bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > Northern Melanesia, 1942, updated by RAC 27 Feb 2024.
In early 1942, Japanese forces landed on the northern coast of New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the Solomon Islands. Only at Rabaul on the island of New Britain did they meet any resistance.
In early 1942, Japanese forces landed on the northern coast of New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the Solomon Islands. Only at Rabaul on the island of New Britain did they meet any resistance.
The South & SW Pacific webpages contain information about the 1942-44 Allied reconquest of this area.
Melanesia
The numerous island groups in the central Pacific are divided into three cultural areas, Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia.
The island groups of Melanesia lie in the South Pacific between Indonesia and Australia to the west, Micronesia to the north, and Polynesia to the east. Before WWII, northern Melanesia was divided politically into British, Australian and Dutch colonies. Most of Micronesia, north of Melanesia, were Germany colonies before WWI and between the World Wars was administrated by Japan through the League of Nations. Japan put their infrastructure developments in Micronesia to good use during WWII. |
Northern Melanesia
Before WWII, northern Melanesia was divided into four jurisdictions:
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Also shown above are the New Hebrides, then jointly administered by Great Britain and France and now the island nation of Vanuatu.
Today's nation of Papua consists of former Southeastern New Guinea and the Territory of New Guinea. |
The following more-detailed map shows a portion of northern Melanesia.
- Cape York, on the bottom left, is part of the Australian continent.
- The three New Guinea capitals are Hollandia, the capital of the Dutch area, in the left center, Rabaul, on the island of New Britain in the center, and the Papuan capital Port Moresby in the bottom left.
World War II in Melanesia
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The main Allied bases supporting early combat operations in Melanesia were:
- Brisbane, on the east coast of Australia.
- New Caledonia and the New Hebrides in southern Melanesia. (New Hebrides is now the nation of Vanuatu.)
- Port Moresby on the southeastern coast of New Guinea.
The 1942 Japanese Invasion of Northern Melanesia
Selected 1942 Japanese advances:
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Note that the January 1942 Japanese invasions of Melanesia were launched from:
- The island of Guam, a United States colony in the Mariana Islands, seized by Japan shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
- The island of Truk, now known as Chuuk, in the Caroline Islands, developed by Japan as their major military base in the Central Pacific.
In the Battle of Rabaul, which began on 23 January 1942, both Australian and Japanese deaths were remarkably small.
However, over 1,000 Australian soldiers from the Rabaul defenders, known as Lark Force, were taken prisoner. Their tragic fate:
However, over 1,000 Australian soldiers from the Rabaul defenders, known as Lark Force, were taken prisoner. Their tragic fate:
- About 4 February, around 160 Lark Force members were bayoneted to death by the Japanese.
- On 1 July, over 800 Lark Force prisoners died when the ship on which they were being transported from Rabaul to Japan, the Montevideo Maru, was sunk off the north coast of Luzon by the American submarine USS Sturgeon (SS-187).
Sources for Big Pigeon's Japan Lashes Out > Northern Melanesia, 1942 webpage:
- The Melanesia in Context map was found at https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Pacific_Culture_Areas.svg/1280px-Pacific_Culture_Areas.svg.png.
- The Northern Melanesia 1920-1940 map was found at https://omniatlas.com/maps/australasia/19281018/.
- The New Guinea (eastern part) ... map is taken from The War At Sea 1939 - 1945, Volume 3, the Offensive by Captain S. W. Roskill and was found at https://www.abebooks.com/maps/New-Guinea-Solomon-Islands-Theatre-HMSO/31154701107/bd#&gid=1&pid=1.
- The Japanese Advances in Melanesia, early 1942 map is courtesy of the US Army Center for Military History and was found at https://www.sarahsundin.com/today-in-world-war-ii-history-mar-16-1942/.
- Most entries in the 1942 Japanese Advances timeline come from http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/pacificwar/timeline.htm.
🇺🇸 Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead — WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > Northern Melanesia, 1942 webpage:
05-06 - WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > Northern Melanesia:
05-06 - WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > Northern Melanesia:
- No US military were involved in the 1942 Japanese conquest of northern Melanesia.