The Australian high command could only authorize such limited activity as they did not yet possess sufficient numbers to undertake further major offensive operations. Nerve wrecking patrols set off multiple ambushes and skirmishes for countless days.
By late February the Australians controlled the area from Waipali to Buibaining and a large part of the Mubo valley. He quickly surmised the Japanese threat was strongest in the Crystal Creek area where they had established a headquarters The Australians neutralized the crystal Creek area and began pushing the Japanese towards Mubo. He began sending patrols across the Black Cat trail and the Jap trail. By February the 1st, Moten had 201 officers and 2965 soldiers of all ranks at his disposal. With that order came the lost hope of capturing Wau it seemed. Facing larger numbers and possible encirclement, Major General Toru Okabe had to order his men to withdraw. This allowed the Kanga force to increase to 3000 men and receive heavy equipment necessary to smash the Japanese. On January 31st 35 aircraft had made 71 trips, the next day 40 aircraft made 53 trips. Last time we were in New Guinea the forces of Brigadier Moten had arrived in the nick of time to save Wau from the main Japanese thrust.The Australians were pouring reinforcements and supplies via transport aircraft daily. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800’s until the end of the Pacific War in 1945. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more so go give them a look over on Youtube. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. This episode is the battle of the Bismarck Sea. Yet today we are going to jump into one of the major naval battles of 1943. Now with the Russells in hand, the Americans had a launching point to attack New Georgia. The allies quickly launched an invasion of the islands prompting the Japanese to send some air raids, but all for naught. Then over in the south Pacific, the Japanese had finished up Operation KE and with it had used and abandoned the Russell Islands.
A race began between the two, but it would be the Americans who would seize the island and begin the process of building up an airfield upon it. The Aleutian island campaign saw a lot of action when the allies decided to investigate whether Amchitka island would be suitable for a new airfield and what the Japanese intentions were with it. Last time we spoke about the landing at Amchitka and the invasion of the Russell Islands.
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