Battle of Rabaul
Rabaul, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
What happened
A small Australian garrison, Lark Force, under Lieutenant Colonel John Scanlan, faced a Japanese invasion force under Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue and Major General Tomitaro Horii. In January 1942 Japanese aircraft attacked Rabaul, a harbour town on the island of New Britain. Before dawn on 23 January, Japanese troops landed and quickly captured the airfield. The outnumbered Australians retreated into the jungle, and over 1,000 were later captured.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Rabaul's deep harbour and airfields became Japan's biggest base in the South Pacific. From there Japan pushed into New Guinea, leading to the battles of the Kokoda Track and Milne Bay.
What came next
Instead of capturing Rabaul, the Allies cut it off with air power and landings nearby from late 1943. When Japan surrendered in 1945, about 69,000 Japanese troops were still there.
Did you know?
Rabaul sits on the edge of a flooded volcano, and in 1994 an eruption buried much of the town under ash.
Timeline
- 4 January 1942Japanese air raids on Rabaul begin.
- 23 January 1942Japanese troops land at Rabaul.
- 1 July 1942The prisoner ship Montevideo Maru is sunk; all aboard are lost.
- August 1945Japan surrenders; about 69,000 troops remain at Rabaul.
- 19 September 1994Volcanic eruptions bury much of Rabaul in ash.