Difference between revisions 121772636 and 121772638 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.]]
(contracted; show full)

At the start of the Pacific War the strategic port town of [[Rabaul]] in [[New Britain]] was defended by 'Lark Force', which comprised  the 2/22nd 
Infantry Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Brigade reinforced with coastal artillery and a poorly equipped RAAF bomber squadron. While Lark Force was regarded as inadequate by the Australian military,<ref>Hasluck (1970). Page 14.</ref> it was not possible to reinforce it before the Japanese [[South Seas Force]] landed at Rabaul on 23 January 1942. The outnumbered Australian force [[Battle of Rabaul (1942)|was swiftly defeated]] and most of the survivors surrendered in the weeks after the battle. Few members of Lark Force survived the war, as at least 130 were murdered by the Japanese on 4 February and 1057 Australian soldiers and civilian prisoners from Rabaul were killed when [[Montevideo Maru|the ship carrying them to Japan]] was sunk by a US submarine on 1 July 1942.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ajrp.awm.gov.au/ajrp/remember.nsf/pages/NT00002EBE?openDocument |title=Rabaul, 1942 |accessdate=2007-11-06 |last=Moremon |first=John |coauthors= |date=2003 |work=Remembering the War in New Guinea |publisher=Australia-Japan Research Project}}</ref>

Shortly after the outbreak of the Pacific War AIF troops were dispatched from Darwin to the [[Netherlands East Indies]]. Reinforced battalions were also sent to [[Kupang|Koepang]] in [[West Timor]] and the island of [[Ambon]] to defend these strategic locations from Japanese attack. A commando cThe 2/2nd Independent Company was also sent to [[Dili]] in [[Portuguese Timor]].<ref>Hasluck (1970). Page 14.</ref> The force (made up mostly of the 2/21st Battalion, 8th Division artillery and support troops) at Ambon was defeated in the [[Battle of Ambon]] which was fought between January 30 and 3 February 1942. While the i2/40th Infantry bBattalion at Koepang was defeated, [[[[Australian commandos]] [[Battle of Timor (1942–43)|waged a guerrilla campaign]] against the Japanese in Portuguese Timor until February 1943.

In the lead-up to the [[Battle of Java (1942)|invasion of Java]] a force of 242 Japanese aircraft [[Air raids on Darwin, February 19, 1942|attacked Darwin on 19 February 1942]]. This attack was undertaken to ensure that Darwin could not be used as a base to counter the conquest of the Netherlands East Indies. The attack was successful, and resulted in the deaths of 251 civilians and milit(contracted; show full)
* {{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| ]]