in the terrible losses of 1942"; and "there was no 'Battle for Australia', as such", as the Japanese did not launch a co-ordinated campaign directed against Australia. Furthermore, Dr. Stanley noted that the phrase 'Battle for Australia' was not used until the 1990s and this 'battle' of World War II is not recognised by countries other than Australia.

In 2008 the Australian Government proclaimed that commemorations for the Battle for Australia would be held annually on the the first Wednesday in September, with the day being designated 'Battle for Australia Day'. [cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23923683-31477,00.html|title=Battle won on dedicated Pacific war day|last=Walters|first=Patrick|date=2008-06-26|publisher=The Australian|accessdate=2008-06-28]

Major battles

* Japanese air raids, including:
** the bombing of Darwin and
** the attack on Broome
* Battle of the Coral Sea
* Japanese submarine attacks, including:
** the attack on Sydney Harbour
* the New Guinea campaign, including the
** Kokoda Track Campaign and
** Battle of Milne Bay

Notes

References

* [http://www.battleforaustralia.org.au/index.html Battle for Australia Commemoration National Council]
* [http://www.awm.gov.au/underattack/index.asp Australian War Memorial "Australia Under Attack 1942-1943"]
* [http://www.anzacday.org.au/history/ww2/bfa/default.html anzacday.org.au "Battle for Australia"]
* Dr. Peter Stanley (2002). " [http://www.awm.gov.au/events/conference/2002/stanley_paper.pdf He's (Not) Coming South: The Invasion That Wasn't] ". Paper delivered to the Australian War Memorial conference [http://www.awm.gov.au/events/conference/2002/index.htm Remembering 1942] .
* Dr. Peter Stanley (2006). [http://www.awm.gov.au/events/talks/oration2006.asp "Was there a Battle for Australia?"] . Australian War Memorial Anniversary Oration, 10 November 2006.
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*cite web
last = U.S. Army Center of Military History
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url = http://www.army.mil/cmh/books/wwii/MacArthur%20Reports/MacArthur%20V2%20P1/macarthurv2.htm#contents
title = Japanese Operations in the Southwest Pacific Area, Volume II - Part I
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accessyear =- Translation of the official record by the Japanese Demobilization Bureaux detailing the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy's participation in the Southwest Pacific area of the Pacific War.