| Record Number |
818554 |
| ISBN |
9780733640551 (paperback) |
| Author |
Veitch, Michael, 1962- author. |
| Title |
Turning point : the Battle for Milne Bay 1942 - Japan's first land defeat in World War II / Michael Veitch. |
| Publisher/Date |
Sydney, NSW : Hachette Australia, 2019. |
| ©2019 |
| Pagination etc. |
xvii, 334 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, map, portraits ; 20 cm |
| Bibliography, etc. note |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Summary Note |
Told for the first time, this is the epic story of the Milne Bay campaign of 1942 - which saw Japanese land forces suffer their first defeat of the war - and has properly been called the RAAF's forgotten finest hour. September 1942 marked the high-point of Axis conquest in World War II. In the Pacific, Japan's soldiers had seemed unstoppable. However, the tide was about to turn. On Sunday, 6 September 1942, Japanese land forces suffered their first conclusive defeat at the hands of the Allies. At Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea, a predominantly Australian force - including 75 Squadron (fresh from their action in 44 DAYS) - fought for two weeks to successfully defend a vital airstrip against a determined Japanese invasion. The victorious Australian army units were crucially supported by two locally-based squadrons of RAAF Kittyhawks. The Battle for Milne Bay and victory for the Allies was a significant turning point in the Pacific War, but while it received worldwide publicity at the time, it has since been largely forgotten... It deserves to be remembered. |
| Subject |
World War, 1939-1945 -- Australia |
| World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, Australian |
| World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Papua New Guinea -- Milne Bay Province |
| Milne Bay (Papua New Guinea), Battle of, 1942 |
| Shelf Location |
940.54265 VEIT |
