In September 1942, deep in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, the Allied forces achieved a historic milestone — the Battle of Milne Bay, the first time in World War II that Japanese ground troops were decisively defeated. The battle took place on the remote eastern tip of New Guinea, where Australian infantrymen, supported by American engineers and airmen, faced a determined Japanese invasion force. The Japanese expected an easy victory, but they underestimated the harsh tropical terrain — and the

The Battle of Milne Bay was the Allies’ first defeat of Japanese forces on land during the Second World War. 1942 stands as one of the most significant years in Australia’s wartime history. As Australians fought in defence of our shores, there were major battles in Papua: along the Kokoda Track, at Milne Bay and at the Beacheads of Buna, Gona and, in early 1943, Sanananda. On the night of 25–26 August 1942, a Japanese amphibious invasion force landed on the northern shore of Milne Bay at the eas