Japanese Soldier Vs Us Soldier: New Guinea 1942-44

This absorbing study pits US Army National Guardsmen against Japanese soldiers in the uniquely hostile setting of the New Guinea campaign in World War II.

When Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, New Guinea -- the world's second-largest island -- was administered partly by Australia and partly by the Dutch East Indies. The New Guinea campaign (January 1942-August 1945) saw Japanese forces invade the island, rapidly capturing the key port of Rabaul and threatening Port Moresby, while US forces joined the defenders in increasing numbers. The high point of Japanese success came in August 1942, but the Allied victory at Milne Bay swung the campaign their way; even so, it would take years for the Allied forces to clear the invaders from the island. The uniquely demanding environment, and the savage nature of the fighting, meant that the campaign was among the most arduous of World War II for both sides.

In this study, the Japanese forces and their US Army opponents, many of whom were National Guard units, are assessed and compared, with particular attention paid to combat doctrine, weaponry, tactics, logistics, leadership, and communications in the challenging setting of New Guinea. The role of US Army National Guard units and their Japanese opponents in three important battles are examined, namely: Buna-Gona (November 1942-January 1943), where inexperienced and unprepared National Guardsmen were thrown into hasty, ill-supported attacks against Japanese forces that included veterans of the overland attack towards Port Moresby; Biak Island (May-August 1944), where National Guardsmen encountered the new style of Japanese defence intended to inflict the maximum possible casualties on the attackers before the defenders were eliminated; and the Driniumor River (July-August 1944), with a particular focus on the battlefield experiences of the dismounted cavalrymen of the Texas National Guard and their Japanese adversaries.