Difference between revisions 121772594 and 121772595 on dewiki

[[Image:Work fight or perish (RC02370).jpg|thumb|An Australian Government leaflet bearing the likeness and signature of Prime Minister [[John Curtin]], telling Australians that they must make sacrifices for the war effort.]]
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Although the Borneo Campaign was criticised in Australia at the time, and in subsequent years, as pointless or a "waste" of the lives of soldiers, it did achieve a number of objectives, such as increasing the isolation of significant Japanese forces occupying the main part of the [[Dutch East Indies]], capturing major [[petroleum|oil]] supplies and freeing Allied prisoners of war, who were being held in deteriorating conditions.<ref>Grey (1999). Pages 184-186.</ref>

===
The RAAF in the Pacific===
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[[Image:Beaufighter (AWM OG0001).jpg|thumb|A [[No. 30 Squadron RAAF|30 Sqn RAAF]] Beaufighter flying over New Guinea in 1942]]
RAAF Kittyhawks and Boomerangs came to play a crucial role in the New Guinea, [[Solomon Islands]] and [[Borneo]] campaigns, especially in operations like the [[Battle of Milne Bay]].

From 1943 the RAAF played a supporting role to the [[Fifth Air Force|United States Fifth Air Force]]. While the USAAF units were concentrated on supporting the main Allied advance, the RAAF was mainly assigned tasks on the flanks of the theatre and home defence duties. Nevertheless, the RAAF played an important part in supporting Australian and United States operations in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands during 1943 and 1944.<ref>Odgers (1968). Page 498.</ref>

During 1945 the RAAF was assigned flank protection tasks, garrison duties and supporting the liberation of Borneo. The use of the RAAF's main operational formation, the [[Australian First Tactical Air Force|First Tactical Air Force]] (1TAF), for garrison tasks led to a decline in morale, and contributed to the [[Morotai Mutiny|'Morotai Mutiny']] in April. However, 1TAF's morale recovered at the start of the Borneo Campaign.<ref>Odgers (1968). Page 498.</ref>

At the end of the war 1TAF comprised more than 18,000 personnel and 20 squadrons and was scheduled to participate in the invasion of the Japanese mainland, [[Operation Downfall]]. However, the war was brought to a sudden end by the US [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|nuclear attack]]s on Japan. 3,342 RAAF personnel were killed during the Pacific War.<ref>Long (1973). Page 393.</ref>Operations against Japan===
[[Image:Blamey Japanese surrender.jpg|thumb|General Thomas Blamey signing the Japanese instrument of surrender on behalf of Australia on 2 September 1945]]

Australia played a minor role in the [[Japan campaign]] in the last months of the war and was planning its participation in the [[Operation Downfall|invasion of Japan]] when the war ended. Several Australian warships operated with the [[British Pacific Fleet]] (BPF) during the [[Battle of Okinawa]] and Australian destroyers later escorted British aircraft carriers and battleships during attacks on targets in the [[Japanese Archipelago|Japanese home islands]].<ref>Gill (1968). Pages 603-607, 611-614, 663-665 and 673-674.</ref> Despite its distance from Japan, Australia was the BPF's main base and a large number of facilities were built to support the fleet.

A planned invasion of the Japanese home island of [[Honshū]] in 1946, [[Operation Downfall#Coronet|Operation Coronet]], would probably have included a proposed [[Australian 10th Division]], formed from existing AIF personnel, as part of a [[Commonwealth Corps]] which was to be formed from British, Canadian and Australian units.<ref>Day (1992). Page 299.</ref> The Australian First Tactical Air Force would have also participated in this operation. Three Australian heavy bomber squadrons were scheduled to be redeployed from Britain to Okinawa as part of [[Tiger Force (air)|Tiger Force]].

