Battle of Guadalcanal

[gary g stevens]

The first half of the year was dark for the United States. We had lost the Philippines,Wake,Guam,and part of the Aleutian islands.The Japanese had driven our allies out of southeast asia. The campaign gave the American public A victory they needed ,it showed that the Japanese army was not invincible. If the Japanese would have won it would have been goodbye both New Guinea and Australia! Stoping our convoys was the purpose for their ocupation of the island.

[temujin77]

Originally Posted by gary g stevens

The first half of the year was dark for the United States. We had lost the Philippines,Wake,Guam,and part of the Aleutian islands.The Japanese had driven our allies out of southeast asia. The campaign gave the American public A victory they needed ,it showed that the Japanese army was not invincible. If the Japanese would have won it would have been goodbye both New Guinea and Australia! Stoping our convoys was the purpose for their ocupation of the island.

Well said, Gary. Guadacanal was a morale booster for the Americans, indeed. However, wouldn't you say that Coral Sea in the sea and then the Kokoda battle on land together were the strategically decisive battles that saved Port Moresby, thus Australia?

[gary g stevens]

Your right! I concede.

[temujin77]

Originally Posted by gary g stevens

Your right! I concede.

Haha, no, no, please don't concede. We're not in a debate, just in a friendly discussion

[gary g stevens]

If the Japanese had put their Val dive bombers on Guadalcanal ,they would have inflicted heavy losses on our convoys. They might have moved further southeast to the New Hebrides or Fiji blocking us completely from Australia.This is just speculation on my part,but do you think this was A possibillty?

[temujin77]

Originally Posted by gary g stevens

If the Japanese had put their Val dive bombers on Guadalcanal ,they would have inflicted heavy losses on our convoys. They might have moved further southeast to the New Hebrides or Fiji blocking us completely from Australia.This is just speculation on my part,but do you think this was A possibillty?

I think by the time of the Guadalcanal campaign, Japan had already outstretched herself. Purely tactical considerations of what kind of aircraft to put where were already rather useless. New Guinea itself was probably already a stretch for Japan to embark upon considering the lack of shipping (for an empire her size), not to mention that a bulk of the Japanese Army were tied down fighting the Second Sino-Japanese War in China and also as occupation forces all around the newly conquered lands. So no, I don't believe Japan truly threatened New Hebrides, Fiji, or convoys to Australia.

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by temujin77

Well said, Gary. Guadacanal was a morale booster for the Americans, indeed. However, wouldn't you say that Coral Sea in the sea and then the Kokoda battle on land together were the strategically decisive battles that saved Port Moresby, thus Australia?

Originally Posted by temujin77

I think by the time of the Guadalcanal campaign, Japan had already outstretched herself. Purely tactical considerations of what kind of aircraft to put where were already rather useless. New Guinea itself was probably already a stretch for Japan to embark upon considering the lack of shipping (for an empire her size), not to mention that a bulk of the Japanese Army were tied down fighting the Second Sino-Japanese War in China and also as occupation forces all around the newly conquered lands. So no, I don't believe Japan truly threatened New Hebrides, Fiji, or convoys to Australia.

Well which is it? Was Australia really threatened with being overrun and occupied?

[temujin77]

Originally Posted by Jim O

Well which is it? Was Australia really threatened with being overrun and occupied?

Hm, good one, you caught me in a nice self-contradiction, Jim! Kind of funny I did that to myself

Port Moresby was indeed one of the important locations in the South Pacific. Had Battle of Coral not happen, or if the Kokoda invasion succeeded, Japan might have occupied it, therefore threatening Australia with aerial bombardment and naval blockade. And yes, possibly invasion, too.

What I mean by the second post, though, is that Japan was already outstretched by the time they initially set foot on Guadalcanal. Even if they take Port Moresby, it does not change the strategic situation dramatically because they will only spread the Japanese ground strength. If the Japanese attempts an invasion on Australia, that would only further the dispersion of strength. In both what-if scenarios, the already overwhelmed supply line will become even more so.

So, while I did seem to contradict myself earlier, does this make more sense now? Australia and other islands beyond the Solomon Islands were indeed threatened, but not "truly" threatened because Japan did not have ample logistical capabilities to keep them supplied.

[MAGNA]

The Japanese attempts to take Guadalcanal and New Guinea were in parallel with the strategy of isolating Australia to deny any Allied base for a build up. The ultimate aim was to to do just as many of the posts have stated. That is to block sealanes to and from Australia using naval and air power operating from bases in the areas occupied. It was calculated that a few divisions could then be used to take major Australian ports on the East coast of Australia, if even necessary. The taking of Rabaul was the first step in the whole procedure. The Battle of the Coral Sea stopped a direct landing at Port Moresby and so the Buna and Gona landings took place, with the subsequent Kokoda campaign following.

The first real defeat on land to the Japanese army came when they tried to invade at Milne Bay and were routed. The survivors were evacuated, the first time this had happened to the Japanese army in the war.

[Jack]

Originally Posted by MAGNA

The Japanese attempts to take Guadalcanal and New Guinea were in parallel with the strategy of isolating Australia to deny any Allied base for a build up. The ultimate aim was to to do just as many of the posts have stated. That is to block sealanes to and from Australia using naval and air power operating from bases in the areas occupied. It was calculated that a few divisions could then be used to take major Australian ports on the East coast of Australia, if even necessary. The taking of Rabaul was the first step in the whole procedure. The Battle of the Coral Sea stopped a direct landing at Port Moresby and so the Buna and Gona landings took place, with the subsequent Kokoda campaign following.

The first real defeat on land to the Japanese army came when they tried to invade at Milne Bay and were routed. The survivors were evacuated, the first time this had happened to the Japanese army in the war.

Hear Hear!

I guess my main point originally was that it was a TEAM effort that defeated the Jap(ane)s(e)