The [[nuclear attack]]s on [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki]] caused [[Surrender of Japan|Japan to surrender]] before invasion became necessary. General Blamey signed the [[Japanese Instrument of Surrender]] on behalf of Australia during the ceremony held on board [[USS Missouri (BB-63)|USS ''Missouri'']] on 2 September 1945. Several RAN warships were also present in [[Tokyo Bay]] during the ceremony.

===Naval war in the Pacific and Indian Ocean===
[[Image:Starr King (AWM 128144).jpg|thumb|The [[United States of America|U.S.]]-registered [[Liberty Ship]] ''[[Starr King]]'' sinking after being attacked near [[Port Macquarie, New South Wales|Port Macquarie]] on [[10 February]] 1943.]]
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{{main|Australian home front during World War II}}
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During the war the [[Government of Australia|Australian Government]] greatly expanded its powers in order to better direct the war effort, and Australia's industrial and human resources were focused on supporting the Allied armed forces.

==After the war==
[[Image:HMAS Shropshire (123797).jpg|thumb|[[HMAS Shropshire|HMAS ''Shropshire'']] arriving in Sydney in November 1945 carrying long serving Australian soldiers]]


A planned invasion of the Japanese home island of [[Honshū]] in 1946, [[Operation Downfall#Coronet|Operation Coronet]], would probably have included a proposed [[Australian 10th Division]], formed from existing AIF personnel. However, the [[nuclear attack]]s on [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki]] caused [[Surrender of Japan|Japan to surrender]] before the invasion became necessary. General Blamey signed the [[Japanese Instrument of Surrender]] on behalf of Australia during the ceremony held on board [[USS Missouri (BB-63)|USS ''Missouri'']] on 2 September 1945. Several RAN warships were also present in [[Tokyo Bay]] during the ceremony.⏎
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World War II cost thousands of Australian lives and consumed a large portion of national income. During the war II 27,073 members of the Australian military were killed or died of wounds or died while prisoners of war. Of these, 9,572 were killed in the war against Germany and Italy and 17,501 in the war against Japan. Nearly half of Australia's deaths in the Pacific were prisoners of the Japanese.<ref>Long (1973). Page 474.</ref> In financial terms, total Australian war expenditure was [[A(contracted; show full)
* {{cite book |last=Coates |first=John |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=An Atlas of Australia's Wars |year=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Melbourne |isbn=0195559142 }}
* {{cite book |last=Coulthard-Clark |first=Chris |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles |year=2001 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=Sydney |isbn= }}

* {{cite book |title=Reluctant Nation: Australia and the Allied Defeat of Japan, 1942–1945 |last=Day |first=David |authorlink=David Day (historian) |coauthors= |year=1992 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=0195532422 |pages= }⏎
* {{cite book |last=Day |first=David |authorlink=David Day (historian) |coauthors= |title=John Curtin. A life |year=1999 |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers |location=Sydney |isbn=0732264138 }}
* {{cite book |last=Frame |first=Tom |authorlink=Tom Frame (bishop) |coauthors= |title=No Pleasure Cruise. The Story of the Royal Australian Navy |year=2004 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=Sydney |isbn=1741142334 }}
* {{cite book |last=Gill |first=G. Hermon |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Royal Australian Navy 1942-1945 |url=http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/chapter.asp?volume=25 |series=Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 2 – Navy |year=1968 |publisher=Australian War Memorial |location=Canberra |isbn= }}⏎
* {{cite book |last=Grey |first=Jeffrey |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=A Military History of Australia |year=1999 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=0521644836 }}
* {{cite book |last=Grey |first=Jeffrey |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=The Australian Army |edition=1st edition |series=The Australian centenary history of defence |year=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Melbourne |isbn=0195541146 }}
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* {{cite web |url=http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/index.html |title=Australia's War 1939—1945 |accessdate= |author= |date= |work= |publisher=[[Department of Veterans' Affairs (Australia)|Department of Veterans' Affairs]] }}


{{Australian Military History}}
{{WWIIHistory}}

[[Category:Military history of Australia during World War II| ]]